By John O’Leary
When it comes to all-American sports, two major big hitters that come to mind are baseball and softball. To the untrained eye, these are pretty similar beasts that each involve running around a diamond after a ball has been pitched and hit. However, it is the subtleties that make these two great sports worthy of being two different entities. When it comes down to which is better, both softball and baseball have their champions. Take a look at the analysis below and decide for yourself which is the better all-American sport.
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Softball doesn’t tend to have the worldwide coverage of baseball. Ask a Brit to name a softball team, and they’ll probably stare at you blankly but ask them about baseball teams, and they might reel off a list of names like the Yankees, the Mets, the Cubs and the Dodgers. The esteem and wealth tied up in baseball have made it the natural big hitter in comparison to its less well-known rival. But does that make it better?
The View Of A Spectator
Softball advocates would state that the fast pitched variation of the sport surpasses anything that baseball has to offer. For those people who love watching sport and getting close to the action, softball has an advantage. The softball field is smaller, and spectators can sit closer to their idols. The lineup cards are clearly in view as spectators can sit a hair’s breadth from the pitch. The sport becomes more immersive and intimate as you can hear the chatter amongst the players, feel the tension in the dug out and see the beads of sweat forming on the next nervous batter’s brow.
The Mercy Rule
You’ll either love it or hate it, but in softball, if a team is more than eight runs ahead after five innings, the game is halted. That either means you don’t have to endure a meaningless slog to the very end as you already know who’s won or you don’t get value for your ticket. That’s up to you to decide.
Skill
The softball fans among us would state that their sport requires more skill and is less about power. Baseball pitchers tend to throw hard and fast. Yes, there’s the occasional swerve on the ball, but it’s not overly pronounced and they ultimately rely on speed. In softball, pitchers switch it up a little more as they have more technique. They can throw hard and fast but will often drop a slow pitch under 50 mph into their repertoire resulting in a more unpredictable and exciting game.
Length Of Game
You may love nothing more than spending hours watching nine innings of baseball. However, you may be more inclined to watch just seven innings of softball. This is entirely subjective. When it’s a balmy summer’s day, and you have a cool beer in hand, nine innings sounds like a treat. If it’s gusting a gale, the rain is lashing down, and your face is stinging from the cold, you may welcome the shorter game of softball.
Baseball and softball have their nuances and quirks. If you have only experienced one, it might pay to seek out the refuge of the other and decide for yourself which is better: softball or baseball?