Seniors, playing under the lights

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Yogibear

Addicted to Softballfans
Question, I play in a +50 league and in the years past we always play early games, now that other divisions have filled up the diamonds and to make it fair for all teams in the league, we will now have to play at least 8 of 30 games under the lights. Some of the +50 teams do not like this and have threatened to quit the league if they play any games under the lights, just curious what you would do?

I like it under the lights, so no big deal for me, but would you quit a league if you only had to play 4 of 15 doubleheaders spread out through-out the season under the lights?
 
obagain

obagain

Dr. bats are for wimps
No, I wouldnt quit.
If there are other leagues where the guys could move to that might be a problem but if this league is the only one then they will play, they may complain but they will play.
 
bb666b77

bb666b77

ODB
tell them they have to play at noon then and see what they say.........we play all our games at nite.......by the way bob are you still wanting to play,did you ever talk to larry.....
 
BruceinGa

BruceinGa

always online
I don't have a problem seeing under lights so I wouldn't quit. I do know that some senior outfielders can't judge the ball at night.
 
ogWarlock78

ogWarlock78

Addicted to Softballfans
it is harder to see the ball at night, but that's just the way things are. Has ALWAYS been that way for me. I think some folks find things to whine about just because they like to whine. Those "grumpy old men" give all us geezers a bad rap. quitchurbichin and PLAY BALL!
 
G

Gunsmoke

Addicted to Softballfans
Yeah, what HE said. Old folks are as bad as women. Just shutup and play. Damn.

Our league went to the optic yellow ball. Helped me quite a bit. Don't think it helps that much in the infield when the big boys are hitting lasers at you though. I'd just back up in the infield and use your rewetting drops!!!!

Dry eye is the biggest problem with older eyes. Find an eye solution that works for you and USE IT. You'll be amazed.

I've even gone to using Alphagan (glaucoma med) on game nights in order to shrink my pupils and better focus on the ball.

Helps that I do computers for 2 optometrists and 1 opthalmologist so I get it for free. But let me tell ya it WORKS!!!!! Just don't use it on a regular basis as it reduces eye pressure by draining the blood from the eye. You'll have nice white eyes but the lowered eye pressure isn't good if you already have a normal pressure. So no constant use! Just on game day. My opth is my age and a ball player so he wouldn't steer me wrong.
 
E

ETDave

Old School
Gunsmoke said:
Yeah, what HE said. Old folks are as bad as women. Just shutup and play. Damn.

Our league went to the optic yellow ball. Helped me quite a bit. Don't think it helps that much in the infield when the big boys are hitting lasers at you though. I'd just back up in the infield and use your rewetting drops!!!!

Dry eye is the biggest problem with older eyes. Find an eye solution that works for you and USE IT. You'll be amazed.

I've even gone to using Alphagan (glaucoma med) on game nights in order to shrink my pupils and better focus on the ball.

Helps that I do computers for 2 optometrists and 1 opthalmologist so I get it for free. But let me tell ya it WORKS!!!!! Just don't use it on a regular basis as it reduces eye pressure by draining the blood from the eye. You'll have nice white eyes but the lowered eye pressure isn't good if you already have a normal pressure. So no constant use! Just on game day. My opth is my age and a ball player so he wouldn't steer me wrong.
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I don't have that problem.

I spend most of the game crying because of the balls I should have caught and the hits I should have got.:eek:
 
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ETDave

Old School
I actually like playing under the lights better, so I guess I am in the minority. Some of our games are before we need lights and some after the lights are on. We went to the optic yellow balls for the first time last year and I had trouble judging the ball for a game of two (I play outfield) during the night games. I do ok with them now.
 
