General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsA little bit of joy in the middle of all this madness – what a gorgeous photo....
This weeks SI cover features Little League sensation Mone Davis
Found on the Obama Diary
pintobean
(18,101 posts)Stardust
(3,894 posts)"Throwing 70 miles an hour that's throwing like a girl," the star of the Philadelphia Taney Dragons told CBS News of her famed fastballs. On Friday, the South Philly native became the first girl to throw a shutout in Little League World Series history, allowing only two hits, striking out eight batters and walking none against Tennessee.
upaloopa
(11,417 posts)Once while playing first base I got my thumb bent backward while tagging out a runner. It hurt too much to play I thought but the team wanted me to stay in the game.
I wanted someone to throw a ball to me to see how bad it felt to catch. I saw a girl standing by the dugout and asked her to throw a ball to me. I thought she would throw like a girl and it would not hurt to catch the ball. She burned a fast ball at me overhand and just about took my glove hand off. It hurt so bad tears came to my eyes. I never said "throws like a girl" again until now.
hfojvt
(37,573 posts)every time she missed the ball (and had to chase it) she would in turn then wing the ball way over my head. That got old, but no question she had an arm on her.
Then there was another older cousin or something. Showed up at one of our cousin softball games. I was pitching - slow pitch. I had no glove, because we did not take such things camping, and even though there were many extra gloves there were none for a lefty like me. Anyway this lady blasted a line drive up the center and I, unthinkingly tried to catch it, with my bare hand.
Not a good idea, although I did not break any bones, it was quite painful.
Another girl at the German club picnic, when I was a freshman, back in 1977 was pitching softball when a line drive smacked her right in the thigh. She just stretched a little and kept right on pitching.
panader0
(25,816 posts)I was a coach. I used to catch for them, and I can guarantee that they threw hard. I used to sit on a bucket and catch for practice.
I had many black and blue bruises on my shins. (We went 14 and 1 on the last season, years ago)
redqueen
(115,103 posts)underpants
(182,868 posts)Well deserved but still it was funny. Let's just hope no one breaks a heel.
Give me a minute. That's all I have ever asked
happyslug
(14,779 posts)Now, if you go to google, you get a lot of cites saying girls do throw different from boys, but then if you read those articles they indicate boys can throw with more power and longer range, which reflects the greater muscle mass of men, but the basic style of throwing was the same for both sexes.
First is the how much practice did players of both sexes have had? The more practice you have throwing, the less you "throw like a girl" and the more you throw "like a man". Notice the style is the issue, throwing like a girl is the throwing of someone just beginning to throw. As you throw (and it is faster to do this at younger ages then older ages), your body and mind adjusts to do a better job of throwing. Practice make perfect. No practice, even a male will throw like a girl.
This is most noticeable among young ball players. If you learn to throw before age six, i.e. parents start to throw with their Children. such children quickly learn to throw more and more correctly. If you do NOT throw a ball with other people you end up "Throwing like a girl" for you did NOT learn how to throw correctly. This is true of both males AND females.
This was more common with women then with men, thus the term "Throw like a girl" came from the fact many women did NOT throw balls when they were young and thus did NOT learn how to do so when it was the best time to learn. Less practice, less ability to throw.
Throwing like an old washer woman was a variation of the statement of throwing like a girl. Such a statement was mostly aimed at those few men who can not throw a ball correctly. Both statements show that such people do exist in our society for you do NOT make statements like that except if there is some basis behind that statement.
Notice the main reason for "throwing like a girl" is NOT that the thrower in male or female, but has NOT had the opportunity to spend the time to learn to throw correctly. It is harder to learn to throw correctly as you age, thus a lot of women who did not throw was children end up throwing like "a girl". The worse part is that women who throw like "Old Washer Women" often taught their sons and daughter to throw, by just playing catch with their sons and daughters. Yes, the old "Washer Women" threw like "Old Washer Women", but because their sons and daughters started to learn to throw quite young, learn how to throw correctly. Thus you can see sons and daughters learning to throw while playing with adults and the young one throwing correctly, while below age six where THROWING like "a Girl". That reflected it is easier for the young to learn something, then the old to learn something.
Some articles on throwing the male vs female learning to throw:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/throw-like-a-girl-with-some-practice-you-can-do-better/2012/09/10/9ffc8bc8-dc09-11e1-9974-5c975ae4810f_story.html
virtually all novice throwers throw like girls,
http://neuroanthropology.net/2009/02/01/throwing-like-a-girls-brain/
nomorenomore08
(13,324 posts)happyslug
(14,779 posts)n/t
redqueen
(115,103 posts)I can't believe this shit still has to be spelled out here.
Oh no wait I totally can.
happyslug
(14,779 posts)It was a common comment about men and boys who had, for various reasons, limited experience in throwing a ball. Like many girls who had limited experience, they threw like a person with limited experience. In the days of my youth, before girls were permitted into Little League, it was more common for girls to throw like someone who had NOT done it often, as opposed to boys, thus the comment.
