Ivelisse Echevarria
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ivelisse Echevarría (born 1960 in Peñuelas, Puerto Rico), was inducted into the International Federation Softball Hall of Fame in 2003 and is considered by many to be the greatest softball pitcher born in Puerto Rico.
As a child, raised in the small town of Peñuelas, Echevarría became interested in sports during her primary and secondary educational years. She was an active participant in the sports of track and field during her high school years and established several school records. However, she did not know how to play and never participated in the game that in the future would gave her fame and glory in Puerto Rico, softball.
Echevarría was awarded a scholarship by the Catholic University of Puerto Rico, located in the city of Ponce and joined that institutions track and field team. She studied physical education and took a course in the disciplines of softball. Echevarría, became interested in the game after learning its principles and decided to join a local softball club called Las Estrellas de Seboruco. According to an interview conducted by El Vocero on August 30, 2005, Echevarría didn't even know how to put on a baseball glove when she joined. She was noticed by Carlin Velazquez, a former pitcher for the National Men's Softball Team of Puerto Rico, who recommended that she see Alejandro "Junior" Cruz, manager of the National Women's Softball Team of Puerto Rico and try out for the team. In 1978, Echevarría made the team and was trained another Puerto Rican softball pitcher, Donna Terry.
In 1979, Echevarría made her pitching debut in the Pan American Games celebrated in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In 1983, she participated in the Pan American Games held in Caracas, Venezuela and established a record by pitching in six consecutive games. She also pitched a perfect no runs and no hits game with 42 pitches on October 8. She pitched a shutout in the Games held in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1987 and she and her team won the silver medal. In 1993, Echevarría and her team won the gold medal in softball in the Centroamerican Games held in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. She also played in the Games held in Mar del Plata, Argentina in 1995. Echevarría was the standard carrier for her team when they represented Puerto Rico in the 1996 Olympics held in Atlanta, Georgia.
After the 1996 Olympics, Echevarría retired from the game after playing for 14 years. She is currently the director of the Sports and Recreation Department of the city of Guaynabo.
On Novenmber, 2003, Echevarría was inducted into the Puerto Rico Sports Hall of Fame and two weeks later the International Softball Federation Hall of Fame announced her election to the Hall. She was officially inducted on March 18, 2004 and the ceremony took place in Guaynabo's Sports Museum where an unveiling of a statue of Echevarría was part of the ceremony.
