As a slo pitch pitcher for 20 Years , my advice is you never walk in as pitching , step back when you pitch , be half way to second base when ball reaches batter , and have your arm stretched out at chest level , be prepared
The leagues I play in, middle is considered a great way to start a fight. Retaliation will happen immediatly. Teams avoid middle and on the occation when it happens, those players apologize very quickly.
That’s the thing when you play in a upper league like I do if the middle is hit its on purpose we can all control our hits so middle shots start fights
I’ve pitched in men’s leagues and usually back up at least close to 2nd base for my own protection. I’ve taken shots off the legs in a few occasions but generally make a play on the ball. Still very dangerous. Wish I wore gear in 90’s when I played most of my games.
Half if not more than half of these guys move into the path of the ball Also if you dont want some middle hits make them stop with the Juking to throw timing off Pitch the ball and be ready. Dont get me wrong going up the middle is a dick move and someone can get hurt or killed but theres ways to find out who is doing it on purpose too.
I was a slow pitch for pitcher for many years. Not at this level but it was still a scary position to play. You definitely have to be alert. I didn't wear a mask or shin guards either. One wicked line drive short hoped my leg, right below the knee. Drove dirt under my skin and I wound up with cellulitis.
I got a lot of respect for these chuckers, but it's pretty scary to see all these up the middle shots and I know that's part of the game but that pitcher out there probably has a family and kids. Crazy risky
These guys are all monsters. Reminds me of the college intramural softball I played in, back in the mid 80. We won the dorm section three years straight but faced the same team from the independent section. They called themselves "The Bitch Horses!" And they were all monsters. Destroyed us three years straight, blasting HR off the side of the dorm next to the field time and time again. smh
Middle is part of the game but some of these aren't really logical. In a few clips you have at least 2 guys on and you shoot the box? Go gap or gone. You're playing with fire. Especially if you don't have a strike on you. Biscuit is top 5 defensively on the bump. Pinkham is top 5 of the toughest. I can't tell if Clarkk is just ill built or if that's the protective gear.
With how hot the bats and balls are at this level its borderline impossible to 100% protect yourself as a pitcher. Also these guys are good enough to not try to kill other teams pitchers...
@@MonsieurRobotic That is not true. It is softball not baseball. A JV baseball player can hit a slow pitch softball where he wants to without his average dropping by 200
Everytime you shoot the box we shoot the box..There's just no reason for it at this level..A man 6'4 hitting a ball coming in at 5 miles an hr can kill somebody...This isn't "B or C" ball..it's "A" ball with large highly skilled men playing..
Middle is definitely part of the game in the conference. Often the pitcher is moving to cover the open hole so it isn’t intentional. The pitch is actually coming in at about 26 mph and knuckling but yes it is slow
Either terrible players or on purpose. I can hit a home run every swing and I don’t play much. Once they added the plus one to the game it forces you to hit in the park, so I rip it down 3rd base or carve it to right field.
Like the other guy said, backpedal a few steps as soon as you release the ball to give yourself more space, but make sure your feet are set when they hit the ball. Get some of those oblong reaction balls and train your reflexes. See if your team will play a 5 man infield so that middle gap doesnt look as enticing. Make sure youre locked in every pitch and try not to get caught standing flat footed.
@@MaXiMuMv2 Thanks! Been pitching a couple BPs now and getting a little more comfortable with dropping back and preparing. I invested in a full mask helmet, and shin guards. It gives me a little more confidence while pitching. My guys make fun of me but I don't give a shit.
It's the same as major league pitchers doing brush backs... if they keep pitching you outside. Send it back at them. Or else why would they not just keep pitching you outside.
Having played against Bubba Mack in Pensacola. Playing 3rd base where I touched 3 of 4 Rail gun like shots. I can tell you that the pitcher at 7:49 probably has a hole in his chest....
