PT Playbook: Softball 101

Softball is a direct descendant of baseball (sometimes referred to as hardball to differentiate the two), but differs from it in several ways, of which the chief four are:

• The ball is always pitched (thrown to the opposing team’s batter) underarm – in other words, it is released when the hand is below the hip and no further away from the body than the elbow – while in baseball the ball may be released in any position and is usually thrown overarm or sidearm at greater speeds.
• The ball is larger, softer (hence the name), less dense, and heavier than a baseball.
• The fields used for softball are normally smaller.
• The game is seven innings long, as opposed to nine in baseball. Softball games tend to take between one and two hours to complete, as opposed to around three hours for most baseball games.

Softball is said to be the most popular participant sport in the United States. An estimated 56 million Americans will play at least one game of softball during a year and is played by both men and women.

Pretty Basic: Softball is played on a smaller diamond than baseball, with a ball that is larger and softer ( 11 to 12 inches in circumference)  and a bat that is slightly different in size and weight and can also be made of aluminum.

The ball is thrown by a player (called a pitcher) towards an opposing team player called a batter who attempts to hit the ball with a round, smooth stick called a bat.

Scoring is accomplished by the batter hitting the ball as far away as she can and then running and touching a series of four markers on the ground called bases before the opposing team’s fielders return the ball. The batter can stop play at anytime by stopping on one of the bases if she feels that he cannot get ‘home’ safely.  If the opposing team can throw the ball to the runners next base before he gets there she is ‘out’ and no run is scored.

Rules of Softball – Making Outs
In softball, a batter is out if:

• The batted ball is caught in the air.
• The batted ball is caught and thrown successfully to any base before a runner gets there.
• A baserunner is tagged by the ball (touched by the ball or the glove of a player in defense) while off of a base.
• Three strikes are called by the umpire.

Softball has been an Olympic sport for women since 1996 but has now been dropped although there are moves afoot to re-establish it. The International Softball Federation holds world championships every four years.

Some players to know:
Crystal Bustos: One of the best softball hitters in the world, she broke Olympics records with five home runs and 10 RBI for the gold-medal winning 2004 U.S. team
Lisa Fernandez: She was a part of three gold-medal winning United States softball teams as a pitcher.
Jennie Finch: Arguably the most famous softball player ever, Finch was a pitcher on the 2004 gold medal U.S. Team and 2008 silver medal team.
Jessica Mendoza: U.S. Olympic gold medalist and President of the Women’s Sports Foundation.
Stacey Nuveman: A catcher, she had the only hit of the 2000 gold-medal game and a home run in the 2004 gold-medal game.
Cat Osterman: The 6-foot-3 lefty is the second all-time in NCAA history in strikeouts.
Natasha Watley: The first African-American athlete to play on the U.S. softball team in the Olympics.

Softball: Throwing like a girl

Softball season is underway and girls everywhere are out there practicing their skills. So you probably know that if you’ve ever been told “You throw like a girl,” it means your throw kinda sucks.

The “girl throw” refers to a wimpy style a lot of girls seem to have. Girls often face the target with their forearm cocked back and the ball in their upturned palm. Then they throw with just the arm (rather than the whole body). The action is usually limited to a quick extension of the forearm. Essentially, girls tend to “push” the ball rather than hurl it.

Well, before we go any further – let’s get one thing straight. Girls can throw. In fact, many girls can throw harder and faster than a lot of guys. Softball players like Jennie Finch can pitch a ball close to 90 miles per hour.

Some people think the reason for the “girl throw” is based on physical differences between guys and girls. Not. If you ask an orthopedist, an anatomist, or a coach of a women’s softball team, they’ll tell you that there is no anatomical reason why boys and girls throw differently.

Read more

State: a fastpitch feature film

If you thought winning a State Championship was hard, try getting a feature film made. The biggest challenge for any movie is to raise the necessary production funds.

