OT Team USA - woman's softball

by APGiantsFan on May 17, 2008 2:40 PM PDT

I had the opportunity to watch the best woman’s softball team in the world play an exhibition game last night in Visalia. Team USA improved its record to 32-1 on its “Bound 4 Bejing” tour with a 13-0 six inning win against a team of Central Valley ASA Allstars. Team USA is impressive with its bevy of Amazon pitchers (each over 6’0” tall), lead by the gorgeous Jennie Finch. I had the chance to ask Jennie about her bit on TWIB a few years back when she traveled to different major league parks and pitched against some major league players. She said the highlight was probably when she struck out Albert Puljos. I asked her about pitching to Barry and she said he was not willing to take any swings against her while the camera was on. (How are we not surprised).

The game was played in Visalia due to Team USA starting catcher Stacey Nuveman, who is a Visalia resident. The game was a fund raiser on behalf of the Miracle League, a baseball league for children and adults with disabilities. Team USA will be playing games on May 18th in Rohnert Park, May 19th in Sacramento and May 22nd in Stockton. If you get a chance to see them play – don’t miss it.

This FanPost is reader-generated, and it does not necessarily reflect the views of McCovey Chronicles. If the author uses filler to achieve the minimum word requirement, a moderator may edit the FanPost for his or her own amusement.

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Team USA is dominant. But now I know why I never excelled beyond the league for the 12 year olds—I’m short!

"While conservatives tell you 'leave things alone and no one will lose,' and liberals tell you 'interfere a lot and no one will lose,' baseball says 'someone will lose.' Not only says it - but insists upon it! ... Democracy is lovely, but baseball's more mature." BVCE supports SF Dugout and Manny Burriss.

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on May 17, 2008 2:44 PM PDT reply actions

Tommorow's Game!!!

I will at tommorows game in Rohnert Park. Im a student at SSU and they were selling tickets and I wanst passing up the chance to see Jennie Finch!!!!

by ACgiant97 on May 17, 2008 3:23 PM PDT reply actions

isn't she married to a DBack pitcher in the minors?

by wilriv21 on May 17, 2008 3:29 PM PDT up reply actions

casey daigle

by StickRat on May 17, 2008 5:03 PM PDT up reply actions

Tricked!

Man, that ball’s not soft at all!

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on May 17, 2008 4:23 PM PDT reply actions

Hmmm…

There are aspects of this that remind of PBB and Baron’s conversations about OMG LOWRY’S BUTT.

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on May 17, 2008 4:25 PM PDT reply actions

Hey now…Let the record show that I was not having a conversation about Lowry’s butt! I was spending all my time thinking about big boobies with machineguns in ‘um.

Adoptive papa to Omar...so basically I'm screwed.

by PacBellBoozer on May 19, 2008 2:34 AM PDT up reply actions

Also I do not recall bringing up Lowry’s butt once in that discussion. I specifically remember holding back my feelings on…that because I’m sure nobody (except tk and maybe jponry) on this board wants to hear about that.

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on May 19, 2008 7:27 AM PDT up reply actions

Olympic softball ...

It’s like that episode of Seinfeld where Krammer starts taking karate class. It’s fun to watch Cat Osterman pitch though. Best game face since Will Clark.

by StickRat on May 17, 2008 5:05 PM PDT reply actions

Hold Up Now Fellas....

I run a girls fastpitch youth softball league and Coach. I have Coached at Tournament level as well recreational play for over twelve years. Both of my daughters played (years ago).

A well played fastpitch softball game (Travel Players, NCAA, Olympic play) is really fun to watch. It’s a very fast game, fundamentally solid, and lots of strategy going on. Reminds me of old school NL baseball.

BTW, a seventy MPH fastball from 43 feet (NCAA,Olympic pitching distance) reaches the hitter about .05 of a second faster faster than a 98 MPH fastball. And the ball is generally rising up as it approaches the hitter. Most pitchers when they get to NCAA level also have four to seven pitches from a Fastball, Curve, Drop Curve, Rise Ball, Fastball Drop (slider), Change and sometimes a knuckleball.

If you get a chance, watch some of the Womens NCAA World Series this Memorial Day. You might like it.

Just my .02 :-)

My adopted son Matt Downs. Bill Mueller without the two-flap helmet .

by nvsfg on May 17, 2008 6:54 PM PDT reply actions

The only grumbles that I have about softball is that it’s like playing baseball on a harder difficulty, but is presented in a way that makes it look easier so nobody takes it seriously. The ball is harder to hit, the bats are more top-heavy and harder to swing, the ball is harder to field, the pitches come in faster, and the ball is harder to throw.

But it’s presented as a baby version of the game of baseball that grown men (you know, the “athletes” ::heavy quote::) shouldn’t stoop to???

I have a deep respect for the talent of the women who play softball, which is more difficult than traditional baseball in nearly every way, and not given nearly enough credit.

