Random Softball Thoughts

Chances are, if you're going to the post season, you're going to lose your last game of the season.  Only a handful of players win theirs.  I was once one of those players...but that was a long time ago.

Yesterday Florida beat Alabama 16-2 and 9-2.  Today they are losing 14-4 to Arizona State.  Softball is humbling.  I truly believe anybody can beat anyone on any given day.  It's said over and over again but it is very true.

I started playing this game when I was 9 years old.  Before that I was big into rec soccer, if it's possible to be big into the little league of soccer.  I wasn't very good at soccer.  I thought of myself as the "someone else dribble it down the field, pass it to me, I'll kick it in" type of player.  I only remember three things about rec soccer: 

1) I once did dribble the ball down the field, all the way to the goal line, passed it to Jenny Bock as I was falling out of bounds, she kicked it in for a goal; 

2) the field was slippery once and for attention I kept falling (stupid, huh?) and I had a penalty kick.  I tapped the ball to the left and then kicked (and fell) with my right foot.  The kick didn't count, even though I think it went through Shannon Schmaltz's legs in goal, because I touched it twice.  Pretty sure Amanda Blind's older sister was the ref; 

3) Joli Konow's dad always seemed to be my coach.  He pulled me aside once and asked if I had been swearing during the game since some kids on the other team were complaining about me cussing on the field.  I remember thinking how silly that was because if they knew me, I never swore, I really didn't.  I never did figure out why they thought it was me.

Anyways, I never had a career in soccer.  I played for Mr. Bolt's team and he also had a softball team.  One of his players broke her arm and that dropped them down to 8 players.  This was back in the day when kids played rec softball only in my area.  No travel ball for anyone whether they were 16U or 6U.  He gave me a try out which consisted of hitting the ball.  If it hit it, I was on the team.  Well...I hit it!  Mom thought softball was too dangerous so I'm not sure I would have ever played if it hadn't been for Mr. Bolt needing another player.  

Random thoughts on the World Series:

*I'm not a fan of only 2 teams having a female head coach.

*ASU sometimes uses a split grip on their bat, I'm assuming this is to focus on the top hand to get the bat through the hitting zone quicker.  They have amazing bat speed.

*I found a piece of green stretch tubing that I've been holding onto for two years now.  I'm not sure why but I swear this piece of tubing will help me develop something for hitting.  I really have no idea what though.

* Aggressive base running seems to help you more than hurt you.  Aggressiveness in general seems to help you more than hurt you.