by Ethan Johnson
June 9, 2008
When we heard that softball had been dropped from the Olympic Games after 2008, and learned that Team USA was doing a cross-country "Bound 4 Beijing" tour, we wanted to be supportive. I ordered tickets for the USA/Canada game on June 7. Might as well have a fun weekend in Oklahoma City with the added benefit of supporting USA athletics.
The NCAA Softball World Series had just concluded, and while Arizona State absolutely trounced Texas A&M, the stadium looked great on TV and we were excited to see it in person. Oklahoma City isn't exactly a top-of-mind travel destination, even down here. We'd sooner spend a weekend in Austin. But OKC has been steadily building itself up into, well, the next Indianapolis someday. They've got a minor league baseball stadium, and now a venue that will host an NBA team. ASA Hall of Fame Stadium is essentially a hub for USA softball. If you play softball as part of an organized league, and play in tournaments, odds are that sooner or later you'll have to play in Oklahoma City.
I can think of worse places to have to play softball.
Team USA was doing a 3-day stint at home (they are officially based out of OKC). They played the Professional Fast-Pitch All Stars on Friday, Canada on Saturday, and China on Sunday. We debated about staying for the China game, but we had to get the dogs back from the kennel at a specific time and it was too dicey. So we spent money like drunken sailors at the ball park to do whatever we could to support Team USA and organized softball as a sport.
It's very sad to think that countless girls can no longer dream in the near term about playing for Team USA and winning Olympic gold. Boys have the same dilemma about playing Olympic baseball. The soonest that either sport can be reinstated is 2016. That might be well and good for kids who come of age around that time, but for now I am not sure what this means for Team USA or for the sport. I'm sure softball will live on in the US, but with the Olympics out of the picture, does Team USA stay together? All the more reason to get down to the ballpark and support the team in advance of the Olympics.
This weekend was the last time that Team USA is going to play in Oklahoma City before going to China. They're on a multi-state tour, so check your local listings and find out if they're coming to town. Don't let Team USA get away without getting your support.
As for the USA/Canada game itself, the stadium was very impressive and well organized. Lots of families and kids were out to support the team. Apparently, a Canucky-pants woman was sitting next to me, and cheered whenever Canada scored or got somebody out. An old man stood behind us and told someone that he coached a few of the USA women when they were much younger. He cheered on the Canadian pitcher, as she is slated to come to the University of Washington in the fall.
The game was meant to be a "pink-out" to raise awareness of Breast Cancer. Team USA did their pre-game lineups by pairing each player with a breast cancer survivor. The ESPN camera crew wore pink shirts, as did the umpires. Canada wore white hats with pink trim. The woman next to me had one in her bag, but I didn't get a close-up shot.
ASA Hall of Fame Stadium was a hub of another sort: Girls showed up wearing gear or shirts promoting various sports. Softball, soccer, basketball, whatever. Whole teams congregated in full uniform. I heard that there was some tournament scheduled for Sunday, which may have driven part of that, but either way it was an opportunity to show solidarity twice over. This prevented the desired "pink out" effect, but aesthetics aside, the crowd was excellent and everyone seemed to have a good time.
Based on her prior performance, I took a bunch of photos of Jessica Mendoza, hoping to get a shot of her hitting a home run. No such luck, but Crystl Bustos sealed the deal with a 3-run home run in the 6th inning. It felt like a grand slam. Canada tried to recover but were pretty much out of the picture in the 7th.
There was a controversial moment in the middle of the game: I swear that Canada had 1 out (I stepped away to get more water), and USA caught a fly ball to make it 2. But after further ado (it was a big blur), everyone was ruled "safe" and Canada still had 1 out. Not sure how a caught fly ball is not an out, and I wish I could review the game footage. The broadcast booth was close by, and the TV announcers were going bonkers trying to explain what just happened and why. Hopefully ESPN shows the game again sometime so we can see that play over again. No mention of it in the Sunday Oklahoman.
Cat Osterman did not play, but was on hand for warmups and introductions.
The Chinese team showed up around the 4th or 5th inning to take in the game. They were immediately mobbed by autograph and photo seekers. This was a great opportunity to see three national teams up close for the price of one. Next time we see all three, it will be on TV.
All in all, a good time was had, expecially with the 9-5 win. It was somewhat bittersweet, knowing that the future of Team USA is, to our knowledge, undecided and thousands of girls have to adjust their dreams accordingly. If Team USA is coming to your town, or darn near, don't miss out on a great time and the chance to show your support for USA athletics. I can't be there for every sport, and every team, but USA is my team, and whatever the sport, I'm behind them all the way. I'm glad I got the chance to see Olympic heroes so close to home.
Click on the thumbnails to see the full-sized image. Enjoy!
Note: If you want to see the game, especially the controversial out that wasn't, ESPN will air the game on July 12. Set your DVR accordingly. <EM>
(Sports? Why, sure! The ethmar.com sports archive may be found here.)
This is the first that I have heard about the cancellation of this GREAT Sport at the Olympic level. I am both sad and dissapointed at the same time. I can think of several other (sports??) that should be cancelled rather than Softball. Although I don't play myself, I am an Umpire registered with the Canadian Amature Softball Association. I suppose that this means the dreams of many Softball Players have been shattered and the best they can hope for now will be the World or National Chapionships in both our respective countries.
Chuck Fraser
Carded CASA Umpire
Level 1 Fastpitch