That’s exactly the challenge facing a group of Louisiana filmmakers. Their dream is to make the film STATE, a story inspired by the lives of two very dynamic and successful fast-pitch softball coaches.

Residents of Ascension parish in Louisiana were devastated to hear the news that arch rival coaches, Jimmy Iturralde and Ed Aycock, both had terminal cancer and only months to live. The lives of these two men is the inspiration behind STATE and serve as a tribute to their passion for life and the athletes they coached.

The production team says: “It has become our passion to tell the inspiring story of STATE. We look forward to seeing this movie become a reality. Along with Tom McCarthy and the PFX Tour athletes, we believe this movie can impact the sport of girl’s fast pitch softball and provide a positive role model for young female athletes. We’ve discovered a glaring gap of positive sports movies for the young female athlete and the international demand for inspirational sports movies that feature female athlete as the primary actors.

Our goals for this movie are very simple. We desire to honor this sport and provide positive role models for young female athletes.”

Hollywood may seem like the obvious first stop to get a film financed but studios aren’t too keen on trying something new. And a girls softball film has never been made before.

In an effort to get Hollywood to believe that girls fastpitch has a big enough fan base to support a movie, the production team has created an innovative way for you to help. They’ve set up an online destination statethemovie.net  for girls and fastpitch fans to have their voices heard. They’ve also established a Facebook Page where fans can show their support. Help make STATE.

Check out current and former players like Dot Richardson and Lisa Fernandez talking about the film:

Pretty Tough Tuesday Fastpitch Weekly Round Up

1. The Florida Gators (39-3) are holding strong at the number one spot on the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll for the fifth straight week. Check out the rest of the poll here.
2. Last week, the ASA selected the twenty-five finalists for the 2009 Collegiate Softball Player of the Year Award. View the complete list here. 
3. Olympic softball in 2016? Here’s the latest information.
4. Fastpitch TV – Basketball is winding down and softball is gearing up. Don’t miss the complete fastpitch television schedule for this week.

Have a fabulous week! 

Fastpitch Fans Tweet

At first I didn’t get it. But, now, I’m seriously hooked.  Don’t miss a second of softball news and follow these fastpitch fanatics on Twitter. 

Fastpitch News 

Fastpitch TV 

ASA Softball 

Author Keri Mikulski 

Women Talk Sports 

What do you think of Twitter?  

2009 NPF Senior Draft to be Broadcast Live Tomorrow

The 2009 National Pro Fastpitch Senior Draft will be broadcast live on the Internet for the first time in league history.

The draft which is being hosted by the Akron Racers, will take place February 17th beginning at 7 p.m. EST (6 p.m. CST) with the first selection being made by the Washington Glory. Fans will be able to access the draft broadcast at TheSoftballChannel.com, a sponsor of this year’s draft.

The 2009 version of the draft features five rounds and a total of 25 selections, with Akron , Rockford , Philadelphia and Chicago rounding out the first round.

Earlier this month, the league announced that the New England Riptide—one of the NPF’s six founding franchises—has withdrawn from the league and will not compete in the 2009 season, due to economic difficulties. Hate to hear about yet another casuality of the recession.

First round draft picks from last year’s draft included Katie Burkhart, pitcher from Arizona State and Megan Gibson, pitcher from Texas A&M, both of whom were signed by the Philadelphia Force and helped the team earn a Championship Series berth.

Angela Tincher, pitcher from Virginia Tech was drafted by the Akron Racers and was a crucial part of its team arsenal in 2008. Anjelica Selden, pitcher from UCLA was drafted by the New England Riptide, Savannah Brown, catcher from Georgia Tech was drafted by the Rockford Thunder and Taryne Mowatt, pitcher from Arizona was drafted by the Washington Glory.

The Chicago Bandits selected catcher and NPF Rookie of the year Rachel Folden with the first pick of the 2008 draft. Folden proved to be a solid foundation behind the plate as the catcher for the Bandits, but also produced at the plate. Folden finished the ’08 season with 32 RBIs, 11 homeruns, a .311 batting average and a .631 slugging percentage.

