Men's Fastpitch world championship: warning, getting on my soap box!!

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I grew up watching men's fastpitch. I played with girls but couldn't stay away from the men's games. 20 years ago the men's league here was huge. Last year 8 teams and this year only 5. From what I hear it's pitching or lack there of. Sad really.
 
Jul 19, 2014
2,390
48
Madison, WI
Same in these parts.

DD 3's PC retired from men's FP a few years ago, and they keep dragging him back into the game. They need the pitching. His DD, who just graduated HS, is also on the team. When his DD can't make it, another girl from their 18U TB team will play instead. Yes, the men's FP games are so degraded they need ladies to complete the teams. Admittedly ladies who are on local college teams...

He told me that in the old days there were hundreds of men's FP teams in the area. Now only a few.

Meanwhile, one of my neighbors left men's fastpitch for men's slowpitch. With all the shaved and rolled bats out there, he is starting to question whether he wants to continue in slowpitch.

Also, in these parts the biggest men's FP games are now the 55+ games. The oldtimers are often better than the younguns. At least the old guys can pitch.
 
Mar 24, 2014
2
0
I'm lucky enough to be part of a league with 18 Mens teams and love playing the game. So happy to be back since I recently moved from an area where I was stuck playing slopitch for way too long. I am in a minority who actually grew up playing fastpitch. Definitely agree that the ISF has dropped the ball on this. Good on Saskatoon for packing the stadium with 6500 for the final (Go Canada!) yesterday.
 
Aug 21, 2011
1,345
38
38°41'44"N 121°9'47.5"W
Just read this today. It would be fun to go to. I got to see Jimmy Moore pitch back in the '80's when they dominated the men's division.

Seattle Pay ‘N Pak men’s fastpitch softball reunion
Written by Bob on May 8th, 2015

Courtesy of Jimmy Moore and Mark Crawford

THE DETAILS

What: Pay ‘N Pak softball
When: Saturday, July 25
Where: Tulalip Resort Casino, Tulalip, WA
Cost: $30 Per Person

The Seattle Pay ‘N Pak men’s fastpitch team is having a reunion, but the event is also open to players from other teams that Pay ‘N Pak competed against, said Jimmy Moore, who pitched for the team.

“I am hoping to see friends from teams that played against us, whether local or not,” Moore said. “It would be great to see a carload or two of guys from Portland, Longview, Olympia, Yakima, Boise, Lynden, Mount Vernon, Victoria, Vancouver or Bremerton.”

Moore adds that fans and family are also welcome. The banquet room at Tulalip Resort Casino can only hold about 100 people, so if you want to attend, please let Moore and Crawford know.
 
Aug 21, 2008
2,359
113
smd.... I played for Seattle after they switched to Seafirst from the Pay N Pak sponsor. I got to pitch against Jimmy a couple times that year.

For anyone interested, the ASA Major Nationals is the last weekend of July in Ashland Ohio. Then, the top 12 teams will be in my hometown of Erie PA Aug 1-2 (which I encourage EVERYONE to come to). The ISC World tournament is in South Bend beginning the 2nd Friday of August and lasts 9 days. These are all men's FP games featuring the best pitchers in the world.


Bill
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
While I would love to see increased exposure for the men's fastpitch game, I have to admit that I am one of those who had no clue about fastpitch softball until my DD started playing. I have played in several slowpitch leagues (REC) but we were more interested in beers after the game than we were in winning. Are men's FP leagues a bunch of former baseball players? I guess every position could transition between sports other than pitcher. Is men's FP more popular than adult baseball? Maybe we can get some bucket dads to fill the void, or make the games coed and find some women who want to play!
 
Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
While I would love to see increased exposure for the men's fastpitch game, I have to admit that I am one of those who had no clue about fastpitch softball until my DD started playing. I have played in several slowpitch leagues (REC) but we were more interested in beers after the game than we were in winning. Are men's FP leagues a bunch of former baseball players? I guess every position could transition between sports other than pitcher. Is men's FP more popular than adult baseball? Maybe we can get some bucket dads to fill the void, or make the games coed and find some women who want to play!

The men's games I've seen are at an extremely high level. They are extremely fast games ... both from a pitching perspective and a fielding perspective.
 
Jul 14, 2008
1,800
63
Baseball is for Men. Softball is for women (and men who couldn't play baseball with the big boys).

At least that's what I was told when I told people I wanted to play fast pitch softball.

I think that's still the general perception in the population outside of the sport.

I also believe that people outside the sport think that hyping the secondary (offshoot) sport for men is about trying to glorify a second tier athletic endeavor.

Think arena football. Think semi-pro baseball. There's a reason they can fill an MLB or NFL STADIUM worth 30k people, but triple A and arena football are lucky if they can pay the maintenance crew.

Just sayin.....
 
Feb 7, 2013
3,188
48
I live in the San Fernando Valley (Los Angeles County) with a population of 1.8 million and there is only 1 men's fastpitch league that I know of. For men, soccer is #1 here.
 
Feb 7, 2014
547
43
My dad (played for the Madison Farm Team) took me to an ISF World when I was a kid... hardly "second tier."
 

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