Maybe the call for such a game isnt as cared about outside of this site
My girls taught a travel baseball team a lesson last night :^)
- Thread starter Pitching Dad
- Start date
Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch
Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.
iFastpitch
All Out, All Day
Maybe. Nevertheless, it is fun to watch.
Oh, I would like to see it with prob most of the people on here...but thats not a whole lot in the scheme of population...haha
Back to the travel baseball versus travel softball at 12U.
I would want to ask the original poster how fast the young baseball pitchers were pitching?
My DD is one of the few who did both in one year, when 12 years old. The really good baseball pitchers were throwing 65 mph and then some from 46 feet. She could hit them, was the only girl on this circuit. I really doubt few girls out of the box, without seeing it consistently could hit a 65 mph fastball from 46 feet, when 12 years old.
Then there were the run of the mill baseball pitchers who threw 50 mph or a little more. Sure girls can hit that.
Then in fall (late summer) switched to fastpitch softball. Took her a couple tournaments to adjust to the slower pitching 45 mph or so from 43 feet. Had to move from the rear of the box in baseball, to the front of the box, in softball. Made the adjustment to softball and hit .560 that fall getting her first 200 ft softball HR.
Her stats in spring baseball was a .400 BA and 3 HR's.
When 9 and 10, my DD was also a baseball pitcher. Won some pretty big games, and made boys cry. Her velocity topped out in the high 40's, and she became too slow a baseball pitcher when 11. The boys were into their 50's by then.
Having been on both sides competitively, this whole story is missing something. Was not our experience. Sure an A Level travel softball team could beat a B or C level baseball team. But I find it hard to believe a girls softball team could put up 5 runs per inning against an A Level baseball pitcher from 46 feet. Even in baseball, that was not done.
Sure boys will have a hard time hitting a softball. A lot of pop ups, but in 3 or 4 tourneys would adjust, just like my DD did. After 12 years old, a girl loses ground rapidly in baseball against the boys. The larger field, and the boys testosterone, make all the difference.
I am not saying my DD is the best out there. Far from it. She was just an A level baseball player at 12 years old. And immediately jumped to an A level softball player.
One other factor is the baseball ages turn over in May, while the softball ages turn over in January. So in the same year (Jan birthday), that year she was a "12" in baseball, and only an "11" in softball. Played 12U softball the following year, and was the most fun and dominant time of our lives. Won state, and a small time world series with a really good, top shelf, travel softball team.
In baseball, she did win a state championship when 9. But once she started playing baseball in 12's the handwriting was starting to show on the wall. The boys were gaining on her fast, and passing her as the season progress.
Been there done that. My story is different, is real.
I would want to ask the original poster how fast the young baseball pitchers were pitching?
My DD is one of the few who did both in one year, when 12 years old. The really good baseball pitchers were throwing 65 mph and then some from 46 feet. She could hit them, was the only girl on this circuit. I really doubt few girls out of the box, without seeing it consistently could hit a 65 mph fastball from 46 feet, when 12 years old.
Then there were the run of the mill baseball pitchers who threw 50 mph or a little more. Sure girls can hit that.
Then in fall (late summer) switched to fastpitch softball. Took her a couple tournaments to adjust to the slower pitching 45 mph or so from 43 feet. Had to move from the rear of the box in baseball, to the front of the box, in softball. Made the adjustment to softball and hit .560 that fall getting her first 200 ft softball HR.
Her stats in spring baseball was a .400 BA and 3 HR's.
When 9 and 10, my DD was also a baseball pitcher. Won some pretty big games, and made boys cry. Her velocity topped out in the high 40's, and she became too slow a baseball pitcher when 11. The boys were into their 50's by then.
Having been on both sides competitively, this whole story is missing something. Was not our experience. Sure an A Level travel softball team could beat a B or C level baseball team. But I find it hard to believe a girls softball team could put up 5 runs per inning against an A Level baseball pitcher from 46 feet. Even in baseball, that was not done.
Sure boys will have a hard time hitting a softball. A lot of pop ups, but in 3 or 4 tourneys would adjust, just like my DD did. After 12 years old, a girl loses ground rapidly in baseball against the boys. The larger field, and the boys testosterone, make all the difference.
I am not saying my DD is the best out there. Far from it. She was just an A level baseball player at 12 years old. And immediately jumped to an A level softball player.
One other factor is the baseball ages turn over in May, while the softball ages turn over in January. So in the same year (Jan birthday), that year she was a "12" in baseball, and only an "11" in softball. Played 12U softball the following year, and was the most fun and dominant time of our lives. Won state, and a small time world series with a really good, top shelf, travel softball team.
In baseball, she did win a state championship when 9. But once she started playing baseball in 12's the handwriting was starting to show on the wall. The boys were gaining on her fast, and passing her as the season progress.
Been there done that. My story is different, is real.
Last edited:
That's why I wondered, in a BB vs SB expo game, if the field dimensions would be too great for girls to compete. 400' fences and the distance to throw, 90' bases, 130' throws to second from the catcher. What rule could we put in place on the lead-off base runner availability in BB to make it fair?
We also have to remember MLB hitters are the best in the world, even with that superhuman ability, facing the best pitchers in the world, they get a hit less that half of their at bats.
I would love to see a game between the two, not for bragging rights, just good clean fun. I'd be rooting for both sides.
Last edited:
The game of softball and the game of baseball are nearly the same at 12 years old, in my opinion. This is an experiment I would like to see also. After 12 years old, each game really begins to be completely different.
I will say this for young 12u A level travel softball. The infield work and hustle is definately better than the boys. So much of the focus, while very young, in softball is infield work. We were blown away. My DD settled in a 1st base, because the rest of the softball infielders were far superior than DD and her baseball self.
Eventually, and today, DD became an outfielder. She never could catch up to the softball players who were far better at the same age at infield work.
As a "baseballer" the advantage DD had was she could hit flat out speed better than the softball players at that age. Again, to this day, her strength is hitting HS speed, low to mid 60's, as the timing of this stroke was learned by her in baseball when 12.
The hustle by the 12 year old girls was far superior than the boys. Baseball really is a "lazy" game compared to softball. Another weakness my DD had to overcome. Hurt her early in softball with several coaches because she did not "hustle" enough. After a couple of years, she finally "figured" it out, and now hustles everywhere like the girls are supposed too.
I think we agree, younger ages in most sports, girls can hold their own. 16 and older, when the field expands, men and "power" move forward. In my state I've seen girls dominate early in soccer, football, basketball, baseball...................but faded away when Tommy hit 6'2+ and 200lbs of pure kick azz.
My previous comments about the girls holding their own more than the boys after 2 weeks of practice was geared mainly toward the boys not being able to learn the "fastpitch" in such short time. I'd figure several of the girls could learn quicker to pitch a baseball, since it's close to their normal overhand throws. And yes, this would be the younger ages.
- Jul 26, 2010
- 3,553
- 0
12 is one of those weird middle school ages when like age girls are often bigger/stronger than like-aged boys. I'm not saying this has anything to do with it, but it probably has something to do with it.
-W
-W
- Apr 16, 2013
- 1,113
- 83
In travel you go to 70 foot bases and 50ft pitching at 11u-12u. 13u usually goes 80ft bases and 54ft pitching. 14u goes full size. This is the main reason my DD (10) hated playing 10u softball... 35ft pitching distance didn't agree with her. She likes playing with the 14u girls a whole lot more, the 43ft pitching is close enough to what she's used to.
