Canal Park

ASA Softball Bats

Leading Off:

SoftballTampa Bay

May 2011 Vol. 1

May Special:

6

10

4

Worth Every Penny:

How to Hit, How to Pitch

$ 4.25

Table Of

ContentsPg. 4 Leading off

Pg. 6 Canal Park

Pg. 10 Worth Every Penny

Pg. 14 Letter From the Editor

With a schedule that consists of 12 games, in addition toplayoff games, and one of the cheaper leagues around, LeonardNewby’s league is not only the best deal in Tampa Bay, but alsooneofthemostcompetitive.CanalParkSoftballhasseenmanyofthesameteamsandplayersreturnthroughouttheyears,creatingafriendly,yetcompetitiveatmosphere.

On a Tuesday afternoon in Canal Park, John Johnson looks on from first base, as teammate Kyle Wilson awaits in the outfield behind him.

Photo by Chris Davis

From Front Cover: Pitcher Mike Smith pitches on a Tuesday afternoon in the Canal Park softball league.

Photo by Chris Davis

4 5

Leading Off

How to Hit How to PitchByChrisDavis

The art of hitting is simple, yetcomplex.Tobeconsistent, it takesbothfocusandrelaxation.Ofcourse,agreatswingalwayshelps.Whatmakeshittingbeautiful is thecombinationof somanythingscomingtogetherallatonce.Whichiswhy it’s sochallenging tobeginwith,butwhatwouldthefunbeif itwasn’tachallenge?So how do you hit? There are many

things to consider, but here are theimportant aspects to center around forbeginners.1. Keep it simple. With hitting, playerscanhaveatendencytooverthinkattheplate. Don’t try to work on 5 things atoncewhiletheballisintheair.Keepittooneatatime.2.Timing iseverything.This ishardformanyplayersbecausetheballiscomingsodarnslow!Waitingfortheballiskey.3. Remember to step into your swing!This is very similar to timing. Steppinginto your swing is important to gettingthatextrabitofmomentumtohittheballwell.Practicepickingupyourfrontfoot,then landing it just before swinging thebat.4. Choose a batting stance yourcomfortable with! Generally, it’s best tokeepyourbackshoulderandbackelbowup,butmakesureyou feel comfortableand confident. If something feelsawkward,tryswitchingitup.5.Pickabatyoulike!Tryexperimentingwithdifferentkindsofbats.Ifyou’renewto softball, try using a lighter bat. Thiswillgiveyoumorebatspeedandthereformore power. Some bats are top heavy,meaningthebarrelofthebatcarriesmostoftheweight.Othersareevenweighted.Don’tbeafraidtoexperiment!6.Remembertowatchtheball.Keepingyoureyeontheballfromthemomentitleavesthepitchershand,tothemomentit makes contact with your bat willimprove your ability tomake consistentcontactwiththeball.7.Followthoughwithyourswing.Manybeginners stop swinging as soon astheymakecontactwith theball.This isa bad habit and you shouldn’t learn it!Stoppingyourswingtakessomuchawayfromyourpower.Remember tonot justmakecontactwiththeball,buttoswing

throughtheball.8. Bat speed is key. Now, before I getinto this, I’d recommend beginners tofocusontheprevioussevenpointsbeforeworryingtoomuchaboutbatspeed.Onceyou have a swing you’re comfortablewith,youcanstarttryingtospeeditup.In the art of hitting, bat speed equalspower. This is why I suggested using alighterbat forbeginners,because itwillincreaseyourbatspeed.9.Gripthebatproperly.Ifyou’rebattingrighty, gripwith your righthandon topofyourleft,liningupyourknuckles.Leftontopifyou’rebattinglefty.Gripclosetothehandle,butifyou’relookingformorecontrol,chokeuponthebat.10.Havea levelswing! Insoftball,youcan get away with a slightly upwardswing. But not too much, as an overlyuppercut swingwill land youmany popouts. Trust me, pop outs are no fun. Iknowthatmorethananyone.11. Look for your pitch! Don’t gocrazy swinging at every ball thrown.Remember,walkswillhelpyourteamwinagamealmostasmuchashitswill.Trytopracticewatchingtheball.12.Gowith thepitch.Manyhitterswill

