Ugh... 1st Game of the Season, and I'm THAT GUY Already... sigh

petebanta

Addicted to Softballfans
Short story long, I play in a pretty competitive Co-Ed ASA league here in VT. Plenty of people who know what's up and ASA vs USSSA & our rules.

Played a team tonight in a close back-forth game... until we collapsed in T7 (errors & hot hits by other team)... but something made me go "Hmmmm"... it was a Yellow Worth 454 Legit... did not remember a ASA in that color... but I was busy (Captain & Pitcher), and I hate being a **** during the game about such things... especially if I am not sure...

So, after I got home, I decided to check out the web/Worth and see if that bat was what I thought it was, and I appear to have been right... looks like a USSSA/etc. bat, but NOT OK for ASA...

http://worthsports.com/slowpitch/bats/sb4lus

Hot grounders got through Infield, and one girl even hit it over our LF's head for a 3-run ITP (we have no fence on this field... HATE that!). It got used all game by various people. I am SURE of what it was (I pay attention to bats, and this site has educated me well on these matters). I had 5-6 hit @/by me that I could not catch (too fast). I got a couple. I have fast hands. No beer.

I was a little pissed once I confirmed, being the guy at risk the most, and so I said F it, and I wrote the other Captain to call him out on it. He is actually our league Prez, and should know better, and maybe he did not realize... but it is his job to make sure his people know & what they use. Especially him.

I told him that changing the result was up to him (a little guilt to do the right thing, maybe), but at the very least, I wanted to make sure he knew (and knew that I knew), and that they did not use it again...

Personally, if it was me, and I F'd up and got caught, and I checked it out, and they were right, I would forfeit the game... but don't expect him to... but perhaps I do not give him enough credit... though I usually give too much...

So, now I wait for his reply... likely tomorrow... tbd...

I hate to do these sort of things, generally, but feel this case was not cool, as he is Prez, and definitely knows wassup. It could be legit (pun intended ) error, but seems to me there is a "right thing" to do here...

Just curious on how others here feel about this... what would you do? Not sure of rules around this, and if post-game is too late (I needed to make sure before basically saying to him "You cheated")... ?

In other news, my new Z1000 for ASA is $$$. 3 for 3 tonight for 6 RBI's. :)

Just wanted to throw in a "Kewl Story" for the SBF Bros... :p

Both my leagues are now in full swing... good to be back after my traditional VT Winter Snowboarding Hiatus. Even if we lose to cheaters... ;)
 
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petebanta

Addicted to Softballfans
No it wasn't.

Yeah, I'm never very good at that... for me this is short...

I had succinctness as a goal... then I add details... love me details...

Is that really that long? Does anyone read books any more? Pretty wordy things. Sometimes I think the web/email has given everyone ADD... :rolleyes:
 

slobones

Addicted to Softballfans
Take the loss for what it's worth and then give the ump a heads up next time you play them.
 

petebanta

Addicted to Softballfans
Take the loss like a man, and no man should brag about going 3 for 3 in coed.

I am a well-known good sport, and saved it for later between myself & him, and don't expect a forfeit (though rules may call for it). Seems fair to me...

Not a brag, so much as a plug for the Z (You own one. You know!)

These were good hits. Hits in Men's League, too, for sure. Mainly, I was just looking for some good in an otherwise not-so-good day.

Not taking long for me to remember the general intelligence/maturity -level around here, and why I stay away in the off-season... oy...
 

jake.herring

Pull Hitter
being the league president it's on him to know about what's good and what's not and to not take advantage of other teams because of his reputation. other people who don't know about bats probably wouldn't have even questioned that they were swinging an illegal stick.
 

06redralli

Addicted to Softballfans
Hate when other teams use non approved bats in certain leagues. Z's are awesome bats I'll back you on that one. Love mine.
 

petebanta

Addicted to Softballfans
I lie the part were he said he was "at risk" .... Oh man that's a good one

I actually said I was at risk the most. Am I not? So, you don't think a guy 46 feet away from a 120+MPH batted ball is more at risk than 98MPH? :confused:

As a pitcher, I live with risk every time out. I get that. That is why I am in favor of mush balls & ASA bats. USSSA bats are MUCH hotter than ASA. I can go yard easily with U-Trip bats. ASA, hardly ever. = More Risk (than usual).
 

xethicx

Addicted to Softballfans
I_came_here_to_laughnot_to_read_RE_The_Art_of_Trolling-s435x241-126384-580.jpg
 

utcw201

☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼
I'm not scared of girls swinging u-trip bats.

PS...I've never seen a "pretty competitive" co-ed rec league, but if it makes you feel better about yourself.
 

