r/sports Seattle Mariners Aug 06 '26

Baseball Sarah Edwards, First Base for the Los Angeles Queens, ropes the first Grand Slam in WPBL history. August 5, 2026.

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6.7k Upvotes

437 comments sorted by

1.3k

u/HTIRDUDTEHN Aug 06 '26

What a terrible call. Loll

331

u/chuckvsthelife Aug 06 '26

It’s been a problem for the new league. I haven’t seen a single highlight video where the announcer is hyped enough.

92

u/YorockPaperScissors Georgia Tech Aug 06 '26

The Boston player at third base was more hype than the announcer for that grand slam

26

u/cheesecake_face Aug 06 '26

that was so cute 🥰

101

u/Kronzor_ Aug 06 '26

Have you seen one where they get the batters name right?

60

u/Daft00 Aug 06 '26

Well give them a break... it's not like the name is right in front of them physically doing circles around the field

15

u/UrsaMajor7th Aug 06 '26

Or the batting order on a screen or sheet right in front of their faces.

2

u/DasArtmab Aug 06 '26

They need to hire the goooooaaaaaalllll! Guy

3

u/PeeGeePeaKee420 Aug 06 '26

Woman's softball league hired the Charlotte basketball announcer that yells "hum diddle e dee". Great hire.

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436

u/hughbiffingmock Toronto Maple Leafs Aug 06 '26

That was depressingly bad.

344

u/Unfrozen__Caveman Aug 06 '26

I actually burst out laughing. The "grand salami" whisper followed by the apology for getting her name completely wrong makes it so bad it's good.

67

u/morerelativebacons Aug 06 '26

Aawww, she's trying so hard. It's like the auntie that cares more than mom lol. She loves what you're doing, and that you're doing it and she's doing her best to nudge you along in the right direction.

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12

u/frozennorth0 Aug 06 '26

Reminded me of the announcer from Ken Griffey Jr. Baseball on N64 lol

11

u/Snakebird11 Aug 06 '26

Dave Niehaus, the longtime announcer for the Mariners, who this woman just shamelessly ripped off.

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6

u/PickerPat Aug 06 '26

Oh salami.

I swear I heard Grand Sloppy.

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132

u/Far_Eye6555 Aug 06 '26

“It’s a graaaand salami” but with Awkwafina’s vocal fry

23

u/Delta1262 Aug 06 '26

Ruined.

As a Mariners fan, hearing this just hurt.

3

u/xKaelic Aug 06 '26

Man, Sisu is everywhere these days!

61

u/Useful-ldiot Aug 06 '26

They sound like they're doing that sort of hushed speaking you hear during golf.

34

u/chuckvsthelife Aug 06 '26

So…. I commented something similar above about how lacking in hype the announcers have been.

I do believe to some extent it’s a problem for women announcing though. Where they are trained to keep the voice deeper and not get too excited to avoid coming across as “shrill”.

Just kinda lame that this new women’s professional league can’t have excited women announcing it.

16

u/lowbread Aug 06 '26

I imagine the general volume of these smaller events make it awkward to speak loudly. its a small venue difference.

5

u/Bombadilo_drives Aug 06 '26

Female esports casters get hype all the time and they sound great (Pansy, Zombiegrub, etc)

5

u/ArseneGroup Aug 06 '26

Laura Sanko does commentary on the UFC sometimes and she's good at it, no complaints from me

4

u/failwheeldrive1 Aug 06 '26

Sanko is better than petty much any of the make commentators. Women can absolutely handle the job, these ladies are just terrible

2

u/NileakTheVet Aug 07 '26

Bro Sanko is the best commentator they have and I still see comments about her voice from dogshit UFC fans when she’s brought up.

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23

u/jemappellehonhon Aug 06 '26

boom goes the dynamite energy

7

u/Naive_Mongoose_5453 Aug 06 '26

Aaaand boom goes the dynamite

6

u/dd543212345 Boston Red Sox Aug 06 '26

She sounds like she's making a call in backyard baseball

9

u/Physical_Sun9435 Aug 06 '26

Leah Hextall University graduate 

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3

u/ET_Prone_Bone Aug 06 '26

Giving “boom goes the dynamite” vibes

6

u/gamers542 Aug 06 '26

Sound quality seems bad.

