Olympians all going to NPF

[joemcq51]

Just heard that Osterman, Mendoza, Duran, Abbott, Watley and the other 2008 Olympians are all leaving Team USA. Apparently there is a joint effort to try and get the NPF going to new heights. Two observations. First, our national team is going to be full of younger players. Second, this should bring some good exposure to the NPF league. I hope that both Team USA and the NPF are successful. Good luck to all involved.

 

[starsnuffer]

Considering the only real competition team USA has had recently is the Future Team USA, this is probably a good thing. There's a ton of good players that are due "their turn".

It's interesting that this is coming right after the announcement of using the USSSA as a "minor league" for NPF (with NCAA rules, how many acronyms can you squeeze into one organization?)

Most of the Olympians already play NPF, but I guess they're trying to bring the limelight to the NPF instead of the international scene. There was one NPF game that was televised last year, or rather, half of the game. Osterman and Finch were due to pitch but Finch wasn't feeling well so Thor pitched instead. Good game, much better then the ho-hum KFC games.

I'm curious as to how this will effect the international scene and what people involved in the crusade to bring softball overseas feel about this.

-W

 

[druer]

It had to be brutal on their bodies and their passion to constantly take red-eyes back and forth so that they could attempt do it all every single day. Hope that this focus on the NPF serves to prolong their careers through some rest here and there.

Can't wait to see many of the players from the Future's team like Jordan Taylor who looked so good against Team USA last summer step up now.

 

[MTR]

I'm curious as to how this will effect the international scene and what people involved in the crusade to bring softball overseas feel about this.

-W

You're kidding, right? Softball is all over the globe and not just fast pitch. It may not be as big as it is with the youth of this country, but there are countries that have successful programs including a professional league in Japan that would put the NPF to shame.

The ESF is growing by leaps and bounds all over Europe every year. They know they are behind the curve, but the keep playing hard. The ASF has the sport included in the 2011 All Africa Games in Zambia, there are teams all over South & Central America and the Carribean, leagues in the MiddleEast and, obviously, Asia.

Bubba, this game is global.

 

[obbay]

They can (and have) played in both the NPF and the Olympics. I remember a few years ago when we still had an NPF team we were playing Jennie Finch's team but she wasn't there as the Olympics were coming up and the team had started training (must've been 2008).
Eileen Canney played on our team (Riptide) and it was good to see her pitching last year for team USA.

I hope the NPF experiences a resurgence as I miss taking my DDs and players to those games. Great family activity, great experience for the kids (and parents who find out that softball isn't just "Baseball Lite"!) great seats, and a great price- though unfortunately that great price must've been what killed them.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Osterman and Megan Willis have signed contracts to play in Japan.



http://www.burntorangenation.com/2011/1/3/1911256/catching-up-with-cat-osterman

 

[cyfairslam]

USA Softball changed their requirements to play on the National Team.

Before they allowed players to play in the World Cup and then go back to their NPF teams during the non World Championship or Olympic years. Now they are now requiring the players play all summer for the National Team that would essentially make the NPF go out of business. The Japanese want our full National Team to go over to Japan and play or they will not send their best to the World Cup. So now the Japanese will see our National Team but not even close to our best. This has really worked out well for USA Softball and Japan hasn't it.

It appears that USA Softball and the NPF don't want to get together and see if they can work things out. Either way Japan won't be happy and the ESPN contract could be an issue.

Since most of the USA players play pro ball in Japan, Japan would be better off putting together a USA team out of the Japan Pro League and playing the Japan Cup during that Japan Pro League time frame and not spending the money to send their player to the World Cup at all.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I "think" that the young ladies are paid rather well in Japan, plus their endorsements. The 2 athletes that I knew that played in the NPF, were paid $5,000 for the summer and sometimes the paycheck was very late.

 

[starsnuffer]

The KFC world cup was a joke last year anyway. I fail to see how 4 teams, two of them from the same country, make it a world cup. The World Championship in Caracas was a much better display of softball then the farce called "world cup".

Old Jim Easton screwed us all out of Softball in the Olympics. If you don't like it, stop buying his crap. This effectively killed Team USA. Look at the paltry funding and exposure the men's fastpitch team USA has. . . that's what Team USA is without the Olympics.

Truth be told, I don't see how the NPF could possibly do a worse job then the Team USA management.

-W

 

[PEPPERS]

My family and I attended a NPF game in Nashville, TN last year other that it being 100 +
it was great. After the games they had a country band that played on a flatbed trailer and the players signed things for the kids and wondered around the crowd, we had a great time.