.."I don't care how old she is, Joe, I want that kid on the mound tomorrow night."
Posted on 05/18/2005 5:16:28 PM PDT by kingattax
OAKFIELD, N.Y. -- Katie Brownell is a shy 11-year-old girl of few words. But when she gets on the baseball field, she lets her pitching do the talking.
Brownell is the only girl in the Oakfield-Alabama Little League baseball program in this community about halfway between Buffalo and Rochester. On Saturday, that didn't stop her from accomplishing something league officials can't remember anybody -- boy or girl -- ever doing.
She threw a perfect game for the Dodgers in an 11-0 victory over the Yankees.
How dominant was she? She struck out all 18 batters she faced in the six-inning victory. She never got to a three-ball count on any of them.
"As far back as I can remember, I don't ever recall hearing of a perfect game," said Eric Klotzbach, league president.
Katie said she knew she had a chance for something special in the fourth inning. Fortunately, Katie's coach, Joe Sullivan, realized that, too.
He had intended to pull Katie at some point during the game and was ready to do it when the scorekeeper told him she had a no-hitter going.
"I can't pull her out," Sullivan said after taking a look at the score book himself.
So, Katie kept mowing down the opposition and completed the task. Then the place exploded.
"Everybody congratulated me," Katie said.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
.."I don't care how old she is, Joe, I want that kid on the mound tomorrow night."
You GO, girl!
Congrats from the FReepers Katie! You da Girl!
What is this guy....a moron...! He needs a scorekeeper to tell him that the girl has struck out everybody to face her at any given point in time..??.....!
Hahahaha! Perfect!
It's not getting any better for ya, is it?
LOL nice!
I threw 4 no hitters when I played little league and Pony league, but I was never close to a perfect game...
and the fact that girl never got to a 3 ball count on anyone IN LITTLE LEAGUE is freaking amazing....
The fact that she's a girl in a boy's league makes this newsworthy, but this kid must be a terrific athlete regardless. I'd be curious to know how hard she throws, and if she has more than just a fastball. When I was in little league, there were some kids throwing in the upper 70mph range. I've always believed a female would break into the major leagues. There probably be a female punter or kicker in the NFL someday also. The NBA, however, will never see a female player.
That's a nice feat. Congratulations to the young woman.
Pardon my sensitivity to this issue though, it really grates me when a story is reported in this manor. It's a great feat that anyone did this, and isn't particulary any more-so because the pitcher was a girl.
By reporting it in this manor, the reporter seems to say, "This is really something ESPECIALLY since it was a girl." Ah, does that nincompoop think girls are inferior? That's the implication.
I should think the reporter would also have dragged themselves out of the dark ages by now. Kids are equals. That's the story every day, day after day. Why not here?
Bingo!
Speaking of the #11 - it happens tonight in Seattle - WOO-HOO!
The boys don't start catching up until testosterone starts flowing through them. By the time she's thirteen she won't be the best pitcher in the league. By the time she's fourteen she will get hammered in any game she pitches. By the time she's sixteen her male counterparts, the good ones anyway, will be throwing in the mid 80's. She'll be throwing upper 60's, maybe. By the time she's seventeen, a few of her male counterparts will hit 89-91. She might hit 72.
Just simple bio-chemistry and bio-mechanics....
They have this great win streak and only move from last to next-to-last in the division. Must be depressing.
I must agree that what she did was quite remarkable.
However, I must ask if anyone knows the losing teams record.
Maybe the losing team just really sucks.
Maybe they swing at every pitch.
Maybe their coach is an a$$hole and this is their way of getting even.
and maybe, just maybe, will see her on the cover of SI somday.
I've watched ball for many years and never once saw a twelve year old legitimately hit 70. I've seen them in the mid 60's and a couple in the upper 60's, maybe. A twelve year old throwing 70 from a little league mound would be the equivalent of Nolan Ryan throwing 105 from a big league mound. Maybe there are kids who throw that hard at that age. I've just never seen it.
As others have mentioned, the growth spurt for girls precedes that of boys. I'm not trying to minimize here feat, but it is possible this girl is advanced over the guys. In that case, your assessment may not be that accurate.
I do agree that generally young girls are somewhat at a disadvantage, but not necessarily during this age range.
Thanks.
Yep, different bio-mechanics needed for throwing a fast pitch softball. I'd say she might be a great fast pitch player someday.
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