Class of 20Something wrote:
Could you explain what makes softball any better than baseball? Genuinely curious. Baseball has faster pitching, longer basepaths(Seriously, a triple in baseball is longer than a homer in softball), deeper fences, longer throws, more innings, and the issue of rotating pitchers that softball doesn't appear to have.
It just seems to me that every aspect of baseball is more difficult than softball....
For all the reasons you just stated is what makes softball more "exciting" to watch.
1. "Baseball has faster pitching..." hitters in softball have less reaction time than baseball.
https://youtu.be/UsE6CEyFen8
https://youtu.be/gm9iZnqGMvY
https://youtu.be/QEtG5KvuWs4
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/ka ... 09314.html
2. "longer base paths" make for too many routine plays. They catch the ball, they check out the laces, shuffle shuffle and still beat the runner by 10 feet. Softball, you mishandle it and you are toast. Speed of the game makes it much more intense for defense and offense. It kills me in baseball watching a guy jog to first even though he hit a gapper because he knows he won't make it 2nd. Softball, gapper... you are going to try to get second every time. If Coach Richardson is coaching 3rd... she may even have you come to 3rd...
3. "longer throws". In softball, any ball to the left side has to be smoked to 1st to get the out. It creates more stress on the defense, which is why slapping is successful. Good slappers get on by error a lot because the push the defense. The shorter infield means the ball is coming at the defense much quicker, especially since composite bats are still legal. You can't stand 5 feet behind 3rd to give yourself reaction time because you will get small balled to death. It forces 3rd to play up. small ball in baseball, almost non-existent.
5. Both are difficult, round bat hitting a round ball that's moving. Just wanted to give some other perspective that the game is very tough to play at a high level.