Anyone know this slow pitch softball player?

[Walden4Prez]

I'm in an Iowa slowpitch group page on Facebook, and there's a guy in there defending this dude, calling him a good guy and anyone how says otherwise is a f-n d-bag and doesn't know the whole story. We have a word for dudes like this in the softball world...."flatbills."

There are 3 sides to every story...I assume that the ump did/said something more than just calling a ball foul, but that doesn't make as good of a headline.

All that said, I don't think there is ever a reason to get into a physical altercation at a ******* rec softball game, just saying I am pretty sure we don't know the whole story.

 

[IlliniCy]

I'm old enough to have pitched fast-pitch with George Davis behind the plate. He took more than his share of abuse, too. Mostly verbal, of course.

 

[CYdTracked]

I played in a co-rec league where a guy literally punched out an ump out there. Out cold, they had to bring an ambo out on the field.

Yeah years ago we were watching a game where it came down to the last possession of a league championship game and some ball hog tried forcing up a shot over 3 guys and got made there wasn't a foul called. He went bonkers and told one the of the refs he'd beat his ass outside afterwards. Was a pretty tense gym and the ref was a pretty big dude himself that probably could administer a good beating himself in a fight. Thankfully they got the guy out of the gym and off the premises before they had to bring the cops in.

 

[mj4cy]

Seems appropriate here

Beat me to it. Such a great rant.

That guy is a piece of work and glad he got charged.

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

I've never understood how so many people can take softball so seriously. There are some guys that act like every game is game 7 of the World Series.
I imagine it's some sort of compensation because they never made their high school baseball team.

 

[Rabbuk]

I enjoy 16 inch softball

 

[Walden4Prez]

I've never understood how so many people can take softball so seriously. There are some guys that act like every game is game 7 of the World Series.
I imagine it's some sort of compensation because they never made their high school baseball team.

Want to take it up a notch? There are wood bat baseball leagues. They have regular, over 30 and over 40 divisions etc. I was asked to play in the over 30 one several years ago. I went to one game, nope.

There were several guys there that had played A, AA and even AAA ball. They were pissed they didn't take the next step in their careers and every game WAS game 7 of the WS to them.

Crazy.

 

[CYEATHAWK]

I'm old enough to have pitched fast-pitch with George Davis behind the plate. He took more than his share of abuse, too. Mostly verbal, of course.

George and the guys he hired gave as well as they took. I started playing fast-pitch in the mid/late 80's and one of my first tastes of how intense sub-state tourneys were was when I was called out on strikes. I turned around looked at the ump...held up my index finger and calmly state "you missed one". Well, on my way back to the dugout the manager and a few players came flying out telling me not to turn around. Of course with that and being young and stupid I did and found out the ump had thrown down his mask and was pursuing me to KMA! He thought I had flipped him off. After the game we had a good talk but man......was that intense!

 

[CYdTracked]

I still umpire slow pitch (I gave up Fast Pitch) and the reason the sport is dying is because of crap like that. Sandbagging to play in lower leagues so you can dominate and then just being an ass the entire time.

Waterloo and Cedar Falls basically went to a zero tolerance policy with arguing about 4 years go and it's really worked. We've weeded out the true ******** and rec teams come out and just have fun and drink beer. It's worked well.

I don't envy you at all, we usually like to make a point to say "good game blue" after games so umps know we appreciate them too. I've seen some umps take a lot of verbal abuse over some really dumb stuff over the years. It's a freaking rec league game, it's not worth taking things so seriously or getting angry over it. They are going to make mistakes once in awhile, especially since most leagues there is only 1 ump behind home plate so he's probably not going to have all the angles on close plays.

I hate the sandbagging too. We just got destroyed last week in a low level rec league by this guy and a bunch of his tournament player buddies who had no business playing in that league. I blame the team's manager mostly because he has a reputation at our complex of bringing in a bunch of guys that don't usually play on his team but they still sandbag just enough so they don't get bumped up to a better league. I won't lie 10-15 years ago I probably took softball nights a little more competitively than I do now which is just a bunch of guys in their late 30's and 40's who like to come out on a nice Thursday night to drink some beers and play a rec sport for fun. We aren't going to leave the park mad at the end of the night if we went 0-2 and got blown out in the process.

 

[SwirlyBird]

that neckbeard isnt doing him any favors

 

[Gunnerclone]

I've never understood how so many people can take softball so seriously. There are some guys that act like every game is game 7 of the World Series.
I imagine it's some sort of compensation because they never made their high school baseball team.

And people try to say men don’t care about women’s sports! Pshah!

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

I guess this is just as good a time as any to resurrect this classic.

http://cyclonefanatic.com/forum/showthread.php?t=146174

 

[CubsClones1]

I'm old enough to have pitched fast-pitch with George Davis behind the plate. He took more than his share of abuse, too. Mostly verbal, of course.

George Davis was the guy I paid my registration fees to back in the day (early-mid 2000s) when I'd sign up my team for the DSM league.

 

[CYdTracked]

And people try to say men don’t care about women’s sports! Pshah!

There are women's and co-ed softball leagues in town too and I've seen some females get pretty nasty and competitive in these too. Years ago I had a co-ed team and I was trying to turn a double play at 2B and this gal did not slide or get out of the way when I tried to throw to 1B and just ran straight into my throwing arm. Ump say it and called runner interference and awarded us the double play. The other team got upset, I pointed out she clearly was trying to take me out because the play at 2B was not even close yet she ran right through me anyways.

It sucks because a lot of teams just want to play and have fun but there are always a few douche teams in every league the rest hate to play because they take it too seriously and do bush league things.

 

[enisthemenace]

I'm old enough to have pitched fast-pitch with George Davis behind the plate. He took more than his share of abuse, too. Mostly verbal, of course.

My old man played fast pitch back in the day. When I was little...talking 3-4 years old...I was scolded for throwing small rocks at him. Years later, Mr Davis was a PE teacher of mine, and he remembered me. We had a good laugh about it.

 

[srjclone]

I enjoy 16 inch softball

Chicago knows how to do it right

 

[madguy30]

"...Davis claims in the last five years there have been at least four assaults on Greater Des Moines Umpire Association umpires..."

WTH is wrong with people ?@#@? Softball guys who show up wearing metal cleats, batting donuts and EyeBlack - for a slowpitch game ?#$?

Some just can't quite let that petty teenage competitiveness go.

I even think some of the stuff that goes in pro sports looks ridiculous and immature but at least they're getting paid some serious money and it's their job.

 

[madguy30]

There are 3 sides to every story...I assume that the ump did/said something more than just calling a ball foul, but that doesn't make as good of a headline.

All that said, I don't think there is ever a reason to get into a physical altercation at a ******* rec softball game, just saying I am pretty sure we don't know the whole story.

I joined some friends for a rec kickball league several years ago and the stuff I saw go on over KICKBALL was enough to not make me want to play.

Also played on a rec basketball league for a few years. We were in the lowest division of the league, for good reason, and my only intent was just to get up and down for a good constructive work out.

Had some guys that just couldn't handle things and pretty sure we were 'that team' that everyone hated. I'm someone who didn't like to sub out (was fine if someone wanted to sub for me, but I wouldn't take myself out), but I knew I was done when one year I started sitting on the bench for most of the 2nd half due to my teammates' behaviors.

 

[Rabbuk]

Chicago knows how to do it right

Ya there's a really distinctive break in the pinky people in Chicago get from new 16 inchers

 

[SoapyCy]

There are several leagues where I am and the highest level is all barrel chested guys who look like Jim Thome. The lower leagues are all smaller guys drinking beer and making fun of each other mutually. The first kind are ******** that I want nothing to do with. The second kind are fun.