playing baseball

"NY Beers" - sounds like my kinda team

They use the same letter for 'h' and 'f' but that doesn't mean every Japanese person pronounces an 'f' like an 'h'- They don't call France "Huransu."

OK, I asked someone who knows a lot more than me. "Fu" is in the row of "h" sounds, but it is actually pronounced more like "fu" than "hu."

"fu" and "hu" are identical in japanese pronunciation... there is no distinction in the syllabaries.

but that said, i think people might pronounce things differently to english speakers.

Never played but this thread is sooo awesomes keep up the good work, esp. Tracer!!!

felicity, pls to tell if doggy is a-ok??

Back in my Amoeba days we used to play a yearly softball game between the two stores (before the LA store opened). I think our team generally got whooped.

Played from 2nd grade to 9th, but was not very good. Highlights: hit home run to send our team into playoffs in 7th grade, distracted both teams with bizarre Dada-inspired outfield chatter, mastered the "huge turn around third, pretend to be scared of throw down line by catcher, take off for home when he actually threw" stolen base, caught a no-hitter. Lowlights: never figured out how to spit correctly, gave up prominent spot on fun indie team for bench spot on "better" well-funded team, failed to win favor with coach's cute daughters, ignored my angry father ordering me to quit team and leave dugout after playing only three innings in a doubleheader.

Fifteen years ago, I played for a bar-sponsored summer softball team in Chicago. We sucked because our three best players were poached by the neighborhood lesbian team, but our (often toothless) players knew the best places to get $1 bottles. We had great parties in three or four languages.

Sammy's playing Little League now, good arm for a little guy and his hitting stroke is coming along nicely. I play vicariously through him.

one thing i have learned all over again is there are probably 1000 gradations of excellence in baseball. i'm somewhere around 120, 130 out of 1000.

I would probably be a 1 or 2.

"DON'T SCREW UP THIS TIME."

Very motivational.

I can hit 70mph cricket balls (sometimes)

Wow I have watched cricket but had no idea the bowlers got that kind of velocity. No wonder the batters are padded like lunatics.

felicity, pls to tell if doggy is a-ok??

Oh yes. She was just called up again after a long rehab stint in our Great Lakes farm club. Still pretty toolsy and a lot craftier.

I think cricket pitchers can actually throw faster than mlb pitchers! (that's what someone told me once, at least)

A typical fast delivery has a speed in the range 136 to 150 km/h (85 to 95 mph). The fastest delivery that has ever been officially recorded clocked in at 161.3 km/h (100.2 mph) and was bowled by Shoaib Akhtar of Pakistan during a match against England in the 2003 Cricket World Cup. The batsman on the end of the delivery was Nick Knight; however, his wicket remained intact.

ha hhah aaa - i just copied that exact bit from wiki!

so i guess i was lied to.
again.

steve that's a good point - he might have been "going easy on me" - i'll find out the truth sunday, i promise!

tombot i am probably overestimating myself (EVEN NOW)

jesus christ today i was garbage

i apparently have idea what to do when a bat is placed in my hands

what really came home to me today is the vast multi-branching choreography of playing the infield, especially if you play first or second. short and third you don't do a whole lot besides flash the leather and have a cannon for an arm (at least when there's a right-handed hitter up) but just put a guy on first base and all of a sudden a second baseman has at least six different things he might have to do depending on what happens next - is the ball hit to the right side (run to second)? to the left side (cover or back up first, depending)? is it a steal (run to second and take the throw from the catcher)? is it a wild pitch? is it coming at YOU? okay maybe only those really but dammit it feels like fifteen things at once

did you win?

oh, dude - that was my favourite thing about playing 2nd!

yes we won 7-5!

in case you wanted to know a little more about that scoresheet, well, get ready. here's the guy who keeps it:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v134/tracerhand/enfieldbaseball.jpg

Wow.