fall into categories of being pull hittersor opposite field hitters. To be honest,many are successful at this. If you’rejustgettingintothegame,orarelookingformoreconsistency,tryhittingtheballwhere it’s pitched. If the ball is on theinside portion of the strike zone, pull itdown the left field line. If it’s down themiddle,hititbackupthemiddle.Ifit’sontheoutside,wait for ittostartdroppingbehindtheplate,andsmackitintorightfield.Themostconsistenthitterscanhittheballanywhere.13.Keepitsimple!No,thisisn’tdejavu.My first tip is my last. I’ve mentionedmany ways to adjust your swing tobe successful, and there are manymore. These are what I feel to be themost important for newer players, butobviouslyyoucan’tworkonallofthesethingsatonce.Keeptoworkingonthingsone at a time. Before long, you’ll haveone of the better and more consistentswingsonyoursoftballteam!Youmightnothavethepowertohithomeruns,butthat’sokay.Thisisn’tahomerunhittersgame,likebaseball.Thisissoftball,whereconsistentlinedrivesareeverything.

ByChrisDavis

Pitching can’t be too hard, right?All you’re doing is throwing a ball,underhand, toabatterwaiting tohit it.Easy,right?Notnecessarily.Granted,somepeople

pitch like it’s no more difficult thanputting on a seat belt. Formost of us,however, pitching can be very difficultand frustrating. So how can you pitchconsistently so you’re not walking thebasesloadedeverygame?Like hitting, it takes practice.

Maintaining a good mind-set is key.Walking a player isn’t the end of theworld,butifthefrustrationfromthatonewalk leadstosixorsevenwalks, it justmightbe.Hereare some things to remember if

you’revyingtobeaconsistentpitcher.1. Practice, practice, practice! Likeanything in life, pitching takes a lot ofpractice and repetition. Being able tothrow a strike is great, but it meansnothingifyoucan’tdoitconsistently.Findanearbysoftballfield,grababucketofballsandtrythrowingconsistentstrikes.2.Standbehindtherubber,orfeeteven,or with right foot(if you’re righty) onrubber.Whenreleasingtheball,youhavetohaveatleastonefootontherubber.Ithelpstostandbackbeforeyourpitch,soyoucanhave forwardmomentumwhenyoureleasetheball.3.Therearemanygripswhen itcomesto pitching. Find one that feels mostcomfortable, and stick with it. Theconventionalstyleistogriptheballasifitwereasodacan.Othersgripitoverhand,with their fingers on top and thumb onbottom.Findonegripthat’scomfortableforyou,andpracticeit.4. When getting ready to pitch, bringyourarmbackbehindyouandstepintoyour toss to theplate.Keep inmind tohave a foot touching the rubber whenreleasingtheball.5.Keepaconsistent releasepoint!Thisisoneof themost importantaspects tofocus on when practicing your pitching.Whenyourarmisonit’supwardswing,release the ball at around waist level.You’llneedtopracticewiththistofindconsistency. Remember that a laterrelease point will cause the ball to gohigher,thoughitwilltravelless.6. Throw high, arching pitches. Thesearewaymoredifficult tohit than lowerline drive pitches. Also, considering the

ball needs to be at least 6 ft. high tobe considered a legal pitch, strikes willbe more common with higher archingpitches.7. Follow through. Just like hitting,remember to follow through with yourarmafter throwing each pitch. Thiswillhelpingivingthepitchmoremomentumtogettotheplate,aswellaskeepingitstraight.8. Be in a ready fielding position afterthrowing you pitch.When the ball is intheair,beready,you’renowafielder.9. Similar tomy last tip, keep inmindyou’re the closest fielder to the hitter.Thismeansyou’reinthemostdangerousposition on the field. There are manygood, strong hitters in these softballleagues.Theyhit theballveryhard,sobereadyforanythingafteryou’vemadeyourpitch.Itmaysoundridiculous,butahelmetandacupisrecommended.10.Aimyourpitches.Keepmentalnotesofwherehittersseemtolike,ornotlikethe ball. Most hitters prefer pitches attheir waist, but seem to struggle withpitchesinthehighpartofthestrikezone.Also, learn to throw pitches just out ofthestrikezone.Themostdifficultpitchesfor hitters are the ones that are barely

strikes,soliveontheborders.11. Also, keep mental notes of wherethe opposinghitters like to hit theball.AsImentionedinthehittingtipssection,manyhittersliketohittheballinspecificpartsofthefield.Knowingwherehitterslike to hit can not only effect how youpitch them, but also how your defenseplaysthem.Ifyouknowsomeoneusuallyhits balls to left field, let your fieldersknow.12.Onceyou’veestablishedaconsistencypitching, try learning to throw differenttypes of pitches. This isn’t baseball,ultimatelytheballwillalwaysbethrowninaslow,highark.But learning tomixupdifferentpitchescanreallymesswithahitterstiming.Curveballs,knuckleballs,you name it. There are many differentwaystothrowaslowpitchsoftball.13. Practice, practice, practice! Again,notdejavugoingonhere.Thisiswithoutdoubtthemostimportantparttopitching.Repetition and practice is key to being,and staying, consistent. Going out andpracticingallthesetipswillallowyoutomowdownopposingsoftballlineups.Whoknows?Maybeyou’llgetevennoticedbyaMajorLeaguescout.

