So Derek and I had a little argument this weekend that we need to settle on the web site.
I was called to be a last minute sub for our men's softball league on Friday night. It was the playoffs - the semis of the winners bracket.
Just an aside - I would compare myself to a Rich Dauer type hitter. OK fielder, and definitely no power.
Well, guess who came up in the top of the 6th with the bases loaded and us down, 4-3? Yes, here I come.
On a 3-1 pitch, what did I do?
Ball Four! The game is tied!
Derek was completely offended by this turn of events. He channeled his inner Iverson.
"We're talking about softball here. Church league softball. Swing the bat, you wimp! This is softball....softball! You don't take walks!"
I then threw a little Herm Edwards at him.
"You PLAY to WIN the Game! This is the playoffs! I need to do anything I can to WIN- you PLAY to WIN!"
Even though I got thrown out at the plate later that inning, we ended up winning 6-4.
So I throw it to the jury..... acceptable to take walks in a men's softball playoff game?
(By the way, my line score for the night:
ab r h bi bb so
0 0 0 1 3 0
11 comments:
You know how I know you're gay?
that is absolutely ridiculous. i am embarrassed for your kid.
Well, I see the early late-night votes are not going my way....
What the hell am I supposed to do, swing at pitches that bounce on the plate?
Yes. I swung at a ball over my head on Saturday, just so I wouldn't walk.
The question is not ...do I swing at ball 4 that bounces on the plate? ...but rather WHY DID THE COUNT GET THAT DEEP?
At the level of softball we play, you can not, repeat NOT, take a walk. Its in the rule book. Trust me.
Look, I like to atake a pitch just so I can get a "feel" for the pitcher.
(and we start with a 1-1 count)
So the first pitch - I didn't like. Ball.
OK, next pitch. I didn't like. Ball 2 (ball 3)
Next pitch - on the plate. Ball 4, walk.
You all swing at the first pitch?
a feel for the pitcher?
its slow pitch softball!!! maybe taking one pitch is fine. i can appreciate that tendency to not want to hit the first pitch. but come on.
did you even swing the bat or just look at 9 pitches?
your bro has every right for thinking he is superior than you. he's a dolt. and i know think he's better than you. such a shame.
I'm with Eric on this one. You take what the pitcher gives you. Sure, it's fun and it's only softball, but any time you step between the lines you should be trying to win.
Taking the walk helped his team win the game. I am stunned by the number of people who disagree with this. Besides, if Eric's swing is anything like Derek's, I can fully appreciate why he feels his team is better off with him leaving the bat on his shoulder.
"did you even swing the bat or just look at 9 pitches?"
(whispering)
Um, on the advice of my lawyer, I plead the 5th.
"maybe taking one pitch is fine."
What the hell does this mean? "I'll take strike one, but the next pitch, I'm swiging, even if it bounces 1' in front of the plate...
I like to take a strike. The pitcher did not throw me a strike in 9 pitches. Hence, 3 walks.
Thanks for undersstanding, Neil. Yes,my swing is as bad as Derek's.
Metaphorically speaking, softball is like a permanent hit and run where the runner you're protecting by swinging at anything and everything is your balls.
Most tellingly neil jumps to your defense while everyone else calls out your sandlot shame.
As Curr and Jim Rome used to say, take your disco to the laundry.
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