Yukiko Ueno
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese softball
pitcher for Renesas Takasaki and the Japanese national team, who holds a bronze and a gold medal from 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, respectively. She became the first pitcher ever to produce a perfect game
at the Olympics, against China in Athens.
With fastball which tops out at 121 km/h (75.19 mph), she is widely recognized as the fastest pitcher in women's softball.
, she again lost to the U.S. in the playoff allowing four runs in the tiebreak ninth inning, after shutting out the opponent until the previous inning. Yet she wins the final against the same U.S. by pitching her fifth complete game, allowing only one run in seven innings.
commentator Rob Baird described Ueno's feat as "one of the most amazing pitching performances in recent memory."
during the Olympics. This was due to the name being very similar to a stereotypical Australian or Strine
nickname for Wayne, 'Wayno'. It also is pronounced exactly the same way to national baseball
pitcher, Wayne Ough
.
The segment was included on their compilation album Unessential Listening
.
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
pitcher for Renesas Takasaki and the Japanese national team, who holds a bronze and a gold medal from 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, respectively. She became the first pitcher ever to produce a perfect game
Perfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
at the Olympics, against China in Athens.
With fastball which tops out at 121 km/h (75.19 mph), she is widely recognized as the fastest pitcher in women's softball.
Rivalry With the U.S.
In 2006 World Women's Softball Championship in Beijing, she shut out the U.S. team in the semifinal but was knocked out and lost the game in the final against the same U.S. team. In 2008 Summer Olympics2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, she again lost to the U.S. in the playoff allowing four runs in the tiebreak ninth inning, after shutting out the opponent until the previous inning. Yet she wins the final against the same U.S. by pitching her fifth complete game, allowing only one run in seven innings.
Perseverance at the 2008 Olympics
She pitched over 600 balls at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics in 4 days (413 in the last two days during which she completed three games). During the semi-final and final games of the softball event, which lasted for two days and included three games, Ueno pitched 28 innings against the United States and Australia, considered the two best lineups in the world. NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
commentator Rob Baird described Ueno's feat as "one of the most amazing pitching performances in recent memory."
Unessential Listening
The pronunciation of Ueno's surname was brought to the attention of comedy duo Hamish & AndyHamish & Andy
Hamish & Andy are an Australian comedy duo formed in 2003 by Hamish Blake and Andy Lee. They currently host the radio program The Hamish & Andy Show which airs in Australia on the Today Network....
during the Olympics. This was due to the name being very similar to a stereotypical Australian or Strine
Strine
Strine is a term coined in 1964 and subsequently used to describe a broad accent of Australian English. The term is a syncope, derived from a shortened phonetic rendition of the pronunciation of the word "Australian" in an exaggerated Broad Australian accent, drawing upon the tendency of this...
nickname for Wayne, 'Wayno'. It also is pronounced exactly the same way to national baseball
Australia national baseball team
The Australian national baseball team represents Australia in international baseball tournaments and competitions. They are ranked as the top team in Oceania, and are the Oceanian Champions, having been awarded the title in 2007 when New Zealand withdrew from the Oceania Baseball Championship. They...
pitcher, Wayne Ough
Wayne Ough
Wayne Ough is an Australian baseball pitcher.In 2004, he was part of the Australian Olympic baseball team, who achieved a Silver Medal in the baseball tournament at the Athens Olympics...
.
The segment was included on their compilation album Unessential Listening
Unessential Listening
Unessential Listening is a 2-disc compilation album by the comedy duo Hamish & Andy. It features segments included on their radio show between 2006 and 2008...
.