LBR Question (lifted from eTeamz)

[Dakota]

Originally posted by WestMichBlue
Mike: “However, SP carries softball organizations. Even the strictest FP aficionado in ASA must even cede this point.”

Most popular? Certainly! But there are exceptions. The softball organization near me grudgenly allows SP on its fields when there is no FP scheduled. And then it is on the field with no lights nor fences nor scoreboards and a ¼ mile from the concession stand. We do Fast Pitch there!

When Mike said "carries" I took him to mean financially, and at a level above a local league. Certainly, slow pitch does not financially carry our fast pitch leagues, tournaments, etc., but slow pitch does pay the bills for a large number of local ball parks, which does at least indirectly support the girls' teams.

And slow pitch teams, etc., are a major part of the finances of national organizations such as ASA and U-trip.

Of course, there are fast pitch only organizations (AFA, USFA), but they are smaller, with smaller budgets and smaller influence than ASA.

NFHS does recognize slow pitch, but I have no idea how many schools play slow pitch. Off hand, I can't think of any near me, but I could be wrong.

On the origins of the game, only one thing is clear to me in the small amount of reading I've done on the subject ... no one really knows exactly how the game started or evolved. There are a lot of myths, suppositions, and posturing behind most articles dealing with the origins of baseball and softball, and just enough evidence to support all of them.