Minty's "do you still play" thread

[DPMOmaha]

Did you slide head first into the plate?   

I try to stay on my feet as much as possible. Much like Mikey, if it had been a good throw, I'd have been toast...

[Minty Fresh]

So, playing in Cooperstown for eight games took a toll on my catchers' gear.  I had a full set of Louisville Slugger System 7 catchers gear:

http://www.slugger.com/en-us/series-7-adult-3-piece-catcher-s-set

While chasing down a foul pop-up, I ripped off the hockey-style helmet and two of the snaps broke rendering the helmet useless.  Then, after returning from the tournament, I replaced the helmet with my older Easton model so I could continue playing the season at home.  In our final game (elimination game from the playoffs), I took a foul tip off the knee with the LS shin guards on, only to find out they don't offer the greatest protection to the inside part of the knee - instead they offer a smaller design geared more toward mobility than protection.  It turns out, that I really need better protection and less mobility at this stage in my "career."

So, I need a new set of catchers gear.  Anyone have any preferences?  I've been researching the new Boombah gear and it looks great.  I've never tried any on nor do I know anyone who uses them, but they are a direct online seller and the company has been around for a while (selling other things like uniforms, bats, mitts, spikes, etc.).  I also like the Force 3 specs but they appear to be a bit more expensive than the Boombah.

http://www.boombah.com/

http://www.force3progear.com/

[mitlen]

So, playing in Cooperstown for eight games took a toll on my catchers' gear.  I had a full set of Louisville Slugger System 7 catchers gear:

http://www.slugger.com/en-us/series-7-adult-3-piece-catcher-s-set

While chasing down a foul pop-up, I ripped off the hockey-style helmet and two of the snaps broke rendering the helmet useless.  Then, after returning from the tournament, I replaced the helmet with my older Easton model so I could continue playing the season at home.  In our final game (elimination game from the playoffs), I took a foul tip off the knee with the LS shin guards on, only to find out they don't offer the greatest protection to the inside part of the knee - instead they offer a smaller design geared more toward mobility than protection.  It turns out, that I really need better protection and less mobility at this stage in my "career."

So, I need a new set of catchers gear.  Anyone have any preferences?  I've been researching the new Boombah gear and it looks great.  I've never tried any on nor do I know anyone who uses them, but they are a direct online seller and the company has been around for a while (selling other things like uniforms, bats, mitts, spikes, etc.).  I also like the Force 3 specs but they appear to be a bit more expensive than the Boombah.

http://www.boombah.com/

http://www.force3progear.com/

It'll be worth every damn cent.

"Hey man.   What happened to your old gear?"
"Tore it up playin' ball at Cooperstown."
"Wow"

[Minty Fresh]

It'll be worth every damn cent.

"Hey man.   What happened to your old gear?"
"Tore it up playin' ball at Cooperstown."
"Wow"

Yeah.  It was on Doubleday as well.  I just chucked it in the dugout garbage can.   

[Minty Fresh]

Which one of you hacks is this guy?   

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MSBL 'Player of the Week': Larry Thompson, DCMSBL 42+ Mustangs

Submitted by Mike LaComb, DC Mustangs manager 

Larry Thompson, our first baseman on our 42+ DCMSBL Mustangs, smashed three home runs in one day!  Larry just happens to be a guy who is 60 years old and plays in a division with guys who could be his son‘s age.  Larry went 5 for 7 on the day, with three homers, two singles and an amazing 10 RBIs to lead the Mustangs to a double header sweep.

Larry played college baseball at Charles County Community College, where he made second team JUCO both years. Besides his dedication to DCMSBL baseball, he gives back to his community.  Larry is the head Baseball Coach at Eastern High School, an inner city public school in Washington, DC.

When we asked Larry how he still plays so well at sixty, he replied " I just love the game, just like so many of the guys that play in MSBL. "MSBL BASEBALL HAS BEEN VERY, VERY GOOD TO ME

------

http://www.msblnational.com/League-News/Blog/MSBL-Player-of-the-Week-Larry-Thompson-DCMSBL-42-Mustangs.htm#.WcUQ71tSw-V

[HattoriHanzo]

Anyone else here playing in the MSBL World Series in the 45+ group later this month? I'm on the Rattlers.

