As I mentioned in my last blog I am a pretty big softball fan. I am also a big baseball fan, but when it comes down to knowing stats and players, I am better versed in softball than baseball. Good thing I have the guys in the office and my roommate Jake to keep me updated on all that is happening in Major League Baseball.
Nick mentioned in his last blog that one of his favorite times of the year is March Madness, and although there is always great basketball played during the tournament, one of MY favorite times of the year is the College Softball World Series. It is game after game of great softball being played by the top teams in the nation and you get to see the top players. Although there is the National Pro Fastpitch League, the College Softball World Series is still the most watched softball tournament of the year. Even if many of you may have little interest in softball, I'd like to continue to spend the rest of the blog comparing some of the top softball players to some of the top Major Leaguers.
To start, the obvious softball standout softball player is Jenny Finch. I would compare her to Nolan Ryan. Finch has played softball since she was 5 and has been pitching since she was 8. She was a 3 sport athlete in high school, but always had her focus on softball. She spent her college years playing for the University of Arizona, playing for one of the most successful coaches in softball history, Mike Candrea, and taking Arizona to a National Championship in 2001. Finch recorded 109 wins in her college career and suffered no losses as a junior. Finch also played first base when she wasn’t pitching. In her college career she struck out 1,028 batters and topped out at 71 mph. Now remember, college softball pitches from 43 feet, so a 71 mph "riseball" is equivalent to a 100 mph fastball in baseball, which is why Finch is the Nolan Ryan of softball. She has also thrown several no-hitters like Ryan and has had her number retired! The biggest difference between Finch and Ryan is that Finch has typically been on winning teams and Ryan has often played on mediocre teams. Finch is widely known as the most famous softball player of all time and is currently pitching for the Chicago Bandits and married to free agent pitcher Casey Daigle.
Next we have Crystl Bustos who is the Prince Fielder/David Ortiz of softball. Now I must say I am comparing her to Fielder and Ortiz because in my opinion they are two of the top hitters in baseball, which is due to the fact that I am a big Brewers fans and a big fan of Ortiz. Bustos is one of the top hitters in softball history and was named the 2008 USA Softball player of the year. She plays 3rd base, but is typically utilized as a designated player. Bustos is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and one-time silver medalist. She holds the world record for home runs during a series with six. Bustos got her big shot in the 2004 Olympics when she replaced Dot Richardson at shortstop and was only 23 at the time. With Bustos at shortstop Team USA had one of the most solid infields of all time. She went on to hit .346 in the ’04 Olympics with 10 runs batted in and 6 home runs. As for her fielding, she had 9 starts with a perfect fielding percentage. Bustos on-base percentage is off the charts has she is often intentionally walked, much like Fielder or Ortiz when they are in a crucial at-bat. Like Fielder and Ortiz, Bustos is known as one of the biggest power hitters in all of softball. Bustos is currently playing for the Akron Racers out of Ohio and has retired from international play.
I know I only covered two players; however, they are two of the top players in softball. Stay tuned to future blogs as I continue to compare softball greats to baseball legends.
Oh I almost forgot, feel free to write in to the Olympics commission and tell them to bring softball back as an Olympic sport!
Thanks for reading!
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