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Online now: 3 members: TABLE SETTER 11, TROW, dillydilly; 99 anonymousDiscussion: Pitchers. A bit insane?
| Posted | Discussion |
| June 2, 2021 Bruce M Men's 55 122 posts | Pitchers. A bit insane? I mean this with the utmost respect: Pitchers are a bit crazy. Anybody over 40, who is willing to put on full body armor, to stand in front of softballs that are coming straight at them at speeds 65-95 MPH have to be a bit nuts. A friend of mine came up to me yesterday to show me his dislocated and fractured finger....another friend had his the bones in his glove hand fractured. Pitchers stand 50 ft from the batter, whilst their teammates stand usually 70 ft or more. Those 20 plus feet make a big difference. Most pitchers I know don't make a big deal out of it. They just love to pitch. Bless them. So yes, some pitchers can be a bit "touched"...but can you blame them? I say, anyone who criticizes them should be condemned to pitch an entire game. Even if you don't get hit...having those balls fly past you at those speeds should cure any future thoughts of criticism. Just my opinion... |
| June 3, 2021 coop3636 514 posts | I resemble those statements. I am "nuts" but I do love the action on the mound. Brett Cooper TN Connection |
| June 3, 2021 Webbie25 Men's 70 2413 posts | The best pitchers I have played behind have had a different way of handling life... and pitching. Kenny Sheffield is one of the best out there. He fields his position as well as any pitcher, even diving for many balls. His pregame preparations start hours before the games start. He wants to know exactly how much each pitch that missed the mat missed by, to the inch. He asks his catchers to stand a certain way to help him zero in. It's not a show. I have watched him nip corners in a 25 mph wind. And he gets in batters heads a LOT. That, and an unusual way of batting that usually results in a .700-.800 or higher batting average, in my mind, makes him one of the best. |
| June 3, 2021 Full Count 57 posts | Andy, Randy,Jimbo and Carlos are some of the best pitchers in my area if not the country. They are a hybrid, part middle linebacker & part pitbull. They want you to hit the ball at them. They figure they'll make the play more often then not. To have one of the better teams in the country it all starts at pitcher. |
| June 4, 2021 Guppy7325 15 posts | I also resemble those remarks.. I’ve pitched for 35 years and have the ball marks/broken digits and memories to make me smile.. I still pitch in travel leagues and cherish every moment.. I would like to pitch one more tournament and enjoy the comradeship of the senior community.. |
| June 7, 2021 MartyM Men's 75 56 posts | There is an area in the back of your brain (don't remember the term) but it's your self protection response that causes anyone to move hands, feet, whatever to avoid a danger. There is no thinking involved, only response. Most pitchers have an above average response due to exposure and experience. That said, the mandatory mask rule is, in my opinion, one of the best decisions SSUSA has made in recent years. |
| June 7, 2021 B.J. 1105 posts | Marty…. Hmmmm pitchers and brain, those are 2 words that should never be used together…. :) |
| June 8, 2021 MartyM Men's 75 56 posts | B.J. Aww, we have brains, it's just that they are usually a bit different. Crazy is the most used adjective in my case. |
| Aug. 1, 2021 PointLefty 1 posts | I'm a 75 year old guy returning to play the game I love after being out of it for about 35 years. Pitching is all I really want to do. I have been playing competitive horseshoe, which requires a very similar pitch. I practice from 50 feet, and after only one week of practice, I dream about a return. I am not on a team and do not know if I am good enough to play. But I will be a PITCHER! I'm a nut. |
| Aug. 1, 2021 AKA: Southpaw 179 posts | Fractured left eardrum (baseball) 1972. Separated layers of skin in stomach, quasi hernia about 10 years ago. 3 inch indention in left shin by 47.cor in 1990. Quarter size hole in left ankle 4 years ago. Scrapes and bruises from head to toe! Maybe I am just a thrower and not a real pitcher but I still love it!! I have pitched for 60 years starting at 12. |
| Aug. 3, 2021 DEJ13 18 posts | I have been pitching for the past 25 years and echo many of these statements. Yes, I tell myself all the time "I have to be crazy to still be doing this" LOL. I have been hit my fair share. But it is those hard lines drives hit to my left or right I say "I am glad that ball did not come straight back at me". I took one off the shin guard a few weeks ago. Just could not get the glove down fast enough especially after 4 games and the heat index. It did not hurt but it sure did bruise a lot more than I would have expected. After two and half weeks the shin is just starting to get back to normal. |
| Aug. 3, 2021 msw4indy 25 posts | In my 32 years of playing, I always say that I'm glad that I never picked up pitching. Got stuck filling in for 3 innings of coed when I was in my 30s with my tourney coach umpiring. Everything I threw floated outside to where I had to field about 6 hard comebackers. My coach asked me what I was doing? My honest answer was I don't know but you guys are crazy to do this every night:)....Yes you all are a different kind of crazy but I have the utmost respect for anyone willing to stroll out there, even with all the gear on. |
| Aug. 4, 2021 Dirtball Men's 70 24 posts | We have 2 pitchers on our team, we are also the 2 SS on the team. Having a pitcher that cant move or protect himself is a problem waiting to happen. Don't just stick a person out there because he can pitch or fill a spot, your pitcher can control the game. I know every team does not have the luxury to do this, but a pitcher that can field is a big plus. |
