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MFS62 Feb 02 2006 12:57 PM

If you used to play baseball, or still do, at the top of your game, how good were (are) you at: Pitching? Hitting? Fielding? Be brutally honest. Tell us some stories. Later

cooby Feb 02 2006 01:00 PM

Eh, why not? Hitting--very good as kid, suck as adult Fielding--very good at fly balls, suck at grounders Pitching--very good underhand, can't throw a lick overhand All in all, I play like a girl

Benjamin Grimm Feb 02 2006 01:01 PM

Bad. Poor. Bad. I'm referring to my Little League days, when I was 8, 9, and 10. Later as a teenager playing softball I worked my way up to average in all of those categories. You didn't mention running, but I'm one of those guys who Tim McCarver would say has "no speed."

Willets Point Feb 02 2006 01:01 PM

Suck Suck Suck!

KC Feb 02 2006 01:15 PM

All-star pitcher through senior leagues. I soured on organized sports when I played freshman basketball for a variety of reasons and didn't even try out that spring for baseball despite being wooed by the coach (phys ed teacher). Didn't play any organized sports until softball in my mid twenties. I became a very good first baseman and power hitter to all fields. Now I'm just a very good first baseman and a singles hitter.

MFS62 Feb 02 2006 01:17 PM

Pitching: Fastball , before I hurt my arm (from which it never recovered) in the 80's. My dad (may he rest in Peace) tried to teach me the curve ball, but I never got the hang of it. Actually, "hang" was a good description. Threw a screwball which wasn't bad. But without a fastball to set the batter up.... I fooled around with the knuckler when I was trying to make my "comeback" from the sore arm. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes I had to count my infielders to see if they were still alive. (A long succession of third basemen really hated me) Hitting: I was a righty “sweep type” hitter, which means I was all arms and no wrists. As a result, I could never get around on a decent fastball, but had pretty good power to right center field. Fielding: I always wore my chest protector and shin guards. And that was when I played infield or pitched. As you've probably figured out by that statement, I played ground balls like they would explode on contact. Any pictures of me probably have me in the "maiden surprised" pose. When I was pitching, my theory was: "I threw it. He hit it. Now you other guys chase it." Later

holychicken Feb 02 2006 01:24 PM

After a long time, I finally got my first hit and I made it to first base and my helmet fell off. I was so excited I just picked it up. . . but I had to make the turn towards second to do so and was tagged out. I cried. That sucked. And that about sums up my baseball career. I sucked and then I cried. But I am a wiffle ball pitching master now. I used to play some games in college with friends who were in a frat and had field set up behind their house. After I dominated about 10 games straight (.127 BAA) they changed the rules and had the pitching mound moved back. I still wtfpwned them. However, I still couldn't hit worth crap and I cried much less. Okay, fine, I still cried. Get off my case. Jeez, you people are so pushy.

rpackrat Feb 02 2006 01:28 PM

Terrible baseball player, decent softball player (no power, but high BA, high OBP, can play any infield position, pitch and catch -- terrible outfielder).

Willets Point Feb 02 2006 01:30 PM

I'm good at kickball.

Frayed Knot Feb 02 2006 01:36 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Feb 02 2006 09:11 PM

We actually did this once before a couple years back right around the time of one of the drafts. After reading those sometimes dopey little thumb-nail paragraphs they write on just-drafted amateurs we started concocting some on ourselves. Much hilarity ensued. Anyway, my problem was I could never hit well enough. I was a decent little league player but pretty much rode the bench the little I played in JrH & HS in part because a lot of the guys were simply bigger, better athletes than me. I wound up "catching up" a little later on and am probably a better athlete as an adult then I ever was as a teen. I still play (softball these days of course), can put the bat on the ball but never hit for much power; am reasonably fast for a middle-aged white man (get faster ever year as the others slow down), have good hands, and - until wrecking my shoulder about 6 years or so ago - had one of the great guns you wanted to see on a softball diamond. You took extra bases on me at your peril. That's the one physical attribute I've conceded to age plus wear & tear, that I can no longer throw the way I used to ... and damn I do miss that!

ScarletKnight41 Feb 02 2006 01:39 PM

suck suck suck I have hand-eye coordination issues related to my eyesight. Games involving ball and I have never agreed.

metirish Feb 02 2006 01:51 PM

Never played baseball as a child but I played rounders, don't remember much about it but I probably was brilliant..I was a star hurler in school and played center back on the St.Ailbie's team that won the Munster schools title in 88.

Lundy Feb 02 2006 01:52 PM

Little League was a nightmare for me. I couldn't hit to save my life, so I ended up taking a lot of pitches and getting on base that way. But I was (and still am) pretty speedy on the bases. I played softball a bit and slightly improved my hitting skills. But I was a horrible fielder with a below-average arm. In general I suck at most sports, although I am a decent bowler.

Bret Sabermetric Feb 02 2006 01:52 PM

"A legend in my own mind," as someone used to say.

