A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

sports

Summer softball is still a blast, despite fewer players, teams

It’s that time of the year.

What a difference a year makes.

The softball team I run is out to a 6-0 start, despite not always having 10 players on the field. I’m not sure what’s different between this year and last, but things are clicking a little bit better.

And I’m all for it.

We’ve scored a lot of runs, too. Everybody seems to be hitting, we’re playing decent defense and it appears the fun factor is back in the game. We’re still not without flaws, though, as we’ve yet to field consistent team and lineup. We have our core players who make every game, but outside of that, we’re filling in spots as we go along.

As the guy putting the lineup in the book, that can be maddening!

One thing I’ve realized in recent years is how softball — at least at the modified fast pitch level — in our area is really a dying sport. When I started playing softball more than 20 years ago, this area was a hotbed. There were no fewer than five solid leagues within a 50-mile radius or so. They were all pretty solid, too.

The local league was a consistent 10-12 teams. The one up the road had two divisions that held probably 10-12 teams in each, as well as a solid women’s league. The league I’m in now was also large and the others were solid in their own right.

I still love stepping on a softball field and giving all I can. It helps keep you young.

Back then, we didn’t even need to wear helmets!

In my “prime,” I played in three leagues. Basically, I played every night of the week — sometimes two games. It was so much fun and something I’m glad I had the chance to do.

Weekends were often filled with tournaments. That pretty much meant from May to late August, softball was life. And it was worth it.

During my top year or two, I approached the 100-game mark. I know some guys in our area still do that, but it’s with slow pitch and such. We did all modified pitch, which is as close to baseball as any other softball in my mind. It’s pitching, defense, hitting and strategy. Run and gun, bunt or bomb long homers.

Each year, we’d go to states or nationals, too. Talk about a heap of fun — it was at those tournaments.

Things have certainly changed.

People don’t, as often, bring their families and play softball. There’s golf leagues, and other things to do. Softball continues to die out. Though there are still some hardcore players (and it’s a shame they didn’t play in the earlier years when I did — they’d have loved it), there aren’t as many.

The game is changing, that’s for sure.

I still love playing. I go on game nights and want to win. I give it what I can for a couple of hours, grab a bite to eat and maybe a cold one and call it a night.

I once thought I’d play softball until I was well into my 50s and 60s. Now I’m not sure how far I’ll be playing once I hit my 40s. It might not be by choice, either.

Until all of that happens, I’ll continue this year. Hopefully we can keep playing well and maybe make a run in the playoffs when the time comes.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Baseball scorekeeping is still fun, despite being a lost art

I’m one of those baseball nerds you might see at a baseball game — a scorebook in my lap.

Sometimes, I’ll have a beer. More often than not, a hot dog or two as well.

But I keep score.

It’s something I’ve always done. It’s not something that was passed down to me from my father or anything, but it’s something I do. When I go to some pro games with one friend, we’ll often pass the book back and forth and take turns with innings. This allows time for bathroom breaks or to grab a drink or a bite to eat.

Scorekeeping at games is a lost art form.

It’s a shame I haven’t kept all of those scorecards. Over the years, I’ve seen a lot of great players. Hall of Famers. Minor leaguers who eventually made it to the show. And everyday guys who had their journey end not long after I saw them play.

Those scorecards showed a lot, including a lot of memories. I still have some. I have one or two of the scorebooks I used for the six years I covered professional baseball.

One thing I’ve always been in search of is a smaller scorebook, one I could carry in and out of parks without feeling like I am lugging a briefcase. I’ve seen the old ones reporters used back in the golden age of baseball. They were small and without frills.

I’ve never been able to find a scorebook like that. They were thicker, too. Thick enough to hold at least a season’s worth of games. But I don’t see those much. And for the few people I know who cover professional baseball, they all seem to use the Bob Carpenter book. I used that for a couple of years, too. But, in all honesty, unless you are on a good beat where there are press boxes and tables and such, Carpenter’s book isn’t easy. It’s about 8.5 x 11 inches, so it’s not tiny. And with so many pages, it’s a bit bulky.

