Fastpitch

jmp2204 · June 13, 2012

Fastpitch is the dominant game in our area few shots of my son pitching

[IMG]<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmp2204/7183410795/" title="fastpitch 2012 by KMclaughlin (5K Images), on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8020/7183410795_98a1e36d27_c.jpg" width="534" height="800" alt="fastpitch 2012"></a>[/IMG]

[IMG]<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmp2204/7183407195/" title="fastpitch 2012 by KMclaughlin (5K Images), on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7071/7183407195_36e02cb5d4.jpg" width="400" height="500" alt="fastpitch 2012"></a>[/IMG]

[IMG]<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmp2204/7368647426/" title="fastpitch 2012 by KMclaughlin (5K Images), on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5192/7368647426_6405f60627_c.jpg" width="640" height="800" alt="fastpitch 2012"></a>[/IMG]

jmphotocraft · June 13, 2012

The first two are great shots, but this makes me sad. Boys should be playing baseball. So should girls for that matter. Softball is pointless and sexist. It's only purpose in life is for beer league.

For the third shot you should have moved a little to your left if possible, to create space between the pitcher and the 2nd baseman.

jmp2204 · June 13, 2012

Actually in the nearest City we went and watched some baseball as he is interested in it, The age group he would be in is not near as competitive as fastpitch ,seem to pitch way slower .He would make a great baseball pitcher as he throws very hard ! But even in fastpitch he seems too be stand out .This particular game they won 8-0 and he threw a no hitter. We'll see how it is when he is a bit older

jmp2204 · June 24, 2012

From last years Canadian Jr mens championship
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmp2204/7437098822/" title="xpress_9 by KMclaughlin (5K Images), on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5461/7437098822_ee4183c6c5_b.jpg" width="1024" height="819" alt="xpress_9"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmp2204/7437093904/" title="xpress_4 by KMclaughlin (5K Images), on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8004/7437093904_ab083c3069_b.jpg" width="1024" height="819" alt="xpress_4"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmp2204/7437059772/" title="xpress by KMclaughlin (5K Images), on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5275/7437059772_e44248cd68_b.jpg" width="1024" height="819" alt="xpress"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmp2204/7437065332/" title="xpress_5 by KMclaughlin (5K Images), on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7133/7437065332_2d8eae447a_b.jpg" width="819" height="1024" alt="xpress_5"></a>

jmp2204 · June 24, 2012

Jacobovs · June 29, 2012

jmphotocraft wrote: »

The first two are great shots, but this makes me sad. Boys should be playing baseball. So should girls for that matter. Softball is pointless and sexist. It's only purpose in life is for beer league.

For the third shot you should have moved a little to your left if possible, to create space between the pitcher and the 2nd baseman.

That's a slippery slope. there are those that would argue that Baseball isn't a sport either. They would argue that it's a pastime. When the overwhelming majority of the players stand in place for an overwhelming majority of the time during a match. It looks a lot like a pastime.

Nice shots BTW. Love the second one of your son. The noise seems to be a bit high. Was the lighting funky?

jmphotocraft · June 29, 2012

Jacobovs wrote: »

That's a slippery slope. there are those that would argue that Baseball isn't a sport either. They would argue that it's a pastime. When the overwhelming majority of the players stand in place for an overwhelming majority of the time during a match. It looks a lot like a pastime.

Typical ignorant knee-jerk response.

Baseball is boring only to the attention deficient. It is nonathletic only to the lazy or casual player. Games may sometimes be dominated by pitching, resulting in not much action for the fielders, but a good baseball player is thinking and calculating on every pitch, "what am I going to do if the ball comes to me? What am I going to do if the ball does not come to me?" He or she is ready to pounce and execute if the batter hits the ball. If the ball does get hit, every player on the field is moving and has something to do. That is, if they know what they are doing. Being able to do that requires a lot of practice and athletic training. Throwing a baseball swiftly and accurately 100 feet from shortstop to 1st base, or 126 feet from 3rd to 1st is an athletic and skilled maneuver. Try it sometime, it is incredibly difficult. So is tracking down a fly ball, or pitching a fastball for a strike, or sprinting 90 feet between bases, etc. Hitting a baseball is the most difficult task in all of sport. Being able to do these things well and consistently requires mental and physical conditioning. There is a lot more activity during a practice, which you don't see, than there is in a game. The game is when you execute on all of your training, and actually try to prevent action from happening.

