All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
Encyclopedia
The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was a women's professional baseball
league founded by Philip K. Wrigley
which existed from 1943 to 1954. During the league's history, over 600 women played ball.
The league went through three periods of ownership. The League was owned by chewing gum mogul Philip K. Wrigley
from 1943–1945, Arthur Meyerhoff
from 1945–1951, and the teams were individually owned from 1951-1954. In 1947 and 1948, spring training
exhibition games were held at the Gran Stadium
in Havana, Cuba.
The teams generally played in second-tier Midwestern cities. Only two teams stayed in their home cities for the full 12-year period, the South Bend Blue Sox and the Rockford Peaches.
With America's entry into World War II
, several major league baseball executives started a new professional league with women players in order to maintain baseball in the public eye while the majority of able men were away. Initial tryouts were held at Wrigley Field
in Chicago
.
The name of the league is something of a misnomer, as the AAGPBL never played regulation baseball. In the first season, the league played a game that was a hybrid of baseball and softball. The ball was 12 inches in circumference, the size of a regulation softball (regulation baseballs are 9 to 9 1/4 inches). The pitcher's mound was only forty feet from home plate, closer even than in regulation softball and much closer than the baseball distance of 60 feet, 6 inches. Pitchers threw underhand windmill, like in softball, and the distance between bases was 65 feet, five feet longer than in softball but 25 feet shorter than in baseball. Major similarities between the AAGPBL and baseball included nine player teams and the use of a pitcher's mound (softball pitchers throw from flat ground). Over the history of the league, the rules were gradually modified to more closely resemble baseball. The ball shrank from season to season until it was regulation baseball size, the mound was moved back to 60 feet, the basepaths were extended to 85 feet (still five feet shorter than in regulation baseball), and overhand pitching was allowed.
Salaries ranged from $45–$85 a week during the first years of play to as much as $125 per week in later years.
The uniforms worn by the female ballplayers consisted of a belted, short-sleeved tunic dress with a slight flare of the skirt. Rules stated that skirts were to be worn no more than six inches above the knee, but the regulation was most often ignored in order to facilitate running and fielding. A circular team logo was sewn on the front of each dress, and baseball caps featured elastic bands in the back so that they were one-size-fits-all
Ann Harnett
became the first girl to sign with the All-Americans, being followed by Shirley Jameson
, Edythe Perlick
and Claire Schillace
.
During spring training the girls were required to attend Rubinstein
's evening charm school classes. The proper etiquette for every situation was taught, and every aspect of personal hygiene, mannerisms and dress code was presented to all the players. In an effort to make each player as physically attractive as possible, each player received a beauty kit and instructions on how to use it. As a part of the leagues 'Rules of Conduct', the girls were not permitted to have short hair, smoke or drink in public places, and they were required to wear lipstick at all times. Fines for not following the leagues rules of conduct were five dollars for the first offense, ten for the second, and suspension for the third.
During the 1946-1948 seasons the league went on the road for spring training. They went to Mississippi in 1946, Havana, Cuba in 1947 and to Florida in 1948.
The AAGPBL peaked in attendance during the 1948 season, when 10 teams attracted 910,000 paid fans.
The Rockford Peaches
won the most league championships with four (1945, 1948, 1949, 1950). The Milwaukee/Grand Rapids Chicks were second with three (1944 in Milwaukee, 1947 and 1953 in Grand Rapids). The Racine Belles (1943 and 1946) and the South Bend Blue Sox (1951 and 1952) each won two, and the Kalamazoo Lassies won in the league's final season (1954).
Bill Allington
was the most successful manager in the league's history. From 1945 to 1954, he posted a 583-398 record for a .594 winning percentage
, never had a losing season and is the all-time leader in victories in the league. He also was an active scout talent for the league. Allington reached the playoff eight times, winning the AAGPBL Championship Title in 1945 and in consecutive years from 1948 to 1950.
The 1992
film A League of Their Own
, although fictionalised, covers the founding and play of this league. Tom Hanks
, Rosie O'Donnell
, Geena Davis
and Madonna
were the stars of the film, which was directed by Penny Marshall
. Several histories of the AAGPBL have been published in book form.
Lois Siegel documented the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in her film Baseball Girls, which was produced by The National Film Board of Canada. Olive "Ollie" Little threw the first no-hitter in team and league history.
Although the AAGPBL was the first recorded professional women's baseball league, women had played baseball since the nineteenth century. The first known women's baseball team played at Vassar College
in 1866
, while barnstorming Bloomer Girls teams (sometimes including men) flourished from the 1890s to the 1930s. There were at least three women players in the professional Negro Leagues
– Toni Stone
, Mamie Johnson
and Connie Morgan
.