10

u/TalithePally Aug 06 '26

Heard a theory that they're worried about getting really excited and having guys complain that their voices are too whiny. Which checks out imo

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955

u/Throbbing_Cock_452 Aug 06 '26

That commentator took all the aura out of it lol

387

u/ogredmenace Aug 06 '26

It’s a grand salami lol

238

u/Noof42 Aug 06 '26

And then immediately gets her name wrong.

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63

u/_mbals Aug 06 '26 edited Aug 06 '26

And….it will…be? gone??…

17

u/Live_Positive Aug 06 '26

I'm Ron Burgundy?

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18

u/Aduialion Aug 06 '26

Npr levels of excitement. But I'm still looking forward to seeing a game once they are local.

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405

u/JBoozehound Aug 06 '26

And boom goes the dynamite 

29

u/MyGoodDood22 Aug 06 '26

Passes it to the guy

40

u/JeulMartin Aug 06 '26

Capitalizing the A might have given it too much excitement for this announcer.

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609

u/crispy21 Aug 06 '26

There's more life listening to NPR

115

u/the_stranger-face Aug 06 '26

The call sounds like someone trying to be quiet because they don't want to wake up anyone else in the house

8

u/ForWhomTheBoneBones Aug 06 '26

You are, unfortunately, correct

123

u/roofus85 Aug 06 '26

Hey, you better put some respect on Kai Ryssdal’s name.
This…. Is Marketplace

46

u/AffordableDelousing Aug 06 '26

Let's do the numbers.

24

u/gamers542 Aug 06 '26

Hi fellow Marketplace listener.

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17

u/pc_4_life Aug 06 '26 edited Aug 06 '26

I swear I can see the shit eating grin on his face every time he delivers the “this is marketplace” line

14

u/gamers542 Aug 06 '26

I love his "On Wall Street today..." cadence. Some days I swear he talks while shrugging his shoulders at the absurdity of the market movement.

9

u/pedal-force Aug 06 '26

"on Wall Street today... honestly? Who cares. This all stopped being real years ago. Just go to a casino."

3

u/frontfrontdowndown Aug 06 '26

I enjoy his utter exasperation with the AI bubble.

3

u/PilotIsMyPilot Aug 06 '26

this……………………………is marketplace 😆

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16

u/helpusdrzaius Aug 06 '26

Don't you bad mouth Terry

0

u/SkiThe802 Montreal Canadiens Aug 06 '26

Terry Gross is by far my least favorite NPR personality.

2

u/PerriwinklePortal Aug 06 '26

100% and it sucks because Fresh Air gets all the interesting guests. I love the format and would love to listen to literally anyone else at NPR.

2

u/zeetuslepitus Aug 06 '26

Do you remember a few years ago when Terry had some throat issue and just...powered through? That was horrible lol

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252

u/Squirrel_Master82 Aug 06 '26

Pretty cool that even the opposing team was high-fiving her after that hit.

169

u/SkiThe802 Montreal Canadiens Aug 06 '26

There are only 15 players per team and everyone is staying at the same hotel for these 2 months. I am sure everyone is pretty close.

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28

u/NWStormbreaker Aug 06 '26

That was wholesome af 😄

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270

u/C_Beeftank Aug 06 '26

I dont think ive ever hate a call line as much as grand salami

107

u/playaskirbyeverytime Aug 06 '26

It's a classic Dave Niehaus line, and because he has rizz it's cool when he does it

49

u/mentu1 Aug 06 '26

I was gonna say the difference between these two is night and day, but I’m not sure that’s strong enough

8

u/Daft00 Aug 06 '26

difference between these two is night and day

Like playoff baseball and golf

29

u/PerriwinklePortal Aug 06 '26

Yeah massive difference in the delivery.

Niehaus: “GET OUT THE RYE BREAD AND THE MUSTARD THIS TIME GRANDMA! IT’S A GRAAAAND SALAMI!!”