I think a lot of people with your mentality either never played, or were not good enough to play, or stopped playing right after Little League and have forgotten just what it takes to play the game well.

Now, competitive softball requires all of that as well, but it is a safety/practice version of baseball. The ball cannot be hit or thrown as hard, so there is less risk of injury. It was invented as a way for baseball players to practice indoors in the off-season. Then it took on a life of its own and moved outdoors. In 1974 the Little League organization was sued to allow girls to play. To side-step this ruling, they created a separate league for girls and had them play softball, because girls were deemed unfit to play the dangerous game of baseball. We have never since righted that wrong. Girls/women are perfectly capable of playing baseball. Actually they are more capable of playing baseball than softball because the smaller ball fits their hands better. I'm not saying they should play with and against boys/men, but we should stop exiling girls to softball in Little League.

Sorry for the off-topic post, but there was some education needed here.

jhefti · June 29, 2012

Jacobovs wrote: »

That's a slippery slope. there are those that would argue that Baseball isn't a sport either. They would argue that it's a pastime. When the overwhelming majority of the players stand in place for an overwhelming majority of the time during a match. It looks a lot like a pastime.

Well, by this logic there are many events in track and field that are not sports either! An event does not have to keep the players at their aerobic limits all the time to qualify as a sport.

I'm not a great fan of baseball; but having shot as many pro games as I have, I certainly appreciate the skill and athleticism that goes into it.

Gary752 · June 29, 2012

jmphotocraft wrote: »

In 1974 the Little League organization was sued to allow girls to play. To side-step this ruling, they created a separate league for girls and had them play softball, because girls were deemed unfit to play the dangerous game of baseball. We have never since righted that wrong. Girls/women are perfectly capable of playing baseball. Actually they are more capable of playing baseball than softball because the smaller ball fits their hands better. I'm not saying they should play with and against boys/men, but we should stop exiling girls to softball in Little League.

Here in our area, girls are allowed to play baseball with the boys. On one team (7-9 year olds), a girl is the catcher, and is quite good at it. On another team (10-12 year olds) there is a girl that plays the outfield that has a heck of an arm, and sometimes pitches as well. Every year, more and more girls are playing the game of baseball. This year has seen a lot of girls playing T-ball as well. I guess it all depends on the area as to whether girlls are allowed to play or not, or simply if the girls are interested in the game.

GaryB

jmphotocraft · June 29, 2012

BroPhoto wrote: »

Here in our area, girls are allowed to play baseball with the boys. On one team (7-9 year olds), a girl is the catcher, and is quite good at it. On another team (10-12 year olds) there is a girl that plays the outfield that has a heck of an arm, and sometimes pitches as well. Every year, more and more girls are playing the game of baseball. This year has seen a lot of girls playing T-ball as well. I guess it all depends on the area as to whether girlls are allowed to play or not, or simply if the girls are interested in the game.

In our area girls are allowed to play baseball with the boys at all levels, and a tiny minority do, but there is no girls-only baseball league. There is a girls-only softball league, so most girls would rather do that because it is girls-only, not because it is softball. It is time to get rid of the big clumsy melon!

Jacobovs · June 29, 2012

jmphotocraft wrote: »

Typical ignorant knee-jerk response.

Baseball is boring only to the attention deficient. It is nonathletic only to the lazy or casual player. Games may sometimes be dominated by pitching, resulting in not much action for the fielders, but a good baseball player is thinking and calculating on every pitch, "what am I going to do if the ball comes to me? What am I going to do if the ball does not come to me?" He or she is ready to pounce and execute if the batter hits the ball. If the ball does get hit, every player on the field is moving and has something to do. That is, if they know what they are doing. Being able to do that requires a lot of practice and athletic training. Throwing a baseball swiftly and accurately 100 feet from shortstop to 1st base, or 126 feet from 3rd to 1st is an athletic and skilled maneuver. Try it sometime, it is incredibly difficult. So is tracking down a fly ball, or pitching a fastball for a strike, or sprinting 90 feet between bases, etc. Hitting a baseball is the most difficult task in all of sport. Being able to do these things well and consistently requires mental and physical conditioning. There is a lot more activity during a practice, which you don't see, than there is in a game. The game is when you execute on all of your training, and actually try to prevent action from happening.

