I know they have wood bat leagues for baseball players in the summer. Most major areas also have a college basketball league made of current and former college players. Don't know why they can't do something like this for softball.
NPF suspends operations. New pro team formed in Florida.
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MLB sponsors RBI softball teams in cities around the country supposed to target players that wouldn't otherwise get to play. I think they try to get current TB players to stack a team. As I understand they play other regional teams then go on to a "Nationals" type event. I know a girl who played on the team (signed to play D1 in the NE). Not a whole lot of marketing around this organization that I have been able to find.
http://www.astrosyouthacademy.com/leagues
http://www.astrosyouthacademy.com/leagues
Wasn't that Athletes Unlimited the league where players mixed up teams every week?........I may be in the minority, but that was a dumb idea.
I love watching college softball, but not the pros, just look at the Olympics, it was boring (and yes, I am a softball fan), so I can't ever see a pro league really taking off. Everyone likes college because they really play for something, and it could be your college or your favorite college you are rooting for. I guess maybe I'm conditioned to only enjoy the softball games my DD is playing in, (and the one's I'm umpiring), can't really see myself going to a pro game, and as my DD has told be plenty of times, "I only like watching the games I'm playing in"............
Because they have similar interests and corporate sponsors. MLB has nothing in common with fastpitch.
If there was money to be made in professional fastpitch it would easily be funded
Yes, that's the league. And they're back for a second year.
I do think the format is a bit of a gimmick and not what I prefer to see, but it's basically All Star Games every week. And since they're only playing in one location (and I'm lucky enough to live close enough to attend), it works for me.
What your DD has said is something I hear often, and I think it's a huge problem (I also think it's a lot like a writer saying she refuses to read...).
Schmick's Gloves
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Why would MLB waste money on a sport that's not only not baseball but one whose supporters constantly say it is better than baseball?
Unfortunately I don't see any situation in which a pro womens fastpitch league is viable. It's not women's baseball and men's fastpitch softball doesn't have a viable pro league either for them to gravy train off of like the wnba.
MLB might put some money behind women's pro baseball, the AAGPBL ended in 1954, it was supported by some MLB owners, but that was 67 years ago.
For the last 60+ years the girls have set out to create a sport of their own and while it may look similar to baseball to some people it uses different fields, different balls, different bats, plays by almost completely different rules.
As much as the 2 sports are similar those who support softball thumb their nose at baseball and the differences between the 2. MLB isn't going to financially support fastpitch, women's baseball they might, but not softball
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Schmick's Gloves
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The NBA had 5 million watch their all star game, MLB has 10 million viewers of their all star game.
The NBA finals just averaged 4.2 million viewers per game
The last World Series averaged 9.8 million viewers
Maybe the NBA should pay attention to what MLB is doing.
The NBA loses money on the wnba every season, they have never profited from it. But... the wnba can amd does play in the same arenas, using almost all of the equipment that the NBA isn't using in their off season.
MLB couldn't do this with Pro womens fastpitch.
1, the MLB off season would start in November and run through March or so, what percentage of MLB fields would be playable from November til March? You'd have 5 in California, 1 in Arizona, 2 in Florida and 1 in Georgia, 2 in Texas so maybe 11 stadiums they could play in.
2, the dimensions of the fields are completely different. Are they going to put temporary fences and back stops up on the MLB fields? Tear out all of the infields and mounds so they could put down a smaller dirt infield and then hope that any sod put in place in March seeds and is durable enough to play on come April?
3, a softball league supported by MLB like the wnba is supported by the NBA would have to compete for viewers with the NFL, College Football, NBA, NHL as those are the sports that run during the MLB off season. What kind of support could the MLB hope for competing against those entities? Are fans in Texas going to pay attention to a Rangers or Asterisks supported softball team instead of the Dallas Cowboys or Houston Texans? What about Tampa, are Tampa fans going to support a Devil Ray's softball team instead of Brady and the Buccaneers?
The NBA can lose money every year with the wnba because the wnba only competes with MLB for Pro team sports viewers, the arenas are already paid for, vacant and require minimal change between NBA and wnba events and weather isn't really an obstacle. None of those are true with MLB trying to support a women's pro softball league.
P.S. and why would MLB risk feeding an ungrateful lot that would constantly bite them? Have you looked at sports news at all in the last few years? The NBA is constantly being slandered by wnba players complaining about how NBA players are paid more amd then ignoring every reason why the NBA players deserve more. The US women's national soccer team are already paid more than the men's team players but the women have been complaining for years that they feel they deserve even more money than they're already paid. When anyone points out that the women were offered the men's contract and turned it down, they're called chauvinistic
How long does the NBA continue to lose money supporting the wnba only to have wnba players slam the NBA in the press over salaries?
Why would MLB even open themselves up to that?
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it would be hard to see the MLB helping with softball.. they have enough problems helping their minor league Affiliates. those affiliates are still in trouble fro the pandemic. they will probably keep their efforts targeted to them as they are a direct pipeline potentially to pros.. helping softball in no way will help an MLB team.. NBA WNBA works mores in my opinion bc the games resemble each other more than Fastpitch and baseball do.. however I do agree that there should be some sort of league or place for college girls to get live reps during summer months or at least graduates who are not ready to pack it in have lace to play on weekends.. if they were Able to travel for Fastpitch as kids with parents taking time off from work etc , then as young adult most should be able to travel themselve to maybe participate in a game that they have loved since young age..even if some of the larger travel organizations that we are grew up with create an alumni team to piggy back during the tournaments the younger kids participate in during the summer would allow opportunity to stay fresh off season and maybe even assistant coach the travel team during same weekend of tournaments just thinking outloud
Maybe they should give up fastpitch and go back to women's baseball?
Schmick's Gloves
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If they want MLB to foot the bill for their Pro league they might have to.Maybe they should give up fastpitch and go back to women's baseball?
What many people fail to understand is that professional baseball started in 1869 and it was more than 50 years before all of its players were able to live off the money earned through playing baseball. All of the major Pro leagues in the US, (MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA) struggled for decades and players had to work other jobs before a fan base could be built up and enough income from those fans could allow players to earn what they earn now. The wnba and pro softball players seem to want to get in on the 20th floor when the fan interest in their sports are still in the basement.
I like the semi-pro model tied to travel organizations that others brought up. After their college eligibility is up players can go to the big travel academies, earn money giving lessons, coaching teams, running camps and then represent the organizations on 19+ teams. You could also have corporate teams, Wilson, Rawlings, Easton, Mizuno.... could hire former college players as corporate reps to help sell and develop their products, go to larger tournaments and set up displays and booths to demo the products, travel the country giving development camps and then playing with the products and representing the companies they work for in the 19+ divisions.
You have to get people excited enough about the games to pay to watch them.
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