Professional softball leagues
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, several Men's Professional Softball Leagues were formed in the United States to build on the growth and talent in the booming men's amateur game during this period.
The American Professional Slow Pitch League (APSPL) was the first such league, lasting from 1977 to 1980. In 1981, it merged with the North American Softball League (NASL), which had played only one season (1980), to then create the United Professional Softball League (UPSL). The merged league competed for two seasons, before disbanding after the 1982 season, ending the pro era of men's softball.
1977 World Series umpires (at Detroit, Mi.): Tom Matte, Charlie Johnson, Barry Daniels, Terry Watt
A women's fast-pitch league, National Pro Fastpitch, was formed in 1997 and is still active.