“Hey, batta batta,hey!” What voice did you hear in your head? It was probably deep and masculine, and thinking of a man in a baseball uniform is normal. Who would think of softball? There is a definite reason why softball was created--by the means of sexism. To prove this point, one can look at the very first time softball was actually played and the reasons why.
Softball originated in Chicago in the late nineteenth century. It originally was an indoor alternative to outdoor baseball--both were for men. While at first softball was mostly a man’s game, because of cultural differences, softball was transformed into a women’s sport. According to midwestsportsfans.com, a woman by the name of Gladys Palmer was placed in charge of the new game because her opinion was that, “women need a less strenuous version of the game [baseball] because the intricate technique of baseball is too difficult for the average girl to master.”
In review of Ms. Palmer’s statement, it could be said that her opinion is a bit harsh. Essentially, one of the points Ms. Palmer brought up was that since baseball was such a “strenuous” game, women may not be able to keep up or be able to play it without getting injured. Pubmed.org proved with a poll of men and women strengths that men have stronger and more durable bodies due to the type of muscle fiber in their tissues. However, what does strength have to do with the love of the game and how well one plays it? In fact, in 1931 a woman by the name of Jackie Mitchell caught the eye of the famous baseball players Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Jackie Mitchell even made it as far as getting a baseball contract, but baseball commissioner Kenesaw Landis stopped it there, voicing Ms. Palmer’s excuse of baseball being too strenuous for women.
In addition, Ms. Palmer referred to baseball as an “intricate technique” and “too difficult for the average girl to master.” Though baseball can be seen as a intricate game to many, it is not difficult for those who have the natural talent or the hard work ethic to master its difficulties. Men and women alike cannot be called intellectual solely on their gender. It is dedication and work ethic that brings results. If a woman works harder than a man, couldn't one say that the job could or even should be done by the woman? To finish this point, how can anyone, even Ms. Palmer, be able to know what the term “average girl” means? It seems that Philip K.Wrigley called on the “average girl” to save his Major League Baseball franchise when all the men and boys were called away for the war in 1942. Also from www.aagpl.org , the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) were girls who played softball, but they were converted to baseball and started a trend that became a popular substitution to all the men. Returning back to Ms. Palmer, was this reference not proven wrong?
In review, it can be seen that all young ladies and women from that time period were taken advantage of. The sexism that was so deeply rooted in that time caused the casualty of women not being able to play baseball, even to this day. Instead of giving women the chance to play, they made baseball an all-men’s game and even made it the All-American sport. To deal with the matter of women wanting to play, they threw in softball, like throwing a dog a bone to suffice its hunger. There does not seem to be another answer to this very old dilemma than to welcome the opportunity to play on the baseball leagues to women. Women today should be allowed to play; whether or not they hold the talent to make it on the team should be the only consideration for their admission. Do not refuse this national sport according to gender. Let women play.
-by Tenille Duessler
In review of Ms. Palmer’s statement, it could be said that her opinion is a bit harsh. Essentially, one of the points Ms. Palmer brought up was that since baseball was such a “strenuous” game, women may not be able to keep up or be able to play it without getting injured. Pubmed.org proved with a poll of men and women strengths that men have stronger and more durable bodies due to the type of muscle fiber in their tissues. However, what does strength have to do with the love of the game and how well one plays it? In fact, in 1931 a woman by the name of Jackie Mitchell caught the eye of the famous baseball players Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Jackie Mitchell even made it as far as getting a baseball contract, but baseball commissioner Kenesaw Landis stopped it there, voicing Ms. Palmer’s excuse of baseball being too strenuous for women.
In addition, Ms. Palmer referred to baseball as an “intricate technique” and “too difficult for the average girl to master.” Though baseball can be seen as a intricate game to many, it is not difficult for those who have the natural talent or the hard work ethic to master its difficulties. Men and women alike cannot be called intellectual solely on their gender. It is dedication and work ethic that brings results. If a woman works harder than a man, couldn't one say that the job could or even should be done by the woman? To finish this point, how can anyone, even Ms. Palmer, be able to know what the term “average girl” means? It seems that Philip K.Wrigley called on the “average girl” to save his Major League Baseball franchise when all the men and boys were called away for the war in 1942. Also from www.aagpl.org , the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) were girls who played softball, but they were converted to baseball and started a trend that became a popular substitution to all the men. Returning back to Ms. Palmer, was this reference not proven wrong?
In review, it can be seen that all young ladies and women from that time period were taken advantage of. The sexism that was so deeply rooted in that time caused the casualty of women not being able to play baseball, even to this day. Instead of giving women the chance to play, they made baseball an all-men’s game and even made it the All-American sport. To deal with the matter of women wanting to play, they threw in softball, like throwing a dog a bone to suffice its hunger. There does not seem to be another answer to this very old dilemma than to welcome the opportunity to play on the baseball leagues to women. Women today should be allowed to play; whether or not they hold the talent to make it on the team should be the only consideration for their admission. Do not refuse this national sport according to gender. Let women play.
-by Tenille Duessler
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