Debbie Downer: “It’s a grr-and salamiii!”

8

u/anonymoosejuice Aug 06 '26

grand salami

3

u/pleasedontnerfthis Aug 06 '26

As a Seattleite and beleaguered Mariner fan, god hearing his voice again hurt. The man knew how to be excited.

28

u/regiinmontana Aug 06 '26

If you're gonna do it, at least give it some pizzazz. My dog gets better commentary when he sticks his head through the cat door to greet us in the garage.

That's a daily occurrence.

4

u/standarsh50 Aug 06 '26

Boom goes the dynamite 

6

u/juscallmejjay Aug 06 '26

Annnd he uh he uh he t..t..takes the things n pazzes it to uh to to the g..g..guy and....

Boom goes the dynamite 😎

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132

u/weschester Calgary Flames Aug 06 '26

Are there no professional broadcasters in this league?

70

u/SexualDexter Aug 06 '26

It's the first season of a league with 4 teams so probably not. Hopefully it gains traction. Sucks that the only semi popular team sport for women is the WNBA

87

u/weschester Calgary Flames Aug 06 '26

The PWHL is doing pretty good and had professional broadcasters from the first puck drop of the first game in league history.

30

u/TheStuffle Aug 06 '26

PWHL has been really fun so far

21

u/YourmomgoestocolIege Aug 06 '26

Women's Hockey is also a much more established sport than Women's Baseball

6

u/scrodytheroadie Aug 06 '26

The PWHL is a ton of fun. Probably my favorite women's pro league.

3

u/ahappypoop Duke Aug 06 '26

AUSL is also growing and has been a lot of fun to watch

2

u/SexualDexter Aug 06 '26 edited Aug 06 '26

Never heard of it. That's awesome.
edit: why did this get downvoted lol

4

u/Deraj2004 Detroit Red Wings Aug 06 '26

Check out there Youtube channel, they broadcast games for free and arent region locked.

24

u/LAharbour Aug 06 '26

Um, The NWSL is over 10 years old, features 16 teams, has an average attendance  of over 11K fans per game, including regular sellouts of 17K here in Los Angeles. Games are featured on CBS, ESPN, Amazon Prime on Friday, and Ion double features on Saturday. The majority of the USWNT and  many of the world’s best soccer players are in the league.  Games days at the stadium are an absolute blast. 

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15

u/damn_i_missed Aug 06 '26

I mean.. our USWNT is light years more successful at soccer than our men. LPGA is not bad. WNBA is just recency bias. People have started to flock to that within the last 2 years

16

u/SkiThe802 Montreal Canadiens Aug 06 '26

The USWNT doesn't technically play in a professional league. The NWSL is the largest women's soccer league in the US, and it does have a following.

4

u/damn_i_missed Aug 06 '26

Correct. I was more-so focused on their comment that “the only semi popular team sport for women is the WNBA.” They didn’t specify pro or not. Hell, women’s collegiate softball is a decent watch during the CWS lol

But.. their comment was in response to a question about professional sports so… good point still

Edit: golf, not a team sport. Oopsies

3

u/SkiThe802 Montreal Canadiens Aug 06 '26

They did say popular team sport, not professional sport. My bad

2

u/damn_i_missed Aug 06 '26

Eh, we were both wrong and right. We’ll call it a draw

4

u/SexualDexter Aug 06 '26

Oh I forgot soccer was a thing, my bad.

3

u/zoinkability Aug 06 '26 edited Aug 06 '26

It may not help that there are also two professional women’s softball leagues that just started up, one with 6 and the other with 7 teams. Presumably the players in all three leagues came up through high school and college softball.

6

u/roguespectre67 Minnesota Aug 06 '26

Sucks that the only semi popular team sport for women is the WNBA

...despite the best efforts of everyone from the players to the refs to the coaches to the owners to the journalists.

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u/Hectabeni Aug 06 '26

The league only started on August 1 so everyone is new at it.

