In one of the biggest upsets in any sport in these Olympics, Japan has defeated the United States 3-1 to win the softball gold medal.
The U.S. had won the last three gold medals, had a 22-game winning streak in Olympic softball and was accustomed to not just winning but blowing out its opponents. So dominant was the U.S. that softball games involving the Americans often invoked the mercy rule, and American dominance was one of the main reasons that the sport has been canceled for the 2012 Olympics.
But Japan, which got a fourth-inning home run from Eri Yamada, was the better team today. Team USA will settle for silver.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-21-2008 @ 10:52AM
Steve said...
All the hipe and they blow it....... softball should not be part of the games anyway.
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8-21-2008 @ 5:58PM
dpage said...
why shouldn't softball stay in, maybe they should take out batmitton and trampoline.
8-21-2008 @ 11:21AM
Omar said...
Maybe they lost so that they'd get the sport back in the olympics? hmm....
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8-21-2008 @ 8:21PM
Lisa French Smith said...
I thought that perhaps they should maybe do that for a moment.But they're obvious devestation at the loss was apparent when they stood on the medal stand. Also, London plays cricket. Can't have cricket if there is baseball. Not enough room according to IOC. They'll be back in 2016.
8-21-2008 @ 11:44AM
David W said...
OK, totally ignoring what Steve just said (what the hell is wrong with softball that it shouldn't be in the Games? OK..so I didn't ignore it. But moving on)...
..know who should be afraid, very afraid? The Redeem Team. Because for all their dominance, they were not as dominant as the USA softball team. Not. At. All. So if Jenny and the gang can lose the gold, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.
Kobe, Dwayne, Lebron: don't sleep.
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8-21-2008 @ 11:47AM
James said...
Congratulations, Japan! You just pulled the BIGGEST upset of the Beijing Olympics. Just call the Japanese the "Giant Killers". Hey, if badminton, ping-pong, equestrian, dingle berry pulling, and ass scratching are considered legitimate Olympic sports, how in the living hell can you justify doing away with softball and baseball? In the USA, baseball and softball are THE summer sports. Again, congratulations to the Japanese. The world outside the USA celebrates your victory alongside you.
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8-21-2008 @ 8:02PM
JG said...
Sadly all good things must come to an end.
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8-21-2008 @ 8:06PM
Lisa French Smith said...
As a long time USA softball mega fan and softball coach myself there were two things that I have a hard time getting my head around. Why does there not seem to be any IFS rules limiting the amount of innings a pitcher can pitch. On any softball field in the colleges and on down a pitcher has strict rules about how many innings in a time period can be pitched. Japan's pitcher pitched 21 straight innings. That would never be allowed here and it shouldn't. It's bad for the athlete and it doesn't give a true credibility as to the teams overall abilities. We'd all like to have ONE ringer who pitched every game, never tired, and the offense would then only be required to participate minimally and you could send the defense home. Japan's pitcher pitching 21 innings felt like cheating to me. No other team did that. OKAY!! That being said, Obviously there is no pitching rule in the Olympics. So you have to accept that. I WAS SO DISAPPOINTED AT THE POOR LOSERS THE USA TEAM LOOKED LIKE ON THE MEDAL STAND. Gosh, okay so it didn't seem fair and square but geeez, take a breath and smile - you won a medal and you're at the freekin' Olympics. Enjoy the moments. Anyone know exactly what the IFS softball pitching rules as to innings pitched in a time period is? How bout it - someone find out and let us all know.
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8-21-2008 @ 8:58PM
Dr Huxtable said...
nice wall of text....way to go out with a bang, America!
8-21-2008 @ 9:07PM
Lisa French Smith said...
JUST looked up the pitching rules for the ISF:
There is no limit as to how many times a player may return to the pitching position as long as they remain in the batting order. This applies to all pitchers 17yrs. and up.
I guess that about says it.
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8-21-2008 @ 10:10PM
Milt Michael said...
Lisa, I think there are a whole lot more rules that could be changed before you start limiting pitchers innings.
BTW, were you suggesting that rule when Lisa Fernandez was dominating?
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