The best pitcher in the sport is being paid accordingly.
She’s Monica Abbott, the sport is softball, and the contract is worth $1 million.
Abbott, who grew up in Santa Cruz and attended Tennessee, is arguably the most dominant pitcher in the history of the game. (She holds every major NCAA record.)
This week, the 30-year-old signed a six-year, $1 million deal with the Scrap Yard Dawgs, a Houston-area expansion team in the National Pro Fastpitch league.
According to , it’s the richest contract for an active female athlete in team sports — at least those paid by an individual franchise (as opposed to being paid by a league).
“I think it’s a proud moment for National Pro Fastpitch,” league Commissioner Cheri Kempf said, per .
“But I think it goes further than that. I think it’s a proud moment for women in professional sports in this country. I feel glad that it’s happening in the league. I’m glad that we’re going to lead the way, in some respects.”
Abbott attended North Salinas High School and was on the United States’ silver-medal winning team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
