Does Size Matter in S.B.?

[Bullseye]

The average weight of an MLB player is roughly 207 pounds, and the average height is about 74 inches (or 6 feet 2 inches)
The average American male 20 years old and up weighs 197.9 pounds and the average height is just over 5 feet 9.

Of course this is baseball so take it for what its worth..

Considering this was posted as a compairison. Other then that what purpose would it matter to bring that up.
The topic would be the same in a baseball forum.

 

[_MIA_]

Considering this was posted as a compairison. Other then that what purpose would it matter to bring that up.
The topic would be the same in a baseball forum.

Not following you. I think the comparison is somewhat valid since the skills are very similar..no? Also with MLB the filter is very discriminating since players are coming from all over the world and usually have to make it through a number of levels before they get to the show.

If people want to believe natural attributes don't matter then they are free to. At the end of the day there is no use in worrying about it..maximize your own abilities given the body that you are born with.

 

[Strike2]

So yes size matters..when size was mentioned I was assuming large was bigger than an averaged size girl. On average I would guess, just like in MLB, that D1 softball players are larger than average sized 18-22 YO girls.

Generally, I agree. However, I don't think that large size is an inherent advantage for most softball positions. With a couple of exceptions, the rosters of the best softball teams in the country are composed of girls the same size as DD's HS-age team. Yes, most bigger than the average girl, but not huge. Teams can have a much bigger / less mobile player at P or 1B, but most everyone else needs to be fairly agile.

By contrast, most pro baseball players these days are huge. There are far more males who can bring both size, the strength that comes with it AND speed, so a smaller guy has to be really friggin' fast and a defensive stud. I went to a AA game last year and was really surprised at the overall height of the team. I don't think there was an OF under 6'4". There were only a couple on the roster under 6'.

 

[_MIA_]

By contrast, most pro baseball players these days are huge. There are far more males who can bring both size, the strength that comes with it AND speed

I think those days are coming too for softball, especially if it is able to better draw the best athletes. As an example Taylor Pleasants, the freshmen SS for LSU, is 5'11" !!! The average point guard in women's college D1 basketball has to be close to 5'9, 5'10" now..what if some of those kids played softball instead of basketball...

 

[robertc3]

Does size matter in softball? That depends on how you define "matter". Is it an advantage to be bigger and stronger? Absolutely. Does that mean you can't have success as a smaller player? Of course not. Since the OP mentioned Kelly Inouye I checked the UCLA roster and they have one woman listed as shorter than the average American female adult. They are not all 6'-0" tall, but in general, the Bruins' roster is taller than average. Heather Tarr at Washington has always had a lot of small and fast women on her teams, but on the current roster only 40% of the players are average height or shorter.
When I look at my own 16u team we have two players who are average height or shorter and 11 who are taller than the average American adult. I was working with our pitchers and was struck by how big they are relative to typical girls. The four pitchers average just over 5'-9" and about 170 lbs. That is 5" and 40 lbs bigger than the average 16 year old girl. None of these girls were recruited for their size, but their size contributes directly to their skill. Can smaller girls still pitch? Sure, we had a pitcher who was 5'-3" and pitched really well for us.
So, does size matter? Yes. It is the biggest determinant of ability? No. Softball isn't basketball where height is absolutely critical, but being bigger and stronger than the competition will absolutely be an advantage.

 

[spleen1015]

Sure it does, but how it matters changes based on who you talk to.

 

[ANNASDAD]

I say this a lot on here but control what you can control.

Wish more people in all walks of life would live by this, especially me!!

 

[Chaz McNulty]

Does size matter in softball? That depends on how you define "matter". Is it an advantage to be bigger and stronger? Absolutely. Does that mean you can't have success as a smaller player? Of course not. Since the OP mentioned Kelly Inouye I checked the UCLA roster and they have one woman listed as shorter than the average American female adult. They are not all 6'-0" tall, but in general, the Bruins' roster is taller than average. Heather Tarr at Washington has always had a lot of small and fast women on her teams, but on the current roster only 40% of the players are average height or shorter.
When I look at my own 16u team we have two players who are average height or shorter and 11 who are taller than the average American adult. I was working with our pitchers and was struck by how big they are relative to typical girls. The four pitchers average just over 5'-9" and about 170 lbs. That is 5" and 40 lbs bigger than the average 16 year old girl. None of these girls were recruited for their size, but their size contributes directly to their skill. Can smaller girls still pitch? Sure, we had a pitcher who was 5'-3" and pitched really well for us.
So, does size matter? Yes. It is the biggest determinant of ability? No. Softball isn't basketball where height is absolutely critical, but being bigger and stronger than the competition will absolutely be an advantage.

 

[BT3100]

Good follow up to the pitching thread about this. We had an independent 3rd party come in to assess our teams. Top two pitchers in velocity were our tallest girls (seniors) and both were upper 60s..
DD was 4 ticks below them and is 5' 7"
Do those 4 extra mph matter or does the size?
BTW the two seniors are outstanding pitchers and going to big time programs, as they deserve to.

 

[Chaz McNulty]

If you take the pitchers out of the equation, The Huskies might have a team that is below the average American female for height. And a lot of those girls listed as 5'4" are being measured in cleats and standing on the mound ;-).
I think the smarter NCAA coaches probably ignore height a bit more and just look for outright skill. If height does not translate into extra power, then there is really a minimal advantage (outside of 1st base and pitching).