FACTOIDS
Full Name: Jennie Finch
Nickname: Jennie
Birthday: September 3, 1980
Height: 6’0”
Hometown: La Mirada, California
Sports: Softball
PROFILE
Finch won an NCAA-record 60 consecutive games as a pitcher over three seasons at Arizona. The streak started in 2000 after she gave up a game-winning home run. "I told myself I didn't ever want to feel that way again," said Finch. "My goal is to never lose. That may not be realistic, but I'm going to try."
Jennie Finch is a California native who looks more like she belongs on the beach than in the bullpen. However, her attractive features belie remarkable athletic prowess -- she's been playing softball since she was a girl, consistently winning championships at the collegiate, national and international level. Now she's an invaluable member of Team USA.
Jennie has brought new fans to women's softball, and not just by being one of its most talented and beautiful players. As the first female correspondent for This Week in Baseball, she has proven that she can take on -- and strike out -- pro ball players. With her skills on regular display for a national audience, she's already upped the profile of the game she loves.
Yet Jennie doesn't let all the media attention get to her head. She's always considerate of her teammates and shuns cheap self-promotion. Jennie jokes that all the showing off should be left to the male players: "They're guys," she says, "they have that ego."
Jennie's statuesque body and beach-bunny looks certainly make her a standout in women's sports. Yet she's too busy and too dedicated to lead the wild life of a party girl -- and besides, she's engaged and pretty much unattainable.
Even without the demands of training and competition, Jennie strikes us as a woman who isn't comfortable playing the part of the sexpot. Though ESPN viewers crowned her the hottest female athlete this year, Jennie saw the polls as just a bit of fun. And she turned down Play..boy when asked to pose for the famous men's magazine, stating that, "it's not me, it's not what I represent."
This 6-feet tall, blonde beauty, with her blue eyes, round features, and sweet smile, is the most beautiful female athlete to emerge in some time. Naturally, her good looks are enhanced by her powerful frame and modest disposition. "I think there's so much beauty in female athletes, no matter who it is," Jennie gracefully maintains.
But colleagues and fans alike know that Jennie has more beauty than most. "She has the whole package," says veteran Team USA pitcher Lisa Fernandez, while Jennie was just recently voted the Hottest Female Athlete of 2003 in an ESPN poll, beating out the usual winner, Anna Kournikova.