While everyone can speculate on which seniors will be drafted in this years draft, it is likely that several players will be chosen from the recently announced USA Softball Player of the Year Watch List.

Due to NCAA regulations, an active college senior-athlete is not eligible to sign with her respective franchise until her 2009 season is completed.

The order of picks for each round follows, but this information is subject to change pending any last-minute trades.

ROUND 1

1  Washington
2  Akron
3 Rockford
4  Philadelphia
5  Chicago

Exclusive Interview with Fastpitch Phenom, Angela Tincher: Part 4 – Fun Facts

Softball pitcher, Angela Tincher, 2008 National Collegiate Player of the Year, third on the NCAA all-time strikeout leader list, and National Professional Faspitch player, was kind enough to take a break from her busy softball schedule to answer questions for Pretty Tough. 

Six months ago, Angela Tincher led Virginia Tech University to a historical no hit, shut out win against Team USA. Today, Tincher lists her favorite things.

Fave TV Show: Heroes

Fave Song: Anything by Rascal Flats and Keith Urban

Fave Magazine: Sports Illustrated

Fave Book: Anything by John Grisham

Fave Subject: Math

Fave Athlete(s): Jessica Mendoza and Stacy Nuveman

Fave Movie Star: Jennifer Garner

Dream Job: Playing softball for the rest of my life

Girliest Thing You Like to Do: Get a pedicure

Thanks, Angela! 

Exclusive Interview with Fastpitch Phenom, Angela Tincher: Part 3 – Playing for the NPF

Softball pitcher, Angela Tincher, 2008 National Collegiate Player of the Year, third on the NCAA all-time strikeout leader list, and National Professional Faspitch player, was kind enough to take a break from her busy softball schedule to answer questions for Pretty Tough. 

Six months ago, Angela Tincher led Virginia Tech University to a historical no hit, shut out win against Team USA. Today, Tincher shares what it’s like to play professional softball. 

Team: Akron Racers
Location: Akron, Ohio
2008 Record: 19 wins 29 loses
Season: Summer: June – August 

What’s a typical day like for a National Pro Fastpitch Player?
Each week during the season, we play four games in a row. On a typical game day, the games are at night. We usually sleep in during the morning. After we get up, we hang out at the house for a little bit. During the afternoon, we eat a good lunch and try to arrive at the field between three and four. Then, we warm up for three hours before the game. During the season when we’re not playing, we usually have a practice. And some days, we hold pitching and hitting clinics to help out kids. Other days, we make appearances and hang out with fans. 

Where do the players live? 
The team owns a few townhouses ten minutes from the stadium. Each house holds three teammate/roommates. 

What’s the best thing about being a NPF player?
Being paid to do what we love to do. Being able to keep playing as long as possible. 

What’s the average salary like for a NPF player?
It averages around $3000 to $5000 for rookies.  Each team has a $100,000 salary cap divided up between 20 players. We can also do lessons, camps, and clinics to make extra money. 

What do players do during the off-season?
As soon as the season is over, we can basically do whatever we want. A lot of the players have teaching jobs or college coaching jobs. Some players spend the rest of the year teaching at camps and clinics. And some NPF players earn their graduate degrees or continue college. 

How can a softball player make it to the professional level?
A lot of practice and time. I always enjoyed softball. I still love practices and playing. Luckily, I never got burned out. Even though, I missed a lot of time with my friends when I was off playing, it was all worth it in the end.     

Don’t miss next week’s Part 4: Angela Tincher shares her faves.   