HrBump13

Addicted to Softballfans
I hear you here. I like the fact that you did actually contact the dude after the fact. You are right, as the league Prez, he has NO EXCUSE to not know what bats are & are not ASA approved in an ASA run league. Was he swinging it? Just wondered. I have a similar thing going on her in our league, however, this guy is just a player. There is a dude swinging a 2010 JH Mutant (White barrel/red handle), in our league. I saw him & his buds BPing it before the season, thought nothing of it & then saw him swinging it in the Pre-Season tourney & again in a league game. As far as I can tell he is the only one swinging it & he is not a real hitting threat to be honest. We have not played them yet, so I am not sure how I will handle it when we do or if I will even bother. The problem will be if more dudes on his team start swinging it. Maybe I will talk to him before the game to see if he is even aware that it is a UTrip bat. Some people think a bat is just a bat & are clueless.
 

thaynes

Active Member
Nobody is yitting the balll at 120 mph get it straight. If its a bat your unsure about just ask the ump to check for the stamp. if its got it cool you were just checking cuz you didn't recognize it. in this case the bat would've been tossed and you could protest. I don't think your league is that competitive if you self ump either
 

jobro31

<font color="#CD0000">Bleeding Crimson</font>
pretty competitive co-ed = self ump'd, director coached opposition. Speak up, you dont have to sound like a douche and call them out, after a hit walk up and check it out or ask to see what kind it is. Can't sound as bad as the guy calling our beat to hell CF3 a Stadium2
 

Johnboy

Addicted to Softballfans
I actually said I was at risk the most. Am I not? So, you don't think a guy 46 feet away from a 120+MPH batted ball is more at risk than 98MPH? :confused:

As a pitcher, I live with risk every time out. I get that. That is why I am in favor of mush balls & ASA bats. USSSA bats are MUCH hotter than ASA. I can go yard easily with U-Trip bats. ASA, hardly ever. = More Risk (than usual).

1.20 doesn't mean 120mph. Common misconception. fyi
 

Johnboy

Addicted to Softballfans
Is that really that long? Does anyone read books any more? Pretty wordy things. Sometimes I think the web/email has given everyone ADD... :rolleyes:

No, it's not that long, and no, people do not read books anymore. I think it's funny when people apologize for a long post, and the post has maybe one paragraph that took 25 seconds to read.

Sorry for the long post.
 

Richiebalz

Paypal sent
Our up walks the dug outs before play. Checks each bat, opens bat bags, performs gloveless cavity searches, and pulls what ever bat that's on the banned list or missing an ASA stamp. Wont let us use a bat if it has rattle. It's kinda annoying but that's his job and keeps people safe. Was there an ump out there maybe your prez needs to come down on the umps to be more thorough before the games. Someone is gonna get a laser to the dome. And soon after the liability lawsuits will come there after.
 

SOFTBALLISKING

Beast from the Northeast
The point a lot of people seem to miss here, is the integrity of the game.. We love to play. Let's keep softball fun and play by the rules. "So what, it's just co-ed" .. what's the difference? Said bat should not be allowed no matter if its co-ed or a majors ASA tourney.
 

TMontani

Part Time Player
so many badass softball players on this board...jesus...I dont give a **** if I go 3/3 in an intramural coed game on base, I'm going to be happy about it.

I'd say something to the coach of the other team, see if he realized what he was doing....let him know whats up in a polite way first...if he tells you to **** off and he's a cheater (like most of this board seems to be) then dime his ass out....no reason to get anyone hurt in ANY league, let alone a coed one.
 

petebanta

Addicted to Softballfans
I stopped reading and just lol'ed after this...

"pretty competitive Co-Ed ASA league here in VT"

Yeah, yeah... I know... just trying to convey the fact that this is not some Bar/Beer -league full of clueless people. This league has been going 32 years, and full of people who know wassup vs people who own Hammers. I have participated in other co-ed leagues where people had no idea about anything like bat stamps, and people are just there to get drunk. There are varying levels of seriousness, I think. This one is most serious I know/play in.

I also think it is kind of sexist to imply that Co-Ed can never be competitive. Grow up. Our league has some quality girls with College/Pro experience (but still some others who really suck). We have a couple teams that I bet could beat a lot of "Men's" teams of people here who think thy are a big deal because they can go yard with their U-Trip/Glass (Hint: Anyone can).

Sooooo, any whooooo... Their cap is a Mensch, and he owed up to it, and they are now going to forfeit the W. He apologized and related how he once had a U-Trp bat break his finger and lost the whole season. He admitted he has a problem guy who does this, and he should have known (no, he did not use it, as he was only coaching/booking in this game). Several people used it for hot hits, including a girl who hit it over LF for a 3-runner in T7 (which is when I started to go "Hmmm..."). And I think I am going to have to start checking bats more now (yes, all of our's our legal, in fact, most of ours suck and I am just now, after years of trying to get people to understand, getting them to "get" that bats DO matter, and that metal bats are stupid, and comp bats are totally worth the $).

I am actually a little hesistant to take the W (and thought about maybe making it a tie... don't like W's this way), but I think if we do this, and send a message to league captains, that it sends a strong message that we will not tolerate this sort of BS, and if you're thinking about doing it, don't, as you may cost your entire team for your stupidity. I owe it to my team to do it.

On another funny note:The same guys who think bats don't matter, all tried my Z last night. The first couple guys mis-hit, and then said "That bat sounds broken/It sucks". I tried to explain the deal, and that they mis-hit... they were not convinced... until our best batter & I crushed back-to-back shots with it. Then everyone started using it. :cool:
 
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petebanta

Addicted to Softballfans
so if they had an asa bat, you wouldn't have lost?

Impossible to say, I'm sure you would get that, if you took a moment to think about it...

The bat definitely was a factor, and produced numerous hits/runs, so ,yes, it might have made a difference. Cheating is cheating. They cheated. Their captain even admitted that guy is "a problem" in such matters (another Men's League U-Trip hero, who cannot stomach their weaker ASA swing).
 
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