National Pro Fastpitch (NPF), formerly Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL), is the only professional female softball league in the United States. The NPF currently features five teams: Aussie Spirit, Beijing Shougang Eagles, Chicago Bandits, Cleveland Comet, and USSSA Pride. Every year, the playoff teams are fighting for the Cowles Cup.
WPSL was established in 1997 and folded in 2001; The NPF revived the league in 2004.
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Team
Timeline of the NPF team
The NPF team is currently on Tan
Former NPF member or team dead in blue
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League History
On November 21, 2002, WPSL announced a rebranding strategy and an official name change to National Pro Fastpitch. Major League Baseball partnered with the NPF as an Official Development Partner as a continuation of MLB's efforts to connect with female athletes and women in general.
As an "Official Development Partner" in 2003, Major League Baseball gave introductions to the Premier League Baseball Club, community partners, broadcast partners and to MLB.com.
As part of its long-term sales, marketing and promotional campaign, the NPF featured an All-Star Tour in 2003. The tour provided each of the league expansion team owners with the tools to lay the groundwork in their market for the official league launch of play in 2004.
In 2004, the league was relaunched with six teams in six markets: California Sunbirds in Stockton, California; Arizona Heat in Tucson, Arizona; Thunder Texas in Houston, Texas; Akron racer in Akron, Ohio; New England Riptide in Lowell, Massachusetts; and NY/NJ Juggernaut in Montclair, New Jersey.
The 2004 season was distinguished by 178 league-wide matches, 96 of the country's best female softball players, continued support from Major League Baseball as NPF Official Development Partner in the women's fastpitch softball category, NPF playoff (both best). of three series went three games) and the inaugural NPF Championship with New York/New Jersey Juggernaut capturing the Cowles Championship Championship with a victory over New England Riptide, finisher fourth place in the regular season.
New ownership (2005)
In December 2004, owners of each of the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) teams announced plans intended for the transition of National Pro Fastpitch operations from the founding Cowles family to an operations group consisting of team owners.
The new ownership group efforts in 2005 focused on strengthening local and national broadcasting agreements, soliciting sponsor support, and aligning with national softball associations to bring meaningful competition to individual team markets and grassroots activities across the country. The Group continues to recruit new teams and strengthen team ownership in every market.
The 2005 regular season includes a total of 144 matches and 23 opponents including six NPF teams, plus main teams of women's ASA and international teams such as Canada, Mexico, Russia, Venezuela, China and Australia. The season ended last weekend in August when the Akron Rider beat the Chicago Bandits 5-4 in extra round to claim the NPF Championship Title.
The Juggernaut joined Telecare to broadcast six games in 2005. Telecare reached nearly a million homes in the Long Island area. Comcast SportsNet Chicago aired seven original Chicago Bandits games in 2005. ESPN2 aired two games during the NPF Championship series. The last match was broadcast on ESPN2 with a very impressive rating of.48.
Philadelphia Forces and Connecticut Brakettes joined the NPF for the 2006 season. Brakettes, Akron Racer, 2005 Winter Winner, Chicago Bandits, New England Riptide, Arizona Heat, Texas Thunder competed in league games during 2006. New England Riptide beat Brakettes Connecticut to become champions.
For the 2007 season, The Texas Thunder moved to Rockford, Illinois to play as Rockford Thunder. The Connecticut Brakettes leave the NPF to return to exclusive amateur status. Washington Glory was founded as a new franchise, taking on many former pro player Brakettes. The Arizona Heat franchise is officially suspended.
Each of the six established NPF teams played an official schedule of 44 games during 2007, including games against non-league opponents counted in the NPF standings. Michigan Ice plays a more limited schedule as a temporary NPF team. Non-league opponents include Team China, Denso Japan, the Venezuelan national team, and Stratford Brakettes.
The league moved the playoffs to Kimberly, Wisconsin in a double elimination format. Washington are the only team in the unbeaten playoffs and won the championship in the first game on 26 August. Rain on August 24 prevents the first day of competition played so all Friday matches are played Saturday morning/afternoon and Saturday are scheduled. games are pushed later into the night. Monica Abbott and Cat Osterman did not throw a hitter during the championship weekend.
In 2008, the league saw the addition of four more games as different international opponents appeared on the schedule and each team played in every other league town. International opponents include Canada, Venezuela, China Taipei, and the Netherlands. Each team plays two home series against two of the four international opponents.
The league also hosts the Battle of the Bats throughout the 2008 season. In every Saturday night home match, or the selected date if the series is not played on Saturday night, four players from each team are selected to represent different bat manufacturers in home- run-hit. The contest puts producers on producers and players against players in a competition that ends at Kimberly, Wisconsin as part of a championship weekend.
Contraction and expansion (2009-present)
The New England Riptide did not play the 2009 season, citing economic reasons. The Washington Glory is folded instantly and replaced by USSSA Pride.
For 2011, Diamonds became a travel team, and Pride split the home game between two new places. In 2012, Diamond moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, and became Carolina Diamonds. They played in various places in North Carolina during the 2012 season.
The league announces that the Pennsylvania Rebellion will be added as an expansion team for the 2014 season, receiving a list of recently departed NY/NJ Comets.
In January 2015, the league announced Dallas cost as the expansion team for the 2015 season. The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex team will divide their home game between Ballfields at Craig Ranch at McKinney and a Arlington baseball stadium.
On October 23, 2015, the NPF announced that Scrap Yard Dawgs would join the league as an expansion team based in The Woodlands, Texas.
On January 16, 2017, the NPF announced that the ownership of Pennsylvania Rebellion would destroy the team, effective immediately. All players Rebellion under contract awarded free agent.