Baseball Hall of Fame members Max Carey
and Jimmie Foxx
managed teams in the AAGPBL.
AAGPL player Helen Callaghan
was the mother of major leaguer
Casey Candaele
, who played for three different teams in the 1980s and 1990s.
started her career near Cleveland in 1907, but found it extremely hard to play baseball in her skirt, which she wore over bloomers. "I tried. I wore a skirt over my bloomers and nearly broke my neck. Finally, I was forced to discard it, and now I always wear bloomers." Women of this time were left to play in bloomers, not real uniforms as the major league players wore. But, magnate Philip K. Wrigley saw that people loved to see the arm and leg revealing uniforms that others had worn, so he outiftted the players in short, flashy skirts, when he created the league in 1943.
was the official song of the All-American Girls Baseball League, co-written by Pepper Paire
and Nalda Bird
(although in the movie, the word "Irishmen" was changed to "Irish ones").
VICTORY SONG
Batter up! Hear that call!
The time has come for one and all
To play ball.
We are the members of the All-American League
We come from cities near and far
We’ve got Canadians, Irishmen and Swedes,
We’re all for one, we’re one for all
We’re all Americans!!
Each girl stands, her head so proudly high,
Her motto ‘Do or Die’
She’s not the one to use or need an alibi.
Our chaperones are not too soft,
They’re not too tough,
Our managers are on the ball.
We’ve got a president who really knows his stuff,
We’re all for one, we’re one for all,
We’re All-Americans!
In their annual reunions since 1998, it is usual to hear the original AAGPBL players singing the song.
launched a newsletter project to get in touch with friends, teammates and opponents, that resulted in the league’s first-ever reunion in Chicago, Illinois in 1982. Starting from that reunion, a Players Association was formed five years later and many former players of the defunct league continued to enjoy reunions.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
league founded by Philip K. Wrigley
Philip K. Wrigley
Philip Knight Wrigley , sometimes also called P.K. or Phil. Born in Chicago, he was an American chewing gum manufacturer and executive in Major League Baseball, inheriting both those roles as the quiet son of his much more flamboyant father, William Wrigley Jr. After his father died in 1932, Philip...
which existed from 1943 to 1954. During the league's history, over 600 women played ball.
History
Although the name All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) is commonly used today, it was official for only two seasons. The league was founded as the All-American Girls Softball League. This lasted until 1943, when the name was changed to the All-American Girls Baseball League. In 1949 and 1950 the league was called the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League and from 1951 to 1954 the league adopted American Girls' Baseball League.The league went through three periods of ownership. The League was owned by chewing gum mogul Philip K. Wrigley
Philip K. Wrigley
Philip Knight Wrigley , sometimes also called P.K. or Phil. Born in Chicago, he was an American chewing gum manufacturer and executive in Major League Baseball, inheriting both those roles as the quiet son of his much more flamboyant father, William Wrigley Jr. After his father died in 1932, Philip...
from 1943–1945, Arthur Meyerhoff
Arthur Meyerhoff
Arthur E. Meyerhoff was an advertising agency executive and entrepreneur. He was born in Chicago, Illinois.Meyerhoff founded his own agency, Arthur Meyerhoff Associates, in 1932 after persuading the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company that he could arrange for newspapers to place advertisements for Wrigley...
from 1945–1951, and the teams were individually owned from 1951-1954. In 1947 and 1948, spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
exhibition games were held at the Gran Stadium
Estadio Latinoamericano
The Estadio Latinoamericano is a stadium in Havana, Cuba. It is primarily used for baseball. Gran Stadium, a spacious pitchers' park with prevailing winds blowing in and boasting a playing surface and lighting system of major-league quality, was built in 1946 as the top baseball park in Latin...
in Havana, Cuba.
The teams generally played in second-tier Midwestern cities. Only two teams stayed in their home cities for the full 12-year period, the South Bend Blue Sox and the Rockford Peaches.
With America's entry into World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, several major league baseball executives started a new professional league with women players in order to maintain baseball in the public eye while the majority of able men were away. Initial tryouts were held at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
The name of the league is something of a misnomer, as the AAGPBL never played regulation baseball. In the first season, the league played a game that was a hybrid of baseball and softball. The ball was 12 inches in circumference, the size of a regulation softball (regulation baseballs are 9 to 9 1/4 inches). The pitcher's mound was only forty feet from home plate, closer even than in regulation softball and much closer than the baseball distance of 60 feet, 6 inches. Pitchers threw underhand windmill, like in softball, and the distance between bases was 65 feet, five feet longer than in softball but 25 feet shorter than in baseball. Major similarities between the AAGPBL and baseball included nine player teams and the use of a pitcher's mound (softball pitchers throw from flat ground). Over the history of the league, the rules were gradually modified to more closely resemble baseball. The ball shrank from season to season until it was regulation baseball size, the mound was moved back to 60 feet, the basepaths were extended to 85 feet (still five feet shorter than in regulation baseball), and overhand pitching was allowed.