[HattoriHanzo]

So, playing in Cooperstown for eight games took a toll on my catchers' gear.  I had a full set of Louisville Slugger System 7 catchers gear:

http://www.slugger.com/en-us/series-7-adult-3-piece-catcher-s-set

While chasing down a foul pop-up, I ripped off the hockey-style helmet and two of the snaps broke rendering the helmet useless.  Then, after returning from the tournament, I replaced the helmet with my older Easton model so I could continue playing the season at home.  In our final game (elimination game from the playoffs), I took a foul tip off the knee with the LS shin guards on, only to find out they don't offer the greatest protection to the inside part of the knee - instead they offer a smaller design geared more toward mobility than protection.  It turns out, that I really need better protection and less mobility at this stage in my "career."

So, I need a new set of catchers gear.  Anyone have any preferences?  I've been researching the new Boombah gear and it looks great.  I've never tried any on nor do I know anyone who uses them, but they are a direct online seller and the company has been around for a while (selling other things like uniforms, bats, mitts, spikes, etc.).  I also like the Force 3 specs but they appear to be a bit more expensive than the Boombah.

http://www.boombah.com/

http://www.force3progear.com/

Our catcher wears All-Star. I have a friend with 2 kids who are both all stars back home (one at the Varsity level and the other is playing JV ball for the Obama elitest private school aka Punahou) and one has Rawlings and the other wears some Japanese brand and is supposedly way better than anything sold in the states, but of course is pricey. I've heard good things about Force3 in an article I read about catchers and concussions. So it might be worth a little more to protect yourself. 

[Minty Fresh]

Anyone else here playing in the MSBL World Series in the 45+ group later this month? I'm on the Rattlers.

We're playing some fall ball up here in the Northeast playing against a team from another league.  I'm using it as a way to get our guys heading to Arizona work before they go.  Two guys who played this past Saturday are on their way out to play with a team from Hawai'i.  I'm hoping to go to the Fall Classic in 2018.  Can't play this year . . .   

[HattoriHanzo]

We're playing some fall ball up here in the Northeast playing against a team from another league.  I'm using it as a way to get our guys heading to Arizona work before they go.  Two guys who played this past Saturday are on their way out to play with a team from Hawai'i.  I'm hoping to go to the Fall Classic in 2018.  Can't play this year . . .   

I wouldn't have minded playing with some Hawaii guys, but I've been on the mainland for so long and the vegas leagues does a decent job of pooling players in all age ranges from 18 to 60 year olds in their respective tournament groups. The naba and msbl leagues will even pool players for tournaments if necessary too. We host several tournaments in the spring and try to enter a team in as many tournaments as possible. In the regular season we have naba and msbl and an independent hispanic league. Naba and msbl leagues here have two groups AA and AAA for 18 and over and 35 and over.

I tore my meniscus a few months ago and I still have problems moving laterally so I'm going to DH in this tournament. I'd be a liability in center if I played there. I'd look like Werth.

[Minty Fresh]

I wouldn't have minded playing with some Hawaii guys, but I've been on the mainland for so long and the vegas leagues does a decent job of pooling players in all age ranges from 18 to 60 year olds in their respective tournament groups. The naba and msbl leagues will even pool players for tournaments if necessary too. We host several tournaments in the spring and try to enter a team in as many tournaments as possible. In the regular season we have naba and msbl and an independent hispanic league. Naba and msbl leagues here have two groups AA and AAA for 18 and over and 35 and over.

I tore my meniscus a few months ago and I still have problems moving laterally so I'm going to DH in this tournament. I'd be a liability in center if I played there. I'd look like Werth.

A couple of our CDMSBL guys go to Florida with the DC Express every year.  They're going this year again and both will be playing these next two Saturdays in our Fall Ball series to warm up for Tourney time.

[Minty Fresh]

Just got word that a former Major Leaguer is going to be playing in our fall ball game this weekend.  He only had a couple cups of coffee in the bigs but it's still pretty exciting.

[Slateman]

Are there any indoor batting cages in NoVA? Someone ratted me out to my boss, and now I'm obligated to play in the division softball match

[Minty Fresh]

Are there any indoor batting cages in NoVA? Someone ratted me out to my boss, and now I'm obligated to play in the division softball match

Softball. 

That's probably your speed.

[Slateman]

Softball. 

That's probably your speed.

That would be the speed of all the 40 and 50 year old federal employees that work in my office.

