My favorite softball shot over the years

[kimcheeboy]

Probably the most unique photo I've taken over the years. With a Nikon D70s and Sigma 70-200 2.8.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/56/174277879_71ab32e2e3.jpg

[snyderman]

that's a very difficult shot to understand. BEHIND the player with the ball appears to be the backstop and catcher, but the white thing looks like a base and NOT home plate.

Here's the best I can imagine from your pic. Player with ball is an infielder--probably SS. He swept tagged the ducking runner (lower righ of pic--maybe trying to stretch a single into a double), filling his glove with dirt. The motion of the infielder pulling the glove back up and transfering ball to his throwing hand released the dirt into the air around him.

The question: Is he completing a double play? If so, is the dirt from tagging the runner out? The catcher, (if that's a catcher in the BG) appears to be pointing to an additional play. Third base, perhaps? I don't know.

Entire shot is a real headscratcher, but I know wierd stuff happens all the time in men's amateur softball games! It's like Little League with old guys!

A guess on what happened during the play you captured. The guy with glasses in your shot hit a gap single with a runner on first base already. He tried to stretch it into a double and was tagged out at 2nd. The ensuing throw, (the action in your pic) is an attempt to throw out the fat guy who stumbled going around second and is now scrambling to get to third instead of scoring on a long single!

dave

[kimcheeboy]

I never really put that much thought into the context of the shot.

I just thought the dust trail was kinda neat =)

[Gary W.]

Hey all,

Cool dust trail from the glove! Let me take a guess.... the player with the ball is the pitcher, the one by his legs is the first baseman. The guy squatting in the background is the third base coach. Batter hit a ball to the right side between the pitcher and first baseman, pitcher scoops and gets ready to make the throw, then POOF he's distracted by the camera and the dust from his glove, and proceeds to throw the ball away, costing his team the game and a chance at their first win. He will always be referred to as "Charlie Brown" from now on....

OK, I embellished a little bit!! hehehehehe!!

Gary W.

[snyderman]

Hey all,

Cool dust trail from the glove! Let me take a guess.... the player with the ball is the pitcher, the one by his legs is the first baseman. The guy squatting in the background is the third base coach. Batter hit a ball to the right side between the pitcher and first baseman, pitcher scoops and gets ready to make the throw, then POOF he's distracted by the camera and the dust from his glove, and proceeds to throw the ball away, costing his team the game and a chance at their first win. He will always be referred to as "Charlie Brown" from now on....

OK, I embellished a little bit!! hehehehehe!!

Gary W.

LOL! Funny stuff, Gary!

dave

[Mikeroscope]

oooo my turn. I had to change my mind about this one. The squatting guy in the foreground is on second. First is the base in the back ground. He caught a ball that was still in the air, but close enough to the ground for him to get dirt in his mitt fielding it. That causes the runner on 2nd to come back to the base, but the runner on third ran for the plate, so the guy throws it to third to get the out. That puts you shooting in smack left field which couldn't be possible so I give up.

I do like the dirt trail. Thats a cool effect.

[essvee]

Cool pic!

My guess: Guy on the ground just got tagged out in a run down (or short pop fly) between second and third and infielder is trying to catch the opponent at third off the base. Shot taken from third base side.