The hazards of 16 inch softball

Amy in AZ. · Aug 24, 2014

Do some of you have those 16 inch rag balls? I warm up with them, just to change the routine sometimes. Anyway, they are for a game in Chicago, played without gloves and mostly in Grant Park. I thought you could wear a glove if you wanted to, but maybe not.

Quit 16-inch softball; your fingers will thank you - Chicago Tribune

coach james · Aug 25, 2014

Those balls are often called "mush balls" around here. There used primarily in co-ed games. I played in my first co-ed mush ball tournament last summer as a fill in for a local team. Everyone wore gloves. Very difficult to catch and throw if your not used to it. And batting requires a very long and powerful swing. If you stay short and compact the ball will probably not leave the infield. As Amy mentioned above, they do make a great pitchers warm up ball. The ball is so big that if forces you to really get your fingers spread with the tips dug in.

RubberBiscuit · Aug 25, 2014

I grew up around Chicago and never even saw a "softball" that wasn't a 16incher ya caught with your hands.....

Yes - fingers get abused HUGE in this version of bat/ball sport. Maybe 50% of the games I played were accompanied by some degree of swollen finger.

But yup - it was the opposite of girls fastpitch and boys LL baseball where everything hit out to the grass was NOT a homerun.

sluggers · Aug 25, 2014

Softball in Grant Park after work, and then heading out to the team's bar for some brewskies...Not a bad way to spend a summer evening in Chicago.

PEPPERS · Aug 25, 2014

I use the 16 to do spins with DD, looked for a 14 and could not locate one at the sports store when I found the 16.

BobInMadison · Aug 25, 2014

DD is upset that the gym class at her school uses the "Chicago softball", instead of the 12-incher.

One of my college friends, who was really into slow pitch, was admitted to grad school at Cal and Chicago. He loves the Chicago Blues, but claimed he made his choice based on being able to play 12" softball at Berkeley.

Sparky Guy · Aug 25, 2014

Played 16" without gloves for a lot of years in the Chicago area. The south suburbs had several leagues. Used to play with no gloves and an open bat rule. If you could drag it to the plate and swing it, the bat was legal. Only had to have tape on the handle. Had some big guys using some serious lumber back in the day. Plenty of leaded bats.

As for it being a mush ball... Get a brand new 16" clincher blasted at you at 3rd base in the first inning. There is NOTHING soft about those balls. The balls would have no spin on them and they would knuckle at you if they were hit hard enough.

I was a "Hands"guy. So I always played the corners. Had plenty of beat up fingers over the years. Still have a thumb I can not fully bend from 16" softball. Eventually many of the leagues went to gloves and the scores of the games dropped dramatically.

BStine · Aug 26, 2014

I'm on the team with Jon, who is quoted in the article. The throw he was injured on wasn't even a real relay. It was a toss back into the infield after the CF made the last out of the inning. Shattered his finger.

I don't like playing 16" but not because of possible finger damage. I just have a heck of a time hitting it.

The hazards of 16 inch softball

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Amy in AZ.

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