USA Softball Region 9

Deloris “Shorty” Hanson played Women’s Major Fastpitch in the 1950’s and 1960’s.  She was a premier shortstop and led the Salem Shamrocks Women’s Major Fastpitch team to 5 consecutive Oregon ASA State Titles (1959-1963). Salem advanced to Regional Play each of those 5 years.

Deloris was named to numerous All Star Teams. State Tournament MVP 5 times, All Regional Shortstop 3 times and All Regional MVP at least once.

She was part of the Northwest Women’s Fastpitch Travel League that would drive to weekend tournaments as far South as Redding, CA and as far North as Vancouver, BC, with stops at numerous cities in between. These players would play for the love of the game and many times would drive all night to get to a destination for an 8AM game and then drive all night to arrive home just in time to go to work on Monday morning.

Shorty was a champion in an era when it wasn’t accepted, as it is today for females to play sports. Title IX had not come into effect.

In 1959, Shorty was so impressive that she was invited to go to the Far East to play softball, on a touring trip sponsored by the US Armed Forces. The trip was to include stops in both the Hawaiian Islands and Japan. She was 19 at the time and her job did not allow for her to join the All Star team and make the trip.

Deloris “Shorty” Hanson was one of the great Female Fastpitch Softball players in the history of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. She was a pioneer in helping to bring the sport of Women’s Fastpitch Softball to where it is today.