Baseball is a very well known sport and often known as “America’s pastime” and softball is highly similar, but with a few key differences. Many people just assume that the sport of baseball is more difficult than softball, but don’t actually know the specific parts of each of the two. Also, if you’ve never played one or the other sport, you shouldn’t be assuming anything at all in the first place. Although many assume one may be harder than the other, baseball and softball both have particular factors which make them both complex in their own way.
The first component we can look at is the pitching/hitting element of the two. In baseball (pro, college and high school) the distance from the pitcher’s mound to home plate is 60 feet 6 inches. In softball, college level is 43 feet from the mound to home plate, and high
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Looking at an article, Baseball vs. Softball, from a website called Ball or Nothing, they state that “Softball, which is perceived to be a “girls sport”, not only differs from baseball in field dimensions, equipment and rules, but, in contrast to many preconceived notions, it also has a higher rate of injury in regards to concussions and sliding related injuries.” So, both the two have different levels of injury rates with different types of injuries. Also in this article, a conversation between Dr. Joe Congeni and Barry Howell quote that “...concussions are far more common, nearly two times as frequent, in softball than baseball (Congeni, 2014).” A study conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics went more in depth about the concussion differences and claims “the rates of concussions for baseball was 0.2 per 1000 athletic exposures, and for softball the rate of concussions was 0.5 per 1000 athletic exposures.” Congeni also hypothesizes that the shorter distance from home to the mound and a smaller infield is why is it more likely to be hit by a pitch in softball (which make
Softball was developed as an indoor game in 1887 by George W.Hancock in Chicago. He used a 17-inch ball with outward turned seams. In the Spring of 1888, Hancock’s game moved outdoors. It was played on a small diamond and called indoor-outdoor. In 1889 Hancock published the first set of rules because of such high popularity in the sport. In 1895 a fire department officer with the name of Lewis Rober decided that he needed an activity to keep the firefighters active during their free time. Rober was unfamiliar with Hancock’s version of the game and in 1895 adapted the game for outdoor play. Rober used a 12-inch ball with a cover like a baseball. In 1900, Rober named the league Kitten League Ball.
While some people prefer the slower action of softball, others prefer the faster action of baseball. The game of baseball is male dominated because many males prefer the faster, harder baseball since it makes the game more of a challenge. On the other hand, both males and females play softball which uses a larger ball, that is slower pitched and, therefore, easier to hit. Many players feel that softball is safer than baseball because it does not involve a hardball travelling at high speeds at the batter.
“Batter up!” the umpire yelled from behind home plate on the diamond-shaped field for the inning to begin. Adrenaline rushed through the players’ veins as the crowd cheering echoed from the bleachers to the outfield. Softball and baseball are team sports which both require an umpire and a diamond shaped field. All players are important. Most aspects of the games are the same. Each team has only nine players on the field at nine different positions. Each inning ends when there are three outs. Baseball generally consists of nine innings, whereas softball usually is played in seven innings. People think that softball is not as tough as baseball because they think that softball is a soft sport. I have been playing softball for about ten years, but prior to that I played baseball. However, the game of softball is on a whole different level. Softball plays require much more speed, and there is a greater possibility of getting injured. The game of softball is more hazardous and fast-paced than baseball.
A regulation fast pitch softball, at the high school level, has the circumference of 12 inches and a weight of 6.25-7.00 ounces. The ball has a leather surface and a raised seam that makes gripping the ball easier. These dimensions are different from that of any other ball and effect the shape of a softball throw.
First of all, baseball players will always say that softball is the easier sport; especially when it comes to hitting. From the perspective of a softball player, I think that baseball is easier. There are longer bases, longer pitching distance, and those tiny baseballs travel a long way! One of the major differences in baseball though is the hitting style. Baseball players can afford to have a long swing because they have plenty of time to see the ball coming out of the pitcher’s hand. That’s mostly the reason you’ll see Major League Baseball players strike out when facing a softball pitcher. Olympic champion pitcher, Jennie Finch, has a fastball that takes the same amount of time to reach the plate as a 95-mph fastball from an MLB mound. Mind you, a softball pitcher’s mound is 43 feet from the plate, while a baseball pitcher’s
Like many sports the rules of softball have changed threw out history. Anyone who plays softball knows mother nature has a huge role in the game. We play outside on a field so rain, lightning, and thunder don't always get along with the game schedule. When softball was first thought of this was not a problem as the game was played inside. It was originally used for baseball players to
It was Thanksgiving Day in 1887, and just like men would today, they were watching football. The alumni of Harvard and Yale got together to cheer on their former schools. After the game, a man from Yale, in celebration, picked up a boxing glove and tossed it across the room at the Harvard graduates. Using a broom handle one of the Harvard men hit the glove away. This gave George Hancock, one of the men who was gathered there for the game, an idea. He took two boxing gloves tied them together and made a large ball. Then he chalked out a small diamond, like the ones in baseball, and broke a broom handle to use as a bat (History). The group of twenty played the first game of what would become known as softball. After an hour, the game ended with a score of 41-40 (History). At the time the game was called indoor baseball, and became a popular sport in the city of it’s creation, Chicago (History).
