1992 Mike White video

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Aug 21, 2008
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This game was the 1992 World championship (club teams not national teams). The Sioux City National Healthcare team is considered by many to be the best team ever assembled. They were just loaded from top to bottom.

You'll hear it throughout the game but if you go to the 12:30 mark, you'll hear the whole Sioux City team yell "Do it!!!" Which is the not so secret code to the batter that the change up is coming. Sioux City had the Victoria pitcher picked and was yelling to the batter. They did it so late that the pitcher couldn't change the pitch or call time out, but gave the hitter a chance to know it was coming.

 
Aug 21, 2008
2,359
113
Current Women's college players have better swings than the men in 1992. Prove me wrong.

I don't know if you're right or wrong, but you obviously haven't stood in the box and faced an 80+ mph riseball, then a 65 mph change up. It can make even the best hitters look ridiculous. Many of the guys played pro baseball and they look like THIS when trying to hit fastpitch.

All of that said, there's no doubt the swing has become better (for both genders) since 1992. I remember doing a clinic with Okla. State asst. softball coach John Bargfeldt in 1994 (2 years after this was filmed) and he was teaching "squish the bug". I remember hearing for the first time ever when he said it at the clinic. And for the record, Bargfeldt was a GREAT fastpitch player.

I can tell you that the Chicago Bandits used to host a "battle of the sexes" game at their field. They would get a minor league baseball team (usually an A ball, rookie ball, or independent league type team) and give them 3 men's FP pitchers. 1 would be considered an OPEN level pitcher (world class), the next would be mid level, and then usually someone who's ok. I remember the game 10 or so years ago, where the major pitcher sat the Bandits down on about 3 pitches each. I DO NOT KNOW IF THIS PART IS TRUE, but I was told by a participant that the game(s) were similar to the King and his Court, the outcome was a show. They'd see the first guy pitch and he'd be awesome, then the fans would cheer loudly when the Bandits would win off the last guy's pitching, which was probably 20mph or more less than the 1st guy. But... with that said... the baseball guys had NO CLUE when hitting off the Bandit pitchers (which is to be expected).

Bill
 
Apr 28, 2019
1,423
83
Where are
I don't know if you're right or wrong, but you obviously haven't stood in the box and faced an 80+ mph riseball, then a 65 mph change up. It can make even the best hitters look ridiculous. Many of the guys played pro baseball and they look like THIS when trying to hit fastpitch.

All of that said, there's no doubt the swing has become better (for both genders) since 1992. I remember doing a clinic with Okla. State asst. softball coach John Bargfeldt in 1994 (2 years after this was filmed) and he was teaching "squish the bug". I remember hearing for the first time ever when he said it at the clinic. And for the record, Bargfeldt was a GREAT fastpitch player.

I can tell you that the Chicago Bandits used to host a "battle of the sexes" game at their field. They would get a minor league baseball team (usually an A ball, rookie ball, or independent league type team) and give them 3 men's FP pitchers. 1 would be considered an OPEN level pitcher (world class), the next would be mid level, and then usually someone who's ok. I remember the game 10 or so years ago, where the major pitcher sat the Bandits down on about 3 pitches each. I DO NOT KNOW IF THIS PART IS TRUE, but I was told by a participant that the game(s) were similar to the King and his Court, the outcome was a show. They'd see the first guy pitch and he'd be awesome, then the fans would cheer loudly when the Bandits would win off the last guy's pitching, which was probably 20mph or more less than the 1st guy. But... with that said... the baseball guys had NO CLUE when hitting off the Bandit pitchers (which is to be expected).

Bill

Where
I don't know if you're right or wrong, but you obviously haven't stood in the box and faced an 80+ mph riseball, then a 65 mph change up. It can make even the best hitters look ridiculous. Many of the guys played pro baseball and they look like THIS when trying to hit fastpitch.

All of that said, there's no doubt the swing has become better (for both genders) since 1992. I remember doing a clinic with Okla. State asst. softball coach John Bargfeldt in 1994 (2 years after this was filmed) and he was teaching "squish the bug". I remember hearing for the first time ever when he said it at the clinic. And for the record, Bargfeldt was a GREAT fastpitch player.

I can tell you that the Chicago Bandits used to host a "battle of the sexes" game at their field. They would get a minor league baseball team (usually an A ball, rookie ball, or independent league type team) and give them 3 men's FP pitchers. 1 would be considered an OPEN level pitcher (world class), the next would be mid level, and then usually someone who's ok. I remember the game 10 or so years ago, where the major pitcher sat the Bandits down on about 3 pitches each. I DO NOT KNOW IF THIS PART IS TRUE, but I was told by a participant that the game(s) were similar to the King and his Court, the outcome was a show. They'd see the first guy pitch and he'd be awesome, then the fans would cheer loudly when the Bandits would win off the last guy's pitching, which was probably 20mph or more less than the 1st guy. But... with that said... the baseball guys had NO CLUE when hitting off the Bandit pitchers (which is to be expected).

