NCAA Softball Umpires

[WestMichBlue]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

Well then SDS, when did softball become so main stream?

About 1895.

"Main steam" probably would suggest 1932 when ASA was established and created a single rule set for all national play. By '32 softball was THE national rec sport, having long ago supplanted baseball. And international also, having been spread around the globe by the US military in WWI.

Where did they get their umpires from (baseball I'd presume?)

Of course! "Indoor baseball" was a derivative of outdoor baseball. Why do you think softball is pitched underhand? Because that is the way baseball was pitched in the late 1800's.

And were the baseball mechanics at this time that softball really got going representitve of the mechanics that we see in softball today?

I seriously doubt that baseball mechanics today are at all what they were 120 years ago.

Just asking, I'm not old enough to know much about this.

Are you looking for agreement on that.

WMB

(From the SB side)

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by WestMichBlue

About 1895.

"Main steam" probably would suggest 1932 when ASA was established and created a single rule set for all national play. By '32 softball was THE national rec sport, having long ago supplanted baseball. And international also, having been spread around the globe by the US military in WWI.



Of course! "Indoor baseball" was a derivative of outdoor baseball. Why do you think softball is pitched underhand? Because that is the way baseball was pitched in the late 1800's.



I seriously doubt that baseball mechanics today are at all what they were 120 years ago.



Are you looking for agreement on that.

WMB

(From the SB side)

So in other words, softball is a sport that hasn't evolved?

[UmpJM]

Garth,

Maybe it was just intelligently designed.

JM

[Steven Tyler]

Doesn't the NCAA trust anyone besides the same three umpires to work the entire WCWS?

(Each and every year)

[greymule]

I seriously doubt that baseball mechanics today are at all what they were 120 years ago.

Last night I watched some pre–World War I baseball films that had been transferred to DVD. One PU stood straight up for the pitch, and then signaled with the right hand straight out for strikes and the left hand straight out for balls. No surprise that his zone was a bit high. The umps also wore widely varying protective equipment, which probably contributed to their varying mechanics. None looked like robots, though.

Didn't see any diamond helmets.

[WhiteHat Ref]

Again, look below at some of the comments. I would not necessarily agree that you have to be in better shape to do softball than baseball. They have no idea what it is like to work a one man game on a baseball diamond. Also how can you say that there is more action in 2 innings of softball than in baseball.


From the Softball Forum:

Go back and check the number of infrequent posters here and on the baseball board that make the reference. To me, that is a whine for those who seem to need an excuse for bad mouthing others. Or is it an excuse for making themselves feel better because they do not have the opportunity to get the national and international games? Most of the posters on here don't go over to the baseball board and mock the manner in which you do things, so why does it seem important for so many to do that to us?

BTW, I worked the little ball for 22 years, mostly youth to JUCO and some as a gypsy. I left the game at the ripe age of 36 because I was bored to tears. There was not challenge. Don't get me wrong, FP softball tends to bore me at times which is why I concentrate on SP. There is more action in two innings of SP ball than what you may see in an entire baseball game.

And let me break some news to you. To work softball, an umpire needs to be in the same, if not better, physical shape as anyone needs to do baseball. If you don't believe it, you are only fooling yourself

[TussAgee11]

Better physical shape to do 60 foot basepaths, slowpitch? When most slowpitch is 45 year old adult men that chug beer between innings?