Best All Time Softball Player

To find the best all time softball player we should explore its history. Softball is closely related to baseball with a few differences. A softball is larger than a baseball and thrown underhand verses the overhand throw commonly used in baseball. Invented in Chicago by George Hancock in 1887 on Thanksgiving Day. It was created as a way for baseball players to keep their skills going during winter as softball was played indoors. The game at first was called Indoor Baseball but got the name of Softball in 1926 when Walter Hakanson so named it at a meeting of the National Recreation Congress. The name spread across the country quickly. By the time the 1940’s rolled around there were two different types of pitching; the original slow pitch and then the birth of the fast pitch which slowly began to dominate.

Cat Osterman (Catherine Leigh Osterman) is the top player in softball history. She was born on April 16, 1983 in Houston, Texas and played soccer and basketball until she was a fill in for a little league baseball team. That was it for her, she loved the sport and asked by age 11 was taking pitching lessons. In high school she became a left handed star standing 6 feet 2 inches with hands big enough to grip a large softball in her fingers. This grip gives her a fantastic spin on the ball.

Osterman graduated Cypress Springs High School in Texas in 2001 and was named Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year. She joined the USA Softball's national team and now ranks number one in the nation in strikeouts per seven innings at 15.4. Cat is the first softball player to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated twice and she owns four of five top record seasons for the NCAA's best strikeout ratio. Winner of a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympic, Cat continues to compete.

Softball is a recognized sport in the Olympics and is a pro sport. Popular with girls as well as guys, softball produces some great athletes. Having a woman recognized as the best all time softball player gives girls everywhere the passion to play the sport and make it to the top.

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