But for a baseball nut, it’s heaven.

The scorebook is filled with everything a writer would need. And if you’re an announcer, this book is even better as it really gives you room to work. I love it, personally. But in my post-sports writing life, when I keep score at a park, I want something a bit more simple. I don’t need a lot of bells and whistles, so to speak. I need a scorebook I can carry into parks with me and not have it be too big. I still carry my camera with me, so if I can tuck it into my camera bag or backpack and have it not add a lot of weight? Bonus.

The art

Scorekeeping is a lost art.

Years ago, you’d be able to go to a park on a sunny Saturday afternoon and, without a doubt, you’d be able to find many father’s keeping score with their sons. Or people would do it on their own.

The scorecard (home team) from the first professional baseball game I covered.

In the six years I covered professional baseball, it was a rarity. There were a few who made every home game for the Single-A team I covered. And they all kept book. I’d say 3-4 of them. It was a way of keeping in touch with the game.

And the team I covered was a no-frills team — so no between-innings shenanigans or anything like that. Just baseball. On a field that had been in places for decades.

This was baseball. Nothing more, nothing less.

Heck, the owner — then in his 80s — used to carry the nightly till out in a lock box. Talk about trust in society!

Scorekeeping is more than just filling in the diamonds to show how many runs were scored. It’s a narrative of the game. The best part? No two scorecards are the same. The beauty of baseball is it allows those who keep score to develop their own way of keeping score, or tweak something from other things they’ve seen.

People mark hits differently. Same with outs. Errors, passed balls, extra-base hits and everything in between can all be marked differently. Some people have systems so complex, only they can decipher them.

For many, keeping score at a game will keep them focused on what’s happening. It also allows people to look at the game in a different way.

A few years ago, while still working at the newspaper, I did a story about those who keep book at games. They all seemed to agree it was a lost art form.

When you go to major league games, your more apt to see more people doing it. There are kid’s scorebooks and cards now, so that often helps getting youngsters involved.

But with so many other activities going on, sometimes it’s hard to keep a kid settled down long enough to be able to keep score.

Still searching for the perfect book

For years, I’ve been looking for that book. The smaller version of a scorebook. Something easier to carry.

I think it finally ended.

The scorecard (visiting team) from the first professional baseball game I covered.

A post by a friend on Facebook got me thinking about scorecards as he noted keeping score at a game. So I decided to — as I do a few times every year — look to see if I could find a smaller book.

That brought me to a Kickstarter campaign from two years ago — The Eephus League Baseball Scorebook Revival. This book is small and made for simple scoring. Maybe a little too simple for me, but the size? Perfect!

But the campaign was over. What to do?

I visited the Eephus League website. Sure enough, the books were for sale. My hesitation is the book only holds 20 games. That would last me a couple of years as I don’t do 20 games per year. Still, I was hoping for something a little thicker.

Then something else caught my eye. The Halfliner. This book, designed by the same person — Bethany Heck — was bigger, but not massive sized like many others. It was hard cover and held 81 games!

Score!

(See what I did there?)

And the best part? This Halfliner isn’t fully ready. She has a Kickstarter campaign going and it was still active. Even better!

Needless to say, I’m a backer. I can’t wait for this to finish up and to eventually get my Halfliner.

This book is almost everything I’ve ever looked for in a scorebook for fan use. It’s a little bigger than I hoped, but the thickness, the hard binding and pretty much everything else is perfect.

I look forward to getting this one when the campaign is all over. After that, I’ll look forward to hitting up a game (or 10) so I can get back into keeping book at games and knowing I’ll have everything in one place.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Foto Friday: Seeing all aspects in sports photography

Though photography as a whole is a passion of mine, I really enjoy sports photography.

I have several favorite topics when shooting photos, but there’s something special about stopping action in a shot. Capturing a ball in midair or an athlete doing something really wild makes it even better. Though I love video, I’ll take a great action shot over the video any day.

