POLL~ is Fastpitch a Balanced sport now?

[radness]

is the sport of Fastpitch balanced now
or
out of balance?

Do pitchers have the advantage?
Do batters have the advantage?
Does the defense have the advantage?
Or
Is it all even now? = Balanced

 

[ANNASDAD]

I say in the end it's balanced.....


The first thing I thought about when I read your post is when your girls are on a strong run, playing really great ball and having fun. Then you schedule and sign up for a tournament pretty far off where you've never been before, against girls you've never seen / played before. And out of the blue you get your teeth kicked in! That's when everyone has to reset, swallow their pride, and regain their focus! Now let's get back to playing the kick a** ball we normally play!

 

[radness]

I say in the end it's balanced.....


The first thing I thought about when I read your post is when your girls are on a strong run, playing really great ball and having fun. Then you schedule and sign up for a tournament pretty far off where you've never been before, against girls you've never seen / played before. And out of the blue you get your teeth kicked in! That's when everyone has to reset, swallow their pride, and regain their focus! Now let's get back to playing the kick a** ball we normally play!

...that experience restores reality lol

 

[GunnerShotgun]

Good pitching always wins but there aren't enough pitchers. So pitching wins in the micro but batting wins in the macro.

 

[Nimrod]

is the sport of Fastpitch balanced now
or
out of balance?

Do pitchers have the advantage?
Do batters have the advantage?
Does the defense have the advantage?
Or
Is it all even now? = Balanced

Good question, but no way to really answer it. What does balanced look like? And what should it be? Defense (purely fielding) is never going to be as important as hitting or pitching. Fielding can be the difference between otherwise similar teams, but I'd rather have the best hitter at each position than the best fielder at each position.

Also, ''the sport'' is pretty diverse. The offense vs. defense you see in a typical travel ball games (10-12 total runs scored in 4-5 inning games on average) is far cry from the offense vs. defense we saw in the Olympics. And that wasn't just talent level because the Olympics didn't resemble the pro league stuff we most recently saw, either. Or the WCWS.

So answering that question depends on what level of play you're discussing. In college softball, I like the balance now better than 15 years ago, as you have deeper hitting lineups and fewer absolutely dominant pitchers. But I fear that hitters are beginning to overpower the game.

 

[marriard]

Right now, batters have an advantage in most circumstances; so much more power and technique + MLB 'lets hit home runs' strategy + 180-200' fences just take the outfielders out of the game so often. You are seeing a LOT of drop ball pitchers being more successful against this strategy - riseballs (especially bad riseballs) just have a high risk of a moderately good contact being a HR.

I know people love HR's but there is too many being hit by players who are still maintaining a .350+ batting average. For 95+% of players this should be a choice - average or HR's (or not a choice if you can't reach a deeper fence consistently.

I would like to see colleges go to 220'-240' fences for all new fields, and have guidance/required minimum fence height for current fields where there isn't room or capability to create a deeper field. I would just like to see more balls playable by the outfield (and a bigger field provides larger areas for hit balls to land safe).

I am not sure how else to fix it without changing field size. Screwing with the ball is not a good way (that has gone badly before). Bat changes are hard to take backwards (because no one wants to be forced into buying a new bat)... and so on.

 

[EC22]

Wouldn't the lack of hitting in the Olympics prove pitching?

 

[marriard]

Wouldn't the lack of hitting in the Olympics prove pitching?

220'+ fence, different compression ISF softball. Plus at least 5-6 of the top 10 pitchers in the world (who are all older than college kids), lots of batters with limited recent regular play...

Bit of a perfect storm but that made a huge difference.

 

[justanotherguy]

Bat changes are hard to take backwards (because no one wants to be forced into buying a new bat)... and so on.

I would actually argue that this is the easiest to make. Baseball did it just a few years ago. First it was BBCOR for older kids from the MUCH hotter BESR standard, then it was the new USA standard for all the younger kids. It has really changed the game from what I've watched. The bat makers don't mind, because EVERYONE then has to get a new bat. So personally, I'd say making a new 1.10 BPF standard is the way to go at say, 12u or 14u and up.

 

[radness]

If change of things was needed.
Changing the ball again is easiest.

The texture, seams, weight and core.
4 area's of adjustment could be made.

Mostly what i notice from when ball was switched out
from old white to new yellow
*Along with the texture change.
*Old ball had more pitching/movement.
*New ball has less movement and more flight.
Weight stayed same/similar.

Pitchers were given ability now
to start with one foot off the rubber.
Apperently pitchers have increased a little mph.

If they changed texture again perhaps would see more movement return.

Easiest would be less flight in core.