History of Softball

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Softball and baseball have some things in common, but they are also different. The history of softball goes back to 1887. Softball is a really interesting sport and also fun to play.
The game of softball was first played in 1887 on Thanksgiving Day (Gitlin 20). More than 5 million people played softball by 1940 (Dagenais). The Netherlands was introduced to softball after World War II, by a Canadian soldier (Dagenais). Fast-pitch softball became a sport in the 1970s (Gitllin 29).
Softball is a game of speed and defense (Gareth). In 1908 the game of softball was moved outdoors, but before then, it was played indoors (Keith 235). If a runner was on first, second, and third base, the pitcher would pitch the ball and if the catcher missed the catch, meaning the ball went past the catcher, then the people on the bases could go to the next base (Keith 238). Whenever the batter hit the ball, he/she wanted it to be inside the foul line. You never wanted it to go into foul territory (Blackall 9). The playing surface that people most commonly prefer is grass (Blackall 9). The infield surface most people prefer is a clay surface (Blackall 9).
Whenever the pitcher pitched the ball, the pitcher had pitch the ball underhand, even though the boys threw it overhand (Keith 238). When the pitcher grips the ball, she is supposed to use her thumb and her first three fingers. The last finger (pinkie) is used to make the twist on the ball as it hurdles towards the batter (Keith 238). The pitching done then is the same as the pitching done now days, although today some people use more windups to make pitching more efficient; a windup is a style of pitching that was adopted by various pitchers wanting more control of their pitching (Keith 239).
In...

... middle of paper ...

...s get scholarships to be able to play for that college to help with the tuition of going there.
Softball has come along way in girls sports by the uniforms they wore, how the ball gloves were made and by the bats they used years ago. The costs of the equipment used now has increased and the different brand names of clothing and equipment has become a trend.

Works Cited
Blackall, Bernie Softball Des Plaines, IL: Reed Educational & Professional Publishing, 1998. 17 May 2014. Print
Dagenais, Marc The History of Softball Ezinearticles 25 July 2009. 6 May. Web.
Dagenais, M.O. The History of Softball Softballperformance 2009. 6 May. Web.
Gareth The History of Softball articlebase 2005. 9 May. Web
Gitlin, Marty Girls Play to Win Softball Chicago, IL: Northwood House Press, 2012. Print.
Keith, Harold Sports and Games New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1941. Print.

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