In my youth the more common phase was "throwing like an old washer woman" as opposed to "Throwing like a girl", but the point was the same, it was aimed at a person with limited throwing experience who needed my experience in throwing,
Eleanors38
(18,318 posts)of shooting like a girl. I looked, said "thank you," and continued on.
calimary
(81,440 posts)underpants
(182,868 posts)csziggy
(34,137 posts)Rewriting the concept of throwing like a girl
http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word-with-lawrence-odonnell/watch/rewriting-the-concept-of-throwing-like-a-girl-317644355931
The full video he was referencing:
upaloopa
(11,417 posts)cyberswede
(26,117 posts)Good for her!
longship
(40,416 posts)It still has not happened. But when I see (and read) things like this my black (figurative) feminist heart warms.
I recently watched 42, the flick about Jackie Robinson, and can see a future baseball biopic entitled Mo'ne.
rurallib
(62,444 posts)back in the WWII era. They were way ahead of their times in that regard.
cwydro
(51,308 posts)Recced!
La Lioness Priyanka
(53,866 posts)such poise for her age. it was pretty remarkable
VA_Jill
(9,994 posts)is a former soccer player and the mother of sons. She is totally raving about this girl.
me b zola
(19,053 posts)She may be the one who breaks into MLB. Its passed time.
Mo'ne, we're pulling for you!
erpowers
(9,350 posts)It is a great cover connected to a great story. I hope everything goes great for her in the future.
AtomicKitten
(46,585 posts)nirvana555
(448 posts)AtomicKitten
(46,585 posts)the best advice I can give you is to balance soul-crushing news or circumstance with something that makes you laugh.
Cheers
This always does it for me:
calimary
(81,440 posts)GREAT video!!!! OMG!!!!
May I add...
[IMG][/IMG]
For those who need an extra smile at a time like this.
AtomicKitten
(46,585 posts)An excellent bookend to my "atomic" kitten.
calimary
(81,440 posts)Ineeda
(3,626 posts)Disproves the 'cats always land on their feet' myth. That one lands on it's face....a lot. (And you go girl, Mo'ne!)
AtomicKitten
(46,585 posts)... on the order of Wile E. Coyote.
brer cat
(24,592 posts)Thanks for posting, Playinghardball...a welcome break from all the bad news these days.
K&R
Tikki
(14,559 posts)Well, first in the trophy case for awhile and then into the vault.
Tikki
mcar
(42,372 posts)What a wonderful and promising athlete. As the mother of two nearly grown sons, I have to say I love this generation of women. Strong, smart, ambitious.
underpants
(182,868 posts)She is awesome
cwydro
(51,308 posts)cornball 24
(1,480 posts)Watching our Taney St. Dragons and all the kids playing in Williamsport is what it's all about-hope for our future.
etherealtruth
(22,165 posts)toby jo
(1,269 posts)nomorenomore08
(13,324 posts)Breaking the MLB gender barrier is a real possibility.
lovemydog
(11,833 posts)I'm also thinking of some folks who were on the cover of SI at a young age. Ali, Woods, Magic Johnson. She's in some good company. I'm gonna watch her pitch tomorrow on tv!
eridani
(51,907 posts)Wise coaching should help her to keep from trashing her arm.
JEB
(4,748 posts)Thanks for the post.
mackerel
(4,412 posts)lovemydog
(11,833 posts)of last inning of her last game:
Final out at around 5 minute mark. Interview at around 9".
Reminder - she's pitching tomorrow (Wednesday). It should be on espn or at your neighborhood sports bar / restaurant!
Schmice2
(20 posts)Patiod
(11,816 posts)You feature ANYONE or ANY team, and the chances are better that they'll lose along the way than the chances that they end up at #1
Which is all my non-math-brain way of saying "Regression to the mean"
http://www.philippahuckle.com/news-and-opinions/blog/the-fallacy-of-the-sports-illustrated-jinx/
JohnnyRingo
(18,640 posts)What a phenom! She should rightly be proud of herself.
Thanx for posting.
toddwv
(2,830 posts)Has baseball finally found a way to revive itself?
Mosby
(16,342 posts)SunSeeker
(51,662 posts)Patiod
(11,816 posts)Mo'Ne is a superstar AND she has a great team behind her, which makes the story even better.
Black and white kids playing together, black and white parents working together against the handicap of crappy fields (no parking, no bathrooms, no drainage - which means mud for days after a storm) crappy practice facilities - non of the suburban comforts. Great dads coaching, great moms there for every game. Upper middle class kids and poor kids (a lot of parents can't afford hotel rooms and transportation for Williamsport), all working together and being coached to be VERY good sports and academic successes.
As someone who entered high school the year Title 9 went into effect, I'm a huge sucker for a Girl sports success story.
But right now, the story we need is the story of the TEAM and the Taney families and how they manage to put aside their differences and succeed.