17 USA Players We Miss from Olympic Softball
17 USA Players We Miss from Olympic Softball
The saying is true -- you don't know what you have until it's gone. The 2016 Rio Olympics are the second Games since we've been able to binge-watch the best
The saying is true -- you don't know what you have until it's gone.
The 2016 Rio Olympics are the second Games since we've been able to binge-watch the best international softball players for two weeks straight, and all the celebration of softball's reinstitution into the 2020 Tokyo Olympics has us missing some of our favorite softball Olympians. Take a look at our list, tell us who you miss, and rejoice that we get to see a whole new Team USA in 2020.
Why: She's the only USA Softball Olympian with four medals. At least we still get to see her on the sidelines for Team USA as the Junior Women's Nationals Team Head Coach, as well as the head coach of the Oregon State Beavers.
Why: She's just arguably the best pitcher EVER and she's considered one of the greatest female athletes of the century. No wonder her alma mater, UCLA, brought her back as an assistant coach.
Why: Who doesn't remember that home run that won the US the first Olympic gold medal in softball? Dr. Dot's resume now reads MD, Olympian, and head coach of the Liberty Flames.
Why: Do you remember her arm swing? She didn't earn the nickname "Silky" for no reason. If we can't have her in the circle, we guess we'll settle for her in the press box as lead college softball color analyst for ESPN.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/MicheleSmith32/status/731582900244619264" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Why: She's got three NCAA National Championships AND three Olympic gold medals. Yes, we sure miss Leah, but we're glad we see her every once in a while as an analyst for NCAA softball on ESPN and inspiring young softball players across the country.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/leah20usa/status/746183762115854337" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Why: A younger generation may know her as the Olympian who was on The Biggest Loser, but she deserves to be remembered as a three-time gold medalist and one of the best pitchers to play the game. Plus, she's doing camps with the next player on our list...
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BItp-K6DDmI/?taken-by=lori.harriganmack" hide_caption="0"]
Why: We all miss The Big Bruiser and her home-run swing, don't even pretend you don't. If you're in Nevada, check out her Ruthless Sports Training where she's creating the next generation of Olympic softball players.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BI6EGeDApbd/?taken-by=gotbustos6" hide_caption="0"]
Why: She's arguably the best catcher to ever play the game. At least she's traded her position behind the plate for one in the dugout as the Associate Head Coach for San Diego State.
Why: She's STILL the face of softball, and she continues to move the sport forward as one of the most outspoken and active ambassadors for the sport.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/JennieFinch/status/753237544607678464" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Why: She's a two-time Olympic medalist who has transformed her career into a full-time fire fighter. And she wrote a tear-jerker of a Mother's Day letter to her daughter.
Why: She's an ageless wonder! This year at the age of 36, she is the first NPF player to earn a triple crown, leading the NPF in HR (13) AVG. (.466) and RBI (45). Maybe we'll see her Tokyo?
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BJI2JjyD0pQ/?taken-by=usssafloridapride" hide_caption="0"]
Why: She shattered batting records, but now she's shattering something more important -- glass ceilings. She's the first woman to be a regular broadcaster for ESPN's Baseball Tonight.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/Allure_magazine/status/762691106953830400" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Why: She's everyone's favorite Texan and one of the most dominant strikeout pitchers of this generation. Her "Last Ride" with the USSSA Pride left us in tears, but you can relive her storied career in our FloFilm Cat Osterman: The Last Ride.
Why: Known as one of the greatest slappers ever, she only retired from the NPF last year but not before leaving her legacy as the first African-American to represent USA Softball in the Olympics. She now runs her own charity organization, the Natasha Watley Foundation.
Olympics: 2008
Why: Her million dollar arm! What more can we say? We want to see her in Tokyo in 2020.
Why: She's won numerous NPF championships with the USSSA Pride as a seasoned veteran, but she definitely would've won another Olympic medal in London if softball would've been part of the Olympic Program.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/AndreaDuran28/status/760983189590454272" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Why: Another Olympic career cut short, she brought tears to our eyes with what we named "Softball's Best Story You Didn't Hear" with her goodbye letter to the sport she loves.
The 2016 Rio Olympics are the second Games since we've been able to binge-watch the best international softball players for two weeks straight, and all the celebration of softball's reinstitution into the 2020 Tokyo Olympics has us missing some of our favorite softball Olympians. Take a look at our list, tell us who you miss, and rejoice that we get to see a whole new Team USA in 2020.