[Minty Fresh]

That would be the speed of all the 40 and 50 year old federal employees that work in my office.

There's plenty of baseball in DC if you're up for it, snowflake.

[Slateman]

There's plenty of baseball in DC if you're up for it, snowflake.

Yea, maybe you misread my post. I've played enough baseball in my life. I have no desire to play anymore. I'm obligated to play in the work softball match because someone decided to inform my division director that I played collegiate baseball.

So, therefore, as it is now in my performance plan, I am looking for an indoor batting cage so I can practice hitting a softball.

[Minty Fresh]

Yea, maybe you misread my post. I've played enough baseball in my life. I have no desire to play anymore. I'm obligated to play in the work softball match because someone decided to inform my division director that I played collegiate baseball.

So, therefore, as it is now in my performance plan, I am looking for an indoor batting cage so I can practice hitting a softball.

How to hit a softball?  How freaking hard can it be if you played baseball "enough in your life?"

Still, if you really feel the need . . .

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1GGRV_enUS750US750&q=batting+cages+in+washington+dc&npsic=0&rflfq=1&rlha=0&rllag=38947581,-77048220,3839&tbm=lcl&ved=0ahUKEwi31f-xsILYAhXlDcAKHbv2BKkQtgMIKw&tbs=lrf:!2m1!1e2!2m1!1e3!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:2&rldoc=1#rlfi=hd:;si:;mv:!1m3!1d309691.55622212286!2d-76.9677133!3d39.08561895!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i377!2i300!4f13.1;tbs:lrf:!2m1!1e2!2m1!1e3!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:2

[DPMOmaha]

I've seen plenty of baseball players look silly on the softball field because they didn't go to the cage before their first game. A few rounds in the cage will help. If you've go in cold having not played softball and only baseball, you're asking to look a fool your first few games. I've seen more than a few to take a full season to really get comfortable in the box.

[Slateman]

How to hit a softball?  How freaking hard can it be if you played baseball "enough in your life?"

Still, if you really feel the need . . .

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1GGRV_enUS750US750&q=batting+cages+in+washington+dc&npsic=0&rflfq=1&rlha=0&rllag=38947581,-77048220,3839&tbm=lcl&ved=0ahUKEwi31f-xsILYAhXlDcAKHbv2BKkQtgMIKw&tbs=lrf:!2m1!1e2!2m1!1e3!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:2&rldoc=1#rlfi=hd:;si:;mv:!1m3!1d309691.55622212286!2d-76.9677133!3d39.08561895!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i377!2i300!4f13.1;tbs:lrf:!2m1!1e2!2m1!1e3!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:2

Practice =/= how to

Reading is your friend.

And thanks for the useless link. I asked for INDOOR batting cages in NoVA. "NoVA" is an abbreviation for Northern Virginia, not Washington DC.

Again, reading is your friend.

I've seen plenty of baseball players look silly on the softball field because they didn't go to the cage before their first game. A few rounds in the cage will help. If you've go in cold having not played softball and only baseball, you're asking to look a fool your first few games. I've seen more than a few to take a full season to really get comfortable in the box.

Which is the hole reason I'm doing this. If I must do it, I may as well actually try.

[Minty Fresh]

Any of you old farts going to Spring Training still think you can hack it on the baseball field?  MSBL is adding a new tournament this year for 50+, 55+ and 60+ age brackets. 

Feb 23-25 at the Astros complex in Kissimmee. 

[HattoriHanzo]

Any of you old farts going to Spring Training still think you can hack it on the baseball field?  MSBL is adding a new tournament this year for 50+, 55+ and 60+ age brackets. 

Feb 23-25 at the Astros complex in Kissimmee. 

I'll be eligible for 50+ this year. I might play in a tournament in arizona and vegas this year if the local league makes a 50+ team.

[DPMOmaha]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2018/08/09/its-jayson-werth-bearded-retiree-makes-surprise-cameo-in-local-mens-league/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.811b3b4f5811

[GburgNatsFan]

1-3, but it was a dinger.

[mitlen]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2018/08/09/its-jayson-werth-bearded-retiree-makes-surprise-cameo-in-local-mens-league/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.811b3b4f5811

I was readin' the POST earlier and saw the article.    That was pretty cool.

[Minty Fresh]

That’s why we still play. A chance to see and play with/against pros!

Could’ve used Werth in my game Sunday.....