Jennie Finch facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jennie Finch

Finch on June 8, 2008
Personal information
Birth name	Jennie Lynn Finch
Born	(1980-09-03) September 3, 1980 (age 44) La Mirada, California, U.S.
Height	6 ft 0.83 in (1.85 m)
Spouse(s)	Casey Daigle (m.2005)
Sport
Sport	Softball
Position	Pitcher
University team	Arizona Wildcats
Medal record Women's softball Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens Team competition Silver 2008 Beijing Team competition

Jennie Lynn Finch-Daigle (born September 3, 1980) is a famous American former softball player. She was a star pitcher who played for the Arizona Wildcats softball team from 1999 to 2002. During her time there, she helped her team win the 2001 Women's College World Series. She was also recognized as a top college player, earning the title of collegiate All-American.

Jennie Finch was a key member of the United States women's national softball team. She won a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics and a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. After college, she played professionally for the Chicago Bandits in the National Pro Fastpitch league from 2005 to 2010.

Many people consider Finch one of the greatest softball players ever. She holds several records for the Arizona Wildcats and in the NCAA Division I. She is also a member of the National Softball Hall of Fame. Time magazine even called her the most famous softball player in history. In 2010, Finch stopped playing softball to spend more time with her family. Later, in 2011, she began working for ESPN as a sports commentator.

Early Life and School Days

Jennie Finch was born in La Mirada, California. She has two older brothers, Shane and Landon. Jennie started playing softball when she was five years old. She began learning how to pitch when she was eight. Her father was her very first pitching coach.

When she was younger, Finch was a bat girl for the University of California, Los Angeles team. At La Mirada High School, she was a talented athlete. She earned awards in softball for four years and in both basketball and volleyball for two years. In her senior year, she was the captain of all three sports teams. In 2016, La Mirada High School honored her by retiring her jersey number. This was the first time they had done this for a softball player.

Playing for the Arizona Wildcats

Jennie Finch studied communications at the University of Arizona.

Freshman Year (1999)

Finch started her college softball career on February 5, 1999. She won her first game against the UIC Flames. She also threw her first career no-hitter during the NCAA tournament on May 22. A no-hitter is when a pitcher plays a full game without allowing the other team to get any hits. Even though they reached the World Series, Finch and the Wildcats were eliminated on May 29.

Sophomore Year (2000)

In her second year, Jennie Finch was named a First Team All-American. She also threw three more no-hitters. She started the year with an amazing 21-game winning streak. Finch finished the year with a strong record, winning 8 games and losing none. She even started a new winning streak that would last for the next two seasons.

Junior Year (2001)

As a junior in 2001, Finch continued to excel. She was named Pitcher of the Year and won the Honda Sports Award for Softball Player of the Year. Her pitching statistics, like her ERA (which measures how many runs a pitcher allows), were among the best in the school's history. She also threw another no-hitter.

On March 30, Finch had an incredible game where she hit two home runs and a double. She brought in 9 RBIs, which tied for the third-highest in NCAA history for a single game.

Finch and the Wildcats were the top team in the NCAA tournament. They reached the World Series for the third year in a row. In the final game, Finch pitched a 1-0 shutout against the UCLA Bruins. A shutout means the other team scored zero runs. This win gave the Wildcats the National Championship, and Finch finished with a perfect season, meaning she didn't lose a single game all year. She was also named the MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the series. This victory extended her winning streak to 40 games in a row.

Senior Year (2002)

In her final season, Finch was again named Pitcher of the Year and won the Honda Sports Award. She threw three more no-hitters and set a new school record for strikeouts in a season. On February 9, Finch matched her own record of 35 consecutive scoreless innings.

Jennie Finch's Amazing Records

Jennie Finch set many records during her college career. She broke an NCAA record by winning her 51st consecutive game. Fans cheered her name during the game. Finch said that while the record was nice, winning a national championship was the most important goal for the team.

She also achieved her 100th career victory on March 14. On April 17, she struck out 19 batters in a single game, which tied a school record at the time. The Wildcats also beat the No. 1 ranked UCLA Bruins to start the year with a 20-0 record. This set an NCAA record with 60 straight wins dating back to the 2000 season.

In the World Series semifinals, Finch hit her 50th career home run. This helped her team win a long 11-inning game. The Wildcats lost in the championship game that year.

Finch finished her college career as the all-time leader in strikeouts, shutouts, and innings pitched for the University of Arizona. Her jersey number, 27, was retired by the university in 2003.