Salaries ranged from $45–$85 a week during the first years of play to as much as $125 per week in later years.
The uniforms worn by the female ballplayers consisted of a belted, short-sleeved tunic dress with a slight flare of the skirt. Rules stated that skirts were to be worn no more than six inches above the knee, but the regulation was most often ignored in order to facilitate running and fielding. A circular team logo was sewn on the front of each dress, and baseball caps featured elastic bands in the back so that they were one-size-fits-all
Ann Harnett
Ann Harnett
Ann Harnett is a former female utility who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 6", 139 lb., Harnett batted and threw right-handed...
became the first girl to sign with the All-Americans, being followed by Shirley Jameson
Shirley Jameson
Shirley Jameson was a center fielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 4' 10¾" , 104 lb. , Jameson batted right-handed and threw left-handed...
, Edythe Perlick
Edythe Perlick
Edythe Perlick [Edie] was a left fielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 3", 128 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.-Overview profile:...
and Claire Schillace
Claire Schillace
Claire Joan Schillace was a center fielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
.
During spring training the girls were required to attend Rubinstein
Helena Rubinstein
Helena Rubinstein , a Polish born Australian-American business magnate. She is the founder and eponym of Helena Rubinstein, Incorporated, which made her one of the world's richest women.-Early life:...
's evening charm school classes. The proper etiquette for every situation was taught, and every aspect of personal hygiene, mannerisms and dress code was presented to all the players. In an effort to make each player as physically attractive as possible, each player received a beauty kit and instructions on how to use it. As a part of the leagues 'Rules of Conduct', the girls were not permitted to have short hair, smoke or drink in public places, and they were required to wear lipstick at all times. Fines for not following the leagues rules of conduct were five dollars for the first offense, ten for the second, and suspension for the third.
During the 1946-1948 seasons the league went on the road for spring training. They went to Mississippi in 1946, Havana, Cuba in 1947 and to Florida in 1948.
The AAGPBL peaked in attendance during the 1948 season, when 10 teams attracted 910,000 paid fans.
The Rockford Peaches
Rockford Peaches
The Rockford Peaches were a team in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League playing out of Rockford, Illinois for the entire existence of the league from 1943 to 1954....
won the most league championships with four (1945, 1948, 1949, 1950). The Milwaukee/Grand Rapids Chicks were second with three (1944 in Milwaukee, 1947 and 1953 in Grand Rapids). The Racine Belles (1943 and 1946) and the South Bend Blue Sox (1951 and 1952) each won two, and the Kalamazoo Lassies won in the league's final season (1954).
Bill Allington
Bill Allington
William Baird Allington was an American Minor league baseball player and manager. Listed at 5' 9" , 160 lb., Allington batted and threw right-handed. He was born in St. Clair County, Michigan....
was the most successful manager in the league's history. From 1945 to 1954, he posted a 583-398 record for a .594 winning percentage
Winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win...
, never had a losing season and is the all-time leader in victories in the league. He also was an active scout talent for the league. Allington reached the playoff eight times, winning the AAGPBL Championship Title in 1945 and in consecutive years from 1948 to 1950.
The 1992
1992 in film
The year 1992 in film involved many significant films. -Top grossing films:-Awards:Academy AwardsGolden Globe AwardsNational Film Awards...
film A League of Their Own
A League of Their Own
A League of Their Own is a 1992 American comedy-drama film that tells a fictionalized account of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League . Directed by Penny Marshall, the film stars Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Tom Hanks, Madonna, and Rosie O'Donnell...
, although fictionalised, covers the founding and play of this league. Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
, Rosie O'Donnell
Rosie O'Donnell
Roseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, author and television personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...
, Geena Davis
Geena Davis
Virginia Elizabeth "Geena" Davis is an American actress, film producer, writer, former fashion model, and a women's Olympics archery team semi-finalist...
and Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
were the stars of the film, which was directed by Penny Marshall
Penny Marshall
Penny Marshall is an American actress, producer and director.After playing several small roles for television, she was cast as Laverne DeFazio in the sitcom Laverne and Shirley...
