Yardbarker: Softball

Who says softball isn't played all over the world??

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 16:46:50 -0500

At the Pan American Games that USA is currently playing in there is 20 different countries alone! and that includes North and South America only! So, who said softball isn't played everywhere or even thinks it--needs to check out there info
Including:Venezuela, Canada, Brasil, Eucador, Panama,Netherland Antiles, Argentina, Virgin Islands, Cuba,Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Belize, Mexico, Peru, Jamaica, El Salvador, Aruba, Guatemala
Now that's AWESOME!

and of course the USA. !

World Cup

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:17:03 -0500

Hey Ya'll
Okay, the World Cup is over and what an event we had. Great support at all the games even when it was sticky hot! We played Australia in the final. I got my first big game start, 5inn and then Cat came in to close it out. Jennie Finch, Natasha Watley, LaurenLappin, Alissa Haber, and Ashley Hansen were all on FIRE at the plate. It was exciting to watch the speed of all the players, stealing bases beating bunts out, hit and runs everything. One thing that's evident is that this team is only going to become more and more fun to play with!!!
I was pumped to for the start in the final, maybe a little too pumped... but I guess it gives me even more motivation and learn from something to get better. That is one thing I would say is good advice to anyone, always try to take something that you have done, and get better. Find a way to get better. Even if it's one small thing, it can make a difference down the road.
I'm out with the USSSA Pride in Florida now for the time being. We have a series this week vs Philly. Our game on Sunday is at Disney Wide World of Sports so if your in the area come check it out!!! Take Care!
God Bless,Monicaeph 5.1
ps--as always check out the new items in the store @ monicaabbott.net

Canada Cup

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:11:42 -0500

Hi People!!!
We are now going through the second round of pool play at the Canada Cup. It has been as exciting as ever to watch USA. The one thing this team is, IS FAST. It makes me want to act out my secret dreams of being a SLAPPER. (I have a feeling though that the pitching coach wouldn't like that, hey I can dream can't I?!)
We've played Canada, Australia, and Venezuela. There are still familiar faces on all teams, but there's a lot of new people too. I love it, because I get observe and analyze them whether there on my team or not. :)
So far the teams been getting along great we've been enjoying the best canadian donuts in the world at the field, and my personal favorite the Kettle Korn. We have started to come up with new nicknames for the newbies and I'm sure time will only enhance the embarassment and inside jokes of those names! I'll keep you updated as we go with the nicknames as we head into the World Cup on our home soil--Oklaholma City, Ok. Looking forward to that!
Take Care, and I hope to see you on a field soon!
God Bless,Monica Abbottwww.monicaabbott.neteph 5.1

Faster than Fast!

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:34:46 -0500

Hey Yard!
Well I just got done with training camp for this summers National Team. We have a lot of new faces--a new head coach in Jay Miller, new players that will be exciting to watch. We have way more speed which I wasn't sure was possible since we already had Caitlin Lowe and Natasha Watley, but we have even more speed. It will be fun to watch and exciting to see them run! I'm sure GLAD there on my TEAM!!!!
Were on our way to the Canada Cup (July 4-12) and then we come back to our home field the World Cup in OKC starting July 16th it'll be on ESPN so make sure you see it!!!
Other than that I'm just I'm looking forward to a great summer with USA softball and trying to stay busy. Let me know if ya'll have any questions--- and I just posted new Jersey's up in monicaabbott.net store!
God Bless,Monica eph 5.1

1977: The Year of the Pro Slo-Pitch Player

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 11:08:48 -0500

The 70's was a different era. It was a time when a man was a man, and wasn't afraid to flaunt his masculinity.It was also a time of cockamamie ideas as evidenced by the short-lived and ill-fated American Professional Slo-Pitch League - a startup founded by a gentleman named Bill Bryne that featured a dozen teams, including the manly Pittsburgh Hardhats, Kentucky Bourbons, and perhaps the toughest team of all, the Minnesota Goofy's.

