Baseball and Famous Softball Players Essay Example

a 35-foot distance to focus on the ball's movement and observe it. Softball pitchers throw the ball underhand, making it challenging for batters to anticipate the pitch. This combination of factors poses significant challenges for batters. The sport of softball originated as a variation of baseball on Thanksgiving in 1887 and incorporated elements from boating, boxing, and football.

The history of softball can be traced back to a significant event that took place at the Tao boating club in Chicago. In those early days, around 20 men had gathered there, eagerly waiting for the outcome of the Yale-Harvard football game so they could settle their bets (History of Softball). Once the football game ended and all debts were paid, one man threw a boxing glove towards another person who then used a long pole to strike it (History of Softball). This unique incident marked the beginning of softball, a one-hour-long game that concluded with a close final score of 41 to 40.

The origins of modern softball can be attributed to a group of men who were casually passing time. Among them, George Hancock is recognized as the official creator of the game. The inspiration struck when he observed his friend striking a glove with a pole, leading him to conceive an ingenious idea. With great determination, George firmly fastened the glove into the form of a ball and marked out foul lines on the gym floor that very day. Despite facing skepticism, George remained resolute in his quest to establish this sport.

He would go home and make big, oversized baseballs and small, undersized bats. Initially, softball was played indoors but later transitioned

outdoors around 1888. Softball initially served as a convenient option for players to practice indoors when the weather was unsuitable for regular gameplay. Upon being played outdoors, it quickly gained popularity. With a smaller field compared to baseball, softball allowed for either slow pitch or fast pitch games. Many individuals preferred softball because the games were more focused on offense than baseball. After just a few years, softball achieved tremendous success.

During 1895, Lewis Robber played a significant role in softball. As a firefighter, Lewis needed an activity to occupy his men while they awaited a call. Softball proved to be the perfect game to keep them busy and in good physical condition. He took the initiative to create and mark a field in a nearby vacant lot, and thus the games commenced. Over time, other fire stations also started organizing games or leagues against each other. These games attracted large crowds, sometimes even exceeding a capacity of 3,000 people (History of Softball).

In the early days, only men were permitted to play softball, but this changed when the first women's softball team was established in 1895 at West Division High School in Chicago. It took a few years for the team to begin competitive play, thanks to a coach who fought for their acknowledgment. Today, softball is more favored by women than men; however, men's summer leagues are becoming increasingly popular in the Midwest. Although it is difficult for me to recall any famous male softball players, there are numerous renowned female football players.

The most popular girl that comes to mind is Jennie Finch; currently pitching for the Chicago Bandits, a National Pro

Fastpitch Softball League (Famous Softball Players - Jennie Finch). She previously played for Team USA, winning the gold in 2004 (Famous Softball Players - Jennie Finch). Another famous female player is Joan Joyce, who had incredible stats during her career. With over 753 victories and only 42 losses in pitching, she also had a total of 150 no run, no hit games and 50 perfect games. Additionally, Joyce excelled offensively with a batting average of .324 (Famous Softball Players - Joan Joyce).

Joyce, an esteemed softball coach, currently coaches at Florida Atlantic University, known for its dominance in softball. Softball, like any other sport, has its own rules. George Hancock established official regulations after the boathouse game. He designed a field layout similar to baseball with four bases (home, first, second, and third). However, in softball, these bases are only 60 feet apart. The pitcher's mound is roughly 40 feet from home plate and the grass line forms a semicircle around the pitcher's rubber with a circumference of 60 feet.

According to Sportswoman.com, the softball pitching mound does not have an elevation like a baseball mound. In fast pitch softball, there are nine active players on each team - three outfielders, four infielders, a pitcher, and a catcher. The game consists of seven innings where both teams get 3 outs while fielding and batting, similar to baseball. When pitching in softball, the pitcher must keep both feet on the mound and can only take one step forward before throwing the ball underhand. The batter's objective is to make contact with the ball and avoid being caught out by the fielders.

There are three ways a

batter can be declared out in softball. These include if the hit is caught in the air without touching the ground, receiving three strikes, or hitting a ground ball and being beaten to the base by a fielder. The responsibility of determining whether a pitch is a ball or strike lies with the umpire who announces it. If four balls are called before three strikes, the batter automatically moves to first base. Over time, variations of softball emerged such as fast pitch and slow pitch versions. Furthermore, changes were made to the size of the ball used in play, transitioning from 12 inches to 16 inches.

In the early years, this sport had various names but eventually became known as softball in 1926. As previously mentioned, it was initially played indoors but eventually moved outdoors. Additionally, as stated before, the first game used a boxing glove as a ball, but this has since evolved into the use of a proper ball. Originally, fielding gloves were not used in the game, although they were later adopted for 12" fast pitch but not for 16" softball. Thus, there are multiple forms of softball. The 16" softball is pitched slowly and emphasizes offense.

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The scarcity of homeruns is heightened by the heaviness of the ball. However, when homeruns do occur, there is significant interaction with the ball, leading to increased activity on the field. This prevents pitchers from completely dominating the game. Fast pitch also involves dynamic gameplay as pitchers can throw at higher speeds and use various pitches with different movements and spins. Consequently,

batters can adopt various batting stances, some of which are unique. These stances range from attempting powerful hits to executing bunts. Another technique used is slapping, where a left-handed batter starts running towards first base before making contact with the ball.

Throwing out the batter can be difficult for fielders due to various forms of softball in today's society. Since its inception as the boat house game in 1887, softball has evolved significantly and now holds an important place in many families' lives as an Olympic sport. Women's softball enjoys more popularity compared to men's softball, possibly because men's baseball is more widely favored. The four main softball leagues include AS, collegiate, national Pro, and international. Over the past three decades, steady and consistent growth has been observed in the AS league.

Today, there are over 260,000 teams and more than 4.5 million players and members participating in softball. This includes both fast pitch and slow pitch players, although the number of members in slow pitch is increasing (History of Softball). Softball at the college level is extremely competitive, as evidenced by the college World Series. The World Series showcases only eight teams, with last year's champion being Arizona. In a remarkable comeback, the Wildcats defeated South Carolina, who had previously won two consecutive championships, in the ninth inning (History of Softball).

The professional league has been alternating in progress, with the first national women's softball league ending in 1980. Since then, another professional league has been formed (History of Softball.). The current league was founded in January of 1989 by Jane Scowls, a former Utah State player who aspired to continue playing softball after

college. However, there was no professional softball league available for her to join. As a result, her college coach devised a plan to create one. Unfortunately, it took two more years for the establishment of the National Fastpitch Association in Beclouded Colorado.

On December 5, 1998, the league decided to change its name to the Women's Pro Softball League. The tradition of softball continues in Chicago, and in August 2010, the Chicago Bandits achieved their third consecutive regular season championship (Prosthetic. Com: NP History). Additionally, we have the United States softball team, which has dominated since softball was added to the Olympics in 1996, winning all gold medals except for this year. Unfortunately, softball was excluded from the 2012 Olympics; however, there is an opportunity for it to be reapply for the 2016 games.

Pitcher Jennie Finch, who won gold in 2004, expressed her devastation and heartbreak regarding the exclusion of baseball and softball from the Olympics. She emphasized the high popularity of the sport at that time and highlighted the impact it would have on young girls. Finch assured that every effort would be made to bring the sport back for the 2016 Olympics (They're Out! Baseball, Softball out of Olympics - Baseball- NBC Sports). Softball, a sport that has come a long way since its early days with broom sticks and boxing gloves, owes its existence to George Hancock and Lewis Robber's contributions (Baseball- NBC Sports).