I think a lot of people with your mentality either never played, or were not good enough to play, or stopped playing right after Little League and have forgotten just what it takes to play the game well.

Now, competitive softball requires all of that as well, but it is a safety/practice version of baseball. The ball cannot be hit or thrown as hard, so there is less risk of injury. It was invented as a way for baseball players to practice indoors in the off-season. Then it took on a life of its own and moved outdoors. In 1974 the Little League organization was sued to allow girls to play. To side-step this ruling, they created a separate league for girls and had them play softball, because girls were deemed unfit to play the dangerous game of baseball. We have never since righted that wrong. Girls/women are perfectly capable of playing baseball. Actually they are more capable of playing baseball than softball because the smaller ball fits their hands better. I'm not saying they should play with and against boys/men, but we should stop exiling girls to softball in Little League.

Sorry for the off-topic post, but there was some education needed here.

Please don't take offense. I have played 1st base most of my life and am a pretty good athlete ( Triathlons, Marathons, tennis, football, skiing, etc..) Just because I disagree with you does not mean I'm ignorant or ignorant of the sport. I have may friends that love the game. It takes lots of practice and skill to play at the top levels. Not sure that you would call the vast majority of Pro's finely tunes athletes. Sorry for getting off topic. My last post on this.

jmphotocraft · June 30, 2012

Cool. Re-reading your post, I agree that there are many who do not regard it as a sport. But they are wrong.

jmp2204 · July 8, 2012

jmphotocraft wrote: »

Typical ignorant knee-jerk response.

Baseball is boring only to the attention deficient. It is nonathletic only to the lazy or casual player. Games may sometimes be dominated by pitching, resulting in not much action for the fielders, but a good baseball player is thinking and calculating on every pitch, "what am I going to do if the ball comes to me? What am I going to do if the ball does not come to me?" He or she is ready to pounce and execute if the batter hits the ball. If the ball does get hit, every player on the field is moving and has something to do. That is, if they know what they are doing. Being able to do that requires a lot of practice and athletic training. Throwing a baseball swiftly and accurately 100 feet from shortstop to 1st base, or 126 feet from 3rd to 1st is an athletic and skilled maneuver. Try it sometime, it is incredibly difficult. So is tracking down a fly ball, or pitching a fastball for a strike, or sprinting 90 feet between bases, etc. Hitting a baseball is the most difficult task in all of sport. Being able to do these things well and consistently requires mental and physical conditioning. There is a lot more activity during a practice, which you don't see, than there is in a game. The game is when you execute on all of your training, and actually try to prevent action from happening.

I think a lot of people with your mentality either never played, or were not good enough to play, or stopped playing right after Little League and have forgotten just what it takes to play the game well.

Now, competitive softball requires all of that as well, but it is a safety/practice version of baseball. The ball cannot be hit or thrown as hard, so there is less risk of injury. It was invented as a way for baseball players to practice indoors in the off-season. Then it took on a life of its own and moved outdoors. In 1974 the Little League organization was sued to allow girls to play. To side-step this ruling, they created a separate league for girls and had them play softball, because girls were deemed unfit to play the dangerous game of baseball. We have never since righted that wrong. Girls/women are perfectly capable of playing baseball. Actually they are more capable of playing baseball than softball because the smaller ball fits their hands better. I'm not saying they should play with and against boys/men, but we should stop exiling girls to softball in Little League.

Sorry for the off-topic post, but there was some education needed here.

I agree with most of what say except for a sofball (12") cannot be thrown as hard, ISC great Darren Zack used to regularly throw just under 90 mph and many other do as well (but i have been behind the gun with him throwing) and this at a closer distance creates a need for a quicker reaction time at bat(thanbaseball in the mid 90's) (that has been documented time and time again). The game baseball/ sofball requires as much mental conditioning as it does physical.Something other sports just do not provide..

jmphotocraft · July 9, 2012

jmp2204 wrote: »

I agree with most of what say except for a sofball (12") cannot be thrown as hard, ISC great Darren Zack used to regularly throw just under 90 mph and many other do as well (but i have been behind the gun with him throwing) and this at a closer distance creates a need for a quicker reaction time at bat(thanbaseball in the mid 90's) (that has been documented time and time again).

