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Slow-pitch success depended on defense

There's little doubt that some of the best athletes on a softball field today are ace pitchers, with their corkscrew windups delivering a dazzling array of pitches.

Fifteen years ago, however, pitchers were almost required to be the best athletes on the diamond. Their pitching might or might not have been notable, but one thing was certain:

"You'd know that ball's sometime going to come back at you," former Ridgewood coach Marlyn Bavetta said.

That was one of the occupational hazards of slow-pitch softball, which featured high-arcing pitches, plenty of defensive action and fewer of the low-scoring affairs now commonplace in the fast-pitch era.

As late as 1987, slow-pitch was the tournament format at the state level, and not until 1990 did all area high schools convert to fast-pitch.

Pitching was not about riseballs and drop balls, instead a pitcher's offering would rise and drop, in a 4- to 12-foot arc mandated by the rules. Four outfielders instead of three would stand alert, as strikeouts were rare.

"There were more balls put in play," said Walt Cermak, who coached slow-pitch at Hernando from 1986-88. "You had to be a better-prepared defensive player in slow-pitch, while you may never get a ball hit to you in fast-pitch.

"In rightfield, you may get a half-dozen balls hit to you a game."

Bunting, stealing and hit-and-runs were hardly ever part of an offensive game plan, though that's not to say there were constant home runs and line drives.

"They'd say, 'Anyone can hit a slow pitch.' No, they can't," Bavetta said. "You'd have to really judge when that ball's coming in."

Bavetta guided Ridgewood into the fast-pitch years and won a state title in 1992, and many teams successful in slow-pitch remain competitive at fast-pitch. Hernando, a state finalist in slow-pitch in 1986, was a Class 3A runner-up in fast-pitch 14 years later. Countryside, which plays today in a 5A semifinal, excelled in slow-pitch under current coach Scott Kitchen.

But a push from parents and administrators over college-scholarship opportunities in the late 1980s hastened the switch, and with fast-pitch softball now prevalent in Little League and countless travel-ball leagues, slow-pitch interest has waned.

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