I play B league softball. I’ve been playing for years and I can pretty much hit the ball anywhere I want. I don’t know about everyone else but when your playing at this level ball and you have to go middle to get on base then you suck as a batter!
It’s just stupid. Hitting a softball requires just slightly more skill than hitting a ball off the tee. Which means these shots are either intentional or happen as a result of a lack of skill. Either way. Put a pitching net in front of the rubber. If you hit it, it’s like an infield fly… automatic out. If you can hit over it, you’ll get a base hit at no risk to the Pitcher.
I have never understood why these major players don't go out of the way to signal to the pitcher if he's okay or a simple acknowledgement that it was unintentional. Just a little common courtesy.
What a dick move at 11:00. You know exactly what shortstop was thinking. Pretend to lose sight of the ball and let it hit the runner for shooting box. But the ball gets away and runners advance. Such a garbage play.
Those pitchers who keep faking and faking pitches needs every ball hit back at them until they stop that crap. That is senseless childish stuff. That may have worked in grade school but these are adults.
11:00 CF looks the only one in the game, weak AF half ass attempt by SS taking the cut, infield all standing around during the action discussing broken/chip nails? WTF maybe try getting involved in the play, huh? smfh
Stop naming people out on the field and just show the hitting. This isn't the MLB. We are not going to know who even half these people are unless it's big names. But here you are constantly naming nobodies. Just show the footage. Jesus
For 8 years I never spoke then people kept posting they wanted to know who was hitting and making plays. Plus a lot of these clips come from full condensed games where commentating is necessary.
As a slo pitch pitcher for 20 Years , my advice is you never walk in as pitching , step back when you pitch , be half way to second base when ball reaches batter , and have your arm stretched out at chest level , be prepared
4:45 is probably the best catch by a pitcher I’ve ever witnessed. And he had a couple more that same game IIRC.
Agreed. Dodds smoked that ball as hard as he could directly at Dombrowski. DS went hard at picther's allot LY.
"Look what I found?" What a grab...
Has to be the hardest hit ball
The leagues I play in, middle is considered a great way to start a fight. Retaliation will happen immediatly. Teams avoid middle and on the occation when it happens, those players apologize very quickly.
Facts. I still remember when i hit dude in the ribs with an ultra 2..never again will i ever hit middle on purpose.
That’s the thing when you play in a upper league like I do if the middle is hit its on purpose we can all control our hits so middle shots start fights
That is why pitchers at this level wear masks and shin guards
You play that spot tho the pitcher is in the field. Be a man or be a catcher
Biscuit got the best glove in the conference! Nasty
Basically a highlight video of Purcell getting lit up 🤣
Takes nuts to toe the rubber for as many years as he has
A lot of Dan Smith guys going up the middle yet Purcell cries when they hit at him. 🤦🏽♂️
Thank you for saying this
I’ve noticed this more than once
@@codymc9085 *Softball is for losers who couldn’t make it in baseball.*
I’ve pitched in men’s leagues and usually back up at least close to 2nd base for my own protection. I’ve taken shots off the legs in a few occasions but generally make a play on the ball. Still very dangerous. Wish I wore gear in 90’s when I played most of my games.
Me and my dad are both harvies and seeing another one just made me think about how many actually play softball
Half if not more than half of these guys move into the path of the ball Also if you dont want some middle hits make them stop with the Juking to throw timing off Pitch the ball and be ready. Dont get me wrong going up the middle is a dick move and someone can get hurt or killed but theres ways to find out who is doing it on purpose too.
100% right about the juking. It does throw the batters pull rhythm off and makes it more likely they go up the middle. The same with the quick pitch
Playing with the mound and bases and little league distances is hilarious to me😂
Adult softball doesn’t use little league distances fence distances.
Thats some bushleague shit hitting it back at the pitchef everytime
All these guys go middle cuz it easy to do but none will go pitch cuz they no better
Never seen so many balls hit up the middle. It's really dangerous at this level.
that was an entire seasons worth of middle shots.
