Getting Excited For the Rubber Match

Game 3 of the girl's softball World Series is this afternoon in Oklahoma City. Arizona vs Tennessee, winner take all. While I haven't caught as much of the games as Phillip Fulmer and Pat Summitt, who were both in attendance for game 2 and stayed all 10 innings, I have caught enough of it that I'm actually interested in seeing who wins the whole thing. A few observations from the first two games:

-ESPN2 has been broadcasting the championship series in HD. Where is Jennie Finch when you need her? Actually, as Just Call Me Juice has already mentioned, the Wildcats have done a good job in carrying on the ponytailed pitcher tradition, and have a rather attractive lineup. The Volunteers on the other hand, have a few girls who are built more to ARod's liking. (Tho I do think Natalee Weissinger has got a lil' sumthin'.)

-All three games will feature the same starting pitchers, both of whom pitched complete games in the first two games. If you're going to play a series, there should be some rule in place forcing the game 2 starter to be a different individual than the game 1 starter. Otherwise, you might as well just play a one game, single elimination championship.

-The main physical attributes of a champion caliber non-pitcher are these: Ability to make contact, speed on the bases, slap hitting, fly ball power of 200 feet, and arm strength of about 90 feet. In other words, Juan Pierre would have made one helluva girl's softball player. Maybe the Dodgers can throw a wig on him and send him to UCLA. (Uh oh, I think I've given the Wayans bros. an idea for their next movie.)

-When a runner slides headfirst in a bag and then spends the next minute brushing dust off their chest, it's just delightful.

-The female umpire that's built like a lumberjack and sporting a mullet is not doing much to erase old stereotypes about women's softball.

-Neither is having Holly Rowe as the sideline reporter.

-What is the rarest and most exciting play in girls' softball? An inside the park home run? Unassisted triple play? For my money, it would have to be a bench clearing brawl. I haven't actually seen one yet, but in my mind, it's simply amazing.