How is softball different then baseball

 








           The game of softball was first played on a cold Chicago day in 1887. George Hancock is credited with the invention of the game of Softball. George and a group of men with the love of the game of Baseball found it difficult to play baseball in the middle of a Chicago winter. George and his buddies brought the game inside a warehouse to escape the cold. The game was first played with a boxing glove and a broom stick. 

The game of softball is played similar to the game of baseball, with its unique challenges. With the fields being roughly half the size of a baseball field requires the player to have a quicker reaction times. The softball is designed to the difference of the game. We will talk about a few of the obvious differences. Even how the players run the bases brings it unique twist.

First the pitching styles is a noticeable difference. The game of baseball, pitching is overhand in a downward motion vs pitching under hand that is done in softball. The distance that the ball is pitched from is another obvious difference. Professional baseball pitchers, pitch from 60 feet to home plate vs a softball pitcher, pitching from 43 feet. With the shorter distance the batter has a shorter time to react to the ball. With pitching underhanded the ball is able to have a rising motion. 

As mentioned in earlier in the article, the size of the field play a big part on how the game is played differently then baseball. With the size of the field being half the size, the speed of the game is heighten. It has been measured, compared and proven that a reaction time is less in a softball player vs a baseball player. The softball player has 0.35 of a second to react to the ball in play vs the baseball player with 0.45 of second to react to the baseball. 

The softball has been in designed for safety with level of performance, with the understanding of quickness of the game. The color of the ball for one is easier to tract the ball. The ball is wrapped similar to a baseball, but not to the density and tightness of a professional baseball. The softness, weight and size of the ball does not allow the ball to travel at the same velocity for a baseball. With the size being much larger then a baseball, requires the glove to be larger also. 

The base running and first baseball is different from the game of baseball. A softball players are not allow to lead off the base, because the short distance between the bases. The softball player with there foot the base in the position of a track sprinter awaiting signal to go. First base can be noticed to have two bases side by side, one being white and the other orange in color. The addition of the base allows for safety of the player. 

The game of Baseball has been named the "Great American Pass Time". Baseball has truly stood the test of time from being forbidden to play "stick ball" on the common ground of the University of Princeton of 1778. To the develop of the first organized baseball club "The New York Knickerbocker" in the year 1845 with a reported 50 active members. The love of the sport has given birth to another, that is recently reported one of the fastest growing female sports in the world. While the games are very similar at first glance, it can be said to be very different on how they are played. 






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