Famous Softball Players - Crystl Bustos

Crystl Bustos is a third baseman, born in Canyon County, California. Crystl is going to represent the USA this summer at Beijing for a third Olympics in a row. She is probably the best hitter in softball today. Bustos also coaches softball and is involved in charity work.

At the Sydney Olympics, Bustos replaced Dot Richardson, who was moved to second base, as the shortstop for Team USA. Dot Richardson is a softball legend. The coach of team USA, Ralph Raymond, felt that this move would make the infield defense a lot better. She led Team USA team with ten hits, three home runs and five runs scored; she had eighteen assists and a perfect fielding percentage during her ten starts.

At the Summer Olympics in Athens, she won the gold medal with a batting average of .346, 10 runs batted in, five home runs and had a perfect fielding percentage during her nine starts.

In 1998, Bustos was a rookie with the Orlando Wahoos and was named MVP of the Women’s Professional Fastpitch league. The Wahoos won the league title that year. She led the league in batting average (.400), slugging percentage (.633) and on base percentage (.447) that season. She also tied for the home run lead with ten home runs.

Bustos has her own travel club called Bustos Elite which has teams from 10 and under to 18 and under. She has a softball organization as well for kids aged from 12 and under to 18 and under located in Ohio and which is called Bustos Ultimate. Since the Olympic Games in Athens, Bustos has been trying to form a non-profit organization to fund inner city children to play sports.

Crystl Bustos has won several awards during her career. She’s been a World Cup Champion (2006,2007), a three time Pan American Gold Medalist (1999,2003 & 2007), a World Champion (2007), and a two time Olympic Gold Medalist (2000 & 2004).