[Justme]

I worked a Men’s slow pitch softball tourney on Saturday. One of the teams that played was a team made up of college baseball players (from various colleges). Many I had umpired in the Adult Baseball League over the past few seasons. They had been teammates or played against each other in HS & in college. They were all going their separate ways, some to continue playing baseball others on to other careers.

Considering their baseball experience and ability (no softball experience between them) they had little doubt what the tournament outcome would be.

But….they got their butts kicked in the first two games of their pool play and finished 1-2, missing the play offs. After their last game we got together to share a drink (cola for me of course) and a couple of them commented to me that they felt that slow pitch softball was more difficult to play than baseball. They could handle the 90+mph pitches but those @#$!%^ slow, arching, 6’-12’ pitches were murder to hit. Admittedly they made some adjustments and won their last game but that couldn’t erase their surprise that they didn’t dominate the other teams. To their credit, they took defeat well, along with the friendly teasing from the other teams.