Sean Jones, lead-off hitter for the Canal Park team Glass Fast, gets ready for a pitch. Photo by Chris Davis

Alex Ortiz throws a pitch in the Canal Park softball league.

Photo by Chris Davis

Canal Park, Oldsmar

Sincewhenwassoftballsupposedtobesofun?Inaworldwherewinningisattheupmostpriority,eveninrecreationalsports,thefunofplayingandcompetitionhasbeenforgetten.Ifyouwanttoplaysoftball,buthavelittleexperience,likelyyou’llhavetolearnhowtoplayinextremelycompetitiveleaguesfullofplayerswhohaveyearsofexperienceundertheirbelts.AndI’mtalkingaboutthelessercompetitiveleagues.Whycan’ttherebealeaguewhereallskilllevelscanjoin,compete,havefunandallforareasonableprice?Well,thereis.It’sinOldsmar,andit’sourMay2011LeagueoftheMonth;CanalPark.

By Chris Davis

LEAGUE OF MAY 2011

Want to know what leagues to sign up for? Sick of bad officiating, non-competitive and overpriced leagues? We are too. That’s why we’ve searched the Tampa Bay area for the best leagues. Each month, we will select our favorite league and tell you what makes it such a great deal. This month, our league resides in Oldsmar. Canal Park boasts great pricing, competition and a wealth load of games each season.

Mike Miller, Cheif Umpire for the Canal Park softball league, watches as a play develops between Division A teams, City Team and Paid Check.

Photo by Chris Davis

LEAGUE OF MAY 2011

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When Leonard Newby first began running the Canal Parkleague,itconsistedoftenteams.Somewereestablished,highendteams,whileotherswereeithernotastalentedorjustplainnotexperienced.“Withour league,westartedwith justone leagueandhad

tenteams,”Newbysaid.“Thentherestartedtobeabigdividewiththetopteamsandthebottomteams.Oneoftheplayersactuallysuggestedtosplit the leagueup intodivisions,andIthoughtthatsoundedlikeaprettygoodidea.Soweputallthetopteamsinonedivisionandthat’sourAAdivisionandthenotasexperiencedteamsintheAdivision.”Over the years,multiple teams began to notice the Canal

Parkleagueandjoined.Asitstands,therearenow14teamsinthetwodivisions.SeveninDivisionA,andseveninDivisionAA.Asaresultofthesplittingdivisions,theparityoftheleaguesareveryevident.InDivisionA,fiveoftheseventeamsfinishedwithinthreegamesofeachother.Thesecondplaceteamonlyfinishedtwogamesbehindthefirstplaceteam.InDivisionAA,thetopfourteamsallfinishedwithinthreegamesofeachother.The parity is what makes this league special. In three

seasons,theDivisionAWoodlandsWolverineshavegonefrombeinganearwinlessteamtowinningthedivision.Thisbeingaccomplishedwithnearlyallthesameplayers.“WhatmakesCanalParksuchagood league, is it’savery

competitive league if you haven’t played much softball orhaven’tplayedinawhile,”PaidCheckcaptainMikePotzsaid.“It’s a good league toget out hereand just have some fun,and not have to be as competitive as some of these otherleaguesare.Butit’sstillaverycompetitiveleague,soit’skindofanin-betweenasfarastalentgoes.Itgiveseveryteamanopportunitytowin.”Thescheduleforeachdivisionconsistsof12,yes12,regular

seasongames.Intwoseventeamdivisions,everyteamplayseach other twice, and has one bye. After all 12 games areplayed, every team is seeded into a big playoff tournamentwhereachampionisdecided.Withaleaguethatplayssomanygames,includingplayoffs,

it’spricesaresurprisinglycheap.Costis$350perteam,whichequatesto$35perplayerforatenmanteam.

