Your Glove of Choice-(Part 6)

…Where to start-where to start? How about Akadema? They have come a long way in just a few short years, and are competing rather well with the likes of Rawlings and Wilson-especially in the area of girls softball gloves and mitts. Akadema has some fairly innovative designs that are getting more popular-and they look pretty [...]

History of Softball-(Part 7)

Sixteen inch softball has spread to other states, but remains most popular in the Chicago area. Numerous leagues and teams have sprung up and it is even a “letter sport” in Chicago high schools. With more kids and youngsters playing the game, its popularity will go on for years to come.
 
One of the really [...]

History of Softball-(Part 6)

People of all ages play 16” softball. In the Chicago area especially, teams sprang up everywhere. There were men teams, ladies teams, park teams, mixed ladies and men teams and professional teams. It’s hard to go to a park in the Chicago area and not see a 16” softball game going on.
 
Probably, the most noticeable [...]

History of Softball-(Part 5)

Sixteen inch softball got very popular in Chicago especially during the time of the Great Depression. All you needed to play it was a baseball bat and a 16” softball. Nobody wore softball gloves mostly because they couldn’t afford them. This caused you to become a better fielder because it is easier to catch a [...]

History of Softball-(Part 4)

Meanwhile, back in Chicago where softball began, it was getting even more popular. It was still played often indoors at armories. Also, outdoor softball in the city had need of a ball that wouldn’t go so far when it was hit with a baseball bat. It was played on playgrounds and small fields, so a [...]

History of Softball-(Part 3)

Softball did go national when the US Army used it for recreation. They didn’t use softball gloves or baseball gloves. They just barehanded it and they also pitched underhand but pitched fast. (Maybe that’s why they started using gloves). At any rate, softball was growing rapidly.
 
Being a game that mostly men played, it wouldn’t be [...]

History of Softball-(Part 2)

Softball remained an indoor game for the next several years. Obviously, the wrapped up boxing glove was traded in for an actual ball, and the broom stick for a baseball bat. Sizes of softballs ranged from twelve inches all the way up to seventeen inches. At the turn of the century, a guy named Lt. [...]

Picnics and Softball-All American

Ah, there’s nothing like a picnic and a friendly game of softball on a lazy summer afternoon. There’s always plenty of laughter and yelling as good friends and family pass the hours away in this truly unique American custom. Food is usually aplenty including hot dogs, hamburgers, cole slaw and potato salad, not to mention [...]

Playing Softball in Combat Boots

Back in the late 1960’s I spent three years in the US Army. After spending 14-months in South Korea, I was reassigned to Germany which was like going to a party for 16-months compared to Korea. I was stationed at a Nike-Hercules Guided Missile Battery located in the middle of nowhere. We did however have [...]

America’s Pastime

It is important to spend quality time with your kids, and it is also healthy to get them involved in sports. One of the best ways to ensure that your children develop healthy habits is by engaging in athletics with them. When summer arrives, why not teach your child your favorite sport such as the [...]

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