Jennie Finch - Queen of softball decides to retire
American softball player Jennie Finch announced recently to the press that she is to retire by next week. The 29 year old pitches for the Chicago Bandits and USA’s national softball team. She is recognized as one of the most dominant pitchers of the new millennium. She is an Olympic gold medallist and won an NCAA championship as well in a record-setting fashion.
She is not only famous for her extreme game play but also known for her dazzling looks. The beautiful blonde stands at 6’2”. She received more votes than Anna Kournikova according to an online poll, as the most attractive female athlete. Jennie was also offered to pose for the Playboy magazine and by Maxim magazine but she turned down both offers, though she modelled for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition in 2005.
Finch has appeared in several talk shows in America, and hosts one of the most popular baseball TV program called ‘This Week in Baseball.’ In 2008 she came in as a contestant on The Celebrity Apprentice but was fired by Donald Trump in the fourth week. She has also appeared in an episode of The Real Housewives of Orange County.
Jennie Finch started playing softball at the tender age of five years and started pitching at the age of eight. Finch lettered in three games in her high school years, softball, basketball and volleyball and was the captain of all three sports by her senior year.
In her college years she played softball for the University of Arizona, and won the Honda Player of the Year Award. She also became a three-time All-American pitcher at the University of Arizona. By 2002 Jennie set a new record for National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) by pitching 51 one games consecutively. She finished her freshmen year with 24 wins and 29 in her sophomore days. She graduated with the career total of 109 wins, with an amazing record of striking out 1,028 batters.
Jennie Finch has played a decade of international softball, and is married to a pitcher named Casey Daigle; Daigle plays for Houston Astros. Jennie played a pivotal role in the 2004 Olympics and brought the Gold medal home. She struck 13 batters out in eight innings, gave up on one walk, one hit and no home runs. She also obtained a silver medal four years later in the 2008 Olympics held in Beijing. Finch can pitch at 71 mph using a riseball which is equivalent to 100mph if pitched with fastball.
The Stellar player announced her retirement on 20th July 2010. In an interview she stated that she wanted to focus on her family more and wants to have more children. She said that she was grateful for the opportunities she had been blessed with and she had an incredible time with her teammates throughout her career.
Finch will play her final international game for her pro team the Chicago Bandits in the World Cup of Softball, which will take place on coming Thursday night in Oklahoma City. The Bandits will play their last regular-season game on August 22nd in Elgin.
When the press asked her teammates from the USA Softball Women’s National team how they felt about Jennie, her long term friend Natasha Watley said, "You go anywhere and you can say, `Jennie Finch,' and people know who that is, U.S. shortstop. You say you play softball, `Oh, do you know who Jennie Finch is?' Well, yeah, actually she's my teammate.”
Jennie Finch is considered a role model amongst the growing youth of America, her striking good looks and the new standard that she has set for softball in her era, by being feminine yet being able to play the sport like a true professional is acknowledged by athletes all over America. Finch told the media that she hopes in the near future she can help spread softball globally and open up various training camps.
"I hope to stay involved, it’s been such a big part of my life and I can't imagine my life without it” said Finch.
Tags: