Fernandez content to shine on the field
OKLAHOMA CITYđ€”Lisa Fernandez isn"t the one on national television striking out baseball"s best hitters.She"s also not in the magazines or throwing softballs on the roof during David Letterman3"s show. Still, she"s the U. S. Olympic Softball team"s biggest force.
Fernandez was on the mound4 when the United States won its gold medals in the past two Olympics and in the world championship two years ago. As she"s joined by players
who grew up idolizing5 her, Fernandez contin-ues to put up big numbers6.
The 33-year-old pitcher smiles when asked if she"d like to take on7 the likes of Albert Pujols and Barry Bonds the way teammate Jennie Finch has done on "This Week in
Baseball. " But there"s another burning desire for Fernandez.
" I just want to win," she said.
U. S. Olympic coach Mike Candrea said, "Fernandez is also one of the best litters in the game. "
"Lisa has done everything in this game that you can do, but she"s still probay the most competitive person I"ve ever seen - and this team"s full of compet-tive
people," Candrea said. "She thrives on being in the spotlight8. "
:"s a characteristic Candrea says Fernandez also carries off the field9.
She likes to compete. She doesn"t care what it is," Candrea said. "If you"re laying tiddly-winks"", she"s going to compete. She"s going to play to win. "
;rnandez also brings experience and preparedness that Candrea says makes
her a role model for the team.
Outfielder Jessica Mendoza is among those who grew up watching Fernandez.
"I had a poster in my room. She signed it when I was 14 years old, and I would look up at it and be like, "One day, one day, I want to be like her," " Mendoza said. "I
think the fact that she is on this team gives us a little bit of chills. "
Fernandez is one of six players who can tell younger members of the team what it"s like to play in the Olympics.
"When it comes to the Olympics, everybody knows who"s playing and when they"re playing. You have people who may not even know sports who will tune in11 because it"s
their country that"s being represented. "
That"s the attention Fernandez craves, not the appearances on televtsion or in magazines. Still, Fernandez is glad Finch is becoming a media dar"fing.
"People get a close-up look at what"s going on in softball and people have a different view of what softball is," Fernandez said. "They don"t realize that the ball ,
one , isn"t really that soft and , two , it comes at them a heck12 of a lot faster than they think. "
Fernandez just hopes that Finch , a 6-foot-1 blonde selected as one of People magazine"s "50 Most Beautiful People," also is recognized for her performance on the
field.
"I think what Jennie Finch has brought to us has been tremendous," Fernandez said. "Any more publicity13 that we can get to this sport is definitely needed. "