[insert smiley sticking out tongue: here]

 

Yeah, I suck at baseball/soft-ball, etc...

I always had the wrong glove- but I learned to catch with my right hand. Unfortunately I'm right handed so I throw with my right too.

This was fine during 7th grade because none of us could hardly play. I was so sorry, if it was 2 outs and I came up to bat, every body started coming in. I was sure to strike out... If I hit it, it went foul.. I had no fundamentals..

I played "baseball" which was really stick ball, but I batted left over right- in school I found out that this was improper. Batting the right way felt funny- so yes, I was sucking bad...

But, as luck would have it- I got mad one day- It was 2 outs, and everybody walked in as I came up to bat.

Swoosh, (Strike 1)
Tink, (Foul ball, strike 2)
(Clink, Home-Run!!!) That baby flew high, stright and true- right over 2nd base and out field (Where no one was because they all came in)

After that day- I got better at watching the ball to the bat, and they never walked in again. That continued through 8th grade- in fact, they would back-up now when I came to bat..

I didn't play anymore after that.. We had no baseball team- so I focused on football. Our company had a softball team, and they praticed during PT. So, to skip PT I joined the team.. I hadn't played softball in 7 years.. I was sucking bad again... I just knew I could make mince meat out of the ball now.. In the 8th grade I was only pressign like 140 lbs, now I was benching well over 400- and had the guns to show it. Well, where softball was concerned, it was all show & no go for me.

It was like the bat was too small, light, and now we had to stand in a batter's box- So I was either swinging too hard and striking out, or swinging too soft and doing a pop-fly and getting caught out. I needed a heavier & longer bat, but they said 36 ounce aluminum's was the heaviest.

And, now- I had the right glove- one that covered my let had, so I could catch & throw. If a pop-fly came to me, I had a 1 in 3 chance of catching it- unless I took teh gloves off (ouch), but I could catch bare-handed... My right arm was indeed a cannon- that Kirby Puckett wishes he had- but, I couldn't catch worth a flip..

Rather than endure the embarrassment of "learning" how to play again, I just quit and waited for football season...

I'll make sure my son doesn't suck like that though. I'm gonna have him in Tee-ball, soft ball, baseball, pee-wee football, pop-warner- you name it. Basket ball camp, etc... He isn't going to have to develop motor skills in the 8th grade- he'll have them all along and learn to use his height/weight to his advantage- sooner...

 

The way to go after a fly ball is as soon as you see it in the air coming your way, take a few steps back. Most people start running forward, only to see it's going over their head. By then, it's too late. My Senior league baseball coach taught me that. We won the Chamionship againts five or six other teams all three years I was on the team. I still have the trophies.

 

Ill have to try that. What about the ones you actually have to sprint for, any tips on those?

31C

 

If the ball is hit to the left or right of you, just focus on how fast the ball is moving through the air and move your legs accordingly. That's all I can say about that. But seriously, if there's a ball hit almost directly at you, as in headed directly towards you, take two or three steps back first to focus on how hard the ball was hit so you don't let it go over your head. If someone hits a line drive towards you while your in the outfield, and you don't have a chance on catching it, it's best to take it on a bounce instead of diving for it. If you dive for it and miss it, there's a good chance your oppenent will get an extra base on you while your out there fiddling with the ball. After you've played outfield for a while, you'll know how hard the ball was hit and when to move forwards or backwards by the sound the bat makes when it hits the ball. Observation is half of it. Oh, and if you don't think you can make a throw to whatever base from the outfield, always throw to your cutoff man. That'll be the guy between you and whatever base your throwing at. Hope I helped you out. Now get out there and play ball!

 

I always played outfield. I used to have that Texan look tall and lanky. So to sum it up I could get there quick and I had an arm that could throw from the fence to homeplate. The hardest thing I had to learn was to wait for the fly *****. Like stated earlier most people want to run right to the ball. If it is coming straight to you this is bad, if it going to one side you can get away with it. Either way if it's going to the outfield you have time and can take a second to figure out where it is going.

Oh yeah the last time I played everyone ended up quiting due to injuries. In a matter of a month and a half we had 5 injuries, 3 resulted in hospital stays/surgeries. Since we were ma and pa level we finally just quit.

 

I usually played outfield. Sometimes the coach wanted me to catch. I've played all the positions though at one time or another. I like third base the best though. I loved to throw rockets to first to get someone out. I pitched one time and I totally sucked at it. We were in the 7th inning and both of our pitchers threw their arms out, so the coach calls on me to come in from the outfield to pitch. There was a lump in my throat the size of a baseball. Talk about nervous. I struck one guy out, but the other two got on base. It was funny because everybody there knew that I had never pitched before. And they were chanting at me "The pitchers in a hole 10 feet deep, and he can't get out cause' he's got big feet!" I had a good arm, but all I had was a fastball and a change up. So the coach told me to just throw it over the plate and let them hit it. They didn't have any good batters so we managed to get three outs. Then they took me out. lol! That was a memorable moment.

 

Yep, a good tip. Always better to run in and catch it than to have to run backwards and try to judge it. Also, if playing outfield, dont play too shallow. Its better to play back a little and let a single drop in front of you, than to play shallow and have someone crank one over your head. You look like an idiot then

Ive always been good at infield/outfield--no real tips on how to do things, alot is talent/instinct/experience.

 

Try using steroids, it works in the majors.

 

Well I used your guys tips and Ive been makins some improvement on my fielding. Still hitting good. I tried a little second which I liked, but the 'coach' plays second so Ill probably only see some time there when he cant make the game.

But I did enough to impress to Colonel, who had previously said that i 'catch like a girl' now he said 'maybe he was just warming up that first day' (this is stuff he says to other people that I hear about). We got our first game against B Troop (my troop that Im assigned to when not attached to other troops) on saturday. Ill let you know how that goes

31C