A weekend with the Women’s Professional Baseball League
The author reflects on the launch of the Women’s Professional Baseball League and the historical gender divide between softball and baseball. The piece explores why many women were historically steered toward softball rather than baseball.
Why it matters
It addresses cultural barriers in sports and the importance of representation for young female athletes.
Sitting at Robin Roberts Stadium on Friday, watching the Boston Hunters take on the San Francisco Firebells, I asked my mom what I thought was a simple question: "Would you have played baseball instead of softball if given the chance?"
My mom grew up a Cubs fan and admired players such as Ron Santo and Ryne Sandberg. During the '70s and '80s, she watched some less-than-stellar Cubs teams and listened to Steve Stone dissect their play from the broadcast booth. Her love of baseball developed into a love of playing softball, and she spent her summers on the field with her dad as her coach. Sandi wasn't half bad at the sport, either. She went on to study physical therapy at Saint Louis University, where she also had the privilege of playing Division I softball.
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