Paul's right, Bob. I've seen lots of home runs in my softball days, both by
men and women players, course I've never hit one myself. Cheers, Christine
----- Original Message -----
From: "paul stenquist" <[email protected]>
To: "Pentax-Discuss Mail List" <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, June 08, 2009 7:58 PM
Subject: Re: another completely useless off topic
question -RollerBat/RollerBall
You may have seen me. I played in the Grant Park league and a number of
others. I wasn't very good, but I was a sub for a great team. The best
hitters could lure the outfield in by dropping soft liners in front of
them. Then, at the next at bat, Kaboom! Believe me, there are plenty of
home runs hit in 16-inch softball. I hit two myself. One at Gately in
Roseland and one in Avalon Park. The top southside league championship
was usually held at Comiskey, and Nicholson did indeed hit one out down
the left field line. Over 350 feet from home plate. As a hardball major
leaguer he hit a number of tape measure home runs. Unfortunately, he also
set a modern record for striking out.
On Jun 8, 2009, at 7:41 PM, Bob Sullivan wrote:
Paul,
I don't doubt what you say, but my experience was different.
I'd see the 20 somethings playing after work in Grant Park.
They were all baseball jocks who were trying to out do each other.
The slow pitched 16 inch softball looked like a watermelon hanging
over the plate.
The guys would twist up into a might wind-up and then
pound that ball with all they could muster!
Results were simple outfield flys to the fielders who never played too
deep.
No home runs, never hit over the outfielder's heads...just couldn't.
Most of them never got it and continued to make outs this way.
Regards, Bob S.
On Mon, Jun 8, 2009 at 6:21 PM, paul stenquist<[email protected]>
wrote:
The sixteen inch balls do get soft after they've been used for a while.
But
in organized leagues, a new ball is used for every game. And back in
the
sixties and fifties, the game was played without mitts. A lot of teams
were
stocked with body-builder types who hammered the ball with leaded bats.
They
were like cannon balls. Catching one took some guts. Third basemen were
all
real men:-).
Former White Sox slugger, Dave Nicholson, was a 16-inch softball
player.
It's said that he once hit one out of Comiskey Park. That's probably
the
equivalent of hitting an ordinary baseball 600 feet. Of course he also
hit
an ordinary baseball over the roof of Comiskey Park. It landed in the
parking lot, close to 600 feet from home plate.
Paul
On Jun 8, 2009, at 5:28 PM, Bob Sullivan wrote:
Bill,
To clarify:
Major league baseball is played with a hardball, probably a 6 inch
circumference.
Softball is played with a 12 inch or 16 inch ball.
12 inch fast pitch (underhand but still) is a wicked game and the ball
is
hard.
As kids, the 16 inch ball got pretty soft after a couple of summers.
Are we on the same page?
Regards, Bob S.
On Mon, Jun 8, 2009 at 10:14 AM, William Robb<[email protected]> wrote:
----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul Stenquist"
Subject: Re: another completely useless off topic question -Roller
Bat/RollerBall
I don't know if sixteen inches is an accurate circumference
measurement
of the Chicago "Clincher" balls. The diameter appears to be closer
to
seven
inches. They're pretty substantial. And hard as a rock when new.
We call those things "softballs" here, and the smaller baseballs we
call
"hardballs". I suspect this has nothing to do with the ball itself,
and
more
to do with the way the ball is used.
William Robb
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