Dream and Believe – A Look at Jennie Finch

AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki

The Great One, King James, His Airness….. But what do you call the greatest Women’s Softball Player of all time? Finch.

Jennie Finch has won every award imaginable in the world of softball, from Gold Medals to Espy’s, and as she retires we look back on the career of the women in pink Mizunos and the sparkling headband.

Her career accomplishments speak for themselves.

• Two-time Pan American Gold Medalist (2003 & 2007)
• World Cup Champion (2006 – 2007)
• Two-time World Champion (2002 & 2006)
• Olympic Gold Medalist (2004)
• Olympic Silver Medalist (2008)

National Team Experience
2008

• Silver Medalist at 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China

2007

• Led team in appearances during the summer with eight and six starts for a 5-0 record and 0.23 ERA
• Threw 49 strikeouts in a team-high 31.0 innings pitched, allowing only nine hits.
• Gold medalist at Pan American Games
  • Made one appearance, a combined no-hitter, at the Pan American Championships
  • Accounted for 11 of 12 outs in the 4.0 innings pitched, all strikeouts
• World Cup Champion
  • Posted a 1-0 record; worked 11.0 innings with 18 strikeouts, allowing only four hits and one walk

2006

• Gold medalist at ISF World Championships
  • Made two appearances with one start and one win
  • Posted nine strikeouts in 9.0 innings pitched
  • Offensively hit .125 (2-for-16) with a double, RBI and two runs scored
• World Cup Champion
  • Pitched three innings of relief where she recorded six strikeouts
• Against the Houston Thunder in exhibition, recorded 12 strikeouts in 5.2 innings in first appearance after having son, Ace

2005

• Silver medalist at Japan Cup
• Silver medalist at World Cup
  • Posted 0.88 ERA with one win and 11 strikeouts

2004

• Gold medalist at Olympic Games in Athens, Greece

2003

• Gold medalist at Pan American Games

2002

• Gold medalist at ISF World Championships

2001

• Gold Medalist at Pan Am Qualifier
  • 2-0 record and 0.00 ERA

At Arizona

• Arizona’s co-winner of the Ruby Award, most outstanding female senior student athlete (2002)
• Set NCAA record for consecutive wins with 60 (2002)
• Three-time NFCA First-team All American
• Three-time First-Team All Pac-10 and All-Pacific Region
• Top three finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year (2002)
• Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year (2001 & 2002)
• Led Arizona to NCAA Women’s College World Series title (2001)
• Finished the season 32-0, NCAA record for wins in a season (2001)
• Two-time Honda Award winner for softball at Nation’s top player

More than just on the field, Finch transcended the game of softball and made Team USA Softball a must watch. Beyond her stats and records could ever tell, she was a role model and inspiration for girls all over the world, as she taught them to “Dream and Believe.”