Baseball vs. Softball. What’s the difference?

Well, let’s see. In softball, the ball is bigger. Less dense. Not quite as painful if it bounces off of your left shin. Oh, it will hurt, and probably cause a nice bruise, but not like a baseball.

The bats used in softball are smaller than baseball bats.

What else?

The pitcher’s mound in baseball is 60 feet from home plate as opposed to the pitching rubber in softball (there is no mound) which is 43 feet.

If a softball player gets a hit, she has to run 60 feet to get to first base, where a baseball player has to go 90 feet.

Normally, the infield of a softball field is strictly dirt, whereas many baseball fields have grass on the infield.

In baseball, the pitcher throws the ball over handed, in softball, she slings it underhanded, and usually ‘grunts’ for whatever reason.

Gulf Shores has a softball player who grunts every time she swings the bat. In a game against Baldwin County High last week, the Tigers brought in a relief pitcher who grunted every time she threw the ball. When the game ended, the grunting batter was on deck. I hated that.  I really wanted to see which one grunted the loudest, the pitcher or the batter.

Okay, I know I’m being silly now, but over the past several years as I have watched numerous baseball and softball games, I have had a chance to notice other differences in softball and baseball.

Softball fans (parents) seem to take the game much more serious. Not that you baseballers aren’t serious about your game, I know you are, but wow, those softball fans (parents) don’t mess around.

The other night, just as a fan (mom) from an opposing team made a comment about an umpires call, I bit into a bad tasting peanut.  I happened to look over at her just as the taste of that nasty peanut hit my saliva glands. I made a face. Apparently she thought I was making a face about the comment she had just made to the umpire, and was now looking at me with fire in her eyes.

I was like, “What lady?  I ate a bad peanut.”

Softball fans (parents) are much more vocal.  Maybe it just seems that way because they are so much closer to the action and each other than in baseball. At times it is scary.

Seriously.  On more than one occasion, I have heard fans (parents) make comments about other fans (parents) who were sitting just a few feet away from each other.

Softball fans (parents) are close enough to the umpire to really give him an ear full when needed, they can complain to the coach when needed, they can reach through the fence and give their baby “five,” well okay, maybe “two,” as she heads back to the dugout after scoring a run.

The umpires are a bit more laid back in baseball. They seem to be less nervous or intimidated by unhappy fans (parents).  Maybe it is because there is more of a buffer zone between them and the backstop fence, behind which sit all of those unhappy fans (parents).

Now all of that being said, before the game and between innings, softball fans (parents) can be very cordial.  They will move their chair over and give you a place to put yours. They will make small talk with you and are generally very polite. They will hand out money to the little ones for Coke and candy, but once the umpire yells “play ball” you better watch out. Things can get serious.

And for whatever it’s worth, softball fans (moms) are generally “cuter.” Hey, don’t ask me why.

Nevertheless, when the sun is shining, the birds are singing and the smell of freshly cut grass and grilling hamburgers is in the air, there is nothing better on a spring day than a baseball or softball game down here in paradise.

Occasionally, you will get a bad peanut. If you are at a softball game, you better keep it to yourself.

-Hit ‘em straight.

Dale Jones is a sports correspondent for Gulf Coast Newspapers.