Exclusive Interview: Fastpitch Phenom, Angela Tincher: Part 2 – Pitching

Softball pitcher, Angela Tincher, 2008 National Collegiate Player of the Year, third on the NCAA all-time strikeout leader list, and National Professional Faspitch player, was kind enough to take a break from her busy softball schedule to answer questions for Pretty Tough. Six months ago, Angela Tincher led Virginia Tech University to a historical no hit, shut out win against Team USA. Today, Tincher shares some thoughts about pitching, drills, and what it was like to try out for the Olympic team. 

What is your strength as a pitcher? Definitely movement. 

What was your highest clocked speed? At the World Series, I was told I was clocked at 70 miles per hour. I would say, I tend to throw upper 60’s, but not consistently. I don’t worry about speed. 

Did your pitching style change in college? I saw a big difference moving from forty to forty-three feet. It gave me more distance to work on my movement. Instead of throwing the ball past batters, I had to move the ball around a lot more. My rise ball and my drop ball got a lot better in college. 

What is the most important thing you do to improve your pitching? Weight training is huge for me. It helped with nagging injuries and to stay healthy.

What’s the best pitching drill? I always spin with either a spinner or a ball with a line on it. I focus a lot on that and it’s helped me with my movement a lot.

Describe what it was like to tryout for the Olympics. I attended the invitational tryout held at the Olympic training center in California last September. They invited thirty to forty players. I’ve attended big tryouts before, but this one was the best of the best. I was sharing the field with Jennie Finch and Jessica Mendoza. The first day they went through some drills and they watched us. But, the next day we were split into teams and we scrimmaged for the rest of the time. The pitchers rotated through. So we had a chance to throw for and against everyone at least once, including Crystal Bustos.

Check out Part 1: The Beginning here. Next Tuesday, Tincher lists her favorite things.

Exclusive Interview: Fastpitch Phenom, Angela Tincher: Part 1 – The Beginning

Softball pitcher, Angela Tincher, 2008 National Collegiate Player of the Year, third on the NCAA all-time strikeout leader list, and National Professional Faspitch player, was kind enough to take a break from her busy softball schedule to answer some questions for PrettyTough.com

Six months ago, Angela Tincher led Virginia Tech University to a historical no hit, shut out win against Team USA. Every amazing athlete has a beginning. Check out Tincher’s story of her softball beginning below. 

Hometown: Eagle Rock, Virginia
High School: James River High School
ASA Teams: Roanoke Scrappers 14U and 18U, 18U Virginia Shamrocks 
College: Virginia Tech University

How old were you when you first started playing softball?
I started playing Little League when I was nine. I tried pitching at ten and I really started practicing pitching at eleven.

Did you love softball right away? Did you play any other sports?<em>
I tried dance, gymnastics, and basketball. None of those stuck. Softball was the one thing that I wanted to play year round. I played volleyball for five years, but it was just in season. I wanted to play softball all the time.

Did you play ASA?
I played for a local ASA team called the Roanoke Scrappers. Then, during my senior year, I drove three and a half hours to play for the Virginia Shamrocks, an ASA Gold Team because I wanted the national exposure.

Where did you play high school softball?
I transferred to James River High School during my sophomore year after my family and I moved.

Did you dominate as a pitcher during high school?
I wouldn’t say I dominated all the time. But, I did pitch games where I struck out every batter I faced. We won states my junior and senior year.

Who was your pitching coach?
My dad. When I started playing Little League, my dad taught himself pitching mechanics with books and videos, so he could teach me. At that time, there weren’t any clinics or coaches in the area. We learned together and tried all sorts of stuff, deciding what worked and didn’t work along the way.

How did you end up at Virginia Tech?
I wasn’t recruited very heavily out of high school. Since my high school was small, schools weren’t sure if the competition was strong enough. Virginia Tech is about an hour and a half away from where I live. Virginia Tech showed interest in me. It was the only visit I took and when coach made an offer, I took it.

Want to learn more? Check out this in-depth article about Tincher’s humble, small town beginnings here. 

Next Tuesday: Part 2: Angela Tincher: The Pitcher – Angela shares pitching tips and what it was like to tryout for the Olympics.

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