The Greatest American Athlete You've Never Heard Of

In a softball career that spanned 19 years and included national and international competitions, Joyce was nearly unhittable. She compiled a 753-42 record, which comes out to a nearly 95% winning percentage (via The New York Times). On top of this, according to The Waterbury Observer, she threw 150 no-hitters, 50 perfect games, struck out over 10,000 batters and had a career earned run average of a paltry .090. The majority of Joyce's career was spent playing for the Raybestos Brakettes of Stratford, Connecticut.

In 1974, the Brakettes, led by Joyce, became the first American team to win the Softball World Championship (via The Waterbury Observer). During the tournament Joyce threw three no-hitters, according to The Waterbury Observer. Every time Joyce took the mound, there was the chance you were going to see something incredible. In a 1978 exhibition in West Hartford, Connecticut, Joyce took on another MLB legend, Hank Aaron, the all-time home runs leader at the time. And just like with Williams, Joyce would strike out the home run king (via The New York Times). Aaron was quoted after the game as saying, "She was something else. That softball comes at you and rises up around your head by the time you swing at it" (via The New York Times). For most people, dominating one sport on an international level is enough, but that was not the case for Joyce.

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