Like in every sport in this world, there are good players, great players, and the absolute best of the best. Like basketball has Michael Jordan, soccer has Lionel Messi, softball has its fair share of legends of the game. Softball has been around for a long time and has given birth to a lot of players that have made a great and indelible mark in the sport.<\/p>\n
The game’s popularity continues to grow, and its inclement into the 2020 Tokyo Olympics only adds to its growing popularity and interest. Thankfully, young and up-and-coming softball players have many great players to look up to.<\/p>\n
Here are the top 5 best softball players of all time.<\/p>\n<\/div>
![\"5](\"https:\/\/www.allaboutfastpitch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/best-softball-players-of-all-time.jpg\" "\\"best-softball-players-of-all-time\\"")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Dot Richardson<\/h3><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.allaboutfastpitch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/dot-richardson-playing-softball.jpg\" "\\"dot-richardson-playing-softball\\"")
<\/span><\/div>Born in Orlando, Florida, the two-time Olympic Gold medal winner, Dot Richardson is the greatest softball player of all time. Her illustrious career started way back in 1972 when she was only 10 years old and when she was 13, in 1975, she became the youngest ever softball player in the ASA Women’s Major Fastpitch National Championships. That’s a pretty big deal.<\/p>\n
She was awarded the NCAA Player of the Decade for the 1980s, a period in which she played for two teams: Western Illinois and more notably, UCLA Bruins. In 1982 the\u00a0UCLA Bruins<\/a>\u00a0won the NCAA Championship, and you best be sure that Dot Richardson was a huge part of that championship run.<\/p>\nWhen softball was introduced in the Olympics for the first time in Atlanta, in 1996, Richardson was a fundamental member of the USA team that won gold. She helped the United States national team win a gold medal once again, four years later in Sydney.<\/p>\n
After retiring from softball, Dot Richardson spent her time coaching and also became an orthopedic surgeon. Is there anything this woman can’t do?<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/span><\/div>Born in Orlando, Florida, the two-time Olympic Gold medal winner, Dot Richardson is the greatest softball player of all time. Her illustrious career started way back in 1972 when she was only 10 years old and when she was 13, in 1975, she became the youngest ever softball player in the ASA Women’s Major Fastpitch National Championships. That’s a pretty big deal.<\/p>\n
She was awarded the NCAA Player of the Decade for the 1980s, a period in which she played for two teams: Western Illinois and more notably, UCLA Bruins. In 1982 the\u00a0UCLA Bruins<\/a>\u00a0won the NCAA Championship, and you best be sure that Dot Richardson was a huge part of that championship run.<\/p>\n When softball was introduced in the Olympics for the first time in Atlanta, in 1996, Richardson was a fundamental member of the USA team that won gold. She helped the United States national team win a gold medal once again, four years later in Sydney.<\/p>\n After retiring from softball, Dot Richardson spent her time coaching and also became an orthopedic surgeon. Is there anything this woman can’t do?<\/p>\n<\/div>