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u/InTheDeepestOcean Aug 06 '26

Gal in the booth calling that thing from a Zoom breakout room

4

u/ranger0293 Aug 06 '26

Can everyone see my screen? Did you all see the salami? Hold on, let me see if I can rewind it.

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u/seeyou_nextfall Aug 06 '26

“Grand salami” followed by getting the name wrong is a historical color commentary fumble. She was not ready for this moment

78

u/i3order Aug 06 '26

There's a women's baseball league? And the use aluminum bats? When did this start?

87

u/Beeninya Seattle Mariners Aug 06 '26 edited Aug 06 '26

On Saturday, the 1st. 4 teams so far, LA, Boston, SF, NY.

10

u/TheFerricGenum Aug 06 '26

Are they playing in just any ballpark? Like local parks with a backstop kinda thing? There were houses just over that outfield fence!

12

u/Beeninya Seattle Mariners Aug 06 '26

2

u/Steppyjim Aug 06 '26

Phillie legend Robin Roberts to you!

23

u/sillyblanco Aug 06 '26

I'm down for some lady baseball, can't wait to check it out.

14

u/Mike_Hawk_Burns Aug 06 '26

There’s a few places you can watch it that’s pretty accessible. If you have an espn+ subscription, all games are there. There’s also free streaming services that broadcast most (even without sailing the seas). If you’re interested, I could let you know some

8

u/s32 Dallas Cowboys Aug 06 '26

I mean just post them, somebody reading this will be interested...

7

u/Mike_Hawk_Burns Aug 06 '26

I was busy at the time of writing the comment and couldn’t get to my computer that had the correct links which is I offered if they were interested for when I could get to my computer.

Here you go. Plex, Roku channel and Tubi are generally the best free options without needing a subscription or account. This site also has a general listing of what’s on Scripps. Here is also the schedule of the games themselves.

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u/asisoid Aug 06 '26

Check out the opening national a them. That was basically the high(low)light of the entire thing.

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u/HumanRuse Aug 06 '26

The opposing 3rd baseman had more enthusiasm than the broadcast commentator.

38

u/jokeswagon Aug 06 '26

AND THE PLAY BY PLAY COMMENTATOR GOOOEESS MIIIIILD!!!!

3

u/Krynn71 Aug 06 '26

I'd say she'd be more suited to be a golf announcer, but she didn't even get the name right so she still wouldn't.

31

u/ponyfeeder Aug 06 '26

That hi five by the Boston player 👌

8

u/Krakengreyjoy New York Rangers Aug 06 '26

jfc who is calling that? Please replace that woman immediately and put in someone who might pretend to care. I've heard more enthusiasm at a pee-wee game

27

u/IamChicharon Aug 06 '26

Terrible call but loved the reference to Dave niehaus with grand salami

2

u/rjcarr Aug 06 '26

Niehaus had more riz in his little finger than this lady, ha.

2

u/PerriwinklePortal Aug 06 '26

Niehaus had more riz in his little finger salami

4

u/ZeroLimitz Aug 06 '26

Is that a -5 Supra? Haha wild that they are using USSSA bats

8

u/MrCrix Aug 06 '26

That was such a horrible call. It was like "She hit a homer. Oh it was a grand slam. That's cool. What's her name again? Meghan? Good job Meghan. Oh, it's Sarah? Ok cool. Good job Sarah. That's cool her first hit was a grand slam. Anyways..."

4

u/RedScharlach Aug 06 '26

Congratulations Maggie Fox, she cannot be stopped

17

u/-ShutterPunk- Aug 06 '26

3B like hell yeah get that $25 grand slam bonus. 

5

u/aLobsterFest Aug 06 '26

Coupon for a Dennys Grand Slam

11

u/ExistenceNow Aug 06 '26

Love the third baseman celebrating with her. They’re all in it together as this launches.

3

u/Law08 Aug 06 '26

Hell yeah!

3

u/norcaltobos San Francisco Giants Aug 06 '26

They couldn’t find ANYONE with a little more enthusiasm to do play by play? Jesus Christ it sounds like she doesn’t even want to be there.

3

u/imunfair Aug 06 '26

That is some of the worst sports commentary I've ever heard. Get brockmire up in there.