. Several histories of the AAGPBL have been published in book form.
Lois Siegel documented the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in her film Baseball Girls, which was produced by The National Film Board of Canada. Olive "Ollie" Little threw the first no-hitter in team and league history.
Although the AAGPBL was the first recorded professional women's baseball league, women had played baseball since the nineteenth century. The first known women's baseball team played at Vassar College
Vassar College
Vassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...
in 1866
1866 in sports
-Athletics :Events* The Amateur Athletics Club is founded and becomes the governing body of athletics in the United Kingdom, hosting the first national championships and introducing a definition of "amateur" that will determine eligibility for athletics competitions until the late 20th...
, while barnstorming Bloomer Girls teams (sometimes including men) flourished from the 1890s to the 1930s. There were at least three women players in the professional Negro Leagues
Negro league baseball
The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams predominantly made up of African Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be used narrowly for the seven relatively successful leagues beginning in...
– Toni Stone
Toni Stone
Toni Stone , also known by her married name Marcenia Lyle Alberga, was the first of three women to play Negro league baseball....
, Mamie Johnson
Mamie Johnson
Mamie “Peanut” Johnson was one of three women, and the first female pitcher, to play in the Negro Leagues. She was born in Ridgeway, South Carolina in 1935...
and Connie Morgan
Connie Morgan
Constance "Connie" Enola Morgan was the third woman to play professional baseball in the Negro league.Morgan replaced second-base player and the first woman in the league Toni Stone in the Indianapolis Clowns in 1954. Morgan played with the team for two years...
.
Baseball Hall of Fame members Max Carey
Max Carey
Max George Carey was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball who starred for the Pittsburgh Pirates and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1961...
and Jimmie Foxx
Jimmie Foxx
James Emory "Jimmie" Foxx , nicknamed "Double X" and "The Beast", was a right-handed American Major League Baseball first baseman and noted power hitter....
managed teams in the AAGPBL.
AAGPL player Helen Callaghan
Helen Callaghan
Helen Callaghan Candaele St. Aubin was a left-handed center fielder who appeared in five seasons in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League , playing under the name Helen Callaghan.As a rookie with the Minneapolis Millerettes Callaghan hit a .287 average in 111...
was the mother of major leaguer
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
Casey Candaele
Casey Candaele
Casey Todd Candaele is a former Major League Baseball player from 1986 to 1997 for the Montreal Expos, Houston Astros, and Cleveland Indians. Candaele was known as a versatile utility player who could play many infield and outfield positions. His mother, Helen Callaghan St...
, who played for three different teams in the 1980s and 1990s.
Uniforms
Women before the AAGPBL were often not able to play baseball, constricted by their heavy clothing. Alta WeissAlta Weiss
Alta Weiss Hisrich , born Alta Weiss, was an American minor league baseball pitcher from Ohio who drew large crowds to exhibition games at minor league and major league venues in the US states of Ohio and Kentucky...
started her career near Cleveland in 1907, but found it extremely hard to play baseball in her skirt, which she wore over bloomers. "I tried. I wore a skirt over my bloomers and nearly broke my neck. Finally, I was forced to discard it, and now I always wear bloomers." Women of this time were left to play in bloomers, not real uniforms as the major league players wore. But, magnate Philip K. Wrigley saw that people loved to see the arm and leg revealing uniforms that others had worn, so he outiftted the players in short, flashy skirts, when he created the league in 1943.
Theme song
The theme song made famous in the 1992 film A League of Their OwnA League of Their Own
A League of Their Own is a 1992 American comedy-drama film that tells a fictionalized account of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League . Directed by Penny Marshall, the film stars Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Tom Hanks, Madonna, and Rosie O'Donnell...
was the official song of the All-American Girls Baseball League, co-written by Pepper Paire
Pepper Paire
Lavonne Paire Davis [″Pepper″] is a former catcher and infielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 4", 138 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.-Overview profile:...
and Nalda Bird
Nalda Bird
Nalda Marie Bird [Phillips] was a starting pitcher and outfielder who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the season. Listed at 5' 1", 115 lb., Bird batted right-handed and threw left-handed. She was affectively nicknamed ״Birdie״...
(although in the movie, the word "Irishmen" was changed to "Irish ones").
VICTORY SONG
Batter up! Hear that call!
The time has come for one and all
To play ball.
We are the members of the All-American League
We come from cities near and far
We’ve got Canadians, Irishmen and Swedes,
We’re all for one, we’re one for all
We’re all Americans!!
