Michele Smith on the Hall of Fame and USA Softball

Michele Smith is one of the greatest softball pitchers of all time. She has won countless gold medals and helped put USA Softball on the international map both with her work at the Olympics and playing abroad in Japan. She is in Oklahoma City covering the World Cup of Softball for ESPN and we spoke with her to get her thoughts on a variety of subjects. This is Part I of our discussion where she talks about being inducted into the Hall of Fame and the current U.S. National Team.

Being inducted into the Hall of Fame and watching four blowout U.S.A. wins…it’s been a pretty good last couple of days, huh?

Yeah it’s been great. The U.S. team has been playing lights out. Being inducted into the Hall of Fame was great. Very cool. And doing it in Oklahoma City too!

Growing up as a little girl in Califon, NJ did you ever think you’d be in the Hall of Fame someday?

I never really thought about the end of my career because I was so involved in playing the next day. And because I still play professionally in Japan it was a shock all of a sudden. It was “Oh my god! The Hall of Fame!” So it really took me by surprise. I think a lot of athletes who get inducted haven’t been playing for awhile so they can think about it but it blew me away and came as a great shock.

Jessica Mendoza just wrote a very nice blog post about yourself and the other players that put softball on the map like Donna Lopiano and Dot Richardson. It must be nice to know the current players appreciate the ground-breaking players that came before them.

It’s a great feeling. For me when I was playing I’d look back on the Joan Joyce’s and the Kathy Arendsen’s who blazed the trail and never got to compete in the Olympic games --and then there we were in the first Olympics and the second Olympics-- and it made you appreciate those who came before you.

For these players today to recognize our accomplishments shows a trickle down effect and one of the reasons this sport has such a great tradition and winning spirit within USA Softball.

Let’s turn to the current team. What’s the difference between this year’s team and last year’s team?

Well I think this year’s team is more prepared. I think after Athens the team probably was a little bit spread out. They were playing in the Pro Leagues and they weren’t practicing a lot as a team. So I think this year they’ve had training camps January through June. And since June they’ve been training together and doing lots of great stuff. Softball is a team sport. The more the team is together the more they are going to gel. The more a team is hitting together you get that rhythm going. I think this is what we’re seeing. This team is very strong. This is an important year. It seeds softball for the Beijing Olympics so being sharp in World Championships is extremely important.

Is this one of the best U.S. pitching rotations you’ve ever seen?

I think it’s the best lineup I’ve seen. As far as the pitching rotation…unbelievable talent…but very young. But they’re getting their opportunities which is very exciting. In two-three years they’re going to be even better. And that’s what’s so important.

Because if you look back at the last decade of U.S. pitching within the Olympics the only three pitchers that have ever thrown in any medal games were myself, Lisa Fernandez, and Michele Granger in 1996. So there’s nobody else with that experience. So these young kids have got to get it now. This is a very key year for Cat Osterman, Jennie Finch, Jamie Southern, Monica Abbott, and Alicia Hollowell. They’ve all got to step up and with Lisa not playing this year they’ve got to learn how to play with pressure.

Comments

[Jessica Thomas]

Hi i was reading your thing on the wed site saying that your the best softball pitcher of all times.
What about Jennie Finch?

:]
Im a pitcher too.

[Teresa Braun]

Hi Michele my daughter Amanda Braun just posted you a comment. She never stops talking about you. She is also a pitcher.

[Amanda Braun]

You are one of my romodels for softball Michele Smith. You have greatt talent and I have always wondered what it takes to be in your place right now.

[RisingSunofNihon]

Very nice interview! Is Michelle still playing in the Pro League in Japan this year? It would be great to see her out there pitching again!