Fifty Plus (50+) - Softball isn't the easy little game you might think

Rode the road bike all last summer including a century at the end of the year. Picked up a mountain bike about 3 weeks ago and logged 60 miles of trail already. Never sore. I played a little 1-hour game of softball last night and I'm sore today. Go figure...

Different muscles I guess. But the legs are sore, not the throwing arm.

Careful there, softball will make you 30 lbs heavier. It took forever for me to get to cycling weight after 20 years of serious softball playing.

Actually I play softball all summer too. 2 different teams. Sometimes 3 games in one night. But, no drinking, etc. Just good exercise. Rode the bike to a couple games one night ;)
It was like 37 degrees last night though. Yeah, that's my excuse :)

I note: those College women's pitchers have a pretty serious
underhand thrown fastball .

No. VERY serious! I wouldn't get in the box with them throwing. They are awesome.

No. VERY serious! I wouldn't get in the box with them throwing. They are awesome.
I would... with catchers gear.

Softball is pretty risky. The balls fly off the aluminium pressurized bats like crazy, so if you play infield, you better hope you've retained your youthful reflexes. If you're foolish enough to slide, you'll trash a knee. I've known several guys who stepped on a base funny and snapped an Achilles tendon.

Anyway, if I played in a local league I'd have to bat left-handed. I don't think I could clear the infield left-handed. I'll stick to safe sports like mountain biking.

Softball is pretty risky. The balls fly off the aluminium pressurized bats like crazy, so if you play infield, you better hope you've retained your youthful reflexes. If you're foolish enough to slide, you'll trash a knee. I've known several guys who stepped on a base funny and snapped an Achilles tendon.

Anyway, if I played in a local league I'd have to bat left-handed. I don't think I could clear the infield left-handed. I'll stick to safe sports like mountain biking.

Yup. I was a second baseman in high school baseball and then in softball as well. When I first played softball, it took some getting used to. Wow that ball gets to you quickly; and the bases are so damn close - if you blink an eye the runner beats the throw.:eek:

I "hung 'em up" at age 28.

I've often thought about playing in a "senior" league, but with my poor vision it's probably not a good idea.

I loved playing that game. Stopped about 15 years ago when, while playing third base, went back and away to try to snag a foul ball. Made that last-second leap at just the right moment, and came down on my shoulder, resulting in a separation. Had to be in a sling for about six weeks. Worst of all, the ball went off the top of my glove.

I'd still like to play, but even though I can still run pretty good, I can't throw worth beans. Would like to see if I can still hit.

Still have the arm, thank God. Was a pitcher in college and beyond a bit. I was an outfielder for my young softball team until they moved me to first base ;). In the senior league I'm in the outfield. Yup, those balls get to you fast in the infield! Fortunately we have very smooth infields....no bad hops.

Earlier in my teaching career I coached high school football in the fall and girls softball in the spring. Let me tell you something, girls can play ball! It was amazing the skill level the girls have in a quick action game such as fast-pitch softball. I really enjoyed coaching that sport.

bigbadwolf, I coached my older daughter's softball. We had a pre season game where the parents were involved and there were many of the parents that had trouble running to second base. We had the same pre season game for my younger daughter's soccer and that was worse for some parents.

I haven't played softball since I badly broke my collar bone. I'm working on a sidearm throw that's accurate, but still lacking range.

Brad

Yes! Totally different muscles! I retired from slow-pitch in 2008 after 19 yrs of it. I even played once/twice a wk for 7 of my 10 yr road racing career, but I was in my low to mid 30s then and the body could handle it quite well. Definitely, from the age of 50 and up, doing a sport that one isn't used to, even if only for 1 hr = a couple of days of soreness, if not more for most people. Just glad you didn't injure a knee, back, hamstring, ankle, etc., which would take you from the bike. I do miss the game!

I note: those College women's pitchers have a pretty serious
underhand thrown fastball .

This one is only in junior high but looks like a potential college pitcher in the future:) She delivers a wicked fast ball and her team has won several tournaments.

236839

Love that uniform

The last exercise my major professor in grad. school ever took part in was a softball game. He sprained his ankle and decided that exercise was just too dangerous. Twenty years later, he had an emergency quadruple by-pass at age 58.

My daughter played for 8-10 years, traveling tournament teams, yadda, yadda. She went ivy league, but in a different sport. Fast pitch is brutal, I still am very thankful she got through those years without serious injury. I used to get injured just doing pre-game warm-ups with the teams.

I played in a barroom league co-ed games. They had to have so many guys and girls
a lot of fun.

wpt

This one is only in junior high but looks like a potential college pitcher in the future:) She delivers a wicked fast ball and her team has won several tournaments.

236839
Fantastic! Is she your granddaughter?

Fantastic! Is she your granddaughter?

She's a second cousin. Her dad, my cousin, is much younger than me. They live in Florida and I only get to see them a couple times each year but we keep in touch on Facebook:thumb:

I quit about a decade ago. Softball seems custom designed to injure joints and muscles: sit or stand relatively motionless for an extended time, sprint all-out for 5 seconds, repeat. Throw in the occasional slide or dive. Yikes.

I played slo-pitch all the way through my 52yrs. It's been two summers off and dont miss it a bit. You just cant run as fast as long and I was hoping the batter wouldnt challenge my right field line more than once. Sometimes it seemed they were picking on me hoping for a cheap hit or just maybe see me pass out from oxygen debt out there in Kaline's Korner. :lol:

Love the game but I'm too far beyond it now. All I like to do is count my pulse rate on big hills now.