Tempe, Ariz.-- The Arizona State softball team hosted some of the greatest softball players to ever grace the diamond. Following Saturday's practice members of A League of Their Own Foundation joined the team for a few hours.
Head ASU coach, Trisha Ford, and Arizona Softball Foundation Board of Directors member Joanna Burton, invited former softball greats out to an open practice and lunch with the current Sun Devil team. Following the conclusion of practice, players and coaches were given the opportunity to sit down with the special visitors and talk about share softball memories and discuss the development of the game over the years.
"We've been thinking on ways for several years to get to know the teams," Burton said of bridging the gap between current and former players. "We wanted to get a real face-to-face meet and greet. I met with Coach Ford and it started with a letter about The League of Their Own Luncheon, where pioneer players come together and reminisce about softball. I was excited to learn that was one of her ideas, and that she wanted to bring people that had played long before these ladies to see who laid the path before them that allowed them to have what they have today."
"I think we, as coaches and pioneers of softball, we wouldn't be here if it wasn't for those ladies," added Ford. "I think it is important for our ladies to understand the Arizona history and the national history of where softball started and where it has come to this day, and it was a great day of hearing stories of those women and their adventures."
The ASU softball team were joined by more than 20 former professional and international players including National Hall of Fame catcher Dottie Wilkinson and Hall of Fame pitcher Billie Harris, the first African-American woman to ever be inducted.
"It was so nice," said Wilkinson. "I was impressed with this team. The first thing I saw when I got out here today was that they were all out here working at moving the tarp off the field. That brought me back to old times when we had to do all that. It took me back to my team where we had to do everything, so that impressed me. They were all out there having a great time together and that gives you a good ball team. Being together off the field, and on the field. That's what I told them at the end, remember your friends that you played with, they will always be your friends."
Wilkinson, a charter member of the Arizona Softball Foundation, was inducted into the National Hall of Fame in 1970 following her illustrious career with the World Famous PBSW. Wilkinson started her career as a second baseman for the PBSW Ramblers, but made the switch to catcher under head coach Ford Hoffman where she eventually took over pitch, and play, calling duties.
Wilkinson played softball from 1933 to 1965, helping her team to the national title in 1940, 1948 and 1949. She was an All-American 19 seasons as an amateur softball player. Among her feats, she batted an average of .455 in 1954, .450 in 1955, and .387 on the Ramblers championship runner-up year of 1957.
Near the end of her softball career, Wilkinson picked up bowling and quickly worked her way onto the pro-circut. As a professional bowler, she won the Women's International Bowling Queen's Tournament, a bowling triple crown event, in 1962 and the WIBC singles in 1963. She was inducted into the International Bowling Hall of Fame in 1990.
"I think the biggest thing that hit home with me was the tradition that they left behind," said junior pitcher Breanna Macha. "They are the ones that really paved the way for girls like us to play today. Hearing the things they had to go through, like them having no field and they still went out every day and practiced, little things like that just really hit home."
Bringing former players to meet the current players is the start to a new-found relationship between the two groups. "I think this is the start of something wonderful," Wilkinson said about the afternoon. "I didn't go to ASU, but I've always been an ASU fan. I love to talk about softball. I'm a good fan. I just want to wish my best wishes and prayers to this team. I watch them on my TV and I just wish them very good luck and I want to see them get to the College World Series. I'll be watching every play."
"The whole time I was talking to Dottie I was just thinking about how grateful I am to have the things that we have today," added Macha "Also, being able to play for their name as well. They left such a great legacy behind."
Arizona State softball will take the field for the first time in the 2017 season in just a few short weeks as the team will again host the Nationally renowned Kajikawa Classic. The event is scheduled to be played Feb. 9-12, with ASU taking the field for the first time on Thursday the 9th at 4:45 p.m. Fans can follow all of the action from the 2017 season by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter.
Head ASU coach, Trisha Ford, and Arizona Softball Foundation Board of Directors member Joanna Burton, invited former softball greats out to an open practice and lunch with the current Sun Devil team. Following the conclusion of practice, players and coaches were given the opportunity to sit down with the special visitors and talk about share softball memories and discuss the development of the game over the years.
"We've been thinking on ways for several years to get to know the teams," Burton said of bridging the gap between current and former players. "We wanted to get a real face-to-face meet and greet. I met with Coach Ford and it started with a letter about The League of Their Own Luncheon, where pioneer players come together and reminisce about softball. I was excited to learn that was one of her ideas, and that she wanted to bring people that had played long before these ladies to see who laid the path before them that allowed them to have what they have today."
"I think we, as coaches and pioneers of softball, we wouldn't be here if it wasn't for those ladies," added Ford. "I think it is important for our ladies to understand the Arizona history and the national history of where softball started and where it has come to this day, and it was a great day of hearing stories of those women and their adventures."
The ASU softball team were joined by more than 20 former professional and international players including National Hall of Fame catcher Dottie Wilkinson and Hall of Fame pitcher Billie Harris, the first African-American woman to ever be inducted.
"It was so nice," said Wilkinson. "I was impressed with this team. The first thing I saw when I got out here today was that they were all out here working at moving the tarp off the field. That brought me back to old times when we had to do all that. It took me back to my team where we had to do everything, so that impressed me. They were all out there having a great time together and that gives you a good ball team. Being together off the field, and on the field. That's what I told them at the end, remember your friends that you played with, they will always be your friends."
Wilkinson, a charter member of the Arizona Softball Foundation, was inducted into the National Hall of Fame in 1970 following her illustrious career with the World Famous PBSW. Wilkinson started her career as a second baseman for the PBSW Ramblers, but made the switch to catcher under head coach Ford Hoffman where she eventually took over pitch, and play, calling duties.
Wilkinson played softball from 1933 to 1965, helping her team to the national title in 1940, 1948 and 1949. She was an All-American 19 seasons as an amateur softball player. Among her feats, she batted an average of .455 in 1954, .450 in 1955, and .387 on the Ramblers championship runner-up year of 1957.
Near the end of her softball career, Wilkinson picked up bowling and quickly worked her way onto the pro-circut. As a professional bowler, she won the Women's International Bowling Queen's Tournament, a bowling triple crown event, in 1962 and the WIBC singles in 1963. She was inducted into the International Bowling Hall of Fame in 1990.
"I think the biggest thing that hit home with me was the tradition that they left behind," said junior pitcher Breanna Macha. "They are the ones that really paved the way for girls like us to play today. Hearing the things they had to go through, like them having no field and they still went out every day and practiced, little things like that just really hit home."
Bringing former players to meet the current players is the start to a new-found relationship between the two groups. "I think this is the start of something wonderful," Wilkinson said about the afternoon. "I didn't go to ASU, but I've always been an ASU fan. I love to talk about softball. I'm a good fan. I just want to wish my best wishes and prayers to this team. I watch them on my TV and I just wish them very good luck and I want to see them get to the College World Series. I'll be watching every play."
"The whole time I was talking to Dottie I was just thinking about how grateful I am to have the things that we have today," added Macha "Also, being able to play for their name as well. They left such a great legacy behind."
Arizona State softball will take the field for the first time in the 2017 season in just a few short weeks as the team will again host the Nationally renowned Kajikawa Classic. The event is scheduled to be played Feb. 9-12, with ASU taking the field for the first time on Thursday the 9th at 4:45 p.m. Fans can follow all of the action from the 2017 season by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter.