Random Sb Notes

Just some observation from the past 10 days or so in Softball

•  Highlanders – for all the talk about them being goons, several players called me after our game the other night to give me positive shout outs.

Very Classy.Hell I even heard John Sheppard heckling and cheering for me on the same play.

• Speaking of the recently retired John Sheppard

I recently caught up with him as he was relaxing on a Sunday afternoon 

John is too young too retired. He will be back.

• Bob League isn't the Bob league anymore – 54th street is wide open this year. At least 3-4 top teams with real chances and plenty of teams that can spoil you if you don’t come ready to play. People are into it. Too bad home plate on field 2 is a death trap.
• 100 At bats – you know where you are after 100 at bats -– If the head is wrong, the body will follow 
• You get the pulse of which team you play on is hungry and which is not. Same thing with Management. If the head is wrong, the body will follow 
• Superstar players on Choice Parts don't act like Superstars - they hustle and play hard
• Speaking of Choice Parts - Check out John Miranda candy store on any given Sunday

I can't believe I used to think Miranda was a bad guy. I was so wrong. Very nice/funny. Beast hitter playing through a tough injury all year. Good taste in music too


- he vibes all day

• Be careful when your managers says "Wait until all our guys to show up". Sometimes they don't show
• On the other side of that, be careful when guys complain "We have too many guys". Creates an atmosphere where guys don't root for one another.
• It's getting late early - Father's Day is the time of year for forfeit avoiders to play. Headcounts are tight. Many teams dig deep now for reinforcements, 
• Legends in NY Fast Pitch are a team to watch they added Lou 22. 
• Parity in Big Apple. Any given Sunday
• There is a line somewhere between stats, eye tests, and instincts – so fine 
• Gil trying his best to be hated by everyone - and succeeding. Noble Avenue this year has been trying, painful, and disorganized. 

1975 Score book

Too bad b/c that league has a good thing going.

• Truest statement ever said “50% of baseball is 90% mental” 
• Softball gods exists - I see it every day. Respect yourself. Respect the Game.  I saw the best and fastest player in the league the other day hit into a triple play after he failed to hustle after a ball. The softball gods vengeance is cruel and does not discriminate.
• A better word for Chemistry is Cohesion.
• Westies morning team is Jekyll and Hide. Good guys though. Glenn R is a class act.
• Legacy is important, but it's not about what he leave behind. It's about how we live. How we play.
• What is a slump? 
• What do you Say to someone you hate - answer nothing
• I know I'm late but I want to give a shout out to Jack Mulcachy

of the Performing Arts Softball League for being on Fox 5 - Check it out at http://www.myfoxny.com/story/25458496/central-park-softball-league-for-performing-artists?1

• Old School shout out to the Spurs - great Championship

There is no school like the Old School

• Speaking of Old School. Like most Tuesday teams, getting 10 guys to show up is a mission. Tuesday is a fun day to play.  For some reason, obscure Tuesday's are the best escape from reality you can experience.
• Confidence - Is the most powerful softball steroid you can posses/take
• I turn 45 today. 

Softball and this blog has brought me so many friends. Thank you

1

My Babies turn 1 today, June 17th

ALEXANDRA & CALEY HOTTEST SET OF TWIN BABIES

Top Ten Reasons Twins and Softball go together

10. Both involve Doubleheaders
9.   Both involve Extra innings
8.   In Both the credo "It ain't over till it's over" is always in play
7.   Double Play
6.   Never take your eye off the ball, never take your eye off a baby. Double Trouble
5.   In softball you cry over bad calls, babies cry all day. it's what they do. You gotta learn what cries are real and what cries are fake. Ignoring skills are a must.
4. Good mangers and parents are key. The best ones are teachers
3. In both, Sacrifice is needed and little things turn into big things.
2. Patience a must

and the Number  Reasons Twins and Softball go together

1. I love both. Family 1st. Softball 2nd

No Rhyme or Reason for Nuthin #1 ... Boiling Softball Frog

I've been holding off on this blog for a while. You see I wanted to write one last blog about the Big Apple League, but I faced the following two big challenges:

1. Fatherhood - everyday

Fatherhood - Alexandra and Caley - Hottest set of Twin babies

2. Selling out to Comments - Big Apple blogs are not my best blogs, but they are by far my biggest comment generating blogs.  Some people equate blog comments to TV Shows ratings. The higher the number of comments the better the blog. I don't think that way, I don't write for comments I write because I write. I'm not gonna sell out and write a Big Apple Blog just to get people to write comments. This isn't a wack ass corny Network comedy like Three Company where some uncreative writer desperate to hold on to his job and can't think of anything new to write has Jack Tripper flip over the couch every week


just to get a cheap laugh and get people to tune in the following week.

P.S John Ritter was awesome. That show was all him.

Still I do love my readers comments and unless one is disrespectful to my family or someones memory I cared about I will never take it down. Here are an example of some that

• Made me laugh

#1 "If you want to hold us to the rules and suspend us for acting "thuggish" (I'm not sure what that really means) and in an "unsportsmanlike behavior"...that's fine. But here's my question...isn't illegal pitching also in the rule book? When will the league enforce those rules and hold the teams accountable who have illegal pitching?

Rick you have it right, I am no Saint but I will stand by what I believe in. If I pay for a service, it needs to be delivered. I signed up for a "modified" league. This shit is "open" and anything goes in terms of pitching. I get it and I'll make the adjustment if given the opportunity. It's softball gentlemen...it's not personal. At least I don't believe it to be.

