Softball Thread

[RedskinsNation]

Any softball players on this board?

Just wondering what bats people use for ASA leagues - so many damm restrictions. I hear they may be outlawing all composite bats? Also wondering why the Dudley Thunder Advance ball is being discontinued and what folks are using as replacements.

[SloppyOneXXVI]

Miken Recoil 250 Maxload. That's my baby. Took about half a season (8 games) to really break it in, but now it crushes everything.

Go to http://www.softballfans.com/reviews/ for some good insight. I don't think my bat is rated that high, but I love it.

[RedskinsNation]

Ahhh the Recoil. Yeah i saw where your bat was ranked #1 somewhere....#2 is the DeMarini Juggernaut and i think #3 is the Miken FREAK. Ive always wanted to take some cuts witht he Recoil or the FREAK.

I got a Juggernaut (34/28) about 2 months ago and surprisingly was able to break in in quickly. Ive been able to hit some bombs with it..i cant do without it.

Using the Thunder Advance balls with Juggernaut should be illegal...i bet the Recoil is the same way. The composite bats are sick.

[halter91]

I love my Resmondo Titan. That bat is flat out sick. We start fall league tonight. I tore my calf and didn't get to play in the playoffs, I can't wait to play tonight.

I have 2 bats for sale if anyone is interested. I have an Easton Brett Helmer Synergy 120. It's red and Black, I'll try and get pics later tonight. I also have a NIW BJ Fulk Mayhem 120.

As far as ASA, who knows what they are going to do. I think ASA sucks but it's the only association we have around here. We use the .52 .275 Trump rocks in our league.

Softballfans.com is an awesome website for softballers. Be warned though, the site is addicting!

Here is a pic of my old collection.

I have since added a few and sold a few.

[skinfan2k]

I play in a softball league and I am god awful. I cant seem to catch a flyball to save my life.

[RedskinsNation]

Halter...yeah ASA is all there is in Fairfax but im used to it and have been playing in it for a few years so its all good. I would love to use some of the banned bats just to see the difference. ASA guidelines are so damm strict...oh well.

How's the Helmer? I have a Synergy but its not a Helmer. I hear those are good bats. Whats the length/weight & age of your Helmer and how much do u want for it?

I have my squads Thunder Advance ball supply dwindling down...i hear the Thunder Heats and the X-rocks are decent. What about the Evil Balls?

[Redskin4ever]

I like the Trump Evil Balls. We play NSA, so I can't vouch for the ASA ones. But the NSA ones fly. The cover is soft, but when you hit it, it will go. The downside of the soft cover is that some feel softer than others, and it shows when you hit them. I don't know the technology used, but it seems like the cover starts to be come detached from the core. Just my opinion having used them the 2nd half of this year.

[Mufumonk]

We just picked up a new Frenzy 2 (Mizuno) and so far I'm really liking it. It's pretty hot right out of the wrapper and has a very generous sweet spot.

And I envy all of you. We're stuck using these:

[Captain 47]

just finished our season. we went 21-22 including playoffs.

[Bubble Screen]

I play in a softball league and I am god awful. I cant seem to catch a flyball to save my life.

That's too bad, man. And its such an easy game.

As for the topic. I think the type of bat you use is often overrated. I used to use a cheap Easton bat a few years ago, and could hit some bombs with it. Also hit some wicked line drives with it. My theory is, if you can hit you can hit with anything.

[kramdizzle]

Ahhh the Recoil. Yeah i saw where your bat was ranked #1 somewhere....#2 is the DeMarini Juggernaut and i think #3 is the Miken FREAK. Ive always wanted to take some cuts witht he Recoil or the FREAK.

I got a Juggernaut (34/28) about 2 months ago and surprisingly was able to break in in quickly. Ive been able to hit some bombs with it..i cant do without it.

Using the Thunder Advance balls with Juggernaut should be illegal...i bet the Recoil is the same way. The composite bats are sick.

I think the freak is illegal in some leagues. It is a MONEY bat though

[kramdizzle]

That's too bad, man. And its such an easy game.

As for the topic. I think the type of bat you use is often overrated. I used to use a cheap Easton bat a few years ago, and could hit some bombs with it. Also hit some wicked line drives with it. My theory is, if you can hit you can hit with anything.

