Minnesota Thread

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Beauner

Starting Player
I like pitching for the most part. It gets frustrating at times and obviously can get dangerous at times but I feel like if teams are intentionally trying to blow middle on me in an attempt to actually hurt me that I'll be able to answer it back pretty well. Fortunately I haven't really gotten that feeling from anybody.
When you're the fat guy who just likes to play ball and keep your mouth shut I think people tend to get less annoyed at you :)
 
Maximus Decimus

Maximus Decimus

Slap Hands!
I love pitching and I'm dumb enough to not mind getting hit at but walks are why I don't do it more. I pitched in a couple tourneys this year and did decent. I seem to walk less guys in tournaments vs league, its strange.
 
B

Beauner

Starting Player
Maximus Decimus said:
I love pitching and I'm dumb enough to not mind getting hit at but walks are why I don't do it more. I pitched in a couple tourneys this year and did decent. I seem to walk less guys in tournaments vs league, its strange.
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Walks are the biggest issue I face too. I really only know how to throw a knuckleball on a consistent basis. It can be a very good pitch when the wind is either 1) relatively calm 2) blowing in 3) blowing across
I run into issues occasionally when it's blowing straight out because it's going to dance one direction this time, then another direction the next. Makes it much harder to try to find a consistent aim point. If it's sporadic wind or not too strong I usually figure it out after a few batters but it can get very frustrating.

This off-season I'm going to work more on developing a go-to backup pitch. I tinkered around with a curveball a few times but haven't developed a good feel for it yet. Even my best attempts at just throwing normal BP cookies sometimes go awry.

So Tyler go ahead and send me your whole repertoire so I can copy it :)
 
Yoke

Yoke

Too sweeeeeeeet
I wish I was better at pitching. I pitched the consolation bracket at Harvest Fest and we won that, but I wasn't throwing with much of a plan. Just trying to throw strikes and hoping for the best.

I'm good enough at pitching to own a pitching helmet, but not good enough that I'd ever tell a team that I could be their pitcher. I could be their backup, maybe.
 
tsfingrocks

tsfingrocks

Average, at best
I don't walk many as luckily I'm pretty good at hitting an auto strike if I'm behind. I try and stay around the corners and am in communication with my 5 man and CF typically. 5 man at minimum and he can move the CF around.

Typically, I'll watch the batter coming up and getting ready the entire time, if I can or if I don't know them well. If I see them looking one way or the other, I'll watch their feet and hips and placement in the box to try and get an idea of what they're looking to do. Adjust from there. Always try and fill the infield up by moving to my hole. I see a lot of pitchers go way to far and still leave a huge hole up the middle and will cover up the 2B/SS (whichever side the 5 man isn't on).Make that infield look like 6 guys by taking a step or two off the rubber to try and mess with the batters head, if possible. I try my best to keep it at the teeth of my defense on the IF when pitching. Switch heights and depths. Throw a couple types of pitches, if you have some in your arsenal. I primarily throw a knuckleball but I can throw a pretty good one so roll with it. I will throw a spinner on occasion to mix it up or change speeds a bit. The umpire can be your biggest asset once you figure out the strike zone. I also relay to my teammates what I'm getting for calls and maybe 1 or 2 will listen and adjust. Haha.

Simplest advice, get that strike pitch down then work from there and ALWAYS be ready on defense.
 
thelastsamurai

thelastsamurai

Addicted to Softballfans
I ended up pitching cause I’ve thrown so much bp I can usually throw strikes, and a lot of pitchers aren’t the fastest/strongest hitters. I’d prefer catcher,1st, eh or 4th outfielder.
 
basilray

basilray

Active Member
Beauner said:
Managed to make it ALMOST all season long without getting (significantly) drilled while pitching.

Got tagged last night. Just on the outside of my knee.

Hurts to walk.

But we got the league chip so the shirt makes all the pain worth it. Or something like that.
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That's the worst.

I took one off the knee back in July. Dropped one on the inside for a lefty. As I was shuffling left in anticipation, it took an odd hop so I missed it w/ my glove. Right off the outside of my left knee. It was my own fault for misplaying it though, I suppose.
 
thelastsamurai

thelastsamurai

Addicted to Softballfans
Most guys aren’t pricks who purposely shoot middle. Although it is great when teammates start talking sh$t and put a target on your back. I usually just try to get out of the way:).
 
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Beauner

Starting Player
basilray said:
That's the worst.

I took one off the knee back in July. Dropped one on the inside for a lefty. As I was shuffling left in anticipation, it took an odd hop so I missed it w/ my glove. Right off the outside of my left knee. It was my own fault for misplaying it though, I suppose.
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Kinda like what happened to me. The guy who got me last night used to play on the league team I played with in Lakeville that was a bunch of the Minnesota As. He loves to push. So I was trying to keep it outer half and then fall off to 1B side to get into the hole (our 5th infielder stays on batter side most of the time and plays close to the base for double plays). I knew as soon as it got half way to the plate that it wasn't gonna get far enough out for a push. I saw the swing, tried to guess where it would end up and stuck my glove there. I missed :( ball ended up rolling to the coed line.
It was partly my fault cuz I was basically putting myself directly in the line of fire to try to make a play. He just got the barrel on it and with it being 43 degrees the Utrip ball turns into a missile.
 
