ESPN presentation on NCAA softball game to MLB baseball game

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Did anyone watch this ?
1. That a college softball hitter has 20% less time to react to a pitch than a MLB player.

2. That a short stop has 1 sec less time to get it to first base in softball.

3. That pitch plane is different due to a baseball have a downward flight off a mound, to the pitch release of a softball and the flight pattern is different , which tends to make a softball player have to keep the hands higher and a the bat angle to be different.

Lot's more in detail but I was so busy watching softball I didn't take notes. The baseball hitter really couldn't hit the pitcher in the demo, it was funny to watch.

 

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Did anyone watch this ?
1. That a college softball hitter has 20% less time to react to a pitch than a MLB player. They said .36 vs .45 seconds, which would be 70 mph vs 83 mph (offspeed).

2. That a short stop has 1 sec less time to get it to first base in softball. Based on B-R's time to 1B - 3.2 vs 4.3 seconds.

3. That pitch plane is different due to a baseball have a downward flight off a mound, to the pitch release of a softball and the flight pattern is different , which tends to make a softball player have to keep the hands higher and a the bat angle to be different. They pointed out a softball can be pitched with an upward trajectory due to the low release point.

Lot's more in detail but I was so busy watching softball I didn't take notes. The baseball hitter really couldn't hit the pitcher in the demo, it was funny to watch.

I liked the interview with Bobby Knight. He played fastpitch and said women's softball has improved more than any other sport in his lifetime - Bobby Knight: Softball Fan

 

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I didn't see that. I think playing defense in fastpitch is definitely harder, but hitting a 90 mph baseball pitch is also harder than hitting a 60 mph softball pitch. I've done both and it's not really close. Just the same, it's much easier to hit a 30 mph pitch at 20 feet than the 60 mph pitch at 40 or 43 feet.

 

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The ESPN segment was pretty cool, seemingly geared at recruiting interest in the sport. They didn't say anything about ball size between the two sports, which makes the comparisons apples to oranges if you are using it to something about difficulty in hitting a pitched ball. While there are basic similarities between the sports in how they are played, there are major differences as well, and it brought out that aspect. I like them both, but have grown to prefer women's fastpitch because of the pace of the game and the spirit that is exhibited by the players with an appreciation for their athleticism.*