O

oldsoftballer

Member
I prefer playing under the lights.
It's about 10 degrees cooler than when the sun is up and when we have temps in the 100's for most of the summer it helps.
I also normally play infield so don't think I am not as affected as outfielders are with the lights. However, that shiny thing that is about 93,000,000 miles away is also hard on outfielders sometimes.
 
ogWarlock78

ogWarlock78

Addicted to Softballfans
the optic yellow balls don't appear to help me any at all, especially when coming low to OF. They seem to blend in with the grass. I don't see that they are any more visible than dirty white balls. (insert joke here)
 
bb666b77

bb666b77

ODB
the yellow balls at nite to me seem to disappear sometimes.light colored dirt on the inf and a dirty yellow ball,it blends in real good......i liked to know where they did the testing for the change to yellows.....
 
96packers

96packers

OG Titletown
I must agree with the high viz balls being tougher to see at night - they sure don't seem high viz for some reason. They do somehow blend in but I know that makes no sense.
 
G

Gunsmoke

Addicted to Softballfans
OK, let me rephrase. The optic yellow balls JUST OUT OF THE WRAPPER work great. After they hit this orange Texas dust they slowly become useless since they have that grassy look to them already and then the infield added to it.

In the first game they rock.

Anybody find a way to combat the Texas dust clouds yet????? I sometimes wonder if they're caused from ODB running the bases. I could be wrong.

Doubt it.

oldtimer, you're still playing some outfield this year since you're probably the most talented utility guy I've ever played ball with. So get used to it. :p
 
BigShep

BigShep

Who's Your Daddy!
How well you play (OF) under the lights is mostly a function of how clear your eye lenses are. Put another way, as your eyes age, the lens gradually gets more cloudy ... known as cataracts in it's most advanced form. But even without the cataract diagnosis, partly cloudy lenses make it more difficult to see a ball at night ... Partly because it appears dimmer, and partly because cloudy eye lenses cause "flares" and "retina burn" under the stark contrast of night ball conditions.

I had cataract surgery in both eyes at 61, and night ball went from nearly impossible to no problem.

Optic yellow balls are easier for the human eye to see under daylight conditions, especially as compared to white balls that have become dirty. I've found new white balls to be easiest to see at night, but not after they're dirty.
 
G

Gunsmoke

Addicted to Softballfans
And here I am following up after BigShep again. lol

I'm only 48 and had BOTH eyes done last year. They weren't used to 47yr olds having cataracts in both eyes but I've gotta tell you it's literally night and day. Pun intended.

We had a guy hit a ball above the lights into the pitch blackness. I saw it the entire way!!!!!! Way up there!!!!! I waited at the fence in left center and it just dropped down into the glove like nothin'. All of the guys around me were saying "WOW! Nice catch!" It wasn't but to THEM it was cuz they couldn't see it clearly. lol

It's amazing. My opth polished "the bag" also in hopes that it doesn't cloud over and they have to YAG laser it right away. So far it's stayed clear. One year on my right eye and 8 months on the left. But it's such a quick and easy "zap" that it wouldn't be a big deal at all if it had to be done.

Crystal Lenses.

Perfect eye sight. Again, only issue is my pupils dilate at night. I take the constrictor and I'm good to go. Forget it? I'd better sit on the bench.
 
C

curveball

Addicted to Softballfans
No problem with night ball if the lighting is decent. Play too often where 1/2 the lights are burned out or the system just isn't bright enough; that doesn't work. Played at 2 venues in Phoenix at the worlds where the lighting just plain sucked, especially being it the worlds...............Neither team can catch what it can't see. Also at those same fields, dim infields are dangerous.
 
Y

Yogibear

Addicted to Softballfans
curveball said:
No problem with night ball if the lighting is decent. Play too often where 1/2 the lights are burned out or the system just isn't bright enough; that doesn't work. Played at 2 venues in Phoenix at the worlds where the lighting just plain sucked, especially being it the worlds...............Neither team can catch what it can't see. Also at those same fields, dim infields are dangerous.
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Yea, that’s what makes no sense. The park just spent half a million on replacing all the lights to Musco lighting and it’s like day time under them, the league went to optic balls and is now allowing USSSA bats as per there request, but still whine, whine, whine :confused: just a bunch of old ______ I guess LOL.
 
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