“It’smore of a fun league,” Chief UmpireMikeMiller said.“Mostofthemarekindofhardpressedleagues,itseemsliketheyhavetowin.Heretheguysarehavingfun,theyjokewitheachother,theyjokewithus,wejokeback.It’snotsodifficulttoworkin.”Asitgoesformostthings,everythingstartsatthetop.The

successofthisleaguecanbemuchattributedtoNewby,whosebeenatthehelmfornearlythreeyearsnow.He’swatchedthisleague,andtheplayerswithinit,growtowhereitisnow.While some teams and players have left Canal Park for

variousreasons,manyhavestayed,whichhasgiventheleagueacommunityfeel.Newby,whomovedfromOhioanddoesn’thaveanyfamilyinthearea,considersmanyofthesepeopleasecondfamily.“We’vebeenabletokeepalotoftheteamsthathavebeen

here fora longtime,”Newbysaid.“They likeplayinghere.Alot of them live around here, from Oldsmar to Palm Harborso a lot of them connect.We get different teammovementseveryseasonwherewe’llloseateamandthengainateam,butwehaveacorenumberofteamsthatplaywithus,thathavebeenhereeveryseasonsinceI’vetakenover.Idon’thaveanyrelatives livinghereso Ido look forward toseeing thesameguyseveryweek.”Accordingtomanyoftheplayersandumpiresthatworkwith

Leonardonaweeklybasis,thefeelingismutual.“We’ve had a very good experiencewith Leonard over the

years,”Potzsaid.“He’sveryfairtoalltheteams.”

Division A STANDINGS Woodlands Wolverines: 10-2

Atlantis: 8-4 Paid Check: 7-5 Movemyrealty.com: 6-6 Sensible Micro: 5-7

City Team: 5-7 Glass Fast: 1-11

“It’s a good league to get out here and just have some fun.”

Don’tthinkthismeansNewbyisapushover,however.He’shadahistoryofsuspendingplayerswhogotoutofhand,andmakingsureallteamsabidebytherulesandpaytheirfee’sinareasonablefashion.“Leonardrunstheleaguewithagood,ironfist,”Millersaid.

“Hetakescareofit,hasdoneagoodjob.He’sprobablyoneofthebetterpeoplewe’vehadupheresofar.”Something Newby bring’s to the Canal Park league, that’s

unlikeanythingsomeonemightsee inanyother league, isadayafterrecape-mailsenttoalltheteamcaptains.Thee-mailincludesall the scores from thepreviousnight’sgames,howeachgamedeveloped,aswellasremindersonrules,updatesonstandingsandremindersoftheupcomingweekschedule.“WehavesomanyteamsnowthateveryTuesday,somebody

hasabye,”Newbysaid.“Ijustwanttokeeptheteamsuptodateonwhat’sgoingonwiththeleague.”What’sgoingonisawellkeptleaguewithtightplayoffraces.

InDivisionA,theupstartWoodlandsWolverineshaveclinchedthe regular season title, starting their season 10-0. Theyfinishedonadownnote,however,losingtheirlasttwogamestoMovemyrealty.comandthesurgingAtlantis.With theplayoffs comingup, it looks to be a tight contest

betweenWoodlandsWolverines,AtlantisandPaidCheck.Inthisleagueofparityhowever,youcannotcountanyoneoutoftherace.In Division AA, Game Blouses have risen up to take the

regularseasoncrownfromthealwayssolidBurgessAir.Withfour teams headed to the playoffs withwinning records, theleaguechampionshipisupforgrabs.An important aspect to any softball league is the field

conditions,andhowwellthegroundscrewdoeswithkeepingthefieldsplayableeveryweek.Thiscanbeabitofadauntingtask during theSummermonths in Florida,where rain is aninevitabilityeveryweek.While the grounds crew at Canal Park does a tremendous

jobkeepingthefield,andespeciallytheclay,ingreatplayingconditioneveryweek,thefieldsthemselvesaretheweakpointofthisleague.

The outfield grass is, at times, over grown. Often animalswillgetonthefieldsand laydroppings,orburryholes intheoutfield.Kidswillsometimesbringoutfireworksorotherthingstothefieldsovertheweekendsandleavetheoutfieldslitteredwithgarbage.DuringSummermonths,whenitrainsalot,therearepatches

in theoutfield thatdon’t soakupwaterverywell. Thisoftenleavesalotoflargepuddlesthatplayersmustdealwithduringgames.Thiscreatesawetandpotentiallydangeroussituationintheoutfield.Despitethepoorconditionsintheoutfields,CanalParkdoesa

goodjobkeepingtheclayingreatcondition.Thegroundscrewhasdoneatremendousjobcleaninguptheclay,evenafterdaysofrain,intimeforgames.“Theseareprobablytwoofthebestfieldsaround,theinfields

arebeautiful,”Millersaid.“Theytakegoodcareofit.”All inall, theCanalPark softball league isa truly fantastic

leagueandagreatdeal.Ifyou’renottooexperiencedandwanttolearnthegameofsoftball,whilestillgettingthechancetoplaycompetitively,DivisionAisperfect.Forthoselookingforamoreintense,highlycompetitiveleague,DivisionAAiswheretogo.Theumpires,thoughlimitedtooneperfield,doafantastic

job.CanalParkisfantasticinnearlyeveryfacetofwhatmakesagoodsoftballleague,andevenaddsmanyfacetsoftheirown.That’swhyCanalParkisourLeagueofMay,2011.