5 things since last time

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 07:13:15 -0500

Japan-TMC Softball

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 08:29:21 -0500

Hey Yard!!
How's it going!!
Alright--so official league games start this weekend. We start off playing Shokki in the Seibu dome (near Tokyo), this Saturday. That means, I've got a week of good practice and some final touches to get in.

TMC Team

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 08:27:01 -0500

At the Opening Party

Japan-TMC Softball

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 08:23:08 -0500

Hey YARD!

2009 ASA Kiwanis Kick-Off Klassic

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 19:50:06 -0500

Saturday, March 14th at Riverfront Park in Cottonwood is the 2009 ASA Kiwanis Kick-Off Klassic. Registration is still open. Teams may reserve their entry by sending $75.00 to Tournament Sports, P.O. Box 5970, Peoria, AZ 85385-5970. Full registration is $225 per team, and each team gets a ...

HHR Hugs it Out

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:19:42 -0500

Keyshawn Disgraces Iron Chef America (Legend of Cecilio Guante) Joe Maddon ain't shy about his genius; rookie hazing (Bugs and Cranks) Softball Guy Winter Warm-up (Joe Sports Fan) Jos? Guillen is a frickin masochist. (The Sports Biotch) This is what your dad pole-dancing would look like (Blog of ...

Stadium Review: Firestone Stadium Home of the NPF?s Akron Racers

Sat, 21 Feb 2009 19:04:32 -0500

Image via Wikipedia

Firestone Stadium is currently the home of the Akron Racers women?s softball team of the professional league called National Pro Fastpitch. While it may be serving the teams that play with the larger balls and shorter base paths today, there was a time when the stadium played home to some of the greatest to ever step on a baseball diamond.

The stadium is named for the rubber giant who was centered in Akron, Ohio and is located just outside the grounds of their main factory on the outskirts of downtown.

This past season marked the tenth anniversary of professional fastpitch softball being played at the stadium.

In addition to being a stadium, the structure also houses the Summit County Softball Hall of Fame. The Hall has plaques, relatively similar to what baseball players get in Cooperstown, on the wall of the great male and female softball players throughout the years.

A few of the most interesting items that can be found in the Hall of Fame are original newspaper clippings from the 1920s when Babe Ruth played at the stadium. According to the articles, Ruth was there on a tour with some players basically to promote the game as well as some sponsors. Ruth delivered a great performance to those who came out to see him play in Akron as he blasted a homerun which some say is still bouncing down South Main Street.

During that time period and up until the Racers came a decade ago, the field was used for both baseball and softball. When the Racers took the stadium over, however, they brought the outfield grass in so that it would better suit a softball field. Since the base paths for softball are 60 feet instead of the tradition 90 for baseball, the discrepancy can easily be seen. Due to this fact, fans can notice that the grass on the edge of the infield is slightly darker than the rest of the outfield.

The fence distance for the baseball players is still standing at 350 feet all the way around (although it?s probably not the same fence itself). When most softball games are played at the stadium these days, a plastic fence is brought out and set up at about 250 feet from home plate.

One can definitely feel the stadium?s age when they are within its grounds, but not to the point where it feels like the stadium is going to fall apart. The grounds went under a renovation project when the Racers took them over and added a roof over many of the seats as well as some bleachers in various places. Most of the seats behind home plate are wooden bleachers with no backing, although there are a few rows up front that have individual folding chairs.

Media members will probably not be blown away by their accommodations which are simply ply board slabs on metal rails bolted to one of the wooden bleachers.

The stadium is generally kept pretty clean and the seats are all wiped down before each game, especially if the dust from the field blows onto them.

The stadium sits about 2,500, but about 6,000 watched the Racers take on the USA softball team last summer. As one might imagine all of the prices, from the tickets to the food and beverages, are much cheaper than those at any type of professional baseball stadium.

While baseball fans will no longer be able to see their sport played on these grounds, they may get jitters when they think of Ruth?s towering homerun when the visit the stadium.

