Francis Ford Coppola wants women and men to play baseball together
Most Americans likely have no idea that over the last 10 days, the United States has hosted the 2018 Women's Baseball World Cup — much less that women play baseball at all. But the athletes of Team USA have an ally in Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola, whose winery's Diamond Collection was one of a handful of sponsors at the event.
"I am convinced baseball would be a much more wonderful game if it were men and women playing together," Coppola, who was in attendance at a number of games, told The Week.
Coppola fell in love with baseball when he was a child, but was prevented from playing seriously due to a bout of polio that left him practically paralyzed for three years. "For Christmas one year, hearing that story, my wife gave me a Christmas present of a baseball field in the back of the winery," Coppola said. "And the tradition started to happen where whenever anyone got married, the two families would play a game — and I was always astounded with somebody's aunt or somebody's cousin or … sister who was the great star of the game."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Baseball-playing women in the U.S. face intense pressure after Little League to switch to softball, although Coppola dismissed it as an equivalent sport: "Women have been playing baseball for 150 years. Softball was invented by a lot of drunken college boys who apparently tied up a boxing glove." (Fact check: true).
Coppola played a pivotal role in encouraging the integration of the Sonoma Stompers, an independent league team, during the 2015 offseason: He promised to make his nearby winery a sponsor if it recruited female players. Two of Sonoma's stars, outfielder/pitcher Kelsie Whitmore and pitcher Stacy Piagno, played with Team USA in the exciting bronze-medal nail-biter earlier in the day. "For awhile there it was pure baseball," Coppola marveled. "I didn't know if it was boys, girls. Whoever they were, it was an exciting game of baseball."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
The best homes of the year
Feature Featuring a grand turret entrance in New York and built-in glass elevator in Arizona
By The Week Staff Published
-
Nordstrom family, investor to take retail chain private
Speed Read The business will be acquired by members of the family and El Puerto de Liverpool, a Mexican real estate company
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden commutes most federal death sentences
Speed Read The president downgraded the punishment of 37 of 40 prisoners on death row to life in prison without parole
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box office
Speed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91
Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76
Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproar
Speed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published