Slowpitch -vs- Baseball

[greymule]

Yes, you have to make some fielding adjustments, but I have never seen a great fielder in baseball who was not also a great fielder in softball. However, I have seen many fine baseball hitters who simply did not have the strength to be effective SP hitters (especially in the days of Bombats and Dudley Day-Nites).

Back in the 1970s, Trenton NJ had a professional softball team that included Joe Pepitone. Joe was a great softball fielder (not hard to figure, since he was a fine fielder in baseball), but though he was a good SP hitter, he was not the top bat on the team. Many of the other teams also showcased former MLB players (Norm Cash, Jim Northrup, Curt Blefary, Zoilo Versalles, to name a few), but those guys often weren't even starters.

I know dozens of SP crushers who as baseball players were strictly JV level (if that).

Years ago, a former player for the Phillies and Cubs (who naturally was a standout in our semipro baseball league) turned to SP. It was kind of entertaining to watch his initial difficulty with the high arc, but he was soon slamming the ball all over the place.

Another local former MLB player (15 years) turned to SP at the urging of his brothers, longtime SP players. This guy was certainly an asset to his team, but he was about at the level of the other good hitters in the league. He retired after one season. Maybe after you've played in a World Series, playing for Joe's Bar and Grill . . .