11/05/24
July 07, 2005
Youngest person in Cooperstown?: A little leaguer pitching 6 innings of no-hit ball is probably not all that newsworthy. But what if this player struck out all 18 batters? And what if the player never even got to a full count against any of the batters? Oh, and what if she was an 11-year-old girl? Way to go, Katie!
she must be on the juice.... im guessing apple variety
posted by gregy606 at 03:41 PM on July 07, 2005
Didn't I already read this before...or am I prescient? (or did she throw 2 no hitters and whiff everybody?)
posted by chris2sy at 03:43 PM on July 07, 2005
Oh, the Cooperstown part was the new part...
posted by chris2sy at 03:44 PM on July 07, 2005
What about it? She's a little leaguer, just like all the boys. No difference. Yes, it is. As you said yourself, a friend of yours did it before. This is the first time it was done by a girl in the 30-years since little league let girls play. So that makes it newsworthy. Plus, read the first 4 paragraphs of the article. Or the part where the representative from the hall of fame comments on how great it is that a girl performed this feat.
posted by scully at 03:51 PM on July 07, 2005
All I can say is this is the perfect example of these a**hole pro sports morons thinking striking only effects them. This is a girl who did something that a major league pitcher will never do! This is newsworthy 12 years old or not. Hall of fame should consider her. Maybe she can be the example that kids can truly look up to and try to be like. Hope the pros read about these kids and what they accomplish and someday find a way to find that kid in themselves again.
posted by melcarek69 at 03:54 PM on July 07, 2005
Its a nice story-I am happy for her
posted by daddisamm at 04:02 PM on July 07, 2005
This is the first time it was done by a girl in the 30-years since little league let girls play. So that makes it newsworthy. You can call me a chauvinist pig, or any other name you decide. But why is it supposed to be so great that a girl did it? Just because she is a girl? I think it would be just as great if a boy did it, but they do not get the recognition. How are women ever supposed to be recognized as equals to men in sport if every time one accomplishes anything at all, the media trips all over itself to talk about it. The fact is that the media likes to play up these stories in an effort to make up for the fact that they pretty much ignore women's sports the rest of the time (except for certain times of year for gymnastics, ice skating, and such). Stories like this just turn women's sports into a novelty act. By the way, this girl is 5 foot 8. The average height of 12 year old girls is a little over 5 feet and the average height of 12 year old boys is a little less than 5 feet. Her accomplishment does not seem quite as impressive if she is towering over the other players. However, that may not be the case as I have no idea about the physical characteristics of the players she pitched against. Still, she can be proud of her accomplishment, just like any boy would have been.
posted by graymatters at 05:49 PM on July 07, 2005
George will have Cashman on the phone today..........
posted by maclmn at 06:08 PM on July 07, 2005
George will have Cashman on the phone today..........
posted by maclmn at 06:08 PM on July 07, 2005
It's great that anyone did. It's even greater that a "girl" did it. But let's face it folks. Boys and girls are not equal. Girls are not made the same way as boys, at least not yet. That's why girls will not be successful at the highest levels in many professional team sports like baseball, football and basketball. But so what. Girls can do a lot of other things boys can't do. And they are generally nicer people also.
posted by tommysands at 06:35 PM on July 07, 2005
You can call me a chauvinist pig, or any other name you decide. But why is it supposed to be so great that a girl did it? Just because she is a girl? greymatter, you seem to think somehow that she got elected to the hall of fame, a misunderstanding that's no doubt due to terrapin's choice of link name and/or the title of the article. If you read the article carefully, however, you'll notice that that's not what is happening. From the article: Brownell will be joined by about half of her teammates today when she donates her jersey to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., where it will become part of the Today's Game exhibit. “We're honored to be receiving Katie's jersey,” said Jeff Idelson, vice president of communications for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. The Baseball Hall of Fame includes many exhibits that pertain to the history of baseball, including quite a few that don't even touch on MLB, which is not and never has been synonymous with "baseball". It also includes many donated artifacts, which may or may not ever be a part of any exhibit. You may not feel that Brownell's accomplishment is either great or significant, but...you're wrong. It's great for anyone to throw an all-strikeout no-hitter (how many times has that ever happened in Little League, anyway?), and yes, it is significant that a girl did it. Dunno how old you are, but unless you were alive and thinking in the early '70s, you probably think that Little League is something that girls could always do but just don't want to. In fact, Little League went kicking and screaming and had to be hauled into court to allow girls at all. When they did, they did so grudgingly, and girls faced an extremely hostile environment if they tried to participate. As small as it may be, Little League was a particularly tough and ugly nut to crack for women in sports. So, yes, it's a part of baseball history, it's significant, and IMO it belongs there.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 07:41 PM on July 07, 2005
sure she can strike out 11 year old boys, but can she strike Michelle Wie out?
