IOC on Baseball and Softball ...

Interesting story this past weekend from Washington where the USA Women's softball team was playing in nearby Maryland. The Post delved into the fate of softball as an Olympic sport (1996 to 2008).

As I understand it, the IOC cut softball and baseball as there was limited interest and a limited number of countries who fielded teams. The IOC is also looking to cut down the number of athletes and credentials at the Olympic Games, in general. Read on:


Two With Something to Prove
U.S. Softball Squad Making Pitch To Put Sport Back on IOC's Radar

By Liz Clarke
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, May 10, 2008; E01

They are the undisputed world's best -- so superior to their competition that losses have become almost unthinkable, and close games signify a stunning development.

Yet the U.S. women's national softball team is barnstorming around the country on tour buses this summer, toting luggage and toddlers, in some cases, and staying two-to-a-hotel room on a 45-city tour to hone their skills, foster teamwork and build good will in advance of the 2008 Olympics.

And they're seeing the payback before they've hurled their first fast pitch in Beijing. It's the squeals of the girls in the grandstands who think Jennie Finch is a bigger star than Miley Cyrus, screaming, "Jennie, we love you!" when she takes the mound and yelling "Bustos!" at the sight of Crystl Bustos, the team's power hitter. And it's the sparkle in their eyes -- one that reminds center fielder Laura Berg of how she felt, 20 years ago, when her dream of becoming an astronaut gave way to an even more outlandish dream of playing softball for a living.

A crowd of 8,000 strong is expected at Prince George's Stadium in Bowie today as the U.S. women, whose record this summer is 30-1 -- with a lone loss to Virginia Tech -- take on the Washington Glory.

The Olympians hope to inspire the youngsters with skill on the field and, afterward, encourage them to pursue dreams of their own during the customary postgame autograph session.

They'll have a far more daunting goal on Aug. 12, when they begin round-robin play in Beijing against Venezuela: Win enough games to claim a fourth consecutive gold medal and, in doing so, win enough hearts to convince the International Olympic Committee that it erred in voting to drop softball from the Games in 2012.

Said Berg, 33, a veteran of three Olympics: "We've got two things in mind: To win gold, and to get the sport of softball out there in people's minds. There are 128 countries that play the sport of softball, and it's important that the IOC see that."

Added Finch: "We're going to do everything we can to prove we belong. And we plan to use Beijing as a platform to do this. In the U.S., girls have the option of getting a scholarship and playing in college. But in other countries, the Olympics is the only place to pursue their dream. We want to continue that dream for the young girls in Croatia or China. That's what it's all about."

Softball became an Olympic sport in 1996, following baseball's inclusion in 1992. Playing before an adoring home crowd in Atlanta in 1996, the U.S. women romped to the gold with an 8-1 record. In 2000, they nearly missed the medal round in Sydney but stormed back to defend their gold.

And they leveled all comers in Athens in 2004, reeling off eight consecutive shutouts before surrendering their sole run in a victory over Australia that delivered a gold-medal three-peat. Sports Illustrated lauded their achievement with a cover photo of the triumphant squad under the banner, "The Real Dream Team."

But the next year, the IOC voted to eliminate softball and baseball after the Beijing Games. The move stunned supporters of both sports.

Baseball presumably lost favor because of the growing specter of steroid use in the major leagues, as well as the U.S. failure to send its top players to the Games.

In softball's case, it appeared the sport was being penalized for the U.S. women's dominance.

"We've heard that," Berg said in a telephone interview. "But that's not a legitimate reason to kick us out. Look at our women's basketball team; they dominate. Look at China in diving, and at Korea in archery. They weren't kicked out. Why are we getting kicked out?"

Ron Radigonda, executive director of the sport's national governing body, the Amateur Softball Association, suspects that multiple factors were at play -- chief among them the impression among many IOC members that neither baseball nor softball is a global sport. Like softball enthusiasts worldwide, he's already at work marshalling a case for softball's reinstatement in 2016.

According to Radigonda, 90 percent of tickets for softball's round-robin games in Beijing have already sold out, and tickets to medal rounds sold out months ago.

"I feel very good about that," Radigonda said from his office in Kansas City, Mo. "That has to have a very strong impression on the IOC members."

Moreover, the sport is gaining a foothold in countries such as Iran, Jordan and Sierra Leone.

Meantime, the U.S. women continuing working on their game and building a pipeline for softball players to succeed them -- ideally in Olympics to come.

"The biggest thing we can do is go and show the best softball they've ever seen," pitcher Cat Osterman said. "If we put on the best show they've ever seen, then we can prove softball should remain in the Olympics."

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