Softball First Pitch

Discussion in 'Softball' started by racerx5908, Feb 5, 2017.

  1. racerx5908

    racerx5908 2,500+ Posts

    I went to the First Pitch event and it was fun. I've always been curious about the locker rooms and we got to tour the visitors as well as the home team locker rooms.

    We started at the visitor's locker rooms and it was hosted by Kelli Hanzel and a new player (forgot her name). Anyway, here are the interesting things I never knew:
    • They took apart the locker room part of the visitor's side and now it is a video review room. Sitting against the wall was a (probably) 72" TV they use to review opposing players. She said that they use it mostly for Big 12 teams as they will face them multiple times in a season.
    • Which made you wonder how they could gut the visitor's locker room - and this is where we learned that it's not required or expected to provide a visitor's actual locker room to change! Yes, they have to provide water and a restroom, but that's about it!
    • When asked about best/worst lockers of other Big 12 teams, she said that Kansas had a very nice visitor's locker room. Then, she said that Baylor and OU probably had the most non-existent locker room.
    • Asked if players literally got on the bus dirty and sweaty after the game, she said that if the team wanted the hosting school would bus them to a sports facility on campus that had showers where they could clean up and change clothes
    • She indicated it's expected and normal to come to a game, stepping off the bus in your full uniform ready to play

    I had a chance to talk to Tiarra Davis. Being a season ticket holder, we see the rotation of umps throughout the year. There is one particular ump, who I couldn't pick out of a lineup, but who has a slightly different pad on his protective mask that distinguishes him. He is a very, very finicky ump. He calls a very tight strike zone to the supreme frustration of both sides. I asked her if she pitches according to the ump behind the plate. She started giving me the very generic party line about pitching to your strengths and weaknesses. And then when I talked about a very picky ump, she smiled and said, "I think I know who you are talking about. Yes. In some cases, I have to adjust." She said that it was really hard to get mad at him because he is the sweetest guy and that sometimes he'll apologize to her and tell her he missed a call (but of course, not change it).

    And then as we were headed to the snack gathering (1/4 sandwiches from a deli), I decided to ask Tripp MacKay the new offensive coach who took over Corrie Hill's job. I asked him, "You used to work on the OU staff right?" He was slightly surprised that I dug that deep into his background. And then I said, "When OU plays us occasionally, they start using slap hitting and throw us off our game since our defense isn't ready for that. Will you occasionally slap hit?" He said, "Well, I only have two slap hitters on the squad." I then asked if they were from California. He said, "Mmmmm, no I think they're both from Texas."

    Anyway. I would guess about.....200-250 people showed up.
     

Share This Page