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Junior League Softball World Series (photos)

By on August 23, 2010 in Archived, Events, Featured Slideshow, Headlines

What do Florida, Washington, Ontario, Puerto Rico, Texas, Indiana, Italy, California, Pennsylvania and Guam all have in common?

They all had teams playing in the Junior League Softball World Series this last week at Everest Park, right here in Kirkland!

What do great young athletes, screaming teenage girls, ESPN, swearing parents (from Indiana), hotdogs, sunshine, Terri Fletcher and Hawk all have in common?

These are all things I saw the last 2 days of the Junior League Softball World Series at Everest Park, right here in Kirkland!

Ok, here’s the real deal. I was excited about going to see this because it was something new that is not very common to see. That said, I knew it was going to be 14 and 15 year old girls Softball and I had my expectations set accordingly. Well let me just say, my expectations were wrong!

I walked up Friday afternoon when the Latin American team (Puerto Rico) was warming up and saw one of their batting drills. The coach was standing about 20 feet away from one of his players, pitching to her those little plastic golf balls. Ya know the ones with a bunch of holes in them like whiffle balls? He was pulling them out of a big bucket and pitching them about as fast as he could get them out and she was hitting them! I walked over to the fence as close as I could and I think I actually heard myself say….. “Seriously?” Ok, I thought, that’s pretty cool but its still girls softball right? I look to the other side of the field and see another coach hitting fly balls to a group of girls deep in the outfield. The first girl I see steps up and makes a catch and in one smooth motion throws that ball on a straight line all the way back in. Behind her I see the sign that says 200 feet on the fence. At that moment I am sure I heard my self say…. “You gotta be kidding me?” She just threw that ball 150 feet like it was shot out of a canon!

Now, just for reference, I can say that neither baseball nor softball were ever my main sports and the only sport I was ever good enough at to compete at a World class level, was Archery……. (pause for your chuckle to pass)….  but, up until that moment I would have bet the farm that no 14 year old girl could out throw me. I am glad I never had to make that bet, because the farm would now be owned by a young girl from Puerto Rico!

(PS… Archery IS a sport ya know!)

More photos here:   http://www.jeffheinz.com/event-photos/softball-world-series/

Jeff Heinz is a guest contributor for Kirkland Views and a local photographer.
Find Jeff on Twitter or see more of his photography at Jeff’s flickr site or at www.JeffHeinz.com.

About Jeff Heinz

Jeff Heinz is a guest contributor for Kirkland Views and a local photographer. Find Jeff on Twitter or see more of his photography at Jeff’s flickr site or at www.JeffHeinz.com.
View all posts by Jeff Heinz →
  • Anonymous

    “…but its still girls softball right?”

    Wow, could you be more ignorant or condescending? Women and girls have been playing softball (and soccer and basketball and more) and a high level for a lot of years now. Perhaps you should have crawled out from under your rock a few decades ago.

  • http://kirklandviews.com Rob Butcher

    Hi bigyaz,
    I feel I must step in here and respond to your comment. You know, contributing to blogs can be somewhat like tip toeing through a mine field. One never knows how one’s words will be interpreted by the reader. There have been many times over the years when I have been verbally tarred and feathered for my words which were interpreted by the reader in a manner which was never intended. It is very easy to innocently write a word or phrase which has unintended implications or meaning, causing readers to incorrectly assume malice, ignorance or condescension on the part of the writer. It is impossible to write an opinion piece (Jeff’s piece is a humorous, tongue in cheek article) without potentially offending someone by accident. Such is our current day sensitivities – it seems we sometimes are looking to be offended, rather than looking to give the benefit of the doubt to our fellow man (or woman).
    I must say I agree completely with your comment, “Women and girls have been playing softball… at a high level for a lot of years now.” I know Jeff personally, and I can assure you he would agree with you as well. Jeff is neither an ignorant nor condescending individual. He used a phrase which has offended you, and I am certain he did not intend to offend.
    An open mind and the benefit of the doubt is all I ask of our readers. Good intentions are usually behind 99% of the words you will read on these pages. I only ask that you take that into consideration and give the same consideration to the writer as you would like given to you.
    Thank you for your comments.

  • Anonymous

    I get it, Rob. I’ll cop to being over the top. You may know Mr. Heinz and his sensibilities; all I know is what he wrote. Read it again, and you’ll see other gems: “I was excited about going to see this because it was something new that is not very common to see.”

    Really? What’s not very common to see? Girls playing sports? A tournament that’s been in Kirkland for 12 years now? There’s professional women’s softball, basketball, soccer…I mean, what’s he talking about?

    OK, maybe he’s just a better photographer than a writer and just failed miserably at trying to write something clever. In that case perhaps you as an editor could have helped him out, because he still comes off sounding condescending and more than a bit out of touch.

    (Believe it or not, I do appreciate that you monitor your comments and insist on civility when some of us get carried away. I’ll watch myself in the future.)

  • http://twitter.com/JeffHeinzDotCom Jeff Heinz

    Hi bigyaz,
    How is your day going? I just got in to my office after spending the morning down at the Marina Park taking some photos, enjoying the weather and seeing all the excited kids dancing and singing at the last Tuesday Morning Concert Event for this summer. Let me tell ya, that’s enough to put a smile on anyone’s face.
    Anyway, that’s not why I am writing.
    I am truly sorry that you were offended by what I wrote. My intention was definitely not to offend anyone. In fact, just the opposite. It is quite possible I do not have as much experience at watching World Series Girls Softball as you do. I believe in what I said…. “Well let me just say, my expectations were wrong!” That sums up the entire article. I didn’t fully know what to expect.
    I also stand behind another of my comments you pointed out “…. not very common to see.” Junior League World Series with teams from several different countries, being covered on ESPN? Even if it does happen once a year, that’s not a very common experience for me to see, and that was exciting for me.
    Failed miserably, Ignorant, condescending, out of touch, crawl out from under a rock….. No worries, some people may get offended when called those things, but not me! My skin is much too thick to be offended by someone’s opinions, such as yours. (Maybe my skin got this way from living for decades under that rock? Ha ok, cracked myself up a little there and once again just being humorous)
    I appreciate the fact that I can express my humorous opinions and I also appreciate the fact that you are not obligated to think its funny.
    I think we can both agree that Rob and Kirkland Views is an amazing vehicle to share stories and to criticize them. Thanks Rob!
    Just about typed right thru lunchtime….. gotta run.

    Jeff Heinz