The words “You throw like a girl” get under 12-year-old pitcher Melissa Heronema’s skin. It’s a reminder from the boys that the girl from Westminster is the only player sporting a ponytail in the Broomfield Baseball League with 400 players.
Instead of telling them what she’s really thinking, Heronema sends the batters back to the dugout, reminding them she belongs. Being the only girl on a baseball team can be tough at times, but it’s even tougher when you’re better than some of the boys.
“I would be playing their position doing something better, and they’d be like, ‘Go play softball,’ ” Heronema said.
Unlike most girls, she rejects that path.
Youth coaches and players offer differing opinions on the subject of girls choosing baseball over softball. Some believe it gives girls an advantage when they eventually switch to softball, typically at the high school level. Others argue it’s just not worth the grief trying to prove themselves to the boys.
At the high school level, there were 8,111 boys who played baseball in Colorado this past season, but only 95 girls. There were 6,900 girls who played softball at the high school level.
It’s even rarer for girls to play youth baseball, and according to John Malkin, Broomfield Baseball League president, that marks a downward trend.
“We had as many as six or seven in years past, but as softball has become more organized and competitive, our numbers were at one last year,” Malkin said. “In 2009, I would guess we will not have any girls playing competitively in BBL out of 400 players.”
Former Colorado Silver Bullets pro baseball player Michelle Delloso left youth baseball for fastpitch softball when she was 12. She was inspired to try out for her middle school softball team after watching women’s competitive fastpitch softball on TV.
“I excelled pretty quickly because of the baseball background,” said Delloso, 39, who now works for Adidas as a national marketing manager for softball in southern Utah. “I think at a certain age those boys throw harder, and you’re seeing in baseball the pitch is coming at you a little different. I am not saying boys are more talented, but physically at that age it was competitive playing with them.”
Baseball players having an advantage in softball depends on who coaches them, said Claud York, coach of 14A Colorado Wildfire softball.
“It all depends on who their coach is,” York said. “If they had a good baseball coach, then they would have an advantage. If they had a bad coach, then who knows how good her fundamental skills would be. I will say that it may be harder to hit a smaller ball, and the baseball does jump off the bat more quickly, so there are benefits to playing baseball.”
Karen Williams, 13, of Aurora plays ball with the boys, too. The shortstop and pitcher for the Arapahoe Rockies said she plans to play softball when she gets to high school. She began playing coach-pitch baseball and now the four-time all-star has made a name for herself. They call her “Killer.”
“I love the people I play with,” Williams said. “It’s fun hanging out with them.”
Williams said she has gotten a lot of support from spectators and parents seeing her play baseball. When she transitions to softball in high school, she’ll be taking her killer attitude with her. Although she has never played softball, Karen said she believes playing baseball will help her when she crosses over.
“Playing with the guys you’re in a tougher environment, and probably going into (high school), I might have a little advantage,” Williams said.
A dissenting voice comes from Colorado Stars softball coach Dane Craig, who said girls don’t get a fair shake playing with the boys. Craig said girls who want to be serious about softball should play it from the get-go and enjoy what is unique about the game.
“It’s a much smaller field,” Craig said. “The game is much faster and more entertaining. I think it’s more appealing to girls.”
Nevertheless, Abigail Garnett, an 8-year-old from Golden, is enjoying her first year of coach-pitch baseball. Her mother warned her she would be the only girl on the field.
“It felt like I was in another world,” Garnett said. “I just love it.”
She plans to play again next season.
“They treated her like one of the guys,” said her father, Bill Garnett.
Yvette Lanier: 303-954-1033 or ylanier@denverpost.com