True if you can hit you can hit, however a professional baseball player can hit well with a wooden bat but would hit much better with a metal bat. What we are saying is that the bat makes a difference in power not in skill.

[kramdizzle]

I love my Resmondo Titan. That bat is flat out sick. We start fall league tonight. I tore my calf and didn't get to play in the playoffs, I can't wait to play tonight.

I have 2 bats for sale if anyone is interested. I have an Easton Brett Helmer Synergy 120. It's red and Black, I'll try and get pics later tonight. I also have a NIW BJ Fulk Mayhem 120.

As far as ASA, who knows what they are going to do. I think ASA sucks but it's the only association we have around here. We use the .52 .275 Trump rocks in our league.

Softballfans.com is an awesome website for softballers. Be warned though, the site is addicting!

Here is a pic of my old collection.

I have since added a few and sold a few.

I use the mutant and i really like it, problem is they stopped making it. BTW you have way to many bats, but i guess you're "that guy"

[RedskinsNation]

Kramdizzle..the Miken FREAK is legal for ASA. Or i should say there is a legal version out there, a guy on one of my teams swears by it. I am so stubborn though and am addicted to the Juggernaut at the moment.

Anyone play in the Fairfax Leagues?

[Always A Commander Never A Captain]

Bumpity...looking into joining some co-ed rec leagues this spring. What are the leagues for softball...and other sports?

P.S. After game bar specials would be nice.

[RedskinsNation]

AZ, thanks for the bump...I actually need to find another player to play in my Thursday night Mens league in Fairfax County. Not sure if you are interested but if anyone is interested let me know.

In other news....anyone swung a J2 (Juggernaut 2) by DeMarini?

[RedskinsNation]

Miken Recoil 250 Maxload. That's my baby. Took about half a season (8 games) to really break it in, but now it crushes everything.

Go to http://www.softballfans.com/reviews/ for some good insight. I don't think my bat is rated that high, but I love it.

I went out and got the RECOIL this winter as they had a deal to good to pass up on Kellys Ultimate Sports. I got the balanced though, I broke it out Saturday......im liking it.

[JMac]

I came across this story on another forum. Anyone from Va know this guy?

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local-beat/Fun-Loving-Humanitarian-Father-of-6-Killed-in-Softball-Accident-92142614.html

I have played competitive softball for many years and have pitched for the last 10 years. Stories like this are growing. It breaks my heart for this guy and his family.

Unrelated to this story though most of you softballers know the bat shaving business is booming but hopefully now that they have new bat testers being used in some parks I hope it helps clean up the game a little bit. I have been around long enough too know that a well broken in bat is just as hot as a shaved bat but you when you go to a tournament these days it is real easy to pick out shaved ones. 150 pound twirps should not be hitting 350+ foot shots. Hr's are overrated anyways.

[Corcaigh]

Why not ban high tech bats? Learn about timing and skill instead :-)

If the pitchers can't realistically react in time because of bat power then the regulations need to be changed.

When I played competitive tennis some games were ruined because of folks playing with these big boom sticks that generate too much power. It was hit or miss whether they could control the ball. Either they'd hit a screaming winner or the ball would hit the fence without bouncing. Either way it made the game stupid.

[RedskinsNation]

I came across this story on another forum. Anyone from Va know this guy?

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local-beat/Fun-Loving-Humanitarian-Father-of-6-Killed-in-Softball-Accident-92142614.html

I have played competitive softball for many years and have pitched for the last 10 years. Stories like this are growing. It breaks my heart for this guy and his family.

Unrelated to this story though most of you softballers know the bat shaving business is booming but hopefully now that they have new bat testers being used in some parks I hope it helps clean up the game a little bit. I have been around long enough too know that a well broken in bat is just as hot as a shaved bat but you when you go to a tournament these days it is real easy to pick out shaved ones. 150 pound twirps should not be hitting 350+ foot shots. Hr's are overrated anyways.

I heard about this yesterday, sad story. I have been playing for years and nearly every game a linedrive nearly hits the pitcher. I have warned our pitchers (i play in 2 leagues) to take a few steps back after they release....they have been doing it for years but I think this story really hits home.

One of my pitchers took a line drive off his chin during BP about 2 weeks ago, it was scary.