@@sw48 Yeah but some of them were 3 in a row in the same inning.
Middle is open!
Where i'm from if you hit up the middle it better be an accident lol
I was a slow pitch for pitcher for many years. Not at this level but it was still a scary position to play. You definitely have to be alert. I didn't wear a mask or shin guards either. One wicked line drive short hoped my leg, right below the knee. Drove dirt under my skin and I wound up with cellulitis.
I got a lot of respect for these chuckers, but it's pretty scary to see all these up the middle shots and I know that's part of the game but that pitcher out there probably has a family and kids. Crazy risky
These guys are all monsters. Reminds me of the college intramural softball I played in, back in the mid 80. We won the dorm section three years straight but faced the same team from the independent section. They called themselves "The Bitch Horses!" And they were all monsters. Destroyed us three years straight, blasting HR off the side of the dorm next to the field time and time again. smh
Middle is part of the game but some of these aren't really logical. In a few clips you have at least 2 guys on and you shoot the box? Go gap or gone. You're playing with fire. Especially if you don't have a strike on you. Biscuit is top 5 defensively on the bump. Pinkham is top 5 of the toughest. I can't tell if Clarkk is just ill built or if that's the protective gear.
where are they getting these helmets?
With how hot the bats and balls are at this level its borderline impossible to 100% protect yourself as a pitcher. Also these guys are good enough to not try to kill other teams pitchers...
Some of these clips the pitcher moves into the hole that the hitter is hitting through.
"Pros"
No reason to he hitting up the middle if ur pro enuff to place the ball ... jus sayin
@@MonsieurRobotic That is not true. It is softball not baseball. A JV baseball player can hit a slow pitch softball where he wants to without his average dropping by 200
Everytime you shoot the box we shoot the box..There's just no reason for it at this level..A man 6'4 hitting a ball coming in at 5 miles an hr can kill somebody...This isn't "B or C" ball..it's "A" ball with large highly skilled men playing..
Middle is definitely part of the game in the conference. Often the pitcher is moving to cover the open hole so it isn’t intentional. The pitch is actually coming in at about 26 mph and knuckling but yes it is slow
Why do pitchers do the "juking" motion?
Trying to get the batter to miss the sweet spot by a quarter inch
@@sw48 thanks, thought maybe in coed leagues they do that to get the runner off base
If u pump fake while pitching
U deserve to get line drived 😝
I have NEVER seen SOOO many balls hit straight at the pitcher. Has the game changed THAT much in the last 25 years?
This video is clips from the entire season of only middle shots.
@@sw48 Yeah but a few of them were 3 in a row in the same inning.
Either terrible players or on purpose. I can hit a home run every swing and I don’t play much. Once they added the plus one to the game it forces you to hit in the park, so I rip it down 3rd base or carve it to right field.
@@justinjones528195% are on purpose! Fkn losers trying to hurt another guy. Absolutely losers!
Perhaps at this level, they should put a fence like in batting practice? If the ball hits the fence it would be consider as foul
senior ball does this
You gonna be in Carencro this weekend ?
no
This will be my first year pitching. I have shin guards and a face guard. Any other recommendations?
I would suggest learning to backpedal to get further away once you let go of the pitch that way you have better reaction time
ok did I ask
don't pitch-why would you want to pitch? prepare to get drilled often and the other team will not care at all good luck!
Like the other guy said, backpedal a few steps as soon as you release the ball to give yourself more space, but make sure your feet are set when they hit the ball. Get some of those oblong reaction balls and train your reflexes. See if your team will play a 5 man infield so that middle gap doesnt look as enticing. Make sure youre locked in every pitch and try not to get caught standing flat footed.
@@MaXiMuMv2 Thanks! Been pitching a couple BPs now and getting a little more comfortable with dropping back and preparing. I invested in a full mask helmet, and shin guards. It gives me a little more confidence while pitching. My guys make fun of me but I don't give a shit.
