It is estimated that Harry Rosen pitched 3,000 victories, 300 no-hitters, and 195 perfect games during his remarkable fast pitch softball career. In 1933, he was the winning pitcher in the first Amateur Softball Association Championship game—played during
the Chicago World’s Fair—hurling his Windy City J. L. Friedman team to the ASA title over Briggs Beautyware of Detroit. He allowed only one hit, while striking out 16. It was Briggs’ only loss of the season. During that singleelimination championship series, Rosen won eight games in three days. By newspaper accounts, the tournament
was watched by 350,000 spectators. That season, Rosen’s record was 108 victories–11 losses.

From 1933 until he retired in 1946, the one-time University of Illinois baseball star pitched in 12 national softball championship tournaments and was named to eight All-Tournament (first) Teams (the predecessor of All-America selections). He was the Tournament Most Valuable Player five consecutive times.

In 1935, Rosen, originator of the “figure eight” style of delivery, was featured in Ripley’s Believe It or Not for having lost two 1–0 games on the same day, despite giving up only one hit in the doubleheader, striking out 37 of 39 batters! (Errors were responsible for both runs.) In 1939, pitching for the Phoenix Lettuce
Kings, he struck out 26 of 27 batters in a regulation nineinning
game.

During most of Rosen’s career, softball was played with a 16-inch ball and without gloves. The pitching mound at the time was 431/2 feet from home plate, while today it is 46 feet.

At the age of 81, Rosen was the first Jew and the oldest person ever elected to the National Softball Hall of Fame. He has also been honored by the Chicago and Arizona Halls of Fame and the San Diego Hall of Champions.