KC Feb 02 2006 01:55 PM

I developed late as a youngin too - grew like a foot the summer between 10 - 11 grade so as a 9th grader I was easily pushed around by some of the more developed athletes. I think I found that frustrating because I was really good when we were all on the same physical level. I also had authority issues and started smoking a lot of weed too hence no high school baseball career.

soupcan Feb 02 2006 01:56 PM

I could catch or stop anything hit my way, unfortunately I couldn't do anything with it once I got it because my arm was just lousy. Even from second. Couldn't hit for shit.

sharpie Feb 02 2006 01:58 PM

Played 3 years of Little League. Sucked the first two, better the third but in no way good. Used to be a decent softball player, got on base a lot, could field okay, but no good anymore.

Willets Point Feb 02 2006 02:02 PM

metirish wrote: Never played baseball as a child but I played rounders, don't remember much about it but I probably was brilliant..I was a star hurler in school and played center back on the St.Ailbie's team that won the Munster schools title in 88. People still play rounders?!?

Johnny Dickshot Feb 02 2006 02:02 PM

Disaster as a Little Leaguer: Never learned to hang in the box. Excellent speed went unexploited due to pathetic OBP.

DocTee Feb 02 2006 02:23 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Feb 02 2006 02:42 PM

All glove, no stick... and it only applied to the infield, since I can't judge flyballs. I remember my first LL at-bat. I hit a loooong fly down the LF line that just went foul-- I had even run to 1B-- My hulking coach slapped me bottom in encouragement--"attaboy,tiger" or somesuch (i was pretty scrawny)-- I returned to the box, with tears welling in my eyes from the sting in my hands (and on my bottom)-- struck out on the next pitch (prolly above my head, since I never saw it through the tears) I often wondered how my life would've been different had that ball stayed fair and I homered in my first little league at bat.

Benjamin Grimm Feb 02 2006 02:26 PM

I found judging fly balls to be nearly impossible. I could catch a ball that was hit to my left or right, or in front of me, easily enough. But if it was enough over my head that I had to do more than just drift backwards, I had no chance. I had to let it land and then chase it. I still marvel at how players can turn their back to a fly ball and run then run it down. It sounds so simple, just run to where it's going to land. I could just as easily have run to Neptune.

Vic Sage Feb 02 2006 02:35 PM

I played Little League from ages 8-12, intramural softball in HS and college, beer-league softball games in prospect park up till my early 30s, Broadway Show league softball for a little while more. I hung up the spikes about 8 years ago. Pitching? I was used as a LOOGY in little league. I threw slow, slower and slowest. When i got the ball over, i was effective, but that wasn't very often. my motion was a little bit of Luis Tiant, a little Kent Tekulve. "Funky", they said. Still, i was more a novelty act than a regularly used pitcher. I didn't pitch much in softball. Hitting? I sucked. Sometimes i'd swing after the catcher had caught the ball. I tried a closed stance to keep from bailing out, but it didn't help. I'd ocasionally hit a texas-leaguer to short LF and that would be my hit for the year. I was better in softball. The ball was bigger and came in slower. I always ran the bases aggressively, and with a tremendous lack of speed. Fielding? As a LHer with no arm and no speed, my defensive options were limited. But I was good at 1b... I had good hands. In the OF i caught whatever i could get to, which wasn't much. in softball, i could play anywhere... even SS, on occasion.

Edgy DC Feb 02 2006 02:39 PM

Pitching? Only one or two regrettable appearances on the mound. My nickname (one of 'em) was Frank Perdue, because my arm was made of poultry, and I wasn't allowed to play any infield slots other than second. I figued out in college that it was because I collapesd my front leg, wasting all the energy from the drive of my back leg. And I threw pretty OK. Now, I never warm up long enough to cut loose and see what I've got. I doubt I have much. Hitting? My big mistake. When I was 12-13, I was bigger than most and I was a dead pull hitter and a good one. But the time I was 15-16, I was on the smaller side, and since I was secondbaseman mad about the Mets, I imitated a righthanded Wally Backman. I got a toe-hold on the plate, crouched to the point of discomfort, and tried to slap the ball. I was about as successful as the real righthanded Wally Backman was. I never adapted. I still whack the snot out of softballs to all fields, but I haven't spent enough time in batting cages to see if I can still time a baseball. Batting cages piss me off, getting maybe 40% of their pitches over the plate. Hey, can you charge me only for the strikes the machine throws? Fielding? I was a vaccuum on grounders. As steady as they come. I was weak on popups, always turning around too fast and having to backpedal. I also stank on covering second on steals. It wasn't quite the distraction of catching while a runner was bearing down on me, I just never saw the ball that well, coming at me with a tail on it, while I'm anchored at a 45% angle waiting to receive it. I think I anchored myself too much and didn't adjust. I dunno. My catcher Eddie Whitehead must've hated me, but he never ripped me publickly.