As for the bats....Fairfax County (as of May 22nd) is going to do random tests on the compression of bats. They are going to go park-to-park and check out bats and make sure they are legit. They purchased some high-tech machine that can tell the compression etc....I would love to know how many opponents have shaved bats.

The thing is though with all these composite bats it makes your average hitter a good hitter and your good hitters become elite. On one of my teams we have a small guy (SS) probably 140-150 pounds and he can bang it 300 feet i kid you not. Not every at bat but once every couple of games. The Juggernaut/Recoil/RD28 and these other composite bats are crushing the ball.

Im not familiar with a "shaved" bat or its performance but wouldnt just buying your favorite bat an ounce or 2 lighter equal the same thing as shaving it?

[Mufumonk]

Im not familiar with a "shaved" bat or its performance but wouldnt just buying your favorite bat an ounce or 2 lighter equal the same thing as shaving it?

Bat shaving increases flex in the barrel which gives a batted ball a greater spring board effect. A shaved bat shouldn't be used for anything other than a home run derby but there are plenty of people that use them in league play. We have a couple guys that have them as well but we only pull them out when it's obvious another team is using them (65 year old man one handing a ball 350' into the wind is a dead give away).

Why not ban high tech bats? Learn about timing and skill instead :-)

If the pitchers can't realistically react in time because of bat power then the regulations need to be changed.

When I played competitive tennis some games were ruined because of folks playing with these big boom sticks that generate too much power. It was hit or miss whether they could control the ball. Either they'd hit a screaming winner or the ball would hit the fence without bouncing. Either way it made the game stupid.

That's why they have approved/banned bat lists based on league association (ASA, NSA, U-Trip, etc...). They also have different balls that help reduce the effectiveness of double-wall bats.

[Sniffler]

As a pitcher....and someone who has taken a line drive off the chin (8 stitches)... this scares the **** out of me.

[PCS]

Why not ban high tech bats? Learn about timing and skill instead :-)

If the pitchers can't realistically react in time because of bat power then the regulations need to be changed.

When I played competitive tennis some games were ruined because of folks playing with these big boom sticks that generate too much power. It was hit or miss whether they could control the ball. Either they'd hit a screaming winner or the ball would hit the fence without bouncing. Either way it made the game stupid.

One of the reasons why my brother,myself,and a few others got the rules changed a bunch of years ago in the leagues they have here in town. Teams were spending good money on the higher tech bats,(and of course bringing in ringers from SLC....stupid),and the games were getting out of hand. Few teams hitting lot's of balls in to the next county with the result being the heavy use of the mercy rule and therefore very boring games. Went to a one up rule type of thing with any "extra" home runs ruled as an out. There was a heavy duty lobby to get that changed to a single,but I'm unsure of whether it won out.

[JMac]

As for the bats....Fairfax County (as of May 22nd) is going to do random tests on the compression of bats. They are going to go park-to-park and check out bats and make sure they are legit. They purchased some high-tech machine that can tell the compression etc....I would love to know how many opponents have shaved bats.

These machines are now being used in most big tournaments. They also have machines to test the ball compression. Yes people will even cheat with balls.

last year we were playing in ASA nationals and they had a machine testing bats and when you looked next to them you saw two huge trash barrels full of bats that failed. If the bat did not pass the comression check it stayed in the can until after the tourney was over and you could pick it up.

What you will see though is a well broken in bat will not pass the compression checks just like shaved bats. It will suck that your legit bat is being pulled as if it were a shaved bat but if it means it cleans the game up I am all for it.

[JMac]

One of the reasons why my brother,myself,and a few others got the rules changed a bunch of years ago in the leagues they have here in town. Teams were spending good money on the higher tech bats,(and of course bringing in ringers from SLC....stupid),and the games were getting out of hand. Few teams hitting lot's of balls in to the next county with the result being the heavy use of the mercy rule and therefore very boring games. Went to a one up rule type of thing with any "extra" home runs ruled as an out. There was a heavy duty lobby to get that changed to a single,but I'm unsure of whether it won out.

NSA sanction came out with a "progessive" rule a few years back. What it would do is if you are out of HR's the next one you hit is an out. If you hit another one you give the other team a run. If you hit another one after that you give them two runs and so on. I have seen teams run rule themselves out of a game by hitting to many HR's.