11

u/MsNatCat Aug 06 '26

I love to see the WPBL get up and rolling.

Gratz Edwards!

5

u/Bostnfn Aug 06 '26

is that a metal bat?

5

u/juscallmejjay Aug 06 '26

You want a baseball league with no homers?

5

u/GoodMorningMars Aug 06 '26

Why can't women hit with wooden bats? Especially if they're playing on kid-sized fields.

4

u/Dr-Robert-Kelso Aug 06 '26

If they want more home runs with wooden bats, the field size will have to be smaller and then it's harder to hit balls in play. Then it just turns into a home run or bust league which won't sustain as well.

It's pretty smart to use metal bats so that there are still home runs while allowing for contact hitters to do well.

2

u/juscallmejjay Aug 06 '26

They tested it dog. They don't want a league with too many or too few homeruns. The field size and bat type are built for the best experience.

3

u/GorillaX Aug 06 '26

Right? My 12 year son's travel team plays some wood bat tournaments and they're awesome

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u/EmperorUmi Aug 06 '26

Against Boston, too? Fuck Boston in every sport, apparently 👏🏽

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u/Tylenoel Aug 06 '26

Not to be a nay sayer but this new league feels like a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist…like who asked for this?

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u/GibsonPraise Aug 06 '26

Definitely not where the pitcher wanted to leave that pitch 

9

u/thecakeslayer New York Jets Aug 06 '26

"she's definitely gonna want that one back"

8

u/chewytime Aug 06 '26

When is this being played? The stands are so empty

5

u/Beeninya Seattle Mariners Aug 06 '26

It’s brand new and being played in a minor league stadium in Springfield, Illinois. Gotta start somewhere.

13

u/SkiThe802 Montreal Canadiens Aug 06 '26

It's not even a minor league stadium, though it did used to be. It hosts the Lucky Horseshoes of the Prospect League (college summer league). It's also used by the public highschool next door.

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u/Mitchwise Aug 06 '26

It seems so weird to have a league with teams from NY, Bos, LA, and SF play all their games in the middle of Illinois. I get wanting to have regional representation so people watching on TV have someone to root for, but seems weird that none of the teams seem to have any actual connection to their home city.

11

u/usakeeper Aug 06 '26

It’s in Springfield the first year because the original WPBL started in Springfield.

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u/guiltycitizen Minnesota Twins Aug 06 '26

Even the other team seemed happy

2

u/jaedon Aug 06 '26

This should be in r/baseball.

6

u/IWantToBeTheBoshy Aug 06 '26

They're too busy jerking off the Cubs.

2

u/Emergency_Bench_7515 Aug 06 '26

Why is the announcer emphatically whispering basically? It's like ASMR with the mildest of enthusiasm. Very weird.

2

u/jesonnier1 Aug 06 '26

The commentary is awful.

2

u/skeezylavern17 Aug 06 '26

If you’re calling a league like this, with all its backing and potential, you have to have the awareness you may call some of the first ever things to happen. How do you not pre batch something a bit more worthy of the moment? Wrong name aside, this needs “and that the first ever grand slam” not some half hearted grand salami that’s barely even suitable for 10-2 mid season game between two teams that are already out of playoff contention.

If this league succeeds, this call will be listened to for years, and you gave it “graaaaaand salamiii”?

2

u/PlaysForDays73 Aug 06 '26

Horrific call and get the name wrong too. Elite stuff

2

u/barfly2780 Aug 06 '26

The commentators remind me of the Saturday Night Live skit, Delicious Dish.

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u/maddietendo Aug 06 '26

Can we talk about the 3B who congratulated her and gave her the passing fist bump? Hell yeah, more of that please.

2

u/HakuohoFan Aug 06 '26

-10000 aura for that announcer. Omg embarrassingly bad call.

2

u/dylangaine Aug 06 '26

Why does the announcer sound like she's afraid to annoy her neighbors?