posted by smithnyiu at 08:02 PM on July 07, 2005
im sure she can strike michelle wie out, have you heard about the apple juice she's been drinking??
posted by gregy606 at 10:53 PM on July 07, 2005
Whenever something "neat" happens in baseball, it usually gets a mention in the HOF. This is just another of those items. Its somethis this young lady can cherish her whole life.
posted by daddisamm at 06:54 AM on July 08, 2005
Dont hate.It is a pretty big deal.A longer better article.
posted by HOE.O.K. at 11:21 AM on July 08, 2005
the next big unit
posted by HOE.O.K. at 11:24 AM on July 08, 2005
Let's put her and Jeannie Finch head to head and see who does better..........
posted by volfire at 11:31 AM on July 08, 2005
I knew we'd be hearing some incredibly well-thought-out and informed comments from you, volfire.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 11:32 AM on July 08, 2005
Why don't you two get a room already? ;)
posted by dusted at 12:08 PM on July 08, 2005
you seem to think somehow that she got elected to the hall of fame Never thought it, brownie. I can read, thanks for the concern anyway. Know its just one of the exhibits, and her jersey will probably disappear to a storage room over time. You may not feel that Brownell's accomplishment is either great or significant, but...you're wrong. It's great for anyone to throw an all-strikeout no-hitter (how many times has that ever happened in Little League, anyway?), and yes, it is significant that a girl did it. You're right, it's great for anyone. And how are the boys who do the same thing going to feel when she gets recognition and they do not, just because of her gender? But, then maybe you are right, maybe she is the only one to ever do it. I have no idea; the story does not say that it has never been done, just that they think she may be the first girl to do it.
posted by graymatters at 12:50 PM on July 08, 2005
And how are the boys who do the same thing going to feel when she gets recognition and they do not, just because of her gender? Can anyone confirm that a boy HAS done this? I know dfleming claims a friend had done it, but I wonder if there is some "proof" out there that a boy has done this in the past. I am not saying dfleming is lying, only that I would like to find some proof that ANY boy has already accomplished this feat. While it may seem unlikely, for all I know this is historic for any gender. Again, simply curious. I didn't intend for this to turn into a gender shitstorm. Just thought it was cool. Not sure what this place is gonna do if Danica Patrick wins a race. ;)
posted by scully at 03:11 PM on July 08, 2005
Something we also need to remember. Every town does not play Little League sanctioned baseball. There are many towns playing rec league with their own rules, plus several other sanctioning bodies. There was a girl playing Babe Ruth (13-15) age ball when I was in high school. She had two no hitters and was 8-0 that year. I thinks he maybe gave up 10 runs all year. She didn't play in high school or above because she played softball. Ended up being a D1 college all american. My point is she may be the first to do it in little league sanctioned ball but not the first anywhere.
posted by scottypup at 04:11 PM on July 08, 2005
I'm just a Jeannie Finch fan, that's all, Really.
posted by volfire at 04:42 PM on July 08, 2005
Isn't her first name Jennie, not Jeannie?
posted by alex_reno at 12:58 AM on July 09, 2005
Isn't her first name Jennie, not Jeannie? It is, but that doesn't matter for volfire's purposes. Jennie Finch is just another argument in his quiver for why women and girls should not be allowed to play baseball.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 07:39 AM on July 09, 2005
scottypup: agreed. I come from an area without little league but did have recreation league. I still think that the papers might report it if it had happened. I can only compare apples with apples though. And I was just wondering if there was any proof that a male player somewhere did the same thing. This isn't a dare. I am simply curious. The official Cooperstown site has a press release-like article that is vague/confusing as to what her "special achievement" was. A perfect game, striking out all 18 batters, or being the first girl to do it. It does say that her jersey will either be displayed in the Women in Babseball exhibit or Youth Baseball exhibit (obviously it can't be in both) once the wings are redseigned and rededicated.
posted by scully at 07:08 PM on July 09, 2005
This happened when I played too; a teammate of mine struck out every batter in a 7 inning game. Kinda neat. Oh, and what if she was an 11-year-old girl? What about it? She's a little leaguer, just like all the boys. No difference.