Baseball players constantly comment “I’ll take you yard” to softball players degradingly, indicating that softball is significantly easier. Their evidence? The field is smaller, the ball is larger and neon yellow-green, ‘soft’ being in the name, and underhand pitching is easier to hit.
Funny enough, the stereotype of softball being easier than baseball has developed all thanks to the typical view of male dominance in sports, but softball was not intended to be a women’s sport. So essentially, their demeaning endeavors are due to softball being a “girls’ sport.”
Although it is now seen as a women’s sport, Softball actually began as a men’s sport in 1887, and became an NCAA women’s sport twenty three years later in 1910. Despite its recognition as a collegiate sport, it was not until 1982 that the women competed in the College World Series. Precisely 35 years after the College World Series, now denoted as the Men’s College World Series, debuted.
The thematic idea of men’s sports superiority over women’s has been a persisting issue for decades, when the reality is in many ways, softball is actually harder than baseball. For instance, in baseball, a 90 miles per hour pitch takes .44 seconds to reach home plate from 60 feet 6 inches away. In softball, from 43 feet away, a 70 mile per hour fastball, comparable to the 90 mile per hour pitch, takes .35 seconds to cross home plate. That is a .09 second difference, or approximately 20% less time for softball players.
Due to the downward trajectory of a baseball pitch, the ball’s movement is limited to left, right, and downwards. With the underhand release of a softball, the ability of a rise ball, or upwards movement is possible. This rise ball is an asset softball pitchers have that baseball players will never see in their sport.
Former MLB superstar Albert Pujols, totaling 703 home runs throughout his professional career, fell victim to Olympic softball pitcher Jennie Finch’s rise ball in 2004. The at bat was short-lived for Pujols, striking out without making contact after four straight rise balls. Following the uncontested match-up, Pujols acclaimed, “It’s amazing and she’s so good.” While complimenting Finch’s skills, Pujols proceeded to hope aloud that in a future match-up, he could be better prepared.
These stats are not to discredit baseball players, as in other ways their game is harder. The point is, different aspects of baseball and softball level out their difficulty; both are even listed equally at number nine on ESPN’s rank of hardest sports. Solely because one plays or supports one sport, does not eliminate the appreciation and support they can have for the other.
Discrediting other sports, whether it’s sexism or sheer ignorance, should have ceased a long time ago. It does nothing except create a short lived joke at the expense of bringing down athletes’ self confidence and morale in an already-challenging field of sports. If these negative comments depict your views, if you are incapable of lifting other sports up to cheer them on, that is an extremely childish point of view. Perhaps you should focus on yourself instead—the side comments are unnecessary, and disrespecting hard-working women doesn’t make you cool.
