Some of my takes on fastpitch softball are funny, some are designed to make you think and others are hoping to create change.
Well, it’s time for something to change, and the sooner the better.
We play and coach a dirty game. I don’t mean dirty in a cheating or unsportsmanlike way. I mean in a very literal way, this is a dirty game. Mud, grass stains, blood and dirt are an everyday thing. So before you jump to any conclusions there is another more troubling and terrible thing for us to clean up.
What is the funkiest smell of all the softball smells?
Catchers gear gets pretty ripe. Spikes and turf shoes reek. A dirty jersey that has been worn all day on a hot and humid day is going to get pretty funky.
But these all pale in comparison to the stinkiest of all stinkers…batting gloves!!
Working with one of my hitters tonight I had the joy of being too close to her hands when she decided to adjust her batting gloves. This movement released a toxic cloud of stench that singed my nose hair and brought a tear to my eye.
Yes, it was that bad. She apologized because she knows that her batting gloves stink to high heaven. She was feeling the impact of the fumigation of the batting gloves just as much as I was.
I told her not to worry because they smelled like HITS!
Of course I meant a different four-letter word with the same four letters, just rearranged little bit!!
There are many reasons why batting gloves become stinky. One, the hands sweat a lot and the batting gloves are often stuck in a pocket or bat bag with no chance to air out. Also, many players wear one of their batting gloves inside their fielding glove which adds another layer of perspiration infestation.
What’s the answer to this scourge of the dugout?
Wash your batting gloves! Put them on your hands put them in the water and lather them up. Rinse them very well and then put them someplace to dry. Yes they will be a little crusty next time you put them on but not any crunchier than they are when you put them up soaked with sweat and they smell a whole lot better.
Please, for the good of humanity!
About the Author: Tory Acheson brings a wealth of knowledge to the Fastpitch Prep staff. He has coached at all levels of the game, including the last 25 years at the college level at the University of Wisconsin – Parkside, Tennessee Tech and Kennesaw State. He began his coaching career at the high school level spending 9 years Whitnall High School in Greenfield, Wis. and is now working as a professional softball instructor.
