NCAA Softball Umpires

[greymule]

Are there lots of close plays, tough calls, and great defense and hitting?

Absolutely. It's not HRD, since there hasn't been an "unlimited" game around here in almost a decade. But the best SP teams—and I admit they make up a very small percentage—are made up of fine athletes who excel in all aspects of the game. Many if not most were top-notch baseball players. They hustle, too. No trotting to 1B on singles. They take wide turns and keep going on the slightest bobble. Some of the infielders are astoundingly good. These are not the beer bellies of the stereotype.

Umpiring at that level of SP has nothing to do with umpiring most of the SP you see. These teams get into tournaments; they generally don't play in local leagues. Still, I think the long-term future of SP is in doubt.

I agree that you don't see much of the kind of ball I'm talking about. I played SP for many years on some pretty good teams, but at this point I don't care if I ever do another SP game.