B

Beauner

Starting Player
thelastsamurai said:
Most guys aren’t pricks who purposely shoot middle. Although it is great when teammates start talking sh$t and put a target on your back. I usually just try to get out of the way:).
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Yeah my Monday team is nice in that aspect. Nobody really runs their mouths, they are just out there to have some fun, get some swings, have some beers, and hopefully win some games. We've got a bunch of former baseball players that help us (particularly defensively-- I love the infield behind me, our SS is a wizard and our plug is a solid fielder and has a pretty good turn, plus he's 6'5" so he snags a lot of line drives).
 
basilray

basilray

Active Member
Beauner said:
with it being 43 degrees the Utrip ball turns into a missile.
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OUCH! I didn't even think of that. Big difference in taking a soggy 52 in July heat compared to a Classic in sub 50F temps!

That's one thing I like about playing indoors. I took a liner off the shin last winter, and laughed about it, because, Incrediball.
 
thelastsamurai

thelastsamurai

Addicted to Softballfans
Beauner said:
Yeah my Monday team is nice in that aspect. Nobody really runs their mouths, they are just out there to have some fun, get some swings, have some beers, and hopefully win some games. We've got a bunch of former baseball players that help us (particularly defensively-- I love the infield behind me, our SS is a wizard and our plug is a solid fielder and has a pretty good turn, plus he's 6'5" so he snags a lot of line drives).
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We picked up a couple young baseball types, one guy who played at Mn crookson was 6”5 long wing span up the middle was nice to have.
 
Yoke

Yoke

Too sweeeeeeeet
There's a dude like that in the Hanover league, but I don't know that he plays much more than league. He's a good ballplayer.

We had a few college athletes for a couple years, but they're busy in the summer with work and school, so they didn't play last year. Hopefully they all get back into it when they're done with school.
 
Chembry

Chembry

Addicted to Softballfans
Yoke said:
There's a dude like that in the Hanover league, but I don't know that he plays much more than league. He's a good ballplayer.

We had a few college athletes for a couple years, but they're busy in the summer with work and school, so they didn't play last year. Hopefully they all get back into it when they're done with school.
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You talking about the guy that plays shortstop for WSIS? I forget his name, but he is 6'4 or so and fields everything hit in his direction and the arm as well?
 
Yoke

Yoke

Too sweeeeeeeet
Chembry said:
You talking about the guy that plays shortstop for WSIS? I forget his name, but he is 6'4 or so and fields everything hit in his direction and the arm as well?
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Yeah, that guy. I don't know his name either, I just know he makes a ton of plays and covers a lot of ground.
 
thelastsamurai

thelastsamurai

Addicted to Softballfans
It seems like the best players are 20 somethings just playing league with their buddies, usually ss or lc. Swing sh$tty bats but still hitting well.
 
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Bell44

Addicted to Softballfans
Our SS the last two years is from up near St. Cloud. He played college baseball and still plays town ball. He said all of his buddies from his hometown want nothing to do with softball.
 
Chembry

Chembry

Addicted to Softballfans
Bell44 said:
Our SS the last two years is from up near St. Cloud. He played college baseball and still plays town ball. He said all of his buddies from his hometown want nothing to do with softball.
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I played town ball until I was 26. I took a few years off and didn't start playing softball with buddies until I was 29. I really needed a break from baseball. I payed every summer since I was 4. When in high school the season's went from spring thru fall. In college it was year round. After taking a few years off, I really wanted to get back into it, so I started playing softball. The point being, there is still time for them to get into the game.
 
B

Bell44

Addicted to Softballfans
Chembry said:
I played town ball until I was 26. I took a few years off and didn't start playing softball with buddies until I was 29. I really needed a break from baseball. I payed every summer since I was 4. When in high school the season's went from spring thru fall. In college it was year round. After taking a few years off, I really wanted to get back into it, so I started playing softball. The point being, there is still time for them to get into the game.
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I completely agree. This guy said he's slowly trying to flip them into getting into softball.
 
Chembry

Chembry

Addicted to Softballfans
Beauner said:
Flip Washington signs with Anarchy, as does John Williams.

Carl must be sharting his pants.
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What is he going to say now...he won't support any team that supports Flip and Big John? That list will get pretty long very shortly if he starts getting that nit picky. I don't know if he should have expected anything else when he says his players can't play utrip. Although the rumor on softballcenter is that he lifted his ban on his players playing both associations, but I haven't seen anything on the facebook page. I will say that I love the move by Flip and John.
 
B

Beauner

Starting Player
Chembry said:
What is he going to say now...he won't support any team that supports Flip and Big John? That list will get pretty long very shortly if he starts getting that nit picky. I don't know if he should have expected anything else when he says his players can't play utrip. Although the rumor on softballcenter is that he lifted his ban on his players playing both associations, but I haven't seen anything on the facebook page. I will say that I love the move by Flip and John.
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Me too. I love the two Anarchy bats I have. I swung a couple Monstas in BP but didn't like them. The new Anarchy lines are as good of an ASA bat as any I've swung.
 
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