Dox Direct Hit!

Pitching for print

We had an awesome company outing the other evening! Move aside football – Doxtors are coming home – well… getting a home run or two that is!! We downed tools, closed our Macs, switched off our screens, tucked the printers in for the weekend and donned our baseball caps. We were off to play some softball and substitute print for pitching!!

The various teams had been decided on prior to the day, so team names had already been chosen – some more publishable than others! Team colours were gloriously worn and the rivalry was hotting up! We arrived at the pitch and were met by our “coaches” for the evening, along with some beautiful sunshine – perfect for a bit of slowpitch softball.

For those who don’t know anything about softball (and there were a fair few of us that didn’t!) here are a few basic rules. But please note, this is a very basic understanding of the game. If you are taking it seriously – contact a professional!!

Let’s play ball!

1. The most important rule. Slowpitch softball is fun. Full stop. No arguments. In fact it’s blimmin’ brilliant!
2. It is one of the few sports that allow men and women to play alongside and against each other on an equal basis. In fact, most slowpitch softball is played by mixed teams, where men and women play together, usually in a 5:5 ratio.
3. Two teams of ten play against each other (with those that aren’t playing at that time, hanging out in the dug out – whooping a lot!).
4. Teams take it in turns to bat and field. The batting team is called the OFFENSIVE team and the fielding team is called the DEFENSIVE team.
5. A PITCHER throws the ball to the BATTER who hits it and the runs around as many bases as possible before the ball is back under control by the defensive team.
6. If you can’t get round in one go – you wait at one of the bases… ready to run again.
7. One run is when you get around all 3 bases and back to the home plate. A HOME RUN is when you do this all in one go. Though they both count as the same score.
8. The aim is to get more runs than your opponents.
9. Slowpitch soft ball means just that – the ball is thrown “slowly” underarm.
10. You have to run when you hit the ball – even if you’re not happy with how you hit it.
11. Three strikes and you’re out meaning as the batter, if you swing and miss or don’t attempt to hit a ‘good’ pitch 3 times, you’re out!
12. You are also out if you hit the ball and it’s caught before it hits the ground. A fielder tags you between the bases while holding the ball. A fielder gets the ball to the base you are running to before you make it. If the next player to bat runs past you on a base. You snooze, you lose!

Lessons learned…

It was really good fun, our coaches were great and we all learned something as well as stretching our legs while trying something new. Of course, we all took something away from the evening, and my own personal lessons consisted of…

1. The terminology “Go Long” is used in American Football – not softball – and no matter how many times you shout it, it’s never going to catch on… meh!
2. It REALLY hurts when a “soft” ball hits you squarely on the head. “Soft!” Really?? Yeah right!
3. It’s not about winning and scoring runs – it’s about laughing and being silly while trying very hard!
   (Not that I was on the losing team or anything!)
   
4. No matter how surprised you are that you’ve actually hit the ball run!!
5. …And when you hit it, don’t hit it in the general directions of those who can actually catch!
   They. Will. Catch. It.
6. Some boys are annoyingly fast at running…
7. These same boys are annoying good at getting home runs!
8. Caps are way cool – no matter what’s embroidered onto them..!

All in all it was a fantastic afternoon and I would seriously recommend it to anyone! Of course all the hard work we put in made that pint at the pub afterwards taste all the better! Pictures and videos from post softball are dutifully banned, however you’ll have to take my word for it that various team games – as well as the victors celebrations – continued well on into the night!