I've started to notice some teams use their best outfielder in RCF instead of the conventional LCF or maybe even LF. In fact, I've even seen teams instead of hiding someone in RF actually have someone play pretty decent in RF.
What is the reason behind why some teams would put their best outfielder in RCF instead of LCF? Is it to deter righty batters from trying to go oppo? Or is it to neutralize lefty batters?
I've noticed that some players prefer to either catch the ball with either 1 hand or 2 hands. What do I mean by this? It's a bit hard to explain.
One hand as in they stick their glove out to catch the ball while their throwing hand isn't supporting it.
Two hands as in they'll have their glove out but when trying to catch, they'll have their throwing hand close to their glove to support it in case it falls out.
In your opinion which technique is better?
I guess from what I've seen, the more skilled players generally catch with one hand while the less skilled ones use two hands?
In upper-rec levels or higher, female outfielders are a lot more common. But at the lower rec levels (usually the 3 female format), teams rarely put a girl in the outfield. By outfield I don't mean 'hiding' her in RF because of all the righty batters that can't go oppo. Nor sandwiching her in RCF with 2 decent outfielders. Nor putting her at rover just to put her somewhere. At the lower-rec levels, I rarely see women get meaningful play time in the outfield. Ie. expect her to pull her own weight.
Just this past weekend, I played for a free agent team on a 1-day (7-3 format) co-ed tournament. I co-managed this team and asked everyone's preferred positions. I had a lady that ticked off all outfield positions (with LCF preferred) but no infield positions. And another lady that ticked off SS/3B. The rest weren't any surprises. So when I drafted my lineup with a lady at SS/LCF/C, my other manager got mad at me privately. He stated that "no girls should play CF". He just doesn't trust her in the outfield. Yet when I asked whether he was cool with SS, he was completely fine with that. Mind you, he has not seen any of the players on this team play before. So the first game he stuck LCF to 2B. And I'm cool with moving around in the outfield if needed. I was put in RCF beside a baseball guy in RF that wanted to play 2B. We got blown out badly because the 2B struggled at reacting to hot grounders and overthrew on double plays. And the RF overran fly balls multiple times. So we decided to put him at 2B and her in RCF. Then my co-manager whispers to me (and RF) to cover her back, as if she couldn't do it herself? When she proved him wrong for the 2nd game, I gave my LCF spot to her and she was solid. Maybe not better than the average male but enough to the point where she didn't need any 'help'. And that's where I ask this question.
Why are teams so afraid to either put ladies in the outfield? This in turn feeds into a feedback loop of player development and willingness to play outfield positions. Instead, many teams want them to be great at 1B/2B/C combination. Or even pitch. Almost all teams I've seen use an all-male outfield. Or 3 male outfielders + a rover/RCF/RF being "hidden" on defense. I've only seen one instance of 2+ ladies in the outfield at this level, though at higher end co-ed tournaments with 6-4 format, it's more common and they play decently well at it.
It's almost as if on a team with 1 beginner male + 1 beginner female. Almost all the time the beginner male is immediately sent to RF (to eventually play other outfield positions) while the female is at C (to eventually play 1B/2B).
Outfield is a relatively easy position to develop and master at. Of course, softball has its learning curve but when compared to other positions, outfield is significantly easier. You don't need to think about throw to specific bags, turn double plays, catch errant throws, have elite footwork, or even have to relay throws elsewhere. You just track, catch, and toss it likely to the same place over and over again. What does a master outfielder do? Just add more range and maybe an arm? Whereby a master 2B must do a lot more.
It's less dangerous too. Even a 60 MPH batted ball from ~80 feet away can seem dangerous. Especially for poorly manicured fields where an unexpected bounce could hit you on the face. Even catching a hot throw from SS can be scary to someone new. In the outfield, it's really rare to get injured by a batted ball because there's more reaction time.
What are the downsides of choosing ladies over men to play outfield instead? Why do so many teams stack ladies at 1B + 2B instead of RF + RCF?
Having played on multiple teams bad teams this year, relative to the league's competition, I feel there's one area I'd like to work on with my some (committed) but new players on my teams; catching & throwing. A lot of the softball fundamentals rely on good throwing and catching mechanics. It's kind of like for basketball, you need to have some sort of understanding on dribbling, passing, and shooting.
I sometimes see some poor throwing habits that cause lollipop throws or for those that have the throwing range, they would put excessive force on their shoulders/arms. Players also sometimes awkwardly catch a ball (ie jabbing at it) and struggle at catching anything where they have to move their glove.