Olympic Games Success

2004 Athens Olympics

Jennie Finch was a key player for the USA softball team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. As a pitcher, she won both of her games. She struck out 13 batters and only allowed one hit and no runs. Her excellent pitching helped the American team win the gold medal.

2008 Beijing Olympics

The USA team aimed for their fourth straight gold medal at the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing. Finch pitched very well in several games, helping her team win easily. However, the U.S. team lost 3-1 to Japan in the final game. They took home the silver medal.

After the loss, Finch expressed her disappointment, saying, "I feel like we let USA softball down." The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had decided in 2005 to remove softball from the Olympics. This made the 2008 games possibly the last time the sport would be played there for a while. Finch was a strong supporter of bringing softball back to the Olympics. She believed it deserved to be an Olympic sport because it is played in over 140 countries and tests many athletic skills. Softball was later reinstated for the 2020 Olympics.

Playing Professional Softball

Jennie Finch pitched for the Chicago Bandits in the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) softball league. In 2005, she was named the NPF's Co-Pitcher of the Year. She also threw her first professional no-hitter that year.

Finch had an amazing season in 2007, setting the league's best ERA. On August 1, she set a personal best by striking out 16 batters in a game. Later, on August 15, she struck out 18 batters in a 9-inning game.

She pitched a perfect game for the Bandits in 2009 and another one on July 9, 2010. A perfect game means no opposing player reaches base for any reason. Finch is still a top player in the league's history for her pitching statistics. The Chicago Bandits play their home games on "27 Jennie Finch Way," and her jersey number is also retired there.

Beyond the Softball Field

On May 29, 2016, Finch became the first woman to manage a professional baseball team. She was a guest manager for the Atlantic League's Bridgeport Bluefish for one day. Her team played and won that game.

Jennie Finch in the Media

Jennie Finch signing autographs

Jennie Finch has been very popular in the media. In 2002, ESPN called her the "runaway winner" of the Best Dressed competition at the ESPY Awards. In 2003, she was voted the most attractive female athlete in an ESPN online poll.

In 2004, People magazine named Finch one of its "50 Most Beautiful People." She was the only female athlete on the list. Finch also appeared in an episode of the TV series The Parkers. She modeled swimwear for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition in 2005.

Finch also became a co-host for This Week in Baseball. In a segment called the Jennie Challenge, she would pitch to Major League Baseball players. She often struck them out! In softball, the pitcher's mound is closer to home plate than in baseball. Finch's pitches were so fast they were like a 98 mph pitch in baseball. Many big-name baseball players were nervous to face her.

In the 2004 Pepsi All-Star Softball Game, Finch struck out famous players like Albert Pujols and Mike Piazza. One player, Brian Giles, said, "Her fastball was the fastest thing I've ever seen, from that distance. It rises and cuts at the same time."

In 2006, Finch was the first woman to appear on Pros vs Joes, a TV show where sports stars compete with everyday people. She also appeared on an episode of The Real Housewives of Orange County. In 2008, Finch was a contestant on The Celebrity Apprentice. She played for the International Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Finch has also pitched for the National League in several Legends and Celebrities Softball Games. In 2011, she co-wrote a book called Throw Like a Girl: How to Dream Big and Believe in Yourself. The book shares life lessons she learned through sports. In 2018, Finch competed on Dancing with the Stars.

Jennie Finch's Family Life

Jennie Finch married Major League Baseball pitcher Casey Daigle on January 15, 2005. Casey proposed to Jennie on the softball field at the University of Arizona, her old college. They have two sons, Ace Shane (born in 2006) and Diesel Dean (born in 2011). They also have a daughter, Paisley Faye (born in 2013).

Finch is a Christian. She has spoken about how her faith is important to her. She wanted to be a good role model for young women.

Retirement from Softball

On July 20, 2010, Jennie Finch announced she was retiring from softball. She wanted to focus on her family. She said it was getting harder to be away from her son and husband. She also missed family events and friends' weddings because of her softball schedule.

Finch said her career was "way more than I ever even imagined or dreamed." She continued playing with the Chicago Bandits until the end of the 2010 season. Many people in the softball world praised her. Her coach, Mike Candrea, said, "Jennie has transformed this sport, touched millions of young kids." She inspired many young girls to play softball.

Career Statistics

Here are some of Jennie Finch's career statistics from her time playing for the United States National Team, the Arizona Wildcats, and the Chicago Bandits. These tables show how many games she played, how many she won, how many batters she struck out, and other important numbers that show how well she pitched and hit.

See also

In Spanish: Jennie Finch para niños