Nice legs.

What's the difference between Softball and Baseball?

Iggy - the difference between softball and baseball:

1) the ball in baseball is 8" in circumference; in softball it's 12".

2) in softball the pitcher must pitch underhand; in baseball there is no such restriction, and most pitchers choose to pitch overhand.

3) In baseball the bases are 90' apart; in softball the bases are closer together (I'm not sure of the dimensions).

4) Depending on the age level, softball might have some limitations on lead-offs.

There may be other differences that I'm not aware of.

I always assumed they were one and the same, thanks Jack. I will amaze my friends with such American sports knowledge.

Kinda sounds like Baseball for girls, doesn't it? Aha...I see it's "mixed" Baseball; so Eve, Michelle and Jamie actually get to hit the underhand thrown, oversized ball.

I see.

So was it his right arm he was waving?  

Depending on the level or league, softball may also prohibit stealing bases, and in some leagues a foul ball with two strikes counts as a strikeout.  Please tell me this is not one of those leagues.

Ig Pop,

Careful, there are a lot of beer drinking construction working 'rednecks' with forearms thicker than the bats that play league softball.

Also, softball's required equipment includes beer, which is merely optional with baseball.

Unlike baseball, whose participants are expected to show proper form, softball, being often played by members of both sexes together on the same team, frequently includes on-field instruction between plays. Thus, a male third-baseman witnessing a female shortstop's difficulty in keeping a ground ball from rolling between her legs may chivalrously approach her and, crouching from behind and reaching around her, demonstrate the appropriate defensive positioning to successfully prevent struck balls from reaching the outfield. Such instruction commonly occurs after (1) the two parties have been making eye contact for a couple of days at the bar, (2) a prudent period of time has elapsed after her break-up with her ex- and/or vice versa, and (3) the aforementioned beer.

Interestingly, no extensive knowledge of defensive positioning is actually needed by the third-baseman in question, and the distaff shortstop is urged to heed Tom Petty's admonition: "Just play dumb, whatever you know."

haha, that's great

Douthat would fall...while not even actually playing.

(My apologies if he was truly injured.)

Of course TNR would beat any other magazine at any sport, because it's staffed by people in their athletic prime. I'm not complaining. Just saying.

This is hilarious, imagining TNR Staffers playing softball.

I am trying to imagine Leon Wieseltier, Charles Krauthammer & Andrew Sullivan in the heart of the line-up, swinging for the fences.

Sounds wonderful, especially the drinking afterwards.  You guys don't know how lucky you are.

Next up, those bastards trying to steal the readers at WWSJ On-Line.

Having been a subscriber to both TNR and the Atlantic for the past 14 years, I would have had trouble deciding to root for in this game. But, since my TNR subscription started a couple of months earlier, I suppose the beter team won.

Congrats, guys.

TNR started off the week by trouncing The Atlantic at softball and settling in for a Sunday read of Ryan