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Originally posted by WestMichBlue
"Question: Was the game prior to this just called softball or was it called fast pitch?"
Softball!
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Actually, there are some reports which state that FP took on the name "hardball" which is now more often used to describe baseball
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When ASA published their own rules in 1980 they incorporated FP and SP rules into one book which is the way we see it today. And in 2004 its title is "Official Rules of Softball."
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And I will travel with one of the gentlemen who help put this book together in February to the National UIC Clinic.
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When I started playing in 1960 it seemed everyone played FP. It was assumed that the guys that couldnt hack it were playing SP. Of course that has changed in the last 40 years and a lot of outstanding athletes are playing SP. But SP allows all sorts of athletically inclined (or athletically challenged  ) players. When I go out on even the lower levels of mens FP play I dont see any slouches anywhere. You better be good or you wont make it in FP.
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You mean
where you were it seemed everyone played FP. In my area, the only adult FP I recall in the '60s was a church league (catholic). Most of the rest was SP. Even in Michigan, there are approximately 50% more SP teams registered with ASA than FP (2003 numbers). The only place I see the athletically challenged players are in the specialty leagues (firefighters, church, industrial, etc.) where the player pool is much more restricted. Before anyone goes off on that, I am not saying that these teams do not include athletes, many do and very good ones at that. However, not all houses, churches or companies are big enough to sustain a team without the aid of some of the older, slower players.
And yes, I am referring to ALL levels of ball. Just because someone plays in a rec league, or at the lower level, that doesn't mean they are not athletically inclined.