OT- Could You Hit Off Of A Female Pitcher?

[Suicane75]

On the Stern show the past couple of days they've been having an argument as to wether show regular Artie Lange (formerly of MADTV) could get a hit off of a woman pitching overhand from MLB regulation mound distance. They got a former semi pro Minor League pitcher (Ila something or other) to pitch to him. My question is this, do any of you think that there is a woman in the world, in this situation, that you could not get a hit off of? Just to clarify, it will be 1 at bat, all he has to do is get the bat on the ball before she strikes him out.

[Travis]

Depends on if she has the scouting report on me, it's eeriliy similar to Cirano's from Major League, fast ball = home run, curve ball = chiropractor's visit.

Of course she'd only have 1 at bat to figure it out, so I'd really have to hope for a fastball somewhere in there.

[mauchow]

It's not a contest. Women cannot throw overhand hard enough to strike a decent batter out.

[sabotai]

I think I could, but I played baseball (little league and high school) for several years. I don't think there's a woman anywhere who has thrown overhand enough to really be effective. If they let women play baseball and pitch, then I'd say there's a good possibility that with only 1 at bat, that I would not get a hit. But I'm going to think that with the difference between the throw and the place of the mound for software compared to baseball, the most possible outcome would be a walk.

[GoSeahawks]

If I remember correctly Ila Borders tops out at 84mph, which is faster than most guys throw.

[Suicane75]

It's not a contest. Women cannot throw overhand hard enough to strike a decent batter out.

The chick they got to do it says she can throw an 80 mph fastball with a decent curve and screwball. She had decent numbers with the St. Paul Saints and a few other independant minor league teams back in the mid 90's. Im torn, one part of me agrees with you but on the other hand she has the stuff of a mid level college pitcher whom I don't think I could come close to getting a hit off of if they really bore down on me.

[Travis]

Heh, any of you who think that just because they can't throw 95 mph that you can hit them, good luck. I'd much rather face that fastball than somebody who can spot the corners and throw a good changeup and/or curveball. If it's thrown straight, it doesn't really matter how fast it's thrown, if you start your swing early enough, you'll hit it. Once they introduce their off speed stuff or junk, that's when you're in trouble.

Also, as a reference, I played ball until I was 22 and played on a team where half our guys were going to school's in the US on baseball scholarships, including 4 of our pitchers. Our best could throw in the low to mid 90's all day long, but his slider was his meal ticket and definitely hardest pitch to hit.

[Travis]

Dola, as a note on a comment above, I've actually had a girl play on a baseball team with me (when we were around 16 I think it was). She wasn't a pitcher, but one of the better 2B I've played with and she could put some zip on her throw. Also went to a baseball camp that had a girl from Edmonton attending and she was clocked in the mid 80's (she was around 18 at the time). Again, she wasn't a pitcher either, but could definitely play the game.

[Celeval]

I'm realistic. I'd be ecstatic to hit the ball in fair territory off her, and I consider myself a very good softball player who can hit the fastest-baseball pitch batting cages on a regular basis.

[sabotai]

Let me clarify that when I said "I don't think..." I didn't mean "I know I can." I have not personally seen women throw a baseball overhand very good. Giving that she's a softball player, I was just thinking that she would have trouble switching to an overhand throw. If I'm shown wrong, then more power to her.

[Ksyrup]

Today? My daughter could strike me out. But I actually hit against a female pitcher in high school, and got a double. The biggest guy on our team, "Hoss" (Hey, it was Georgia, whaddya expect?), struck out.

[sabotai]

I think a woman that can strike out a man in baseball...is kind of sexy. Is she hot? (the softball pitcher throwing against Artie, not Ksyrup's daughter. :) )

[wig]

I can hit off any woman pitcher, unless she was a robot.

[thesloppy]

Let me clarify that when I said "I don't think..." I didn't mean "I know I can." I have not personally seen women throw a baseball overhand very good. Giving that she's a softball player, I was just thinking that she would have trouble switching to an overhand throw. If I'm shown wrong, then more power to her.

