Long, cold winters and throwing off a gym floor didn’t seem to bother Chicago Bandits pitcher Amy Harre. She’s a Midwest girl and despite all the supposed disadvantage of coming from a state with four seasons, she’s made it work.
Professional softball players all seem to come out of warm-weather states like California and Arizona where softball season never ends because of ice, snow, and sub-zero temperatures. But players like Harre illustrate the point that growing up in downstate Illinois doesn’t mean becoming the No. 1 draft pick of a professional team isn’t possible, even if one starts pitching “too late” and can’t hit the broad side of a shed with your fastball.
Harre began playing softball in third grade, but didn’t start pitching until even later.
“Nowadays, that’s kind of late,” she said. “Girls start pitching when they’re 8, 9, 10 and I didn’t start until I was almost 12.”
When she first started playing ball, it wasn’t her only priority. Harre played other sports for her small school and made time to attend pitching lessons once a week in nearby St. Louis. She said she would try to throw one other day during the week, as well.
Harre said that she tried pitching in her backyard but didn’t always have the best results.
“The funniest thing, looking back, was me learning how to throw strikes,” she said. “We have this shed in my backyard–literally a shed—and I would throw it over the shed every single time I pitched. It was a disaster.”
Opposing batters didn’t always fare so well, either.
“I broke a girl’s arm,” Harre admitted. I fractured a guy’s knee. He thought he could stand in. Then I hit him.”
Ouch.
“Things like that happened to me all the time. I had no control,” Harre added. “It took a long time [to learn to throw strikes].”
Apparently, she figured it out. Harre attended Southern Illinois University on a full athletic scholarship and earned a degree in physiology.
“Amy threw so hard. I mean, as hard as anyone that I’ve ever coached [or] seen at that level,” said Kerri Blaylock, SIU head softball coach.
She tallied 533 strikeouts combined from 2002-04. She finished her Saluki career as the all-time leader in innings pitched (820.1), appearances (151), wins (84), complete games (90) and shutouts (49). She is ranked second in career ERA (1.06) and sixth in winning percentage (.700). 
“Amy took us to another level,” Blaylock said.
Harre was named an academic All-American twice, was a three-time all-Great Lakes region selection and a four-time first-team All-MVC selection.
Despite her softball accolades, Harre was set to go to pharmacy school when she got a call from Blaylock.
“I applied, [sent the] down payment, everything… [I was] ready to go to pharmacy school,” Harre said. “I didn’t even know it was an option to go play in the pro league. My coach called me in and said ‘Hey, I hear you might be getting drafted. Would you want to go to the Bandits?’”
Bill Conroy, owner of the Bandits had contacted Blaylock to see if Harre would be interested in the team.
The 6’0 hard-throwing right-hander was selected as the No. 1 overall pick by the expansion Chicago Bandits in the 2005 National Pro Fastpitch Senior Draft.
She recorded her first professional win against the New York Juggernaut on Aug. 5, 2005. She completed three games that season and struck out 31 opponents in 44 innings pitched. She ranked third on the team in ERA with 1.27.
In her sophomore season, Harre continued to excel. She was selected to the All-NPF team and led all pitchers with a 10-2 record and a 1.41 ERA.
In 2007, Harre went 2-3 with a 2.55 ERA.
And she has become a role model for young girls aspiring to become the next Amy Harre. After each game she and her teammates and sign countless autographs. Two young girls ran back to their parents after receiving a ball full of signatures, smiling and laughing.
“I’ve got [No.] 12!” one girl yelled out, still running.
“Well, I’ve got 40!” the other called back. No. 40 is Harre’s number.
Not bad for a little who couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn.
more softball stories