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However, like baseball, softball seems to inspire devoted fans and players. If you look closely at baseball and softball bats, you can notice subtle differences there as well. Fast pitch players must hit a ball traveling at about 70mph. Softballs are about 12 inches in circumference while baseballs measure 9 inches. What is the hardest position in softball?
After being an Olympic sport for the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympic games, softball was recently dropped from the 2012 London Olympics by a tied vote of 52-52 with one member abstaining. This makes for a faster, more active game than baseball, a fact that many softball enthusiasts cite as one of the reasons they enjoy the game so much. Softball Vs. Baseball: What Are the Similarities and Differences. The first softball, a spur of the moment creation in that long-ago first game, was a boxing glove tied into the shape of a ball. The United States team took the first gold medal in the sport, beating China in the gold medal game 3-1.
In softball, you will see players laying down bunts toward the left side of the infield and trying to make their way to first base before the pitcher or third baseman can throw them out with regularity. Thus, schools were within their right to deny girls who were interested in baseball as long as a softball team was provided. Softball, like most every sport, is a game that was founded by chance. It's entertaining and fun to watch, but I don't understand why it is even necessary. Is a softball harder than a baseball? In some softball leagues, there are limits to the types of bats that can be used. All I'm saying is, the girls deserve a chance, so let's give it to them. Small ball smaller than baseball. In baseball, if you throw close to 90 MPH you will get the attention of college scouts and at the pro levels, pitchers are now throwing close to 95 MPH with consistency due to the advancement in training techniques. In baseball, pitchers have the additional responsibility of trying to keep runners close to the base so they do not steal bases. Check at any park or ball diamond in the spring and summer, and you are sure to find both kids and adults tossing a ball and trying to figure out how to hit the perfect home run. The rules of slowpitch are pretty similar to regular softball with the exception that pitchers must throw a ball that is at least 6 feet and no higher than 12 feet. Sports science put together a great video showing the difficulty of hitting a softball compared to facing a baseball pitcher:. In 1996, women's fast pitch softball made its first appearance at the Atlanta Olympic Games. Shorter Distance from the Pitcher's Mound to Home Plate.
Softballs are larger and have a circumference of approximately 12 inches and can weigh up to seven ounces. This shortens the infield and takes into account the shorter pitching distances. Send comments or questions to or follow him on Twitter @zacknally). What ball is smaller than a baseball. Baseball was not on that list, though. In softball, most pitchers throw between 58-65 miles per hour and if you throw over 60 MPH you will likely get the attention from professional softball leagues. Without a solid pitcher, teams will struggle to win games and shortstops tend to be involved in the most fielding plays out of all the positions on the field so having a reliable shortstop is key.
On Thanksgiving Day in 1887, a group of men were impatiently awaiting the score of the Harvard-Yale football game and decided to create an ad hoc indoor version of baseball to keep themselves entertained. Is softball the girl version of baseball? Baseball is for boys, and softball is for girls. In terms of size, if a pitcher must throw for 35 feet, the baselines are approximately 55 apart. In softball, the baselines are much shorter than on a traditional baseball diamond. The bats used in baseball and softball are noticeable differences as well. A 90 MPH fastball that is released at 55 feet from home plate gives hitters the reaction time of. What is smaller than a baseball. Fast pitch is different from the looping, relaxed pitch often used in recreational softball leagues. I'm not sure that's the right way to go about it either, though. In softball, leading off is not allowed which is much different than baseball. The barrels of most softball bats are wider than those used for baseball.
Softball games are also two innings shorter than baseball games. Comments are closed. When Title IX, the 1972 law that required equal funding to both male and female sports teams, finally appeared, women were given fair ground on nearly every sport. The barrels for baseball bats are around 2-⅝' around where softball bats are 2-¼' in diameter.
A softball field has 60 feet between each base while baseball's bases are 90 feet apart. A smaller infield also affects how the defense is played. Why not let girls play baseball instead of softball? | Sports | carolinacoastonline.com. Why must women play a watered-down version of a game that has worked hard to be more inclusive after a long history of exclusivity? Some have succeeded, and most have failed, but none have made a serious impact. Home Plate to Right Field||315 feet|. The was the biggest obstacle looming for women interested in playing baseball was that their talents simply didn't hold water, not against the novelty of women playing baseball and the entertainment factor of it all. To many people's surprise, softball players have a shorter reaction time due to the fact that pitchers leap off the mound and typically release the ball from 37 feet, which gives hitters facing a 70 MPH fastball.
In softball, the distance between the pitcher's mound and home plate is also much shorter than in baseball. There has been speculation that the committee members thought that women's softball was just a female version of baseball, and not popular enough to matter. The playing diamond is much smaller than baseball's, with only 60 feet between bases. Home to First||90 feet|. For many, baseball is a sport typically played by boys and softball is mostly played by girls. Since then, women all over the country, and now the world, have fought for the chance to play on their school's baseball team.