Callie Batts-Maddox

It's a great, great, great question. And the history is a little bit convoluted. And I think it's a story that we don't often hear about. We don't often question women. We have an overriding cultural assumption in the United States that baseball is the sport for boys and men, and softball is the equivalent for girls and women.

It's a great, great, great question. And the history is a little bit convoluted. And I think it's a story that we don't often hear about. We don't often question women. We have an overriding cultural assumption in the United States that baseball is the sport for boys and men, and softball is the equivalent for girls and women.

Softball was invented in 1887 by a group of men in Chicago who wanted to play during the wintertime. They thought, this is fun. We're going to develop an indoor version of baseball. And it was meant for boys and men to play. Women started to play as well.

Softball was invented in 1887 by a group of men in Chicago who wanted to play during the wintertime. They thought, this is fun. We're going to develop an indoor version of baseball. And it was meant for boys and men to play. Women started to play as well.

But then these connotations and these meanings, these gendered meanings started to be placed upon these two sports where softball eventually emerged as that preferred sport for girls and women because it was perceived to be a surrogate to baseball. It wasn't real baseball, right? It kind of looked like it, but the ball was bigger, the field is smaller.

But then these connotations and these meanings, these gendered meanings started to be placed upon these two sports where softball eventually emerged as that preferred sport for girls and women because it was perceived to be a surrogate to baseball. It wasn't real baseball, right? It kind of looked like it, but the ball was bigger, the field is smaller.

It didn't take as much of that sort of perceived strength or endurance to play. And softball then becomes that option for girls and women. It's a long story, right? And it is kind of linked to broader changes in how we view gender in society.

It didn't take as much of that sort of perceived strength or endurance to play. And softball then becomes that option for girls and women. It's a long story, right? And it is kind of linked to broader changes in how we view gender in society.

Right. Well, the influence and impact of the original A League of Their Own film cannot be overstated. That was tremendously impactful in my own life as well. That was really a strong statement coming out, right? Trying to revitalize this history, revitalize the memory of women playing baseball.

Right. Well, the influence and impact of the original A League of Their Own film cannot be overstated. That was tremendously impactful in my own life as well. That was really a strong statement coming out, right? Trying to revitalize this history, revitalize the memory of women playing baseball.

uh and it really kind of set this stage for a lot of people to look back and honor this history and start to question well wait a second why are we not seeing more women playing baseball being involved in baseball and we've seen then the amazon show so amazon had a show based on a league of their own it only lasted one season unfortunately but it did a really admiral job of extending the storyline

uh and it really kind of set this stage for a lot of people to look back and honor this history and start to question well wait a second why are we not seeing more women playing baseball being involved in baseball and we've seen then the amazon show so amazon had a show based on a league of their own it only lasted one season unfortunately but it did a really admiral job of extending the storyline

to include narratives around race and sexuality that were not addressed in the original film. We see a few documentaries coming out. There's one called Hardball, The Girls of Summer, which is also excellent, which asks really important questions about these cultural assumptions that we have. And then See Her, Be Her, which is taking on the question of the globalization of women's baseball.

to include narratives around race and sexuality that were not addressed in the original film. We see a few documentaries coming out. There's one called Hardball, The Girls of Summer, which is also excellent, which asks really important questions about these cultural assumptions that we have. And then See Her, Be Her, which is taking on the question of the globalization of women's baseball.

This is not just happening in the United States. We've seen a global rise in women playing baseball, women being involved in baseball. And it sets a really exciting future because these types of popular cultural mediums, the media coverage can really reach a lot of people. And I think it just it captures the excitement around this movement.

This is not just happening in the United States. We've seen a global rise in women playing baseball, women being involved in baseball. And it sets a really exciting future because these types of popular cultural mediums, the media coverage can really reach a lot of people. And I think it just it captures the excitement around this movement.

Yeah, I think there's just still this tremendously stubborn cultural stereotype that we have. Girls and women get kind of funneled off into the world of softball, which is absolutely fine. It's a great sport. It provides fantastic opportunities for young women. But baseball is a different sport.

Yeah, I think there's just still this tremendously stubborn cultural stereotype that we have. Girls and women get kind of funneled off into the world of softball, which is absolutely fine. It's a great sport. It provides fantastic opportunities for young women. But baseball is a different sport.

it's a different game has a different history a different feel to it and we need to honor that and i think one of the big challenges is really chipping away at that stereotype and really seeing that women are invested in the game that we are fans we have a passion for the game and that we really deserve an opportunity to be involved at all these different levels

it's a different game has a different history a different feel to it and we need to honor that and i think one of the big challenges is really chipping away at that stereotype and really seeing that women are invested in the game that we are fans we have a passion for the game and that we really deserve an opportunity to be involved at all these different levels