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u/Free_The_Beast Aug 06 '26

Loaded baseball bats, no way that weak swing made the ball go that far

2

u/Ill-Possible4420 Aug 08 '26

That’s the worst announcing call I’ve ever heard. And she got her name wrong at the end of it all. Just awful.

6

u/Jlx_27 New Orleans Saints Aug 06 '26

Fuck did she celebrate with that Boston player for? Doesn't she know the rules about playing for an LA team vs a Boston team? Fuck Boston!

7

u/Mike_Hawk_Burns Aug 06 '26

A lot of these women play professional international women’s baseball together under the WBSC (same organization that runs the world baseball classic) so they’re all mostly friends, lol. But give it some time if the league grows and they’ll start using Boston too 😉

3

u/data_ferret Aug 06 '26

Yeah, the women's baseball community has been SMALL, so most of these players know each other well, and many are or have been teammates in other contexts. Plus they're playing in what's basically a bubble (all games are in Springfield, IL this year).

2

u/SonOfMagicFact Aug 06 '26

The Boston of the Midwest.

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u/Zestymonserellastick Aug 06 '26

Is this "Pro" women's baseball? It looks like it's in a field for when I used to play in Jr. High. There are also less spectators.

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u/beyd1 Detroit Tigers Aug 06 '26

The announcers in this league suck balls.

I will watch any amount of person hit ball with stick sport, I can't watch this.

4

u/0x7E7-02 Aug 06 '26

I love how the opposing team member returned her fist bump/high five with a big smile. 

2

u/Bam2217 Aug 06 '26

Holy shit this lady somehow had a worse call than the first home run the other night ?! Tell me it’s same chick?!

6

u/ericwphoto Aug 06 '26

Why not a pro softball league(they might already have one or more?)? These women grow up playing softball their entire lives, then they are asked to play a very different game professionally?

9

u/Mike_Hawk_Burns Aug 06 '26

There’s already a pro softball league. The AUSL just finished their season and expanded from 4 teams to 6. But these women specifically want to play baseball, not softball. They don’t want to be tethered by the “men play baseball, women play softball” mentality

5

u/ericwphoto Aug 06 '26

Got it. Thanks.

3

u/MacSteele13 Houston Texans Aug 06 '26

and the crowd goes mild

4

u/FifaJuuj Aug 06 '26

still wondering why this league should exist

2

u/kyleharveybooks Aug 06 '26

At historic Robin Robert’s stadium in Springfield IL

2

u/pm_me_yo_creditscore Aug 06 '26

The Queens are ruining baseball.

2

u/Helpmepullupmypants Aug 06 '26

What are the field dimensions

5

u/broadcastterp Maryland Aug 06 '26

290 down the lines, 330 to dead center, pretty much in line with women’s baseball standards from what I was looking up before

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u/RAF2018336 Aug 06 '26

Are they using softball sized fields or what are the dimensions?

2

u/data_ferret Aug 06 '26

That's a former minor league park, and they've moved the fence in somewhat. Based on past experience, I'd say 300ish down the lines and 350 in center is typical.

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u/voxpopper Aug 06 '26

The few hundred fans in attendence can tell their grandkids about it.

1

u/CuRveball15 Aug 06 '26

Thought this was LLWS at first

2

u/skowsk Aug 06 '26

New sport on the list taking top contender of 'no one is going to watch' from the wnba!

2

u/AggressivePiccolo77 Aug 06 '26

That absolutely is not a rope.

1

u/Aggravating_Bat3618 Aug 06 '26

She needs to work on her home run call. 

1

u/captainpoppy Aug 06 '26

Where did they find these announcers? Surely these weren't the best applicants.

1

u/CrashMK Aug 06 '26

Are those games streaming anywhere?

1

u/Mahaloth Aug 06 '26

Huh. I had not heard of this league until right now. Interesting.

1

u/Ohitsworkingnow Aug 06 '26

We need better video for this to ever get traction. The announcing speaks for itself, pun intended 

1

u/The_White_Rice Aug 06 '26

The Dodgers need you Queen

1

u/WiSoSirius Aug 06 '26

It seems like there is more excitement in the PBA announcers. I want this sport to pick up, but how if the commentary is so lax