A product of the University of Georgia, Kelly Kretschman is one of the greatest softball players of all time. I would ran her at the top of that list actually.
I had the pleasure of watching Kelly play many times in Rosemont against the Chicago Bandits. She also gave me one of my best media moments. At one of the National Pro Fastpitch banquets, Kelly mentioned she was retiring. It was sort of lost in the evening, but I interviewed her the next day at the ballpark and she confirmed it. I got a bit of a scoop. I don't know if other outlets heard it already, but I got a bit of exposure from "breaking" the story. That interview is at On the Beat With Kelly Kretschman.
Recently I saw Kelly again, when Tony and I drove to Peoria to see the USSSA Pride play. Kelly was a coach. I was determined to meet her after the game. When I saw her emerge from the dugout, I yelled her name and she heard me and smiled, although she seemed a bit surprised.
Tony and I both praised her for a great career. She looked genuinely touched. That's Kelly, ever-humble, despite her greatness.
It's unfortunate that softball (like all women's sports) is so undercovered. Players like Kelly deserve more exposure. Fans also are missing out on great players and people. Kelly is one of the best all around.
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