Thread: Major Upset - Japan Takes Gold

Hi all,

One other issue that arises in regards to re-instatement at the Olympics is the matter of having to built a venue for the sport. One of many of the arguments that were raised was the fact that a stadium had to be build for only 1 purpose. If both, men and women softball, were to be included in the Olympic program you would have twice the number of attendance for the same infrastructure cost.

Just my 0.02$

Fair point. I suppose Olympic inclusion would be a huge boost for men's fastpitch?

Too little too late at this point for USA softball.

30 years ago, every town in USA had men's fastpitch and USA was on top of the world. Today, not much is left.

30 years ago, girls softball was not as popular, played in schools, or colleges and they were not as good. Today, they play everywhere and USA is considered the frontrunner.

So bottomline, without it being in high schools and college, even the olympics wouldn't help at this point.

A fastpitch team in every town 30 years ago? Heck, 30 years ago there were A div Mens team seemed like on every block in my area. Lower divisions and their leagues were huge.

However, like any other sport, there was no feeder crop of boys coming up playing the sport so eventually it died out. I believe there is an industrial fastpitch league still around and there is an 'over 40' league 40 miles to the North in Stockton.

The nearest A div teams I have heard of is in Fresno (90 miles South) and Sacramento (90 miles North).

The bay area used to be a hotbed for Men's fastpitch too, the leagues were jam packed in every division. The results of the legue play took up 3 to 4 full pages of the Newspaper. Not any more.

Thirty years ago every little town in IL. had ASA softball. I played from 1964 - 1978. But we didn't have like 10U, etc. We were girl's or women's. Women's was the place to be and we were always fully sponsored.

Men's fastpitch was left off the Pan Am games in 2007 because Brazil did not want to build the facilities for it since it's a Non-Olympic sport and they have no men's national team there. Having said that, they also had no women's national team either but were 'required' to build the stadium due to the Olympic status of women's softball. There were other sports they eliminated because they are not in Olympics, not just softball. I'm not sure how they can bid on an event (Pan Am games) and then change what sports they will accept. Common sense says: "You bought it AS IS!" The other part that is upsetting is: ISF made no public statement or public pleas to get men's softball reinstated in Pan Ams as they have with Olympic softball. ISF seemingly views men's fastpitch the way ASA does... as little as possible! Men's fastpitch used to be the bread and butter of both organizations and now they want NOTHING do with helping the sport. Rather than helping the game get re-established, they turned their backs and are watching it die a slow death.

Hal, I pitched against the Sacramento team at the World tournament last week. They were good. I've not seen any Fresno teams in a few years. The leagues you mentioned where there countless teams and players are gone.

Japan beats USA. Is it good for softball the reporters ask USA members and staff after the loss? I bet they are tired of being asked this question. It may be good for everybody else but not for the US team members. They went there to win the GOLD! Congrats to Japan who proved that a hot pitcher can beat anybody.
My opinion is why on earth would the great game of softball or baseball in that manner ever be removed from the olympics. Popularity for both sports have grown year after year. I can't imagine what my 60 year old father, who use to play fastpitch 6 days a week, is going to do when he can't DVR all of the softball games next olympics. I guess he is going to have to watch synchronized swimming.

I still can't figure out why this was considered a major upset. In the 2004 Olympics, the US beat the Japanese team in extra innings. This year, in one of the softball games, the US had to go extra innings to beat Japan. Anyone with any sense would know that one hit or there and Japan could have beat the US twice.

Upset? You are right sluggers. Sure the US was favored but Japan has one of the best pitchers in the world. I was a bit surprised that the US offense struggled like it did. Lets hope the women and the men can get back in again asap!