It's a rec league which I understand. But I get asked a lot on how to improve my swing, complain about their own struggles at the plate, request BP, etc. Yet I rarely get asked about how to improve basic throwing & catching mechanics.
I don't coach little league. I didn't play baseball until I was 16 so I basically self-taught throwing/catching. And to be fair, I definitely can improve on my throws (ie throwing a guy trying to stretch singles into doubles). It's not like only kids can learn because I've seen players that never tried this sport (or a any bat/ball sport) suddenly throw seeds from outfield within a few months.
I feel this is important for reducing injury risk. Because bad throwing mechanics will put a strain on the shoulder and elbow. And earlier this year, I drilled a new guy on the chest because he reached at the ball (wasn't thrown that hard).
What should be the proper way to teach good throwing/catching habits to new players? What are some drills that are easy to pick up on within just weeks of personal practice? Or some drills they can try themselves at home too with friends?
Ultimately, my goal at the end of the year is everyone should try something like:
I seem managers tend to judge a player's defensive capabilities based on like the first play they made and if it's an obvious error, they'll sometimes move them somewhere else. I join a lot of these random free agent tournament or league teams. Almost all the time positions get moved based on who is/isn't making the plays.
But just this past weekend I was part of a free agent team. Unfortunately, due to a last minute injury, I volunteered to full time DH. I would've been in the outfield. So the first play when I got to meet everyone, our LCF dropped what looks like an easy fly ball. All 3 caught outs came from the other 3 outfielders. The elected manager asked for my opinion on whether to shuffle around the outfield and I was like sure. But I also decided to bet him a burger that the LCF (moving to RF) is actually the best outfielder our of the bunch. It turns out, he caught the last 3 outs of our first game. And I won the bet because for the entire tournament run, he didn't make a single mistake and caught hits that none of the others caught when he was put back to LCF in subsequent games.
Somehow I can tell something was there. I'm no baseball/softball scout nor am I a coach. But I just somehow can tell just by watching how they move, they're a good player.
I can't seem to explain or process in words. What are some signs this player is great on the field and doesn't need to be moved to an easier position? Like what is the best way to tell? Do we judge by just 1 error or missed play?
In baseball, teams that have an ERA below 3.50 across their entire pitching staff shows that they're really great at preventing opponents from scoring.
But instead of using ERA like a pitching stat, what about use this like a team defensive stat? Now it's not like we track Earned Runs separately to runs so let's use ERA in this case as:
How many runs allowed per game do you think is generally considered good where you'll win most games from allowing this few runs? Let's say for non-mercy games and assume you play all 7 innings.
This might seem very unconventional to ask for baseball. We all talk hitting. Pitching. Fielding too. But what about running? I volunteered to fill in as an assistant coach for a 14U team and I know there's a player who is more than athletic enough to be among the fastest players.
He will still overrun 1st base, which is good. But I'm sure there are ways he can run faster. What are some drills for optimizing running mechanics? He plays the outfield so he's gonna need to get up to top speed. It's just at times, it feels like he's running in mud.
A lot of co-ed rec-level teams that are successful tend to have ladies that are great ball players. But what do we mean by 'great' as a bare minimum requirement? Like the equivalent of a basketball two-way player (ie excellent on both offense + defense)? Or just someone who hits very well but can't really play defense? Or just someone who only plays defense very well but can't really hit?
There will always be women (and men) that excel at one without the other. It could be an ex-fastpitch player that never learned to hit but has extremely great fielding fundamentals and a smooth touch. Or a girl that loves batting practice and joining cages but can't adequately play male-dominated positions on the field.
Let's use the following co-ed dynamics:
Now let's say you have the choice of 3 females (shows up to every game):
NOTE: I don't know what females batting average is in co-ed. I think for a lot of males, they tend to aim for like .600-.700?
So which set of ladies do you think will have more value on a team? Set A (defense-focused). Or Set B (hitting-focused)?
I'm also asking this from a player developmental standpoint since I have a few beginner females on various leagues that want to improve their game so I'm trying to think of what's a good focus.
First of all, let's define coaching. I don't mean yelling at someone that dropped an easy pop-up or swinging at a pitch way out of the strike zone with 0 strikes. I mean let's say when a SS is trying to throw to 2B for a double play. 2B drops a routine throw because of poor glove work. So after the inning I would have a quick discussion as to how to properly position the glove to receive the ball. Or when an outfielder throws to 3rd base (when runner is 99% safe) instead of to 2nd to keep the force play. I would kindly inform them after the inning the reason why you always want to keep a runner at 1st. Or two outfielders going for the ball but neither calling it.