9 Photographs by Chris Davis

’vereviewedthebestASAslowpitchsoftballbatsthatwon’tleaveyourwalletdry,butwillleaveopponentscryingindefeat.Therearemanybatstochoosefrom,soitcangetconfusing.Herearethebestfourbangforyourbuck ASA bats out their. Trust me, they’re worth everypenny.

Here’sabat thatwillgiveyoupowerout of the wrapper. It’s ready to ripinstantly, doesn’t take long to breakin. Many people are going bonkersoverthisbatduetoMikenmovingthesweetspotclosertotheendofthebat.Thisallowsconsistent linedrivesandadds distance. If you’re interested inlinedrives,thisbatisforyou.Ifyou’relookingforpower,thisbat isforyou.YoushouldexpectnolessfromoneofthebestASAsoftballbatsoutthere.

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Alittlepricey,buttheEastonSTEALTHSPEEDSlowpitchsoftballbatisonourlist for one big reason: It’s perfectforallplayers!Thisisoneofthefewbatsthateveryoneonyourteamwillenjoy,nomatterwhatkindofhitterthey are. It’s combination of powerandlinedriveconsistencymakethisbatoneofthemostdesired.

RETAILPRICE:$343.00

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#1- 2011 Miken FX700FREAK ASA Softball Bat

TheWorthToxic’sBeyondCompositeTechnology along with AdvancedTemperedBallisticAlloyconstructionmake it one of the most forgivingandconsistentbatsaround.Theendloaddesigngivesyouanenlongatedsweetspotthatwillbesendingballsintoorbit.Thisbatwilladda lotofpowertoyourswing.

RETAILPRICE:$399.00

#2 - Worth 2011 Toxic ASA Softball Bat

#3 - Easton STEALTH SPEED SLOWPITCH BAT

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#4 - Demarini Evo Ax Slow Pitch Softball Bat

DeMarini is known for helping theaverage player “hit like the pros”.Thismodellivesuptothatstandard.Nothotoutofthewrapper,butoncebroken in, this bat can give yourswing some juice. It’s half and halftechnology allows for better flexwhichprovidesmorepower.

RETAILPRICE:$200.00

Worth Every Penny ASA Softball Bats

I

Don’t Just Win. Dominate.

414Just Do It.

Going, Going, Gone.

Dear readers,

hopeyouenjoyedyourjourneythroughourfirsteditionofTampaBaySoftball.Herearesomepartingwordsofadvice for all ofmy fellow softball players. Rememberpeeps,it’sjustagame.Sometimes,umpiresmakebadcalls. Sometimes, your teammateswill drop a fly ball.

Sometimes,you’regoing“miss”thirdbaseonthewaytohome.Knowwhat? There’s no need to go and throw a hissy fit likea nine-year-old girl who can’t get the newest barbie doll.Mypoint is, we’re all adults. I get it, softball is a chance for ustoescapeournormallives.Foranight(ortwo)eachweek,wegettorunaroundafield likeabunchofchildren.Thatwhat’sawesome about softball. This, however, doesn’tmeanwe getto have thematurity of children. If you’re team is up by 15runsintheseventhinning,andanumpirecallsaquestionable“Infield Fly” that costs youanout? Please, don’t get ejected.Ifyoudo?Please,dieinafire.Idon’treallymeanthat,butinaway,Ido.Umpirearen’texactlypaidtopdime,andmostofthetimethey’reunderstaffed.Ofcourse,ifit’sobviousthey’reconsistentlycallingblatantlywrongcalls,calmlysaysomethingtotheheadoftheleague.Noneedtogetallworkedupoverit.Stayclassy,TampaBay.

I

Chris D

Editor - Chris Davis

Photography - Chris Davis

Designer - Chris Davis

Production - Chris Davis

Contact:

727.207.5794

CDavis16@mail.usf.edu

Letter from the Editor

Rays Vs. Yankees May 16 - 17AYSR

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