The off-the-field endeavors of U.S. Olympic softball
gold medal winner Dot Richardson was profiled by Philip
Hersh of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. Richardson will give the
commencement speech at Ithaca College, N.Y., on Sunday,
which has had only one other woman commencement speaker in
the past decade, and is currently an endorser of Coca-Cola,
IGA markets, Reebok, Rawlings, SportsMart, Perfect Practice
Gear, Flex-All sports cream and Louisville Slugger.
Richardson's agent, Progressive Sports Management's Tom
McCarthy, said he "continues to see an upturn in demand for
her services." Richardson is currently a third-year
resident in orthopedic surgery at L.A. County/USC Medical
Center. Richardson, whose Web site is at www.drshortstop
.com, will make $500,000 this year in speeches and
endorsement income, which "could double if she weren't
trying to become a surgeon." Richardson: "I want to be the
first U.S. women athlete to have a single endorsement worth
$1 million because it would show what corporate America
thinks about women in sports" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 5/18).
