Sixteen inch softball was invented in Chicago and has endured for generations. Chicago's Game, as it is often called, was invented out of necessity: Many of the parks and schools in Chicago are small, and regular 12 inch softballs tended to be smashed into the streets and over walls or fences. In order to fit softball into smaller venues, a larger and somewhat softer ball that doesn't travel as far was introduced. Many of the rules of baseball and softball were adjusted as well. Chicago natives like to brag that 16 inch softball requires more skill and is quicker, safer and more fun that the 12 inch variety.
History
The genesis of 16 inch softball in Chicago came in 1887 at the Farragut Boat Club, when Harvard and Yale alums wrapped up a boxing glove and used a broomstick to hit the "ball." But 16 inch softball quickly turned into a game of the people, especially during the Depression. Fielders played without gloves, the biggest rule change in 16 inch softball compared to 12 inch softball, which suited the dismal economic times in the Windy City and elsewhere. All you needed to play was a bat and a 16 inch softball, which could be purchased for a team for 10 cents per player. The game took the city by storm. The first World Championship was played at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, and later at Wrigley Field, home of the Cubs. A Windy City professional league lasted into the 1950s. With no television to keep people at home, crowds of 10,000 or more packed stadiums to watch the games and often gamble on the results. New York Yankee and Harlem Globetrotter star "Sweetwater" Clinton played in the league.
In the Field
The Chicago Sports & Social Club establishes the rules for about 700 teams playing in 16 inch softball leagues in the city. In addition to the prohibition against gloves in the field, there are a number of unique rules in 16 inch softball. There are 10 players in the field, including one who patrols the area behind second base. Pitchers must toss balls in an arc between six and twelve feet high. While sliding is allowed, a base runner cannot lead off or steal, and must remain on the bag until a ball is hit. Any attempt by a base runner to interfere or create contact with a fielder results in the runner and the batter being called out.
Batting Rules
You can use any softball bat in 16 inch softball. Batters start with a 1 and 1 count. If you have two strikes on you and foul off more that one pitch thereafter, you are out. Since very few batters are able to hit home runs in 16 inch softball, most batters try to find holes between the fielders and move runners along the base paths.
General Rules
Games last seven innings or one hour. A five inning game is considered official. A mercy rule is in effect -- if a team is ahead by 10 runs or more after five innings, the game is over. A team is limited to scoring seven runs in innings one through four. There is no designated hitter.
Tradition
Many people in Chicago consider 16 inch softball to be an integral part of the city's history. A Hall of Fame for 16 inch softball has been created, and 16 inch softball was designated in 1999 as a letter sport in high school. As of 2011, the game was still going strong.
Member Comments