The 2016 Bid, NPF, Tincher to Japan, Evans in Holland

Greetings from Spokane, faithful readers! You'll be overjoyed to know that this issue I'm done talking about snow and mud (glorious mud!), and moving on to the latest happenings in pro and international fastpitch! Yep, softball is in full force, and I can't milk Mother Nature for any more column space! So, in the interest of keeping my publisher happy (and all of you well-informed) here's your first "homerun" of the year – Touch 'em all!

First Base (The 2016 Olympic Bid): I have several hitting students right now who will be the perfect age to play Softball for Team USA in the 2016 Olympics. One, a gifted pitcher and power hitter who wears an official USA Softball jersey to her lessons and is working hard to go to UCLA, another with ambitions to play for the UW Huskies, and the rest, all with dreams of college and beyond should be just finishing their college careers by then and ready to try out for Team USA. The real question, of course, is will there be Olympic Softball in 2016? I don't want to beat this issue into the ground, but there have recently been some new developments, and I can't quite sort out whether they are positive or negative. As some of you may know, the NCAA issued a reversal this year on a previous statement that Baseball and Softball are equivalent sports. Well, those of us who have played both, knew that already...duh...but the implications are much further reaching. Now, softball cannot be considered the female version of baseball in schools. So far, this seems like a no-brainer...but what happened next is likely to sound the death knell of one or the other (or both) in the Olympics for the foreseeable future. No blame on the NCAA – they simply stated what everyone has known virtually since both games began – some of the rules are the same, and some of the basics of fielding and hitting are close, but the two games are very, very different.

Now, enter two wildcards: Men's Softball and Women's Baseball. Neither of the two wildcards has the following worldwide that Men's Baseball or Women's Softball has, but both are legitimate sports in their own right, with numerous passionate players, leagues, and national teams. Both versions of their respective sports are developing and growing rapidly. Certainly in some parts of the world (like New Zealand for example) participation in Men's Fastpitch far outweighs baseball, and even here in Spokane, Men's modified has at least as many teams as the local adult baseball league. Women's Baseball has a World Cup every two years and according to the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) -- the ISF's counterpart – 30 of its 128 member federations have women's baseball organizations. So why am I confused? Because Softball voted to withdraw from the joint bid for 2016, opting instead, to go it alone. This is what I'm unsure about....is it a positive thing? Baseball critics have cited the doping scandals and the resistance of the US to send its best players – saying the sport is tainted and it's best to distance softball from it; Softball critics have cited the utter dominance of USA Softball at Olympic and world events, and have cited the worldwide popularity of baseball... urging Baseball to make its own bid. As a result, much to the elation of Women's Baseball players and Men's fastpitch players alike, the ISF and IBAF have parted ways and are making separate bids for the 2016 Olympics which include both genders in each of the sports. By doing this, did we just kill both sports' chances of making it back in? Are the additions of women to baseball and men to softball just bait for the IOC to swallow, as they've stated a preference for all sports to have both a male and female component? I certainly hope that by separating out we haven't created a Hamlet-like tragic ending to both sports, where everyone ends up stabbed or poisoned --.and if one of the sports lives, which one will it be?

Second Base (NPF): Sad news for NPF fans and those players coming up through the ranks who aspire to play in the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF; www.profastpitch.com) alike. It appears that the Washington (D.C.) Glory are the latest team to likely fold and follow the path of the California Sunbirds and the Arizona Heat into the category of great teams that once played in the NPF. Although nothing has been settled for sure (and a search is still under way to find new owners/investors), the Glory's website is stripped and re-directed. The biggest question now – if the Glory in fact folds – is can the NPF survive with only four teams: The Philadelphia Force, Akron Racers, Rockford Thunder, and Chicago Bandits? I'm rooting for them to survive, rebuild and grow again, but I do have to selfishly admit, I'd root harder if we had some teams in the West!

Third Base (Angela Tincher in Japan): Okay, how about some positive news? Angela Tincher (yes, the one who shutout Team USA) is headed to Japan for the first part of the Japan Pro League's split season to pitch for the Tokyo-based LeoPalace 21. She will come home to the Akron Racers to pitch in the NPF during their season, then return to her team in Tokyo to play in the second half of the Japanese split-season. Tincher signed a one-year contract with LeoPalace 21, which along with her NPF contract, actually allows her to make a year-round living off of softball – not an easy feat to perform...but then again, this is AT we're talking about!

Home: (Nancy Evans in Holland): More positive news to end on – Nancy Evans, the University of Arizona and NPF standout who still holds the NCAA record as a pitcher for best win/loss percentage (.939!) behind a record of 124-8 has found a new home – in the Netherlands (aka Holland)! Evans has been named the Assistant Coach of the Dutch National Team, working alongside Head Coach Craig Montvidas. Nancy will undoubtedly bring her wealth of pitching and coaching experience to a great bunch of ladies on the Dutch team. In my time playing club ball in Holland, the number one area I noticed lacking was pitching. With the addition of Coach Evans, all I can say is that the Dutch will soon be a true force to be reckoned with!

As a side note, many of my younger hitting students know Cat Osterman, Jenny Finch, Monica Abbott, and Taryne Mowatt. Unfortunately, most don't know remember Nancy Evans or even Lisa Fernandez now. So, school's in, girls: This is Nancy Evans 101...Google her and learn!
Nancy Evans is one of the best softball athletes ever to wear a UA uniform. Among many other honors (including her record .939 win/loss percentage as a pitcher), Nancy Evans was NCAA player of the year (1998), was a first-team Academic All-American her senior year, Women's College World Series most outstanding player, played on the USA National Team in 1997 when it won the Pan Am Games, and later was an all-star shortstop and pitcher for the Arizona Heat in the NPF. As an assistant coach, Evans gave UA an All-American pitcher each of her seasons, including Taryne Mowatt, who she coached to a championship and called nearly every pitch for, including the timely use of Mowatt's amazing changeup. The Dutch are VERY lucky to have her!

Until next time, go hit a dinger, and remember... there ain't nothin' soft about it!
Tiffany Brooks lives in Spokane, WA where she gives hitting, fielding and throwing lessons. As always you can send comments and column ideas to her at gutallstop@hotmail.com