I play a lot of pickup basketball (ie: go to the park and play a game with strangers) and people receive all kinds of coaching advice. Like how to grab a rebound for example. I would hear things like reminding them to box out. Or setting screens to create better shots. Even though this is all fun and games for cardio with strangers, coaching seems very accepted.
In men's softball, coaching is acceptable as long as it's constructive and not belittling. I even see coaching in adult rec-level hardball too although it's a much looser version of youth leagues. Yet come co-ed softball, it seems like nobody really provides feedback or receives feedback. Last year, I was playing in a league and our 2B threw lollipops and struggled to receive throws. When I met up with her pre-game to discuss throwing mechanics, she said "I'm good I've been playing for 5 years". It's likely she played but never received any proper instruction. From that day, I stopped coaching really anybody.
Fastforward a year into a different league, a 2B got drilled by a line drive in the hips even though she played as deep as possible. I didn't say anything. The other team streamed the game so I had a look at the replay as to how this happened. This was due to her lack of a ready position. She didn't even react until the ball already travelled half way, let alone an anticipation step. It wasn't even hit all that hard. In fact, she was completely standing upright before the batter swung. I'm not worried as much about her ability to play 2B but rather her safety. She ended up missing multiple games from that bruise. Meanwhile later that game, the other team's female 2B had a similarly batted ball but at a faster speed. It would've hit her on the belly but she stuck her glove out on time to protect her. Didn't make the play but at least she was in a perfect ready position before contact.
I get it. It's rec level. We're all supposed to have fun. And I don't personally expect everyone to be Gold Glove at their position nor hit like .700. But I do think that there are definitely some Little League Fundamentals 101 that would be very helpful and can make games feel closer or even steal games from good teams. I mean even on a random basketball court at a park everyone is open to taking feedback.
What is the proper way to coach/feedback players? Do we only coach if they ask? Or are we allowed to provide them pointers?
I got invited to sub for a men's team double header in a few days. Unfortunately, their league has rules where subs can only play either P/C/1B, likely to prevent ringers (P seems allowed since it's a specialized role as some teams only have 1 pitcher so it's allowed). I'm an outfielder and they already have P/1B filled so they have to put me at catcher. Plus based on the website standings, it's a top 2 seed in an 8 team league so I'm sure it's stacked. I've never played catcher before.
In case anyone's wondering, there is no tagging at home, as that league uses a line for runners to cross so it's a force play after a commitment line.
Catcher might be really simple because all you do is catch the ball on a play at the plate. I mean it's supposedly the easiest and least impactful position right? But what are some things I can do as a catcher that makes me above and beyond a typical catcher? Maybe I could use this experience as something to train my catchers in co-ed to improve as well.
I was visiting my old friend's apartment and there was a tennis court. He's not a competitive tennis player but we played tennis there anyways. I was struggling to return his serves so he taught me what is called the "split step" move. In other words, your feet would be slightly off the ground just before the serve so you can run and get to the serve. That actually helped me return most serves and hits.
Now back to softball. I don't play infield but decided to volunteer after everyone else was sitting during pre-game batting practice waiting for their turn. I tried that split step move and I was able to get to a few somewhat difficult ground balls that I could dream of. I would do that move when the batter swings.
Is split stepping helpful for softball fielding? Or is this just something that only tennis players can use? I didn't really get to experiment this in a game.
A lot of teams would value a female pitcher and that's understandable, especially in a really casual 7/3 co-ed league where there are no pitcher/catcher gender requirements. However, we already have a full-time male pitcher. He pitches in multiple co-ed leagues and men's leagues, on top of tournaments.
There will be some instances where a female ringer is looking for a team. She can literally play any position as good as the average the average male but not Gold Glove elite. Where would she be most valuable?
Or here's my story: Currently, we have a beginner lady who plays catcher. She has the drive and motivation to excel 1 position by year's end instead of being a gender roster filler. She's even willing to improve on her agility and stamina if the position needs be. Based on her current background:
Based on the team's situation:
What position(s) do you think would provide the most value if a woman can play nearly as good as the average man but not Gold Glove elite? Should we develop her at the most common lady positions like C/2B/RF/1B? Or should we focus on the male-dominated positions like SS/3B/LF/LCF?