1. Laura Berg
Olympics: 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008Why: She's the only USA Softball Olympian with four medals. At least we still get to see her on the sidelines for Team USA as the Junior Women's Nationals Team Head Coach, as well as the head coach of the Oregon State Beavers.
2. Lisa Fernandez
Olympics: 1996, 2000, 2004Why: She's just arguably the best pitcher EVER and she's considered one of the greatest female athletes of the century. No wonder her alma mater, UCLA, brought her back as an assistant coach.
3. Dot Richardson
Olympics: 1996, 2000Why: Who doesn't remember that home run that won the US the first Olympic gold medal in softball? Dr. Dot's resume now reads MD, Olympian, and head coach of the Liberty Flames.
4. Michele Smith
Olympics: 1996, 2000Why: Do you remember her arm swing? She didn't earn the nickname "Silky" for no reason. If we can't have her in the circle, we guess we'll settle for her in the press box as lead college softball color analyst for ESPN.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/MicheleSmith32/status/731582900244619264" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
5. Leah O'Brien-Amico
Olympics: 1996, 2000, 2004Why: She's got three NCAA National Championships AND three Olympic gold medals. Yes, we sure miss Leah, but we're glad we see her every once in a while as an analyst for NCAA softball on ESPN and inspiring young softball players across the country.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/leah20usa/status/746183762115854337" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
6. Lori Harrigan
Olympics: 1996, 2000, 2004Why: A younger generation may know her as the Olympian who was on The Biggest Loser, but she deserves to be remembered as a three-time gold medalist and one of the best pitchers to play the game. Plus, she's doing camps with the next player on our list...
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BItp-K6DDmI/?taken-by=lori.harriganmack" hide_caption="0"]
7. Crystl Bustos
Olympics: 2000, 2004, 2008Why: We all miss The Big Bruiser and her home-run swing, don't even pretend you don't. If you're in Nevada, check out her Ruthless Sports Training where she's creating the next generation of Olympic softball players.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BI6EGeDApbd/?taken-by=gotbustos6" hide_caption="0"]
8. Stacey Nuveman
Olympics: 2000, 2004, 2008Why: She's arguably the best catcher to ever play the game. At least she's traded her position behind the plate for one in the dugout as the Associate Head Coach for San Diego State.
9. Jennie Finch
Olympics: 2004, 2008Why: She's STILL the face of softball, and she continues to move the sport forward as one of the most outspoken and active ambassadors for the sport.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/JennieFinch/status/753237544607678464" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
10. Lovieanne Jung
Olympics: 2004, 2008Why: She's a two-time Olympic medalist who has transformed her career into a full-time fire fighter. And she wrote a tear-jerker of a Mother's Day letter to her daughter.
11. Kelly Kretschman
Olympics: 2004, 2008Why: She's an ageless wonder! This year at the age of 36, she is the first NPF player to earn a triple crown, leading the NPF in HR (13) AVG. (.466) and RBI (45). Maybe we'll see her Tokyo?
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BJI2JjyD0pQ/?taken-by=usssafloridapride" hide_caption="0"]
12. Jessica Mendoza
Olympics: 2004, 2008Why: She shattered batting records, but now she's shattering something more important -- glass ceilings. She's the first woman to be a regular broadcaster for ESPN's Baseball Tonight.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/Allure_magazine/status/762691106953830400" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
13. Cat Osterman
Olympics: 2004, 2008Why: She's everyone's favorite Texan and one of the most dominant strikeout pitchers of this generation. Her "Last Ride" with the USSSA Pride left us in tears, but you can relive her storied career in our FloFilm Cat Osterman: The Last Ride.
14. Natasha Watley
Olympics: 2004, 2008Why: Known as one of the greatest slappers ever, she only retired from the NPF last year but not before leaving her legacy as the first African-American to represent USA Softball in the Olympics. She now runs her own charity organization, the Natasha Watley Foundation.
15. Monica Abbott
Olympics: 2008Why: Her million dollar arm! What more can we say? We want to see her in Tokyo in 2020.
16. Andrea Duran
Olympics: 2008Why: She's won numerous NPF championships with the USSSA Pride as a seasoned veteran, but she definitely would've won another Olympic medal in London if softball would've been part of the Olympic Program.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/AndreaDuran28/status/760983189590454272" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
17. Caitlin Lowe
Olympics: 2008Why: Another Olympic career cut short, she brought tears to our eyes with what we named "Softball's Best Story You Didn't Hear" with her goodbye letter to the sport she loves.
