Hello Fastpitch Enthusiasts,
I have some time tonight so I thought I’d quench the thirst and hunger of people thirsty or hungry for some fastpitch thoughts.
Once upon a time, my wife asked me this question. “Do you think you really need to go to the ball park so many times to watch games””
My answer? “Why yes, if I don’t go I might miss something I have never seen happen before and I don’t want to miss out on a first.”
I have been married for very close to 43 years. That question was raised longer ago than that. In the ensuing 43+ years I’ve witnessed a lot of firsts. There have been more firsts than seconds I would imagine because some crazy, zany things can only happen once in one’s lifetime. At least that’s the way I think about it.
The lists of firsts is far, far too great to being listing here but I’ll give you a few. This year for the first time ever in a high school girl’s fastpitch game I saw a ball hit a centerfielder’s glove and bounce over the fence for a home run. I saw a play where there were two runners standing on third base at the same time. The defender tagged the lead runner and the trail runner headed back to second base. The throw went to second and the lead runner headed for home and the trail runner headed back to third only to have the lead runner stop and go back to third when the throw to home was there well ahead of her. So again we nearly had two runners at third base at the same time. The trail runner headed back to second in a hurry and a defender’s coach yelled, “Just hold the ball!” The third sacker did and both runners were safe. I saw a bouncing ball that was hit extremely hard hit a third sacker square in the face. The mask she was wearing got blown right off her head but her face is still in tact. That’s why our infielders, all of them are required to wear those defensive masks (unless mom and dad sign a notarized affadavit saying their responsible for their daughter’s face and not me if she doens’t want to wear it). Mine all choose to wear them because they’ve seen their share of direct face mask hits in the past three seasons ( our own pitcher in 2013, Shawano third sacker in 2013, Waterloo third sacker this year, and the saw one of our outfielders get a broken nose while shagging throws from other outfielders thrown back to her as she was shagging for the coach hitting the fly balls).
There was plenty of rain around here today. At my house we got in excess of 3” and nearly 4.” Tonight’s weather report showed a tiny little speck where in Columbia County about half way between Poynette and Portage up to 4” fell. That’s exactly where I live. In Poynette there was 3” and we practiced on our field at 3 and had a youth game at 6 even after another downpour at the end of practice.
I didn’t see the last downpour as I was in Brodhead saying hello to some great fastpitch people such as Ally Steinke of Parkview, Chuck Nolan from that area and some other people who knew who I was (even though I was trying to remain incognitto) but I wasn’t sure who they were.
Here is an issue that just doesn’t seem right to me.
It deals with WFSCA all district nominations and all state nominations. Before I tell you more I want you to know I’m not complaining and surely don’t have a better method to nominate. I just get frustrated this time of year each year.
In the Capitol Conference our bylaws state that the number of all conference nominees is limited by where a team finishes in the conference standigs. There are years where the top team really has more than of the best players in the division than they can submit . It happens more with the fourth, fifth and sixth place teams than it does with the top two but even the top two have more in some years. . A team without a good pitcher struggles to win games even if they have more than three or four good hitters. I think you understand what I mean. In the Capitol Conference the coaches can only submit and talk about statistics garnered during the 16-game conference schedule.
There was a time when we were limited to 20 games in season so four more games didn’t make that much difference in a kid’s batting average or for that matter, all of her statistics. Now with a 26-game maximum number of regular season games allowed a kid from the Capitol plays up to 10 more games and probably against teams stronger than the bottom half of the conference. The same thing happens in most conferences.
Herein lies my issue (which I have no answer for) to be nominated for WFSCA post season awards such as All District and All State a player has had to, in the past been named First Team All Conference. That too was not equitable as some conferences have more players on their all conference teams. In the Capitol there are 12 first team and 12 second team.
The WFSCA Board of Directors listened and changed the bylaws stating that beginning in 2015 (that’s this year) a kid need only be first or second team all confernce. It was a good move. However, it does not solve the issue completely.
Take for example, a kid for instance who in a 25-game schedule against pretty good competition bats .423 (22x52) scores 26 runs, is on base .577, has a slugging percentage of .654, an OPS of 1.231 and gets hit by pitches a lot but in conference games bats .375 (15x40) etc. and does not make all conference first or second team. She is not eligible for all district of all state consideration.
I don’t have the answers and that’s why the members of the WFSCA Board of Directors get paid the big bucks to represent all of the players in their districts. (That was said in jest of course.)
There are other issues out there being considered as well. The coaches voted on several of them at the February clinic in the Dells.
In closing keep in mind that most of my writings are just my thoughts and perhaps not even opinions. I have never claimed to have all the answers and as matter of fact constantly try to find more of them from people like you.
It’s tourney time. Many games rained out today. Just a few played.
Have a great day!
Keep it Rising!
Bob