Bill

Where are the Hillhouse videos? I’d like to see you pitching in a “Big” game.
I watched the 1st 3 episodes of Game Ready series and I am not impressed with the coaching especially Batbusters.
 
Aug 21, 2008
2,359
113
How's this one? Perth (Ontario) shootout, 1993. I was 21, pitching against the #1 team in the world and arguably the best pitcher ever, Darren Zack. $6000 first prize championship game (which was the biggest prize money ever back then).

 
Jul 31, 2019
495
43
Bill did you always have you back foot lined up so far to the right versus more under the left shoulder? Advantages?
 
Aug 21, 2008
2,359
113
Bill did you always have you back foot lined up so far to the right versus more under the left shoulder? Advantages?

If I remember correctly, there was a hole where I wanted my foot to go. And it was 200 degrees so the field was BONE dry, the dirt was like trying to pack cat litter down. Impossible. I remember being somewhat uncomfortable with my footwork causing me to get my timing down to be very difficult.

Ideally I'd start with feet under the shoulders, which is the strongest position the body can have.

In the game, on my team, Peter Turner is now the San Jose St. head coach. Mike Larabee is now the Asst. at Maryland, former head coach at Arkansas. 2nd Baseman Jason Hansen went on to coach at college too, but I don't remember where. The Toronto Gators went on to win the World Championship that year, and again in 1995. In '95 world championship, the pitcher Darren Zack did not pitch their opening game... they lost. They went all the way through the loser's bracket of a 48 team tournament (beating my team again in finals, grrrr). Zack set the world record for 76 2/3 innings without surrendering a run. NO RUNS at all. It's hard to describe, he was just unhittable. We lost the "if" game of the championship in 11 innings.

Bill
 
Apr 28, 2019
1,423
83
How's this one? Perth (Ontario) shootout, 1993. I was 21, pitching against the #1 team in the world and arguably the best pitcher ever, Darren Zack. $6000 first prize championship game (which was the biggest prize money ever back then).



Very nice! You were a splinter! Were you even shaving yet?
It looks like the men’s game uses the step back method and gets a ton of momentum moving forward.
Nice comeback by Seafirst. All made possible by the kid holding the Gators in check for a few innings.
Thanks Bill that was entertaining. I noticed Slugger & Easton seemed to be the bats of choice back then. Some things never change.
On a side note I really like Royalty’s pitching motion. Reminds me of one of my DD’s. Nice job with her. She should do very well in college.
 
Aug 21, 2008
2,359
113
Very nice! You were a splinter! Were you even shaving yet?
It looks like the men’s game uses the step back method and gets a ton of momentum moving forward.
Nice comeback by Seafirst. All made possible by the kid holding the Gators in check for a few innings.
Thanks Bill that was entertaining. I noticed Slugger & Easton seemed to be the bats of choice back then. Some things never change.
On a side note I really like Royalty’s pitching motion. Reminds me of one of my DD’s. Nice job with her. She should do very well in college.

Men's fastpitch got rid of 2 feet on the rubber in the early 1980's in the USA. We are the only country that allowed 1 foot on the rubber and the "anything goes" approach. This was because ASA saw a dip in registration and did anything possible to keep their numbers up. This included making pitching "easier" for guys at all levels. As a result, I learned how to pitch this way. Then had to "relearn" how to pitch with 2 feet on the rubber when I'd go to International events for Team USA or play overseas. Moreover, Team USA suffered greatly because most pitchers that were learning did NOT go overseas like I did so they didn't know how to pitch with 2 feet on the rubber. USA had hitting and defense but not much pitching. They still don't. Most of USA's men's softball successes from 1980-2005(ish) was thanks to New Zealand born players who married Americans and got US Passports. My last time with USA (2000) in South Africa, we had 2 Americans and 2 native NZ'ers on pitching staff (Mike White @ Texas and Pete Meredith @ BYU)
BTW, YES Bandit, I was shaving!!! Weekly. lol. And back then, no matter what I did I couldn't gain weight. Today... I can't keep it off.

Bill
 
Dec 2, 2013
3,410
113
Texas
This is a fun thread. What I noticed. When these guys strike out they are WAY more emotional than than the ladies when they strike out. It reminds of myself in the 80's. It seems that we don't want our girls to show that same emotion in today's game.

On another note. I had a great conversation with Mike Larabee in Boulder last summer when he was still coaching in Wash. He recruited one of our girls when he was at ArK years ago.
 

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