Has Certain Ring to it

August is almost here and that means some leagues have begun their playoffs while others are coming down the home stretch. In leagues were the regular season is down to the last few precious weeks, something maybe more important is happening than teams jockeying for positioning and seeding, that thing is Roster Qualification Eligibility 

Softball managers are checking their rosters to make sure their players have made enough games to play in the post season. Many players just don't show up enough to meet the minimum number of weeks to become eligible for the post season, but have no worry my friends as that's where the Ringer comes in.


The RINGER in softball is simply a stud pitcher or impact player that never shows up during the season and gets snuck onto the post season roster. This year I have seen a ringer explosion in every league. Every single fucking one.

Ringers are hard to check for many reason:

1. Bad Handwriting on score cards and books makes tracking players impossible

I was good at Math, should have been a doctor

2. Shiesty Manager
3. Lazy umpire just wants to get paid.
4. Commissioner has his money already. Fuck it
5. No one cares
6. Team sneaky in the Ringer just doesn't care or or too stupid to know the rules anyway.
7. Ghetto is as Ghetto does. Ringers are a street thing and common place
8. Non money league.
9. Honor System in Softball is a contradiction as most managers will do whatever it takes to win.
10. B96 - Ironically Ringers are easier to sneak in B96 as in A96 everyone knows everyone

But to the trained SB eye here my Top Ten ways to Spot a Ringer at Playoff Time

10. A Player Shows up to at playoff time and asks "Does Team X play here?" and then plays in game. He's a ringer.

9. Batter steps into box and asks "Is the Count 1-1?". He's a Ringer

8. Asks umpire if "leading after the release is allowed?". He's a Ringer

7. Team Regular season record is average and the playoff team they field is stacked.  They have Ringers.

6. Team ranked average or low in runs allowed during year and in the playoffs a stud pitcher is on the mound. He's a Ringer.

5. No matching team shirt - Not always fool proof sign of a Ringer but a red flag.

4. Accused Team tells you "he's been here all year". No he hasn't. Ringer

3. Racial Angle Average white team with about 2 stud Hispanic players. Someone is gettithis HTML class. Value is 2659245ng paid. Ringer. On the opposite side, average at best Hispanic team with stud white player is rare. White guy probably either getting paid or is the boss. Tough call.

2. Ringers are generally are under 6 foot tall and wear Umbro Shorts. Hits the ball a goddam mile.

and the Number way to Spot a Ringer at Playoff Time


1. Proper Ringer Coach Speak When you ask the player how many weeks they have showed up and they look you dead in the eye and say the exact number of week allowed to qualify. For example, if the number of weeks to qualify is 6 and you ask the player how many game you played and they say 6. He's a ringer. Answer is too good to be true.