The softball legend who once struck out Ted Williams in an exhibition appearance, died March 26 at the age of 81.
Unfortunately, no video exists for that event. Today it would be all over the internet.
According to the obituary in today’s New York Times,
For 10 to 15 minutes, Williams, a left-handed hitter, swung at and missed almost everything Joyce, a right-hander, threw at him (save for a couple of foul tips).
“Finally,” Joyce later recalled, “he threw the bat down and said, ‘I can’t hit her’” and walked away.
Mighty Williams had struck out.
From the obit in the Washington Post:
Ms. Joyce was one of the most intimidating players in softball history, amassing a career pitching record of 753 wins and 42 losses over more than two decades, with a lifetime earned-run average of 0.09. Standing about 5-foot-10, she was also a ferocious hitter, with a lifetime batting average of .324.
Joyce was not just a one-trick pony; she was a standout in other sports as well. Again from the WaPo article:
She also competed on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour for nearly two decades, played and coached the Connecticut Clippers volleyball team and played basketball for the U.S. women’s national team, becoming a three-time Amateur Athletic Union all-American and scoring a record 67 points in a tournament game. According to Sports Illustrated, she also won the Connecticut state bowling title just three weeks after taking up the sport.
She was the subject of a 2019 bio, Connecticut Softball Legend Joan Joyce, by Tony Renzoni.
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