If you ask any softball fan around the world to name the top-five softball players in the world over the past few decades or even in history, Monica Abbott's name will arguably be in the mix. Owner of a distinctive pitching movement, Abbott has been a dominant presence in the game for almost 20 years.
During The World Games, the US National Team pitcher born in Santa Cruz, California, was awarded with the WBSC's Order of the Golden Diamond Award, that recognises those people who have contributed to the development of international baseball and softball.
From her playing days in college to the superstar she is now, Abbott has impacted the game in so many ways. “When I started and I was pitching, I had this signature motion and movements that kind of helped me become the athlete I am today...but it’s really cool to see how it’s helped the game evolve and how people pitch off the mound and how they use their body to become a good athlete at the softball arena.”
The 36-year-old left hander started her international career with a silver medal performance at the Junior Women’s Softball World Championship 2003, where she struck out 58 batters in 32 innings pitched. From that point, she built a legendary career with two Olympic silver medals, four world championship titles, and multiple championships and individual awards at the professional level, both in the US and Japan. She’s played a key role on the international softball scene for almost 20 years.
“I’ve seen a lot of changes in international softball. I really think, obviously, social media, YouTube, all those things have helped a lot. But playing internationally, being a part of the international game, both with the WBSC and then also at professional leagues, as you spread knowledge throughout it’s a trickle effect,” she says. “If I’m helping a pitcher in Japan, then maybe they are going on and teaching in another countries in Asia. The same in Italy, or other people that I’ve been able to impact in, whether they are pitchers or on the field.
“Just that level of professionalism...and how we want to be as a sport, right? How we want to grow, how we want to conduct ourselves and how we want to represent not only ourselves or the people on our team, but also our countries.”
Abbott believes that softball is really starting to take off in other places than Japan and North America with more countries being stronger: “We saw Erika Piancastelli in the MLB All-Star Game representing Italy...we see men’s fastpitch programmes...we’ve seen the Czechs get better, we’ve seen Argentina get better, we’ve seen a lot of countries really develop. And I think maximizing social media and attendance is really huge for us.”
A perfect softball venue at The World Games
The World Games softball competition saw the top eight teams in the world competing for five intense days. Hoover Met Stadium, a baseball facility transformed into a world-class softball field for the event, was one of the highlights of the tournament.
“One thing that I love about this stadium is that we’re able to play on a dirt infield. We’ve been able to play in a baseball stadium and we’re still having the traditional full dirt infield without the mound behind. And to have the dugouts close enough so you feel connected.”
It also puts the sport closer to the fans, she said, and that’s what make softball unique. “It’s the intimacy of the game, the intimacy that the fans feel being close to the athletes and to the action. When someone pitches at 70 MPH, the person behind home plate can feel the speed; when someone runs to first base they can tell how fast they are. They are not so far away from the field, and that’s one thing that’s very unique about softball. For the fans, because of the intimacy on a smaller venue, it makes the sport feel more realistic.”