Maybe at the college/pro level, certain athletes have developed compensation techniques to be able to throw a softball as fast as a baseball, and maybe they have large hands. But I believe this is the exception which proves the rule, and I could rebut it by saying a few MLB pitchers have thrown over 100mph. Anyway, suffice to say that generally a softball cannot be thrown as fast, especially at the younger levels, which I believe is why girls were exiled to Softball in 1974.

Even if you were right, and a softball could be thrown just as fast, then that would just be even more proof that there is no reason for girls to not play baseball.

jhefti · July 10, 2012

Here's a technical question: Where is the speed of the ball measured? As it leaves the pitcher's hand, or as it crosses home plate? If it's the former, then a softball and baseball should have very nearly the same speeds if thrown by the same pitcher (allowing for a little mass effect in the F=ma equation).

jmp2204 · July 10, 2012

jhefti wrote: »

Here's a technical question: Where is the speed of the ball measured? As it leaves the pitcher's hand, or as it crosses home plate? If it's the former, then a softball and baseball should have very nearly the same speeds if thrown by the same pitcher (allowing for a little mass effect in the F=ma equation).

You are correct , it is recorded top speed coming off the hand .However what we are talking about is a baseball thrown overhand and a softball (larger) thrown windmill .Another factor using the same person to do both does not represent a true measure.Personally i have always been able to windmill faster than throw over hand ( iwas not a pitcher ,well a couple games for a pinch) however my son , i radared and he can throw harder overhand (with the same ball) what works against a softball is of course wind resistance (being larger ) but at a greater distance in the pithcher throws ,there is more time to react (slightly) In fastpitch he throws pitches from 30 feet , not sure what distance 10 years old throw from in hardball?

jhefti · July 11, 2012

jmp2204 wrote: »

You are correct , it is recorded top speed coming off the hand .However what we are talking about is a baseball thrown overhand and a softball (larger) thrown windmill .Another factor using the same person to do both does not represent a true measure.Personally i have always been able to windmill faster than throw over hand ( iwas not a pitcher ,well a couple games for a pinch) however my son , i radared and he can throw harder overhand (with the same ball) what works against a softball is of course wind resistance (being larger ) but at a greater distance in the pithcher throws ,there is more time to react (slightly) In fastpitch he throws pitches from 30 feet , not sure what distance 10 years old throw from in hardball?

My bad...I forgot about the overhand vs windmill difference, which certainly changes the mechanics a bit.

jmphotocraft · July 11, 2012

jmp2204 wrote: »

In fastpitch he throws pitches from 30 feet , not sure what distance 10 years old throw from in hardball?

46 feet.

I believe the size of the ball affects how fast one can throw it (even overhand) due to the fact that you simply can't get as good a grip on it. Wrist and finger snap adds speed.

jhefti · July 12, 2012

jmphotocraft wrote: »

46 feet.

I believe the size of the ball affects how fast one can throw it (even overhand) due to the fact that you simply can't get as good a grip on it. Wrist and finger snap adds speed.

Wow! All these subtleties that us non-fans don't appreciate!

I have to say that when I started shooting MLB and looking at the stills of the pitching shots, I was totally amazed at the complexity of the act. I'd be lucky to get the ball from the mound to the plate, never mind with any accuracy. What's more, I was quite surprised with how different each pitcher looked. I guess having just watched the occasional game on television, I didn't fully understand how complicated the mechanics are.

budman101 · July 12, 2012

Is this a photo forum or a flame war, people take it outside!

jmp2204 · July 12, 2012

budman101 wrote: »

Is this a photo forum or a flame war, people take it outside!

My feeling it's all good and civil conversation , actually informative ....

nipprdog · July 12, 2012

jmphotocraft wrote: »

Softball is pointless and sexist. It's only purpose in life is for beer league.

Possibly, the most ignorant post ever, on a sports photo forum.

jmphotocraft · July 12, 2012

So bring your argument, Jim. I don't believe one exists.

Fastpitch

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