Recently, I’ve shot a few softball and lacrosse games of a local college.

This isn’t a how-to post when it comes to action photography. I have to keep learning just as much as anybody else. I know I can continue to get better and that’s why I try and shoot sports photos whenever I have a chance.

The thing is trying to think a little differently. Not just the pitching or swinging photos in softball or baseball, but something different.

Baseball and softball can be tough to shoot at times. There’s the issue of timing when the ball is going to be in play somewhere, or being thrown, or being hit. There are times when you focus on somebody and nothing happens. But there’s so much more going on. It’s a true game of reaction when it comes to photos.

With all that in mind, below are some of my favorites I’ve taken of the local college and their spring sports I saw, as well as some thoughts on my process of getting them.

I actually haven’t processed all my photos from the games, so I’m going with ones I have done and have already uploaded to Flickr.

1. Quick to react

Even if you focus on a certain player or spot during a game, you still have to be quick to react. Sometimes you can fire off several shots and still not get the ball or good action. Shots like this one really work out well because it goes beyond the norm. This is one of my favorite shots because of her focus, as well as the bouncing ball — where you even see the shadow.

Stay focused.

2. Other things make good images

The photo of a sporting event doesn’t have to always be on the action. Look around. Are there celebrations? People being upset? With those two, you can capture emotion. This shot is something I liked. I knew this umpire, so I was going to get a few shots of him. This one, in between innings, really worked out for me as he flipped the ball up and down.

In between innings.

3. Close in on the action

No matter what anybody says, I’m a firm believer that one’s whole body doesn’t have to be in the image. Take, for example, this one. What more would it add if their legs and feet were in the shot? The action would be more of a wider shot. In this one, you can see the action, the expressions and the ball (in the netting of the one stick).

Battling

4. Shoot from the front or, at worst, side

Nobody wants to see an image behind the action. It’s one of the biggest issues I find with disc golf images. Try and keep it so you capture the action and, hopefully, the faces of those involved. In this one, the Delhi (gold) player is coming in on the action, but the shooter from the other team is coming almost right at me. This shot would have been worthless if taken from behind. Instead, it’s one of my favorites from the season because of the action and where the ball is.

Shooting

5. Anticipate

Sports photography is all about knowing what could happen and where. If you think something might happen, focus on that spot. Especially in baseball and softball. You can only take so many images of pitching and hitting, so look around. Is there a chance somebody could steal? Focus on that base. Is a certain player hitting one way? Stay looking at that spot. It’s all anticipation. This shot was one where I had a feeling there would be a steal coming. As it was, I snapped a whole series of shots, but this one really shows the thought of anticipation with the dirt flying up on the slide.

 

Safe

Sports is a great theme when it comes to photography. And the best part of it is it really challenges your skills and your ability. One thing I would recommend, no matter what, is to familiarize yourself with the sport you might shoot. You don’t have to be an expert, but knowing a bit about the sport will help you react, anticipate and find the good spots when it comes to shooting. Most of all, have fun with it. I have a ton of interests when it comes to photography, but sports images are still the ones that make me get excited more than most because there’s a better chance to really get that “one” shot.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Feeling what it’s like to cash at a disc golf tournament

(Note: For those who don’t know, I also run a disc golf blog — Rattling Chains. I have written some first-person posts over there that I think some readers here will enjoy, so I’m going to sprinkle them in every once in a while on a day when I’m coming up blank!)

Cha-ching!

I’m sure many of you tournament players out there have experienced the feeling of having your name called out after an event and being handed either a gift certificate or cold, hard cash when you place or, better yet, win.

What a feeling.

To be fair, I kind of already experienced it. But both times were pretty cheap — and I’ll be the first to admit it.

I won’t be making a living off playing disc golf, but it still felt cool to get this.

When I first started playing, I somehow won the first tournament I was involved in. It was non-sanctioned, and the other person in the division was just as new as I was. Basically, we were battling to see who wouldn’t finish last.

