Saw my first Men's Fastpitch games this weekend

My Dad played at Firestone Stadium in Akron, OH... long before the Akron Racers ever played there. Some of my favorite memories were going to tournaments and staying at hotels around the midwest, which is probably the reason I dragged DD into the sport. (well, maybe not dragged). Back then, teams were sponsored by companies who would recruit the best guys by giving them jobs. Salem Potato Chips, Ashland Rubber, and Orr Park had a great team but I can't remember who sponsored them. He also got to play against the King and His Court in an exhibition. The best he ever saw was Todd McKinney... struck out 21 of 21 in a game.

I played in my 20's, but the game's hay day was gone by the time I was old enough. As people said, not enough pitching and the guys were all going to slow pitch where fielding, defense, and strategy didn't matter. Joined a 40+ modified league last fall and pulled my calf!! A year older should not help things any this fall.

JohnnyO said:

I played the game for 14 years and miss it a lot. Three knee surgery's and I guess it was time to quit. Most all ASA and a little ISC ball. We did not have the AA caliber team like Penn Corp but we had a Hall of Fame pitcher that could keep us in every game. Someone mentioned baseball players retiring and playing fastpitch, I remember at one tourney in Minnesota they were selling t-shirts about the days Bo Jackson was big in football/baseball scene. On the front the shirt said "Bo Knows Football, Bo knows baseball" on the back it says "But Bo doesn't know Fastpitch".

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One of my favorite things a former Fastpitch pitcher once said, about the ladies who said no man could ever coach girls pitching because men hadn't played softball in college:

"Did they ever face a 6'8" former professional baseball player who decided to give Fastpitch a try?"