Rehoboth’s Sharon Hansen Recalls Fast Pitch at Guy Mason
If you lived in the D.C. metro area during the 70s and loved women’s fast pitch softball, you often found yourself in the bleachers at Guy Mason in Northwest Washington, watching the Class AA teams. One stood out—the Plain Americans—a team that won five metro and two regional championships and appeared in two national tournaments. I recently spoke to Sharon Hansen who played for the Plain Americans from 1973 to 1980. Sharon, as a pitcher, was elected to the Washington D.C. Metro Fast Pitch Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Hall of Fame of the Maryland Oldtimers Softball Association in 1997. She is now retired, living in Milton.
Did you grow-up playing softball and were your parents supportive?
I grew up in a small town in Northwest Pennsylvania during the 50s and there were no organized sports for girls so I played little league baseball. My father taught me to not “throw like a girl” and he fought for me to play on the team. The support of my parents was critical to my being able to pursue my dreams—get an education, travel and play sports.
When did you start playing competitive fast pitch softball? How did you discover that you had the talent to throw a softball with control, speed, and power?
I moved to Baltimore after college and started playing fast pitch for Johnny’s Used Cars in Baltimore. I played in the infield or outfield. After about three years, the team needed another pitcher and a couple of women volunteered to teach me how to pitch. Since the windmill delivery was not a natural motion for me, I learned how to pitch underhand. With this motion, the key was to be legal—you didn’t want the umpires to view the delivery as semi side-arm. So this required me to keep my pitching arm no more than five inches from my leg as I delivered the ball underhand. It took a couple of years to learn how to prefect this delivery.
What were your best pitch and overall strengths?
I threw a curve, a riser, and a drop pitch, but my best one was my change-up. The fans loved it when I threw this pitch, because the batter didn’t see it coming. Since my change-up looked like a fast ball coming in, the batters would be so far ahead of it, they would basically screw themselves into the ground. Bess Phillips was our other pitcher and she used a windmill delivery and was known for her speed. My speed was fast, hers was faster. I was known for my finesse and accuracy. My walks were few and strikeouts many. Putting spin on the ball kept it in play with lots of grounders and pop ups which was fine with me as I had a great fielding team behind me.
What was the history of the Plain Americans? How competitive was the team?
To be on a team playing in the AA league at Guy Mason required a lot of ability and skill. In 1973, the Plain Americans formed a team. Essentially we were an outgrowth of some of the best players from teams in Baltimore, northern Virginia and D.C. The team was like a family. We socialized with one another all year long. It didn’t matter if you were straight or gay. What mattered was the passion we all had for fast pitch softball. The team was highly competitive—we wanted to win and we played to win. We supported each other and upheld a high level of good sportsmanship whenever we played.
Did you have a particular catcher that you liked having behind the plate?
There were two catchers, Mary Hutton and Mary Ann Slinkman, that I worked well with and each had their own set of skills. Mary Hutton could really call a good game and loved to catch me. She knew that the very last place where she put her mitt as a target, I would hit it. Mary Anne was a great team member, very enthusiastic, a speedy runner and great talker.
Was there any particular game or tournament that was especially memorable?
In 1976, after winning the metro and regional championships, we went to the ASA (Amateur Softball Association) Fast Pitch National Tournament in Stratford CT. We lost our first game to the Raybestos Brakettes, a sports franchise that is recognized today as one of the greatest of all times. Since the tournament was double elimination, we had to claw our way back out of the losers’ bracket to stay alive and we did. Once again, we faced the Brakettes for the Championship. They knew some of us from other teams we played on but they didn’t know us as a team—it was like who in the hell are the Plain Americans? The Brakettes had tremendous resources behind them as they were sponsored by a large company, while the Plain Americans were a scruffy looking team with two sets of uniforms, at times dirty and dirtier. I don’t think they expected any challenge from us as the Raybestos Brakettes seldom lost. We won the first game and lost 2 to 1 in the second. Our play in this tournament was an incredible accomplishment. We gained the respect of every team in the tournament and were very proud to become the women’s second best ASA fast pitch softball team in the nation.
It was considered a ritual to go to Guy Mason on Wednesday evening to watch the Plain Americans and other teams. How would you describe this ritual?
The fans were terrific; very loyal and enthusiastic. In fact, if it hadn’t been for the fans and fund raisers, we would never have been able to go to nationals twice. We knew we had a big following among gay women. But it didn’t really matter with the fans or players if you were gay or straight. We all were there because we loved women’s fast pitch. We all just wanted to play well and have a good time. After the game, players and fans went across the street to the Grog and Tankard for food and brew as part of the ritual. It was some of the best times of our lives.
What did it mean to you to be elected to the D.C. and Maryland Fast Pitch Halls of Fame?
Players are nominated and elected to both Halls by their peers and the Halls governing bodies. To be selected was an unexpected personal honor. One doesn’t play the game motivated by future recognition. I played because I loved the game and my fellow players. I would add that over the years, eight players from the Plain Americans were elected to the D.C. Metro Fast Pitch Hall of Fame. That speaks for itself about these outstanding women.