I'm not into the "who has the biggest dick" thing. I would lose. I'm short and Hispanic. Don't be fooled by my last name.

Have a Happy Mother's Day!

- Dio Jackson"

*********************************************

#2 Starring in today's performance...Rosenmiller as Richard Nixon (misunderstood), Bitros as Jimmy Carter (good guy not appreciated), Ricky as young Fidel Castro (planning the coup) Castro, Dio as MLK (fighting for softball rights), John Sheppard as a retired Winston Churchill (don't wanna fight no more).

- Blondie

aka the snake

• Made me stronger

So when you don't get your way you cry about it. Evidently our managers know your game plan and don't want a whiney spoiled team in our league managed by someone whose ego is out of control. You may think you're respected as a softball player but you're not. Live with the reputation you created. By the way every blog you write ends up being all about you. It's getting old.

Signed Anonymous

• Made me see people different

"all i know is that Ricky has been running the best fall league around for the past 14 years! Better top to bottom comp than big apple! never a question about the pitching! i haven't played in the last two years but ill tell you one thing not one fight ! zero controversy in the 12-13 years that i did play. so letting rick have a say in how the league is run is a very good idea in my humble opinion!!!!!"

HK 11February 20, 2014 at 4:37 PM

• Made me Friends and allowed people to know me

He'll be waiting for you the day you move on. He's watching. The love never dies.

peace and blessings
jack s.

• Made me Learn I am not Alone

I am one of three commissioners in that league (New York Show Business League) and I also a manager/player on a team (Turtle Rock) in that league. The banning of what we call tournament style or non-modified pitching has resulted in a rebirth of our league.

In previous years (until 2009) non-modified pitching had become a big problem for the league. We were losing teams all over the place. Every year we had to dig up new teams. And the result was a league that existed to serve a small number of teams that had access to one of these semi-pro type pitchers. But that was not and never had been the philosophy of the Tuesday league.

The NYSBL exists (like a lot of amateur leagues) to provide the best playing experience for the greatest number of players.... The losers in that scenario were all the many players who show up on their day off or take time from work and want to enjoy a game of softball. They do not want a small number of teams with access to high level pitching to continually have a competitive advantage.......... 

In 2010 we took a vote at a managers meeting and a huge majority of managers voted to strictly enforce the pitching rules of our league Our goal as an athletic organization was never to have the highest level of competition possible. It was to provide a level a playing field for players of all abilities to compete and to provide the best playing experience for the largest number of participants. Why should so many players pay money to play all summer if the rules are twisted to ensure that their teams cannot succeed. The truth is a level playing field is not possible when a few teams have the advantage of non-modified pitchers.

We also got rid of cash prizes which were jacking up the "need" to win and providing an incentive to pay pitchers. That change has helped us to keep our team fees lower. -  Thomas Wagner

*********************************************
So I know Big Apple blogs are important to people so if I'm going to do a Big Apple blog I gotta come correct. That's why I've wanted to let the season play out a little and while observing the league that's when it struck me. This season is more than just an observation, it's an Experiment.

More precisely, it's a Boiling Softball Frog Experiment.

In science the theory is "If you drop a frog in a pot of boiling water, it will of course frantically try to clamber out. but if placed in cold water that is slowly heated, it will not perceive the danger and eventually will be cooked to death."  The story is often used as a metaphor for the inability or unwillingness of people to react to significant changes that occur gradually.

That is exactly what has happened to the Big Apple league. Slingers/non-modified pitchers didn't all show up at once. It was gradual and nothing was done. then the situation got out of control.

First one pitcher came, then another, then another, then a ban list, then a debate, then another non modified pitcher came, then another, and before you know it 6 softball frogs were cooked to death. 

The ensuing fallout from the boiling softball frog experiment was not a conclusion, rather another experiment called an A/B league. "A" pitchers can pitch one game and B pitchers another so far the results of the experiment have been as follows:

1. Parity - there no push over teams. Every team has an A pitcher. I don't give a fuck who is ranked what. There is parity now. Anyone can beat anyone.

2. Less Teams Less Opportunities - Certain teams are 20 deep in players. Certain players were phased out of the league. Less is not more.

3. Complaining about other shit - Mostly umpires. That will never end, but the most annoying hypocritical cry baby shit I've heard is people complaining about certain team paying players. I have news for everyone, except for the Rangers, it's obvious that every team either has a paid players on their rosters or guys who are only playing because the team has a sugar daddy footing the bill. This is reality and quite frankly no one's business. Stop gossiping about it, it's like high school.

4. Empty Fields - The Big Apple has subleased the great lawn field to a Co-ed league. Also, all 
hard core Sunday Hecksher players can't help but notice that fields 4 and 5 are empty from 11am until 1/2pm, respectively. Empty softball fields are enough to make a grown softball warrior cry. The morning league is ready for doubleheaders. Adapt or die frog.

5. Love - Sorry but the league still works. I missed a game two weeks ago to take care of my kids and it really hurt.For many players this is the highlight of their week. Enthusiasm and competition is high. A true test. 

Boiling Frog Experiment Conclusion

Time to Adapt

It's time to Split, and I don't mean a doubleheader, I mean leagues. Sorry but this A and B thing is too much talking and too risky for the future of the league. The league should simply merge with the morning league and play at 10am and 1 pm. The A league should play at 1pm and be a money league. Simple as that. A leagues and pitchers are all about money

Don't become become Kermit stew.