Blue Carpet: Los Angeles Sparks

You throw, girl.

Over the weekend,  golfer Michelle Wie threw out the first pitch at the Dodgers Game.

Not sure how we missed the fact that last Wednesday, Los Angeles Sparks forwards and 2008 Olympians Tina Thompson and Delisha Milton Jones were similarly honored. The pair were featured during the Dodger’s Olympic celebration.

As part of the night’s festivities, Tina and Delisha also got a chance to throw the first pitch of the game.

Pics and video

Earlier in the season, Jackie Joyner Kersee, Sports Illustrated’s Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th Century and winner of three gold, a silver and two bronze Olympic medals and  Cammi Granato, who captained the U.S. Women’s Hockey team to the gold medal at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games threw out ceremonial first pitches at games in Chicago.

Nice to see these female athletes getting some attention.

Venice gets its first female gondolier

It’s a familiar site on the water streets of Venice, the striped shirts and flat hats of the gondoliers  expertly steering their black boats underneath bridge after bridge in the picturesque city.

And now, after 900 years, the canals of Venice, Italy finally have their first female Gondolier.

Giorgia Boscolo, 23 and the mother of two, had to pass a grueling 400 hour course, but told reporters that she had no fear that she couldn’t handle the physicality of the job:  “Childbirth is much more difficult.” she said.

The trade, normally handed down from father to son, opened up to everyone when the city of Venice introduced an official gondoliering course in 2007.

During the exhaustive six-month course, students learn how to steer their gondolas and must show a perfect knowledge of Venice’s canals. Aspiring gondoliers learn how to propel the narrow boats with a single oar and how to predict treacherous tides and currents.

Boscolo will now be able to row tourists around the Venice’s picturesque canals alongside her male counterparts after demonstrating that she has mastered the tricky art of maneuvering her 500lb, 35ft-long gondola.

Boscolo’s father, also a gondolier, has doubts about her participation in this historically male tradition: “I still think being a gondolier is a man’s job, but I am sure that with experience Giorgia will be able to do it easily,” he said.

Papa Boscolo better get used to waving across the canal to his daughter. No doubt she’ll be busy. Pretty Tough, indeed!

Japan’s first female professional baseball player makes debut

Japan’s first female professional baseball player made her debut Friday, striking out one batter in the ninth inning.

Eri Yoshida, a 17-year-old who throws a sidearm knuckleball, took the mound during Kobe 9 Cruise’s 5-0 season-opening win over the Osaka Gold Villicanes in the newly formed Kansai Independent League.

The 5-foot, 114-pounder walked the first batter leading off the inning on four pitches and allowed a stolen base before striking out the next batter swinging at Osaka Dome. She was then replaced after facing two batters.

“I wasn’t thinking about anything other than just going out there and giving it my all,” said Yoshida, who is hoping to stick with the Kobe team. “I think this was a bad result but the stadium is great and the fans were really cheering me on. I want to be able to pitch more innings and become a pitcher who can be relied upon.”

Yoshida created a stir when she signed a contract in December. Some speculated the move was more of a publicity stunt to generate interest in the new league. There were 11,592 fans in the 45,000-seat stadium Friday.

Yoshida started playing baseball when she was in second grade and hopes to emulate Boston Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield.

Until now, no woman had played against men in Japan. A women’s professional baseball federation was established in 1950 but it stopped after two seasons.

The Cruise and the other three teams in the Kansai league are similar to American farm teams but still a huge step forward for this teen, who is making her pitch for the pros.

You throw, girl!

(via AP)