在一八八七年的感恩節,美國人韓格(G..W.Hancook)在芝加哥參加集會時,其中ㄧ人忽然拿起一個舊的手套,另一會員則拿起掃把揮擊。這一個動作,引發韓格的靈感。事後,他設計了一種軟球和較小的球棒,產生了最初的壘球。 On Thanksgiving of 1887, G..W.Hancook from America was joining an activity in Chicago. One person suddenly picked up an old glove while the other hit the ball with a broomstick. This event inspired Hancook. Later, he spent a week designing a kind of soft ball as well as a smaller bat. This is the origin of softball.
最早時期的壘球稱為室內棒球(Indoor Baseball),但是,室內棒球並不太為美國人所喜好,一九二零年由加拿大人將室內棒球的遊戲移至戶外舉行,壘球開始流行。 On Thanksgiving of 1887, G..W.Hancook from America was joining an activity in Chicago. One person suddenly picked up an old glove while the other hit the ball with a broomstick. This event inspired Hancook. Later, he spent a week designing a kind of soft ball as well as a smaller bat. This is the origin of softball.
一九二六年美國卡洛拉多州(Colorado)的霍克生(W.L.Hakanson)正式把室內棒球命名為壘球(Softball),並於一九三二年在芝加哥舉行的年會中正式通告普遍應用壘球的名稱。 In 1926, W.L.Hakanson from Colorado names this sport as “softball.” At the annual meeting in Chicago, this name is officially announced.Rules of the game: 相較於棒球,壘球的規則較有彈性。以下是壘球的規則。 Compared with baseball, the rules of softball are much modified. Here are the rules.
(一) 一隊至少要有十人。
(二) 每各隊員具其守備位置,像是投手或是捕手。
(三) 當裁判說「開始」時,投手以「風車」姿勢投球。打擊者須盡全力擊球。
(四) ㄧ旦球被擊出,打擊者開始跑壘,完成跑壘,則該隊得一分。
A. At least ten people in a team.
B. Each player takes a position such as pitcher and catcher.
C. When the umpire says “Play Ball”, the pitcher pitches the ball in the windmill motion.
The batter has to try to hit the ball.
D. Once the ball is hit, the batter begins to run from base to base. The team gets one point when one batter finishes his run.
<圖片來源:維基百科>