Softball in the Olympics by Talia

Softball and baseball were voted out of the Olympics as of 2012. The vote surprised even longtime International Olympic Committee members. Softball joined the Olympic games in 1996. Softball is a sport now played by all of the world. The sport has belonged to the USA since it joined the Olympics. The American softball team has won three of the four available gold medals. The International Olympic Committee considered replacing the sport with one from a waiting list of five: Squash, Rugby, Karate, Golf, and Roller Sports. Karate and Squash were nominated but shot down. Softball along with baseball, are the first sports cut from the Olympics since polo which was cut in 1936. The USA softball team broke eighteen records, some previously set by their own players. These records were:

--- Most Doubles: 11- USA (2004)
Previous was 10-Australia (1996)

--- Most Triples: 4- USA (2004)
Previous was 2- Japan (1996)

--- Most Runs Batted In: 46- USA (2004)
Previous was 32- USA (1996)

--- Most Runs Scored: 51- USA (2004)
Previous was 41- USA (1996)

--- Fewest Runs Allowed: 1- USA (2004
Previous was 7- Australia, China and USA (2000)

--- Most Stolen Bases: 8- USA (2004)
Previous was 7- Japan (2000)

--- Most Shutouts: 8- USA (2004)
Previous was 5- USA & China (2000)

--- Most Stolen Bases: 5- USA, Natasha Watley (2004)
Previous was 3, Jackie Smith, N. Z. (2000)

--- Most Consecutive Victories: 9- USA (2004)
Previous was 8, Japan (2000)

--- Highest Team Batting average: .343 USA (2004)

Previous was .296- USA (1996)

--- Highest Slugging %: .559 USA (2004)
Previous was .465- JAPAN (1996)

--- Most Hits: 73 USA (2004)
Previous was 70- USA (1996)

--- Lowest Earned Run Average: 0.12 USA (2004)
Previous was 0.25- USA (2000)

--- Batting Average: Lisa Fernandez .545 USA, (2004)
Previous was .524 (Chika Kodama, Japan (1996)

--- Most Home Runs: 5, Crystl Bustos USA (2004)
Previous was 4, Haruka Saito, Japan (1996) & Peta Edebone, Australia (2000) 

--- Most Runs Batted In: Crystl Bustos, 10 (2004
Previous was 9, Shelia Cornell, USA (1996)

--- Most Runs Scored: 9, Crystl Bustos, 9 (2004)  Tied
Chanfung Zhang, China (’96)

--- Most Wins: 9 – USA (2004)
Previous was 8 – USA (1996) & JAPAN (2000)

The USA Olympic softball team won a silver medal in the 2008 Olympics which was the last game of softball to be played in the Olympics. Both softball, and baseball are eligible to reapply for the 2016 Olympic Games. The loss of the sport affects our USA team in many ways. The Olympic Committee no longer founds the teams, which is hundreds of thousands of dollars lost. The team can no longer travel as ofter nor practice as often. The players can no longer make a living from playing on the national team. They have to have a normal job and play softball on the side. Now, the plan to save money is to condense its activities to about two months in the summer. A two time Olympian stated: “The money isn’t there and it’s not as easy to stick around with it not being an Olympian sport.” the same woman also said: “These women on this team, we have lives, we have to make a living. We have to pay rent and eat, and so I think that’s a big part of it.”. That sums up what is happening to the team without its Olympic involvement.

Sources:

• http://www.usasoftball.com/folders.asp?uid=153
• http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/8504326/
• http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2005-07-08-baseball-softball-dropped_x.htm
• http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/news/story?id=5399291