Ladies Softball

It may be played with a larger ball and on a smaller field but softball is played with as much heart as the grand old game of baseball. The game of softball was invented in 1887 in Chicago Illinois as an indoor game. At different times in history it has been known as mush ball, kitten ball, playground ball, and ladies baseball. In 1926 the title softball was given to the game because of the softball used to play the game.

Interest was built around the game when it was spectated at the 1933 Chicago World's fair. Today the Amateur Softball Association of America which was founded in 1933 governs the game of softball in the U.S. The World Baseball Softball Confederation or WBSC regulates the sport around the world. In 1996 Women's fast pitch softball became a summer olympic sport, in 2012 the game was not played in the Olympics but will return in 2020.

The most common type of softball is known as slow pitch softball where the ball must arch on its path to the batter and 10 players are on the field. Fast Pitch softball is played as the game says with a fast pitch and only nine players. Modified softball has some regulation with the pitching but is played much like fast pitch. All three styles consist of 7 innings of play.

Chicago Illinois was the birth place of softball. The game was played on thanksgiving day 1887 George Hancock was the creator of this great game. The Farragut Club set the rules for the game and was known then as "Indoor Baseball" to help maintain skills during the winter months. The name of the game changed to Indoor Outdoor baseball the following year and was set up for exercises for firefighters. The YMCA is credited with naming the game "softball" during a meeting.

I would love to take a moment and give a shout out to all the great ladies who played softball for the Carbondale Illinois SIU Salukies.