Buzz
If you've ever picked up a softball, you’ve probably noticed that the term 'soft' is misleading. There's no softness to the 11- or 12-inch ball weighing 6 to 7 ounces, capable of flying into the batter’s box—or, if things go wrong, smashing into your face—at high speed.
So, what’s the reason behind calling it a 'softball'?
It dates back to the game’s origins. In 1887, alumni from Harvard and Yale were at the Farragut Boat Club in Chicago, Illinois, waiting for the results of a football game between the two schools. When Yale won, one of their supporters playfully tossed a boxing glove at a Harvard man, who swatted at it with a stick.
A reporter by the name of George Hancock saw potential in their playful exchange. He adjusted the boxing glove to make it more streamlined and encouraged the club members to try an indoor version of baseball, marking home plate and the bases with chalk.
This lighter, more flexible take on baseball quickly gained popularity and eventually made its way outdoors. Other adaptations used a small medicine ball, and the game went by various names in different regions, including indoor ball, diamond ball, playground ball, and kitten ball—the latter due to the use of yarn-wrapped leather balls. In 1926, Walter Hakanson of the YMCA proposed officially recognizing the game at a National Recreation Congress meeting. He also gave it the name 'softball.'
By the 1930s, the game was being played across hundreds of leagues in the U.S., and its popularity has only grown since.
While earlier versions of the ball were sometimes softer and more cushioned, today's balls are typically made with kapok fiber, polyurethane, or other materials. Youth versions might feature a cork core. In all cases, the ball is covered with either synthetic or natural leather.
The ball likely took on the same name as the game, which was inspired by the softer, yarn-filled balls of the past—though it's clear that Walter Hakanson had never had one of these 'soft' balls hit him in the shin before coining the term 'softball.'
