# Why Softball? Why Not Baseball? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 28, 2005, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-softball-why-not-baseball/314578 "2005-07-28T13:47:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2005, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-softball-why-not-baseball/314578/41 "2005-07-29T03:17:09Z")
> [@Phish Head](#): > > In softball you have about five different types of pitches: fastball, change, rise, drop, and curve. You can throw pretty much just as many pitches underhand as you can overhand. Fastpitch also uses screwballs, peel drops, snap-overs, knuckleballs, drop curve, etc. The real difficulty here seems to be that you don’t know what you are talking about when it comes to fastpitch softball. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2005, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-softball-why-not-baseball/314578/42 "2005-07-29T04:07:59Z")
> [@Phish Head](#): > > In baseball you have about twelve different types of pitches: four-seam fastball, cutter, splitter, forkball, sinker, knuckle curve, slurve, slider, screwball, palmball, circle change, and knuckleball. Many of these are variations on the same theme, and I think a bit unfair to label as a different “type” of pitch. Basically, all you have is variations in spin (backspin, topspin, no/little spin, and side spin) and speed. You can break down all baseball pitches basically into the following categories: fastballs (4-seam, 2-seam, cutter), breaking balls (splitter, sinker, slider, curve, slurve, screwball), off-speed pitches (palm-ball, change up, circle change, etc.) and tumbling pitches (forkball, forkball). Any further distinctions are pretty much arbitrary, and there’s no reason you can’t further break down softball pitches in the same manner. ---
**Author:** ![MAGunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@MAGunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MAGunter)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2005, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-softball-why-not-baseball/314578/43 "2005-07-29T05:37:39Z")
There would be very, very few women’s high school sports were it not for title IX, and consqequently tuition would be cheaper. God I hate Title IX. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2005, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-softball-why-not-baseball/314578/44 "2005-07-29T09:03:21Z")
> [@MAGunter](#): > > There would be very, very few women’s high school sports were it not for title IX, and consqequently tuition would be cheaper. > > God I hate Title IX. **MAGunter**. You’re in General Questions. If you wish to start a debate on whether Title IX causes tuition to be higher, then take it to that forum. If you wish to criticize the program, start a thread in the BBQ Pit or IMHO. **samclem**. GQ moderator ---
**Author:** ![MAGunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@MAGunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MAGunter)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2005, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-softball-why-not-baseball/314578/45 "2005-07-29T10:52:26Z")
Fair enough,. It definately is inappropriate for this board. ---
**Author:** ![mazinger\_z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@mazinger\_z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mazinger_z)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2005, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-softball-why-not-baseball/314578/46 "2005-07-29T15:38:04Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > I gotta disagree with that. Man did evolve to throw tools. I’ve never seen a cave painting of a guy throwing his spear at the mamoth underhanded. And even in softball how often do you see the outfielders gun one to the plate underhanded, or turn a double play with an underhanded across the diamond? I don’t know crap about softball really, but Overhand is a more natural throw. When I was in college, my girlfriend took this kinesiology class and she had to review this article on throwing, specifically citing baseball and spears. I can’t remember who the author was, but I think he was some sort of physicist who had consulted a kinesiologist (or maybe he was both) – anyway, going on memory, the author concluded that the throwing motion of man was in part due to the necessity of using the spear as a tool, and partly of man’s observation of monkeys (or something to that effect). The one fact I do remember was the article did clearly state that anatomically, throwing underhand was more natural. I’ve been googling, looking for the article, but to no success. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2005, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-softball-why-not-baseball/314578/47 "2005-07-29T15:59:02Z")
I was one of only two girls in my Baseball Little league (early-mid 80s, NYC) and being a huge tomboy, utterly disdained softball as it was obviously a “girl’s game” (as defined by: no boys played it). Later, having cut my teeth on regulation size & weight baseballs, I found it completely impossible to catch a softball in a glove. My glove’s only 3/4 size, even as an adult. How’s softball fit in there!? I was short and left handed\* so I walked an awful lot. But back in the day I could hit just fine if the pitcher could find me. The other girl was known to be an excellent player as well. There’s no reason why girls can’t play baseball, except tradition. \*actually I’m right handed. My brother, who _is_ left handed, taught me to hit a ball when I was too young to have a firm concept of handed-ness. He taught me to do it the way he did it, and I’ve batted left every since. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-softball-why-not-baseball/314578.md?page=2)