Jennie Finch remains softball’s standard; Where is she now?
SULPHUR, La. (BVM) – With the recent anniversary of Title IX, it’s only right to look back on some of the women who helped shape the changing environment around sports today. When it comes to the sport of softball, look no further than Jennie Finch.
Finch transcended women’s softball, leaving an impact like none other that came before her. With the anniversary, one of the sport’s greatest pitchers looked back recently at just how much of an impact Title IX has on her and sports today.
“I am so forever thankful,” Finch told NBC Los Angeles. “I’m a product of Title IX and without Title IX I wouldn’t have been able to be who I am today. So I’m so thankful for the women and men who have supported equal opportunities. We think of sports often when we think of Title IX but most importantly its about education and providing that opportunity and equal rights for both. I’m just forever grateful and we have a long ways to go but we definitely need to celebrate where we are today.”
Jennie Finch’s softball career
Finch, who was born in La Mirada, California, became a phenom on the softball diamond dominating her prep competition at La Mirada High School. The star pitcher would leave with a career 50-12 record with six perfect games, 13 no-hitters, 784 strikeouts and a 0.15 ERA.
Finch became a household name at the collegiate level becoming an All-American pitcher and first baseman for the Arizona Wildcats in the early 2000s. She would go on to break the NCAA record for consecutive wins, 60, while collecting Softball Player of the Year and Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year honors in 2001 and 2002. As a junior, Finch helped lead Arizona to a Women’s College World Series national championship.
Following her successful collegiate career, Finch’s run would turn to the national scene during her time with Team USA. Finch would win three World Cups, two Olympic medals, and two world championships during her stretch with the national team, helping the U.S. squad to an Olympic gold medal in Athens at the 2004 Olympic Games. She would go on to follow it up during the 2008 Olympics at Beijing with a silver medal.
Finch’s time away from the game
After retiring in 2010, Finch has stayed busy on and off the field, making appearances during MLB’s all-star weekend on an almost yearly basis in the league’s MLB All-Star Celebrity Softball Game. In 2011, she co-authored “Throw Like a Girl: How to Dream Big and Believe in Yourself,” which aimed as an outlet for her to share her life lessons in the sport. Throughout her time on the diamond, Finch received an estimated $2 million in earnings during her career.
Kicking off our @MLBDevelops Elite Development Invitational at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex! pic.twitter.com/7vqOO4svSB
— Jennie Finch (@JennieFinch) June 21, 2022
Her husband and former MLB pitcher, Casey Daigle, who had a short stint as a pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks, resides in Sulphur, Louisiana with their three children. Finch has taken a quieter approach to retirement as the family maintains its life on a farm just outside Texas.
As one of greatest players to come through the sport, Finch has continued to take pride in her softball roots, as she works to spearhead the growth of the game. She continues to make appearances and inspire the next generation of players.