86-Dreamer Feb 02 2006 03:02 PM

I worked my way up from really sucky up to average by the time I was 14. Then I blew out my knee and was washed up in 9th grade. A little league coach tabbed me as a starting pitcher because i could put it over the plate, and he wanted the other team to put the ball in play. he got what he wanted for the most part, but one particular game I actually held the other team to just a few runs through five innings and was in position for a victory as i warmed up for the 6th inning. Last thing I remember before being carted off the field was the coach yelling "Balls In!" Unfortunately, my 3B's throw found my head on its way to the dugout.

Rotblatt Feb 02 2006 03:51 PM

From what little I remember, I was pretty good in Little League. I pitched some, caught some and played a little OF. I went to a regional game of some kind but we were knocked out in the first round. I played some form of Summer JV baseball in middle school (1st base & OF), but didn't have much time for it cause I was also playing soccer and I ended up only doing it one season. Pitchingwise, I threw fairly hard (never really clocked, that I can remember) and didn't have much of a breaking pitch, although I would try and fool the batters with some sort of rudimentary changeup (I was sorely dissapointed when my Dad told me that I hadn't invented a new pitch, which I had been convinced I had). Hittingwise, I was pretty good by the time I graduated from Little League. I seem to remember hitting a lot of home runs my final year. I was and remain incapable of either pulling the ball or going the other way with it--I'm a dead center kind of guy, no matter what's being thrown. As for fielding, like Yancy, I had a problem with the whole high fly ball thing, but other than that, I was okay. Nowadays, I only play softball a few times a year in beer league @ Prospect Park. I can hit the ball pretty far and fairly consistently, but again, only to dead center, so not so helpful. I'm pretty decent at first base, cause I'm tall and have good reach, but I no longer have the arm for 3rd base and still have problems with fly balls, making the outfield tough for me. In short, I'm maybe average for a beer leaguer. I do drink well, though, so I've got that going for me . . .

MFS62 Feb 02 2006 04:00 PM

Rotblatt wrote: In short, I'm maybe average for a beer leaguer. I do drink well, though, so I've got that going for me . . . (Slaps forehead) How could I have left drinking off my original list? After you stop playing the game, drinking becomes the most important skill. Especially if you're a Mets fan. Later

Rockin' Doc Feb 02 2006 09:31 PM

For the better part of my youth, baseball was my life. I loved to play and was fortunate enough to play from the age of six in tee ball until the age of 20 in college. I had delusional dreams of playing baseball for a living, but as a teenager I came to realize there were others far better than myself. Fielding - I absolutely sucked as an outfielder because I had trouble judging fly balls hit at me. Became a third baseman/shortstop that earned starting spots because of my defense and hustle. Had a strong, but sometimes erratic throwing arm. Unfortunately, I injured my right shoulder (torn rotator cuff and partial seperation) breaking up a double play during my Junior year in high school and have thrown like a girlie-man ever since. Pitching - Was never a pitcher as a kid despite a strong arm. I had a good fastball (clocked at 90-91 as a Junior in high school) but I was just as likely to throw it over the catcher's head as the plate. Couldn't throw a breaking ball to save my life. Hitting - A stereotypical leadoff hitter. Strictly a contact hitter with absolutely zero power. Hit only one home run in my entire life. Seldom struck out and walked a lot. Had an OBP of over .500 for my three years on the high school varsity team. Not the fastest guy, but stole a fair number of bases by getting big leads and good jumps. Tended to pick on either pitchers with slow deliveries or catchers that didn't throw well. Became a second baseman in college. Was fortunate to earn a varsity letter as a freshman by playing as a late inning defensive sub at shortstop/second base, pinch runner, and occasional pinch hitter. After the senior ahead of me graduated, I won the starting spot at second base as a sophmore. My baseball playing ended when I left for optometry school. Now I'm just old, fat and slow, but I still drink pretty well.

seawolf17 Feb 03 2006 04:38 AM

Career Pitching Highlights: ** 1 G, 2/3 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K -- my friend Brian, and I never let him forget it. Haven't seen him in years, but if he walked up to me today, I'd remind him. ** Tinkered with a Terry Leach submarine delivery during batting practice, but was never allowed to use it in a game. Once I'm warmed up, I still throw better today submarine than I do overhand. Career Hitting Highlights: ** Struck out with the bases loaded to end Commack North Little League championship one year. Nearly did the same exact thing the following year, but singled to keep the inning alive. ** Finished one season 0-for-14 after missing the first nine games with a knee injury. ** Hit a ball 400 feet to right-center in baseball camp one year -- at a field with no fences -- and was so slow I got thrown out at third. Was often compared to Greg Luzinski. ** Was part of the first ever back-to-back father-son home runs in New York Telephone Company Picnic Softball history. Career Fielding Highlights: ** Allowed an easy base hit to roll through my legs in left field for a home run -- to my friend John, and he never let me forget it. Haven't seen him in years, but if he walked up to me today, he'd probably remind me. ** Played a steady second base: no arm strength, but I had good reflexes and could get to just about anything on the right side. Career Umpiring Highlights: ** Was vastly more successful as a Little League umpire, being selected to work the league championship during each of the four seasons I worked.