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on May 17, 2008 9:06 PM PDT up reply actions

Competitive Fastpitch Softball

is very difficult. The US Womens Team is so dominant, that the sport was allowed as Olympic trial sport in 1996, and will be removed after this year. They will have to reapply after 2012. They have only lost three games in 12 years of competitive play, IIRC. Fastpitch Softball is the fastest growing womens sport in the world. The US Womens team is part of that.

To your point Howie, Fastpitch softball is a fast, competitive, strategic, sport, and more difiicult than most people understand. This is not “beer league” coed softball. I have a twelve year old pitcher with a 58-62 mph fastball (radar gun) . On top of that, she also has four other pitches that vary in movement, location, and speed, including a Drop Curve (in and down like a slider), a Rise Ball (vertical rise of about six inches that “appears” to be a fastball) , and Drop Change ( like a split finger fastball). Beacuse of the “natural” motion of the underhand pitch, NCAA pitchers will often pitch 300 to 500 pitches in a tournament weekend. No arm, shoulder or elbow stress if the pitcher has good mechanics.

Here is a little Jennie Finch TWIB Video pitching to MLB players( man do I miss video embedding) . Watch the movement and velocity on the ball. Take a look at these guys faces when they miss, LOL.

My adopted son Matt Downs. Bill Mueller without the two-flap helmet .

by nvsfg on May 18, 2008 12:04 PM PDT up reply actions

seems like they're always throwing no-hitters

shouldnt they move the mound back a few feet?

by slojoe on May 17, 2008 9:50 PM PDT up reply actions

Moving the "rubber" back

for NCAA and World Amateur Competition has been under debate for over three years. ASA (Amateur Softball Association is the largest governing body of softball in the US. It is also the largest in the world I believe. The last change in Pitching distance was in 1999. It was moved from 40 ft to 43 ft.

My adopted son Matt Downs. Bill Mueller without the two-flap helmet .

by nvsfg on May 18, 2008 11:45 AM PDT up reply actions

shorten counts

I’m of the opinion they should shorten counts to three balls, or even two, for a walk. Softball hitters are forced to play such a guessing game with pitch location, and swing at so many pitches out of the strike zone. Also, whereas a baseball pitcher can move a ball three ways, a softball pitcher can move a ball (in esssence) four ways because of the rise ball. If a pitcher didn’t have the depth of a four-ball count, she would be forced to throw more hittable pitches, and it would make for a more balanced game.

by StickRat on May 18, 2008 1:25 PM PDT up reply actions

i saw the womens Pac-10 softball every once in a while on

what was FSN BayArea channel…..its not bad….

by slojoe on May 19, 2008 9:42 PM PDT up reply actions

BTW

Apparently Woman’s Softball is being removed as an Olympic sport after the Bejing games – I believe in large part due to the dominance by Team USA. In the last Olympics they outscored their opponents in their nine wins by the ridiculous total of 51 to 1! They are fast, they hit for power and there is no second chance while fielding – if you hesitate or bobble a ball the runner is safe. Go watch if you get the opportunity.

by APGiantsFan on May 18, 2008 9:15 AM PDT reply actions

It's more than one woman.

WomEn’s softball. Duh.

Ryan Paul: Two four-letter words are better than one.

by The Enchanter on May 18, 2008 10:16 AM PDT reply actions

Would be pretty impressive if it was just one player on a team dominating as Team USA does, though.

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on May 18, 2008 12:03 PM PDT up reply actions

Lola Bunny?

SAVE_US.RAY
Nattowear: now featuring new crap!

by Natto on May 18, 2008 5:35 PM PDT up reply actions

Jackie Posey?

..so allow me to present Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain as two sweet, sweet bottles of warming hooch.

by Cookyman on May 19, 2008 8:55 AM PDT up reply actions

Yay! We’re the best at a game that nobody else plays!

Billy Ripken is not a fuck face

by Karlifornia on May 18, 2008 3:57 PM PDT reply actions

Wrong....

Almost every nation in the world plays women’s Fastpitch softball, except most of the ME Muslim countries because of religious restrictions on dress and participation in athletic/sports activities.

Many nations field very good teams. Australia, Canada, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, China, Japan, Spain, the DR, Brazil and Mexico all field very respectable teams. They are just no match for the US Women’s Team

My adopted son Matt Downs. Bill Mueller without the two-flap helmet .

by nvsfg on May 18, 2008 4:43 PM PDT up reply actions

I’d heard softball lost its Olympic status because the voting was essentially paired with baseball. Baseball got voted out partially because of its lax (by Olympic standards) drug testing policies.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/summer/2006-02-09-london-baseball-softball-vote_x.htm

I have set Dave Roberts free; if he comes back, it was meant to be.

by hometownboy on May 20, 2008 3:10 AM PDT reply actions