I also somehow won a PDGA-sanctioned event. But I was the only person in the division and the tournament director was kind enough to leave the division intact and not force me to move up and get whipped.

Needless to say, I never really experienced the feeling of cashing.

My normal goal when I play in a tournament is to not embarrass myself. That basically means I try not to melt down and I hope to avoid big-number holes. But if the course is long and for big arms, I usually start dragging by the end of the second round. I get pretty beat up and it makes the game no fun.

And I hate that.

So I really dig doubles tournaments. I normally team up with Darren Dolezel, who is another member of the Rattling Chains staff. Our goal is to usually try and compete, have some fun and see what happens.

In the past, we haven’t done so well. For whatever reason, we just don’t score. Whether it’s because we don’t play well off one another, are tired or just get into trouble, we don’t seem to place well.

A few weeks ago, I thought we had a solid chance to cash. Alas, it didn’t work so well. It was a Mr. DiscGolf doubles tournament at Tyler State Park in Pennsylvania. The course is remarkable, but it can play long — even with the pins in the short position.

Add in a 36-hole singles tournament the day before, colder weather and having to play 50 holes on this day, and it didn’t work out so well. Looking back, I can count at least six or seven stupid mistakes we made. If we erase those, we might have had a good chance at cashing.

Alas, it wasn’t meant to be.

A few weeks later — the Saturday following Thanksgiving — we were at it again. This time at the Turkey Throwdown III at Schenectady Central Park in upstate New York. The setup for this tournament is playing best score from the short tees and the second round was best shot from the long tees.

This setup wasn’t particularly good for us as Darren is a much better player than me, so my goal was to help on a couple of holes in the first round and hope Darren could carry us.

From there, he’d have to again carry us in the second round as he’s the longer thrower. That meant from the long tees, he needed to really give us a shot to score.

The prize for my certificate… now to break it in!

Add those things together and it likely spelled doom, even in the rec division.

Our first round went decent. Our 57 put us in a tie for seventh in the 13-team division. With another team shooting a 49 in the opening round (the only four teams to score better in the 36-team tournament were the three pro teams and the team to eventually win the Am division), we weren’t counting on a win. But with some steady play, maybe we could get into the top part of the grid.

Eventually, though, something has to click.

Right?

We started out strong in the second round and were consistent throughout. We ended with a 61, which put us in good position. Still, I didn’t think we had a chance to cash as I was sure the teams in front of us would have been pretty steady as well.

I was wrong.

Our 61 did enough to put us into fourth place. It’s not the biggest of paydays — a $15 certificate each to the club store. But it’s still cashing. I also can’t lie — knowing you’ll get called up to get this certificate, even cooler.

So, yes, I was a little giddy.

I ended up with one disc for my “bucks” and in the end, I was just happy to have that feeling of truly cashing. It may never happen again. Who knows?

If you’ve never had a chance to cash at a tournament, it’s my hope you get that chance. It truly is a feeling all disc golfers should get at least once in their lifetime.

This first appeared on Rattling Chains on Dec. 11, 2012. 

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Going toe to toe with the 2010 disc golf world champion

Despite resembling a prizefighter of sorts, Eric McCabe uses his ability to throw plastic to earn his knockouts.

(Note: For those who don’t know, I also run a disc golf blog — Rattling Chains. I have written some first-person posts over there that I think some readers here will enjoy, so I’m going to sprinkle them in every once in a while on a day when I’m coming up blank!)

It seems fitting to have played a round of disc golf with 2010 PDGA world champion Eric McCabe in Canastota, New York.

Canastota is home to the International Boxing Hall of Fame. It’s also home to one of Central New York’s hidden gems when it comes to disc golf — Oxbow Falls Park.

I say this spot is fitting because when McCabe stepped out of the car driven by Syracuse-area pro Eric Trippany, my first thought about McCabe was not “disc golfer.”