Jsut to clarify, this was one of the requirements for Artie's bet: She is NOT a converted softball pitcher and was pitching overhand in the semi-pros vs. men at regulation distance for a few years IIRC.

[Suicane75]

Yeah, as sloppy says, this is not a softball pitcher. This is a girl who was given a scholarship at a college as a Pitcher and played with the boys and then went on to play independant minor league ball.

[wig]

Is she a robot?

[INDalltheway]

I am pretty sure I could get a hit off of her. Not to brag, but I am preseason all-state honorable mention baseball player as a sophomore. :)

[sabotai]

Jsut to clarify, this was one of the requirements for Artie's bet: She is NOT a converted softball pitcher and was pitching overhand in the semi-pros vs. men at regulation distance for a few years IIRC.

Ahhhh, ok. I got the impression she has been pitching underhand.

On that case, no, I'd probably wouldn't have a chance in hell of getting a hit off her. :)

Is she hot?

[Suicane75]

Ahhhh, ok. I got the impression she has been pitching underhand.

On that case, no, I'd probably wouldn't have a chance in hell of getting a hit off her. :)

Is she hot?


Hard to tell, i havnt seen a picture of her out of her uniform, err, you know what I mean.

[Craptacular]

But I'm going to think that with the difference between the throw and the place of the mound for software compared to baseball, the most possible outcome would be a walk.

Where is the mound for software?

[Cringer]

I think a woman that can strike out a man in baseball...is kind of sexy. Is she hot? (the softball pitcher throwing against Artie, not Ksyrup's daughter. :) )


From what the guys on the Stern show were saying, she isn't too bad looking....

i haven't seen her though.

I think Artie will pull it off, all he needs to do is get the ball in play, hit or not, as long as its fair and not a bunt. But i hope Ila strikes him out, would be funny.........

[Suicane75]

From what the guys on the Stern show were saying, she isn't too bad looking....

i haven't seen her though.

I think Artie will pull it off, all he needs to do is get the ball in play, hit or not, as long as its fair and not a bunt. But i hope Ila strikes him out, would be funny.........


I have no idea how it will turn out but i'm pretty sure that if he's innebriated in any way he's gonna get his ass handed to him.

[MrBug708]

In Little League, a girl hit a bases loaded triple off me. It was one of two batters I ever faced as a pitcher. It's sad to think about, but she was built like a 9th grade football player and she was in 6th grade.

[sabotai]

Where is the mound for software?

I'm not 100% sure (or even 75% sure, actually), but isn't the mound for softball closer to the plate than in baseball? At least, that's what I always thought.

[Pumpy Tudors]

I hear the sound of a joke going over someone's head.

[sabotai]

Give me a break, I haven't been up this early on a Saturday in many years... :)

[GoSeahawks]

I am pretty sure I could get a hit off of her. Not to brag, but I am preseason all-state honorable mention baseball player as a sophomore. :)
I don't think it matters how good you are in high school. In HS you don't face guys with good stuff or who can locate the ball.

[korme]

I am pretty sure I could get a hit off of her. Not to brag, but I am preseason all-state honorable mention baseball player as a sophomore. :)

well yeah, not to brag or anything.. :p

[AgustusM]

I would charge the mound.

[INDalltheway]

well yeah, not to brag or anything.. :p
Sorry for the shameless plug... :D

[k0ruptr]

this thread is funny.

she should bean him

[Travis]

Hmmmmm, never thought of charging the mound. If she's really hot, it'd be worth throwing in a cross body block.

[JonInMiddleGA]

An article here has a head & shoulders photo of Ila Borders
http://www.baseballglory.com/Ilafirtswinpartfive.html

[tucker342]

in a word: No... but that's cause I suck at Baseball.:D

[Danny]

Yes, just bunt the damn ball.

[Suicane75]

Yes, just bunt the damn ball.


No bunting, what are you bunting? Theres no bunting in Baseball!!