Softball is an extracurricular activity that has been around for many years, and it first started with Slowpitch softball. Fastpitch softball did not come into existence until in recent years, and it has helped the spread of the sport of softball throughout the world. Even though the sport of softball is growing, there are many people who do not know about the sport. While both Fastpitch Softball and Slowpitch Softball contain similar characteristics, Slowpitch does differ in a few aspects. The way the ball comes from the pitcher, and base stealing are differences in the two, however, a similarity between the two is that both Slowpitch and Fastpitch can go to the professional level.
Texas Tech has proven that hitting a softball is way harder to hit than a baseball. A softball pitcher is very close to you at the pitcher's mound. If you are in the batter's box it feels like they are right on top of you especially since most softball pitchers can be up to about 6 feet in height. It is scientifically proven that a softball player has less time to react to the ball because of the distance and speed of the pitch. Also, softball pitchers not only throw hard, but they also throw tricky pitches to hit. The pitch that rises upwards is called a rise ball. When this pitch comes in, most coaches will say just let it go instead of risking this pitch. Baseball players throw breaking balls, but unlike in softball they don't suddenly leap up right as you're going to swing at it. Pitchers in softball can also throw a curve ball that curves away from the batter but still in the strike zone. A screw ball moves closer to the batter. Same as a curve ball it is still in the strike zone just right on the edge of it. Softball players throw many more change ups than in baseball. Change ups catch the player off guard causing them to swing and become frustrated with themselves. As you can tell softball pitchers don't mess around using every inch of the plate to pitch the ball and strike the batter
Other than statistics math is constant being used with in every play. Reaction time is where it all starts, with the simple equation of Time = Distance / Velocity. I know hitting a baseball isn't the toughest thing in sports. But hitting a softball just might be. The reaction time to hit a softball is less than hitting a baseball. When counting in milliseconds, 20-20 vision isn't enough. For example Jennie Finch toured the country striking out Major League Baseball players such as Pujols and Piazza who have less reaction time against her 60 mph pitch from 43 feet (0.350 sec) than they do against a 95 mph baseball pitch from 60 feet 6 inches (0.395). Many don’t realize how much more mathematical softball is but now I can say it a lot more than just putting that jersey on and balling
Over history America has changed. From its culture and weapons to its geography and foreign relations, nothing stays the same for long. As America changes, so does its pastime-baseball. If the pros were to walk into a game from the 1800s, they would be lost. Nearly every part of baseball has changed; the field, the equipment, the arrangement of the teams, the way people play the game, even the ball has been tweaked. The only thing that stays the same from decade to decade, century to century, is all that really matters. . . our country’s love for the game.
The importance of softball in my life goes unnoticed by others, but I owe everything I am to this sport. I am an organized, cooperative woman who does not let failures affect my work ethic. Although my friends and family do not give my softball career much credit, I am confident that the lessons I’ve taken away from this sport have proficiently prepared me to step up to the plate and score a successful
The big question for people who don’t play this question is really, what is softball? Softball is a little bit more modified version of baseball but softball is played on a smaller field,with a larger ball, played with 7 innings instead of 9 and with underarm pitch in a circular motion. Now that we know what the basic part of softball is let’s talk about the equipment. The equipment used to play softball is a bat about waist level give or
As Paige and I walked across the field towards our team I felt euphoric. Four long years of work, sweat, and dedication had led up to this night. It was the perfect end to my senior year of softball. The scoreboard just beyond the mass of sweaty, screaming softball players read 15-0. This was the final score of the district championship game, a game my team had never won before. The applause and cheers of the fans echoed in my ears for hours afterward
Whether it is the angle needed to swing the bat, the force needed to kick the ball, or the speed needed to run, physics is present in every aspect of every sport. Players become aware at a young age that physics will be a part of their lives for as long as they play a sport, even if they are not aware of it. From the moment a child starts a sport, the many different methods used to improve revolve around physics. Softball is a prime example of this. Physics plays a role in softball because every aspect of this sport requires a certain momentum and force. Players must aim to achieve the skill to be able to use the physics behind the sport to their advantage. Through the use of hitting, catching, and throwing a softball, there is the need to