If I didn’t know better, I’d have thought McCabe was in Canastota for a prize fight. See, with his reddish beard and smaller stature, he seemed more like a welterweight fighter than a disc golfer.

Picture the famed pugilists from Boston — that’s the first thing I thought when I saw McCabe.

All that seemed to be missing were McCabe’s fists to be taped up and some old-school trainer with a deep and growling voice (such as Mickey in the Rocky movies) hollering advice…

“Get ’em EMac. You’re a machine! Knock him out!”

Speaking along the boxing analogy lines, if there were judges at ringside for this round I played alongside McCabe, it would have been a unanimous decision in his favor.

Reality is, however, McCabe isn’t a boxer. He’s a champion disc golfer. And the way he carries himself, you might not ever guess it.

Eric McCabe really wrenches his body when he throws — but he packs a wallop of a punch with his skills.

In fact, he’s basically one of the guys.

In my years of being a sportswriter, I only got intimidated once or twice. And I’ve had the chance to interview some of the greatest players in the history of baseball, among others. I don’t get spooked around sports figured too often.

But there was something about playing with McCabe that got my nerves fired up. Maybe it’s because I’m not a top-level player and I was about to play a casual round with a guy who makes his living off the sport?

Those nerves settled fast, however.

McCabe was outgoing, engaging and funny. He took second shots, ended up in the trees and didn’t have a perfect shot every time.

Sort of like going out and playing with your buddies.

Still, if you’re playing a round with friends, it’s likely you hope to win a hole or two. Or more, depending on your skill level. Playing alongside McCabe and Trippany. though, was like facing Mike Tyson in his prime — no chance to win, but looking for a way to score a round or two — and last the entire fight.

Even a top pro like McCabe can find his way into the woods — but the way he battles out is the impressive part.

The round was filled with some minor idle chatter — about photography (McCabe is often snapping photos, as evidenced with his participation in the disc golf photography group on Facebook), travel, the pro tour, discs and anything else.

Never did he act like he was big time. That’s refreshing. In a day when celebrities or professional athletes are under a watchful eye, it’s nice to know somebody can make a living playing disc golf, yet still act down to earth.

But one can’t help to dream when playing someone of that caliber. My goal was simple — tie him on one hole. That’s all I wanted to do. Usually, my goal is to take the box from the group one time during the round — I wasn’t setting my goal too high.

The first hole showed the nerves as I somewhat grip-locked my drive. But, the disc, thankfully, smacked a tree and it didn’t get out of whack too bad. From there, I relaxed and watched McCabe and Trippany play the course, pulling off a variety of amazing shots.

I know many in my situation would be using this time to pick the brains of somebody the caliber of McCabe, a 1027-rated player. Maybe ask for some advice or get some ideas on how to improve.

Not me.

I’d rather sit back and watch him perform. I may not understand exactly everything he’s doing, but I’m watching and seeing what kind of things he’s doing to the disc.

This is a way to have a driving contest as Syracuse-area pro Eric Trippany (left) and top touring pro Eric McCabe send shots off the 18th tee at Oxbow Falls.

Take one example on a hole that bends to the left. The basket isn’t in view, so one just needs to know the hole. He sent a high drive that curved around the top of the trees. Alas, though I thought the shot was a thing of beauty, he knew he flew past the basket.

And he did — into the brush. The shot he had for birdie was 40 or 50 feet. And he had to battle some bushes and trees. Not an easy shot for anybody of any level.

McCabe was calm, looked things over and sent a high, arcing shot right into the chains. The putt was amazing. Much like most of his putts that day. He putted with confidence and authority. And, most of the time, he made it look easy.

In the end, it wasn’t close.

But I tied the 2010 world champion on two or three holes. I think it was three, but I can’t fully remember. Now, to be fair, these ties came early in the round. Once he truly warmed up, it wasn’t close.

The ringside judges would have agreed. But who am I kidding? This would have been a TKO — a quick one.

This first appeared on Rattling Chains on Nov. 30, 2012. 

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!