[illinifan999]

I don't think it matters how good you are in high school. In HS you don't face guys with good stuff or who can locate the ball. Don't know when you played HS baseball but the teams my HS plays have pitchers that throw high 80's low 90's, and the curveballs they throw are wicked. When you got an 85 MPH ball coming straight at your head, then at the last second it breaks across the plate, it's pretty damn amazing. Not to mention the knuckleball this one kid has. /shudder

Edit: And they can locate the ball. Oh can they locate it well. /shudder again

[GoSeahawks]

Don't know when you played HS baseball...
The last year I played HS baseball was in 99. After that I played two years in college before hurting my arm.
...but the teams my HS plays have pitchers that throw high 80's low 90's, and the curveballs they throw are wicked. When you got an 85 MPH ball coming straight at your head, then at the last second it breaks across the plate, it's pretty damn amazing. Not to mention the knuckleball this one kid has. /shudder
I don't believe this. I don't think you are lying, but I think you have been misninformed. There are only a handful of high school pitchers in the nation who are consistently in their 90's. It might not seem like that because of magazines like Baseball America who hype players out of their mind, but the fact is that 90mph is a huge feat for a HS pitcher. Hell, it's a huge feat for any baseball player. Most HS pitchers throw in their low to mid 70's and when a pitcher comes along that's throwing 82-84 everybody thinks he's throwing 90. Trust me, pitchers never throw as hard in front of the gun as you think they do.


Edit: And they can locate the ball. Oh can they locate it well. /shudder again
No they can't. You don't need to locate in HS to be successful, especially when you throw semi hard.

[illinifan999]

The last year I played HS baseball was in 99. After that I played two years in college before hurting my arm.

I don't believe this. I don't think you are lying, but I think you have been misninformed. There are only a handful of high school pitchers in the nation who are consistently in their 90's. It might not seem like that because of magazines like Baseball America who hype players out of their mind, but the fact is that 90mph is a huge feat for a HS pitcher. Hell, it's a huge feat for any baseball player. Most HS pitchers throw in their low to mid 70's and when a pitcher comes along that's throwing 82-84 everybody thinks he's throwing 90. Trust me, pitchers never throw as hard in front of the gun as you think they do.


No they can't. You don't need to locate in HS to be successful, especially when you throw semi hard.
They don't throw low 90's consitently but couple of the guys can get it up there for 8-10 pitches a game. Otherwise they're up in the 80's. One of my teammates dad owns a radar gun and it pops up there. Don't know how accurate they are, but that's what I'm going by.

And the kid on my team can throw it anywhere. You can tell him to throw it high-inside and it's there. Low and away, it's there. Sometimes it can be a fluke but being able to throw where the catcher asks 8 out of 10 times is pretty good location. Or is it?

[GoSeahawks]

And the kid on my team can throw it anywhere. You can tell him to throw it high-inside and it's there. Low and away, it's there. Sometimes it can be a fluke but being able to throw where the catcher asks 8 out of 10 times is pretty good location. Or is it?
So, do these pitchers ever walk batters? Hitting your spots in the bullpen and hitting your spots in the game are completley different. Throwing outside and throwing on the black are different. Missing where you want is different than missing your spot.

These are things that you never need to know in high school because the hitters aren't good enough. In HS you can throw the ball down the middle of the plate all game and chances are that you will throw a no hitter.

[Cringer]

One guy said she should just hit him............

She loses if she does.

One guy said just bunt...........

Artie is not allowed to bunt, he has to swing away.

[illinifan999]

So, do these pitchers ever walk batters? Hitting your spots in the bullpen and hitting your spots in the game are completley different. Throwing outside and throwing on the black are different. Missing where you want is different than missing your spot.

These are things that you never need to know in high school because the hitters aren't good enough. In HS you can throw the ball down the middle of the plate all game and chances are that you will throw a no hitter.
I don't watch them in the bullpen, he does it in the game. i think if you took his average walks per game it would be below one. He doesn't throw the ball hard though, he pitches junk and can still hit where the catcher calls for.

[condors]

well if thems the rules i would bunt for a hit :)

[Abe Sargent]

There is no f'in way that I could hit a womam's overhand pitch if she was any good - I am the anti-physical person. No way.

-Anxiety