As someone who watches a lot of basketball, I like to observe some plays that only a player with high basketball IQ can make. Like faking a cut and causing a different cutting player to score at the rim but it requires a great playmaker.
What are some examples for softball? We all like to talk hitting hitting hitting. But what are some IQ plays mainly around baserunning or defense? The plays that only experienced ballers know how to make and can effectively steal outs or runs.
I moved to softball last year. We're generally expected to apologize (when the play is dead) if you hit the ball that either nearly hit the pitcher or hit the pitcher, especially if it's hit hard at them. That's to signal that you made no intent to drill them. If someone finds you blatantly hit the pitcher, ejections could happen. I think some leagues even have a rule that bans those middle shots (known as hitting the box) due to safety.
What about baseball? Do batters have to do the same too after the play is dead? Should we apologize to a pitcher (after the play is dead) if a ball is hit to them?
Both fastpitch and baseball are very similar sports in many ways. But when it comes to transferrable skills, one sport may have a bigger advantage towards slowpitch.
Let's suppose you have a male ex-baseball player and female ex-fastpitch player. Using the following criteria:
Let's say from a fielding perspective. I don't like using hitting as a metric because there are too many variables and hitter's growth is less linear than fielding. Which player is more likely to become average at their position by year's end?
On average, co-ed will almost always have a gender skill gap. Does the gap widen or close as you play into the higher levels of co-ed?
On one hand at the rec level, almost all teams will stick a male at SS/(L)CF/3B while C is almost always occupied by women. This is mainly because a lot of these women spots are wives/girlfriends can barely catch/throw. On the other hand, while higher end teams have women that can play better than some men (ie fastpitch backgrounds), there are also extremely elite men that can play like an elite baseball superstar.
As someone who doesn't play for high end co-ed leagues, what's it like in terms of gender skill gap?
Youth travel baseball (and possibly fastpitch) gets talked about a lot about the kids workload. They play like several games per week and join multiple tournaments. It's a lot of traveling for sure. This causes both physical and especially mental burnout for some kids, to the point where they quit.
But what about dedicated slowpitch players? I get that for some players, 1-2 games a weeknight is not enough. So I can see why they join like 3-4 different leagues.
But then there are some that literally would play the equivalent of 162+ games a year. Like you're talking those that not only participate in every local city's weekend tournaments but also the major ones at provincial levels. Kind of like travel ball but for adults.
How do players make time to play this many games? Not to mention as adults, you have so many real life responsibilities. And you're not paid to play or getting scouted so it's just all for fun. And of course, needing to pay own gas + plan trips + even hope enough show up on your team. How do dedicated ballers not get burned out from this?
What's keeping dedicated players motivated despite all the adult challenges? Is burnout a problem with adults just like with kids?
What is more similar? SS to 3B. Or CF to LF.
In terms of playstyles, which is more similar? Is LF the outfield equivalent of 3B? Is it easier to move a SS to 3B or is it easier to move a CF to LF in terms of adjustability?
I'm trying to do a mini-study on composition % for positions. I'm wondering what are the most common positions ladies play in co-ed? And what are the least common? Let's say at rec level.
I think almost every co-ed team has a female catcher. But what about rarest played position in co-ed by females?
Ever since moving over to recreational softball, I had no idea there were many variations of the game being played with a yellow softball and softball-like rules. We have the slow-pitch, which some use a strike board mat. And we also have the more casual friendly version where you pitch to teammates (ie coach pitch but underhand with a softball). I also heard about 16 inch softball. Or for indoor seasons, there's a smush dome softball. And of course, the one that's most popular with travel ball, fastpitch. But I had no idea there was also a game that was a step below fastpitch.
It's called Modified Fastpitch or Modified Pitch or Modified Softball. It's less common but still played recreationally. I don't know the rules specifically but instead of allowing a pitcher to fully windmill, they can only do like a slingshot or something. In other words, the ball is still being thrown on a line but with slower speeds.
What about Modified Baseball? Is there any variation of baseball that's still played with 90 feet basepaths + wood bats? So maybe instead of a pitcher allowing a full delivery, a pitcher could only throw completely no-stride (ie both feet on ground until ball is released). Kind of like how kids who don't play organized baseball throw a tennis ball at kid school baseball diamonds, where they just throw to throw. I guess to regulate leadoffs/stolen bases, you could make it so runners can only leave bases when ball leaves the mound.