Overall Stadium Grade: 3/5

Bill Jordan is a contributor to BaseballReflections.com. He can be reached by e-mail at BillJordaniv@yahoo.com.

UVM Feels Economic Pains, Cuts Baseball and Softball Programs

Sat, 21 Feb 2009 10:41:47 -0500

BURLINGTON, Vt. – As part of a University-wide budget management plan, the University of Vermont Athletic Department announced today that it will be discontinuing two sports, baseball and softball, at the conclusion of the current season in May. This reorganization will also include...

Breaking News: Vermont drops Baseball and Softball

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 18:19:10 -0500

The Vermont Athletic Department put out a release today dropping the Baseball and Softball programs...

Visit The College Baseball Blog for the Full Story

Konichiwa

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 02:13:47 -0500

What's up Ya'll!!!
Wow. Do I have some news for everyone. To start I'll go ahead and hit you with the major thing first. I am going to Japan to play ball in March. It's a 6 month season. We play 3 in the spring and then 3 in the fall. The good news is that I'll get the summer off which will allow me too play USA ball still. Which I'm definitely looking forward too. It's gonna be a great experience. I'm currently working on my Japanese skills.... if anyone knows any let me know asap! I need to practice!
The second piece of news is that I have a skills video coming out. Hopefully mid march. It's called Learning to Pitch with Monica Abbott. It's a 3 part series with beginning basics, advanced basics and fastball mechanics. It's gonna be sweet. We did some William Tell, style pitching at fruit on top of peoples heads. He was brave to stand up there that's for sure!!!
That's all I got for now, and hope to see you on the field soon!
Monica #14

2009 UCLA Softball Preview

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 10:27:09 -0500

The UCLA softball team, ranked fourth in the Preseason USA Today/NFCA Poll, return 14 letterwinners from last year's squad that advanced to its 24th Women's College World Series. UCLA opens the season on Feb. 6, hosting the Stacy Winsberg Memorial Tournament at Easton Stadium.Source: UCLA ...

Gay Softball World Series Coming To Wisconsin

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:59:10 -0500

Hello, Wisconsin! The KENOSHA NEWS reports that the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance will be holding the Gay Softball World Series to their city south of Milwaukee starting August 31, bringing together more than 4,000 players from 37 leagues for what they call the ?Super Bowl of Gay ...

United States Olympic Softball Quiz

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:13:37 -0500

Test your United States Olympic softball knowledge with this quiz. Caution: Not for the faint of heart.

EA Sports Presents Adult Mens Softball 09

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:17:46 -0500

The funny fucks over at Joe Sports Fan bring you the greatest EA Sports video game parody since the last great EA Sports video game parody. I'll do what I can to keep the hyperbole to a minimum, but it's chillingly disturbing how accurate their portrayal of big, fat, delusional softball players is. This is [...]

EA Sports Adult Men's Softball '09

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 01:52:40 -0500

The guy who takes rec softball way too seriously actually has his own video game. Crazy.

Friday's Sooner Headlines (11.14)

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:48:50 -0500

See below for links to the latest articles covering Oklahoma Football, Basketball and Softball.

ASU at 1600 Pennsylvania

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:02:22 -0500

Thanks to the commentor that led me to this today... ASU's national championship Track & Field and Softball teams were greeted at the White House by Bush 43 yesterday. It's a repeat trip for the tracksters. Hard for me to identify most of the people in the picture, but the ones I can pick out ...

Tenn. Football

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:52:10 -0500

Hey Y'all!! How's it going? I hope everyone got out to the polls and Rocked the Vote. You know I did! In case you haven't heard yet, Coach Fulmer, resigned yesterday. It was a very sad day for all those that "know" Tennessee football. Now, I'm not a football expert, or anything like that, but Coach Fulmer has always been awesome to me no matter what, anytime I see him- it's like meeting up with an old friend and I didn't even play for him. I think the University, had a big decision to make, and it will definitely be interesting to see how it plays out in the next couple years. I'm not sure how I feel about it but I would love to hear what ALL you Barker's out there have to say!! So---the balls in your court--what do you think about the resignation of Coach, who do you think will replace, and the outlook of TN football in the next couple years? One last thing---GO VOLS!!