First softball game of the season is tomorrow evening. I have to buy some new cheap-ass sneakers, as I finally threw out my old ones.

the vast multi-branching choreography of playing the infield

yeah i think a lot of fans don't realize just how much thought is put into "what do i do if this happens? what is likely to happen?" especially at the big-league level, where scouting and video play such a big role. even in the outfield where you pretty much just go get the ball and don't have to figure out which base you are covering/backing up, you have to know where you're throwing depending on the hit, the speed of the runners, the score, etc. there is so much going on <3

First game rained out ;_;

that sucks

In our real first game I had to DH, and we lost on a walk-off grand slam ;_;

http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/4/42/Arrested_Development_-_Good_Grief.jpg

DH'ing blows. I'd rather play defense and not hit.

I watched friend's son's Little League game last Sat, lol'd at "GOOD EYE!" when pitch is over the batter's head

Tried playing 3rd base today, it was my second game ever. It's harder than soccer if you ask me.

how'd you do

Batting cages, even at the highest speed, is a delight. fielding and pitching is hell on earth. Ted Williams was right, basically

nothing serious, just with friends and such.

once somebody was on the third base i had no idea what to do really, the shortstop and I were quite confused. no putouts.

i also tried pitching but it was under hand and I had no idea where the ball was going (it was softball), i'm okay with pitching more traditionally.

at bat, i'm pretty good to see balls/strikes and i'm a fast runner so it would be fine especially since fielding was generally shabby, but they don't call balls, still two singles and struck out once

. lots of fun anyway, i'd like to play in a beer league.

see i think i would have more fun pitching.

btw this Sunday is Pregame Catch on the Field Day in Coney Island

HEY MOOKIE

or MOD

VHS is it a weekly pickup game or is it organized? my hardball team just got booted out of the playoffs & i kinda wanna play some more ball & i kinda wouldn't mind if it were with a new group of ppl (need a lil' break from a few of those personalities).

oh i missed the part where you said nothing serious etc.
anyway we will probably start again with our overhand pickup games in like a week or two, i can let you know if that's more your speed (ha)

beer leagues are so fun. I think I played every position but 3rd in my last one. We were 2-10. Good times.

i only play OF on account of being left handed + there are like 4 people who are slower & better ball-catchers than me to play 1st

wish i could play 2b/ss/3b tho :( seems so fun

it would be a little awkward on balls hit to your right, but jeez it's not the majors -- make them let you play third or short sometime

hey Will M. can I come just to watch the game and see how it goes?

Speaking only of softball here. 2nd is my primary position and indeed it is fun. You don't get a whole lot of balls your way so you won't tank your team if you're having a bad night but you usually get like 4-6 plays plus you get to attempt double plays sometimes (key word here is attempt). Also the throw to 1st is much shorter which is important, you don't often sky it over the 1B's head like so many SS and 3B's do. In their defense a slow hit ball to the left side of the diamond is really tough to hurt into an out if the runner is fast at all.

it would be a little awkward on balls hit to your right, but jeez it's not the majors -- make them let you play third or short sometime

it's less the catching and more the turning my ass to the plate to throw the ball that makes it tough... i occasionally try it but it fucks w my throw pretty bad

yeah, that's what i meant -- you definitely don't want to be moving to your right, and a total spin takes time and will fuck you up. but maybe guard the line a little bit at third/circle the ball a little bit at short so that you're at least moving toward first. still have to turn slightly to get your arm clear, but it's not at all insurmountable

From what I understand playing 2nd is harder than 3rd at major league level, but from personal experience, mainly because of the throw to first, 2nd base is easier.

in rec leagues/beer softball leagues etc playing third is much more difficult because the majority of right-handed hitters pull the ball and the fact that there are very few double play opportunities

VHS - send me a webmail! I'll give you all the details. we're playing sunday at 11am :)

I remember 3rd being the most nerve-wracking position I played in my yout' and 2nd being the hardest work.

yeah the ball comes in a lot hotter and it's a tough throw because you don't get much time to get set and it's way too easy to miss the 1B and give up an extra base.