On 2 May 2017 NPF announced the addition of expansion team, Beijing Shougang Eagles. The list will be filled with members of China's national women's softball team and selected American players. For 2017, Beijing's half-house schedule is played in places from other NPF teams. Beijing is expected to announce the location of permanent US homes in the future.
On October 12, 2017, it was reported that the Texas Cost would dissolve, effective immediately. The NPF makes no announcements about Charging, but all Charging players under contract are added to the league deals page as free agent.
In a setting similar to Beijng Eagles', the NPF announced in December 2017 that Australian Softball will operate the expansion team of 2018, the Aussie Spirit.
On January 28, 2018, Scrap Yard Dawgs announced through a press release they will no longer be affiliated with the NPF. However, the NPF announced they ended the franchise on January 29 on the grounds that the team had violated some rules of league operations and franchise requirements. The Scrap Yard Dawgs show they will continue as an independent team known as Scrap Yard Fastpitch for 2018. On the same day, Ohio.com reports that the Akron Racer will be replaced by a Chinese team, similar to the Beijing Eagles. However, on February 1, 2018 Akron, on the contrary, changed their name to Cleveland Comets. Comets will remain the NPF travel team.
Champions
Previous league history
IWPSA
The NPF traces its origins back to the first professional softball league. Former LPGA Tour member Janie Blaylock, softball legend Joan Joyce, Billie Jean King's tennis icon, sporting entrepreneur Jim Jorgensen and Dennis Murphy co-founder of the WHA league and WTT, founded the International Professional Women's Professional Association (IWPSA) in 1976. The League featured 10 teams in cities across the nation, including Meriden, Connecticut, Chicago, Illinois, Prescott, Arizona, and San Jose, California. In the first season of IWPSA, each team played a 120-match schedule featuring 60 doubleheaders.
The young association survived four seasons before lack of funds, high travel costs, and inadequate facilities eventually led to its destruction.
Team
- Arizona/Phoenix Bird (1976)
- Buffalo Breskis (1976-79)
- Chicago Bandits (1976)
- Connecticut Falcons (1976-79)
- Michigan Travelers (1976)
- Pennsylvania Liberties (1976)
- Santa Ana Lionettes (1976-77)
- San Diego Sandpipers (1976)
- San Jose Sunbirds (1976-78); San Jose Rainbows (1979)
- Southern California Gem (1976)
- Bakersfield Aggies (1977)
- St. Louis Hummers (1977-79)
- Edmonton Snowbirds (1979)
- New York Adventurers (1979)
Championship
- 1976
- Champion: Connecticut Falcons
- Runner-up: San Jose Sunbirds
- 1977
- Champion: Connecticut Falcons
- Runner-up: Santa Anna Lionettes
- 1978
- Champion: Connecticut Falcons
- Runner-up: St. Louis Hummers
- 1979
- Champion: Connecticut Falcons
- Runner-up: St. Louis Hummers
Following IWPSA
In 1982, the National Athletic Association Athletic began approving the Women's College World Series, a move that led to increased participation and exposure for the sport.
Internationally, the USA Softball Women's national team won back-to-back gold medals at ISF 1986 Women's World Championships and Pan American Games 1987. The campus game also benefited from changes to the rules imposed in 1987 that increased the game's offensive output and eventually its popularity. Women's Professional Women's Softball Women's Professional Softball League
Former Utah State University softball player Jane Cowles and his coach, John Horan, developed plans for a professional softpitch women's softball league. In February 1989, Cowles introduced a blueprint for the league to his parents Sage and John Cowles, Jr., owner of Media Cowles Company, who agreed to provide financial support for the effort.
Field research and market studies began later that fall and continued into 1993. In January 1994, plans for a barnstorming tour were announced, and 18 months later two teams, Blaze and the Storm, consisted of former star players playing games exhibitions in towns throughout the Midwest. Eight years of research and planning finally peaked in May 1997, with the Cowles family and title sponsor AT & amp; T Wireless Services launches Women's Pro Fastpitch (WPF). The league starts with six teams: Orlando Wahoos, Tampa Bay Firestix, Georgia Pride (then Akron-based Ohio Pride), Carolina Diamonds, Durham Dragons, and Virginia Roadsters.
WPF Championship
After completing two seasons as WPF, officials changed their name to Professional Women's Professional League in 1998. Orlando Wahoos moved to Akron, Ohio and became the Akron Racer, the only team left in the league today.
The WPSL is comprised of four teams located in the Eastern United States in 2000. The world's most talented softpitch softpitch, including former Olympic athletes, All-American colleges, and conference options highlights a list of 15 players from four league teams. The Akron Racers, Florida Wahoos, Ohio Pride, and Tampa Bay FireStix each participate in the regular season of WPSL. Florida Wahoos beat Ohio Pride in a championship series held in Springfield, Missouri.
The 2001 Tour of Fastpitch Champions allowed WPSL to focus on expansion. The 2001 tour traveled to 11 cities targeted as a WPSL expansion candidate. The competition featured games between the WPSL Gold and All-Star teams as well as Canada, the USA National Team, and the local teams of the stars. Nine of these games are broadcast on television, seven on ESPN2 and two "live" on ESPN, the first for WPSL. This season is considered a success with more than three million households watching the WPSL match. Many cities are also being developed for future ownership in the league.
Play was suspended during the 2002 season to restructure the organization and allow additional league time to develop and explore new expansion markets. However, the WPSL All-Star team competed in two exhibition matches against the Tennessee All-Stars as part of the Division A National Softball Association, Eastern World Series in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The WPSL All-Stars also conducts two clinics as part of weekend activities.
WPSL Championship
See also
- Professional softball ball in the United States
References
Note
External links
- National Pro Fastpitch
- Japanese Pro Softball: Toyota
- Softball Channel
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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