That Hair!

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 15:00:23 -0500

USA Softball Photo Shoot--acting goofy

Olympic Village

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:43:07 -0500

Crystal Bustos and I wait for the bus

One Place

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:44:32 -0500

Hi Everyone, Okay, well I been meaning to blog for the last couple days, but honestly I'm still just barely trying to digest things, and finish my laundry. I won't lie, the last game was hard on all of us and hard on me. Not to mention, the fact that we were on a 64 game tour of the United States. It is actually weird for me right now to be in one place and not incredibly busy, yet it's only been a few days. I think I need a hobby. Let me know if you can think of a good one...I haven't yet. Let's see, now that the Olympics are over I'm getting ready for the Monica Abbott All Star Softball Clinics this fall. I'm really excited to get out there and work with the kids, the future of the sport. I have some good plans for them, to help make the clinic fun and exciting. We'll see how it works. Alright, for all of you out there let me know what hobbies you can think of... Also..instead of me writing about my Olympic experience, I thought ya'll could ask some questions.---if I get a lot of the same I'll blog about it, if not, I'll just write you back! It'll be fun! God Bless, Monica

Bustos is the MAN errr Woman

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 08:39:21 -0500

Crystl Bustos has often been ridiculed because of her manly features and voice, but it is her manly swings of the softball bat that makes her the most feared hitter in the history of women's softball.

Softball Player Pulls Aaron Rowand

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:49:04 -0500

Except she doesn't break her nose and fails to make the catch. Matter of fact, it seems she was nowhere even close to making a play on the ball. National Fast Pitch's "Shanel Scott tries to make the catch. Just obliterates the wall." Meanwhile, the announcer describes Team USA slugger Crystal Bustos (who hit the bomb) as though she was Ryan Howard: "What is so impressive about Crystal Bustos is the pitch prior she is completely fooled on an off-speed. She almost s...

No Hitter & Portland

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:28:34 -0500

Hey ALL! Okay so, I'm back on the road with team USA. Were now less than a month away from the Olympics! We just played in Portland, OR. I got to visit the ADIDAS campus there and meet with the people that are taking care of my cleetes, their gonna be pretty sick once their ready...maybe Ill give everyone on the yard a sneak peak?? ....we will see. We played in Portland. I pitched 9 No Hit innings. One person got on on an error. I was happy overall with my performance but I definitely have somethings to get taken care of and get right before the Games. We play in Spokane tonight. And then were traveling through Yellowstone and Mount Rushmore. Let me know if yall have ever been there, what I need to make sure I see etc. while I'm there. I'll talk to yall later. # 14

1st Yardbarker Blog

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 20:53:12 -0500

Hey! Alright...well here goes my first blog for Yardbarker. Let's see currently, I'm at home...well my parents home right now. USA Softball just got about 5 days off after being on the road for what seems like an eterenity. (okay it was really like 4 weeks) but still. We go to Portland on Sunday, to play and travel for the rest of the month. In Portland, I'll get to visit the Adidas campus and hopefully see the finished product of the Olympic cleets. That's gonna be exciting! I'll also be able to see some family that I haven't seen in ages. It's funny, they see me more on tv then in person! But, they'll be able to come out and watch now...but hey, I don't care at least their keeping up with me and showing some love. :) The 4th of July is coming up, which is gonna be great! It definitely means just a little more when you play for Team USA. Gotta love that RED WHITE & BLUE! I can't wait to get in the circle again and be back together with the team. Beijing is right around the corner! the Countdown is on till 8/8/08...8pm (opening ceremonies). God Bless, Moni #14