Let’s Touch Base with Softball’s Saga

Linda Lucchetti, Roving Reporter

Football, not baseball, was responsible for the birth of softball. Here’s a story that may throw you a curve!

Women’s softball – a hit in Lincoln Hills

A boxing glove, a broomstick, and a boat club

It happened on Thanksgiving Day in 1887 inside the Farragut Boat Club in Chicago. Fans eagerly awaited the result of the Harvard vs Yale football game. Before TV, newspapers and word of mouth ruled the day. The tale goes that when the final score came in with a 17-8 Yale victory, one overly zealous Yale fan threw an old boxing glove at a Harvard fan, who swung at the glove with a broomstick. When journalist and onlooker George Hancock saw the glove fly high into the air, he yelled, “Play ball.” Thus, “indoor baseball” was born and eventually taken outdoors.

Softball’s history chronicles a score of highlights.

Size matters

Softball and baseball, though similar, have striking differences. For instance, a softball field is smaller than a baseball field, and the length between softball bases is shorter. Two factors remain constant: In softball, the ball is bigger, and the pitching is underhand.

Name game

By 1889, George Hancock, the “Father of Softball,” created the set of rules for the sport that grew in popularity throughout the Midwest. Amateur leagues flourished. Then in 1907, Albert Spalding created another set of rules. Names for the early sport included Kitten Ball, Cabbage Ball, Mush Ball, and Pumpkin Ball, depending on the location. In 1922, the Minneapolis Park Board changed the name to Diamond Ball. It was only in 1926 that the name “softball” was pitched.

All’s fair

During the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, softball took to the field for a tournament of its own. The first national championship attracted some 70,000 spectators, leading to the founding of the Amateur Softball Association (ASA).

Women at work

In 1943, Chicago Cubs’ owner Philip Wrigley started the Pro Women’s Softball League. During 1996, Women’s Softball reached new heights at the Olympic Games. However, in 2005, softball was dropped from the Olympics, only to return as a “one-off” in 2021.

Global grab

Softball caught on internationally by 1983. It’s now played in more than 100 countries around the world.

When you attend Lincoln Hills Senior Softball League games, you’ll be witnessing a winning sport that’s been running for more than a century while delighting millions of spectators and players of all ages.

Softball—you’ve come a long way, baby!

Always keep swinging!