Why pitch needs to back up, save himself from getting smoked.
It's the same as major league pitchers doing brush backs... if they keep pitching you outside. Send it back at them. Or else why would they not just keep pitching you outside.
@@MonsieurRobotic It's not okay actually. That's a dumbass thing to say.
@@MonsieurRobotic Yeah sometimes it will. But a number of these clips is 3 middle shots in the same inning.
@@MonsieurRobotic Yeah moving back 5 feet is gonna really be the difference lmao.
@@MonsieurRobotic Lol i shouldn't play because i have bat control enough to not hit at the pitcher? If it isn't intentional the hitter is just trash.
@@MonsieurRobotic .725
Having played against Bubba Mack in Pensacola. Playing 3rd base where I touched 3 of 4 Rail gun like shots. I can tell you that the pitcher at 7:49 probably has a hole in his chest....
Bubba cuts those low liners as hard as anyone ever.
@@sw48 he ripped my shoulder out on the one I "slowed down"
Super awesome watching him do what he loves.
What fields are those at 4:05?
Cincinnatis mid america ballyard, 300 foot fences
Mid america one of my favorite parks
4:32 was blasted
Some of those are on purpose.
So it's like softball accept the pitcher is behind the plate and the catcher is on the pitchers mound.
no
I play B league softball. I’ve been playing for years and I can pretty much hit the ball anywhere I want. I don’t know about everyone else but when your playing at this level ball and you have to go middle to get on base then you suck as a batter!
It’s just stupid. Hitting a softball requires just slightly more skill than hitting a ball off the tee. Which means these shots are either intentional or happen as a result of a lack of skill.
Either way. Put a pitching net in front of the rubber. If you hit it, it’s like an infield fly… automatic out. If you can hit over it, you’ll get a base hit at no risk to the Pitcher.
I have never understood why these major players don't go out of the way to signal to the pitcher if he's okay or a simple acknowledgement that it was unintentional. Just a little common courtesy.
Thats scary
Why is Purcell such a drama queen?
What a dick move at 11:00. You know exactly what shortstop was thinking. Pretend to lose sight of the ball and let it hit the runner for shooting box. But the ball gets away and runners advance. Such a garbage play.
looks like it handcuffed him.
I had no idea dudes play softball now.
Now? Have you been in a coma for the last 60 years? American Professional Mens Softball has been a thing since the 70s. It's huge. Always has been
Those pitchers who keep faking and faking pitches needs every ball hit back at them until they stop that crap. That is senseless childish stuff. That may have worked in grade school but these are adults.
u don’t understand the game
give it a try
I love going middle. I usually try to hurt the guy. It’s part of the game.
Trying to hurt the pitcher is not part of the game...smh
When slow pitch pitchers do all that fake-out bullshittery, they deserve to get smoked.
Why they allowed to be that far outta the box
Back foot starts even with homeplate is the only rule
MLB pitchers are laughing.
This isn't baseball or the MLB
11:00 CF looks the only one in the game, weak AF half ass attempt by SS taking the cut, infield all standing around during the action discussing broken/chip nails? WTF maybe try getting involved in the play, huh? smfh
Stop naming people out on the field and just show the hitting. This isn't the MLB. We are not going to know who even half these people are unless it's big names. But here you are constantly naming nobodies. Just show the footage. Jesus
For 8 years I never spoke then people kept posting they wanted to know who was hitting and making plays. Plus a lot of these clips come from full condensed games where commentating is necessary.
Wearing catcher's gear, a ton of time to get set, and it's a softball. Stop acting like these beer guzzlers are reflex wonders.
Many are coming at over 100 mph
These guys "going middle" are a joke. If they can hit it where they want, shoot the 5-6 hole.
my sister can hit better
There’s nothing worse than grown men playing softball 😂
Hitting middle is weak. Only the weak minded shoot box
Can’t anyone hit it in the air. Geez. Boring.
These were middle shots
@@sw48 Clearly