Each girl stands, her head so proudly high,
Her motto ‘Do or Die’
She’s not the one to use or need an alibi.
Our chaperones are not too soft,
They’re not too tough,
Our managers are on the ball.
We’ve got a president who really knows his stuff,
We’re all for one, we’re one for all,
We’re All-Americans!
In their annual reunions since 1998, it is usual to hear the original AAGPBL players singing the song.
Teams
- Kenosha CometsKenosha CometsBased in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the Kenosha Comets were a women's professional baseball team that played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The team played their home games at Kenosha's Lake Front Stadium, but later moved to Simmons Field.The Kenosha Comets were one...
(1943–1951) - Racine BellesRacine BellesThe Racine Belles were one of the original teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League playing from through out of Racine, Wisconsin. The team played its home games at Horlick Field.-History:...
(1943–1950) - Rockford PeachesRockford PeachesThe Rockford Peaches were a team in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League playing out of Rockford, Illinois for the entire existence of the league from 1943 to 1954....
(1943–1954) - South Bend Blue SoxSouth Bend Blue SoxThe South Bend Blue Sox were a women's professional baseball team who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
(1943–1954) - Milwaukee ChicksMilwaukee ChicksThe Milwaukee Chicks were a women's professional baseball team which played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the season. They were managed by Max Carey, former star player for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Brooklyn Robins and a future Hall of Famer.-History:By 1944 the...
(1944) - Minneapolis MillerettesMinneapolis MillerettesThe Minneapolis Millerettes were an expansion All-American Girls Professional Baseball League team that played for one season in 1944. They played their home games in Nicollet Park, home of the men's minor league team the Minneapolis Millers...
(1944) - Fort Wayne DaisiesFort Wayne DaisiesThe Fort Wayne Daisies were a women's professional baseball team that played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
(1945–1954) - Grand Rapids ChicksGrand Rapids ChicksThe Grand Rapids Chicks were a women's professional baseball team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1945 to 1954, winning championships in 1947 and 1953....
(1945–1954) - Muskegon LassiesMuskegon LassiesThe Muskegon Lassies were one of the expansion teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in , representing Muskegon, Michigan. The team played their home games at Marsh Field....
(1946–1949) - Kalamazoo LassiesMuskegon LassiesThe Muskegon Lassies were one of the expansion teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in , representing Muskegon, Michigan. The team played their home games at Marsh Field....
(1950–1954) - Peoria RedwingsPeoria RedwingsThe Peoria Redwings were a women's professional baseball team who joined the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in the season. The team represented Peoria, Illinois....
(1946–1951) - Chicago ColleensChicago ColleensThe Chicago Colleens were a women's professional baseball team who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The team represented Chicago, Illinois and played their home games at Shewbridge Field....
(1948) - Springfield SalliesSpringfield SalliesThe Springfield Sallies were a women's professional baseball team who joined the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in the season. The team represented Springfield, Illinois, and played their games at Lanphier Ball Park....
(1948) - Battle Creek BellesBattle Creek BellesThe Battle Creek Belles were a women's professional baseball team that played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
(1951–1952) - Muskegon BellesMuskegon BellesThe Muskegon Belles were a women's professional baseball team that played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the season....
(1953)
League Champions
- 1943 Racine BellesRacine BellesThe Racine Belles were one of the original teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League playing from through out of Racine, Wisconsin. The team played its home games at Horlick Field.-History:...
- 1944 Milwaukee ChicksMilwaukee ChicksThe Milwaukee Chicks were a women's professional baseball team which played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the season. They were managed by Max Carey, former star player for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Brooklyn Robins and a future Hall of Famer.-History:By 1944 the...
- 1945 Rockford PeachesRockford PeachesThe Rockford Peaches were a team in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League playing out of Rockford, Illinois for the entire existence of the league from 1943 to 1954....
- 1946 Racine BellesRacine BellesThe Racine Belles were one of the original teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League playing from through out of Racine, Wisconsin. The team played its home games at Horlick Field.-History:...
- 1947 Grand Rapids ChicksGrand Rapids ChicksThe Grand Rapids Chicks were a women's professional baseball team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1945 to 1954, winning championships in 1947 and 1953....
- 1948 Rockford PeachesRockford PeachesThe Rockford Peaches were a team in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League playing out of Rockford, Illinois for the entire existence of the league from 1943 to 1954....
- 1949 Rockford PeachesRockford PeachesThe Rockford Peaches were a team in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League playing out of Rockford, Illinois for the entire existence of the league from 1943 to 1954....
- 1950 Rockford PeachesRockford PeachesThe Rockford Peaches were a team in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League playing out of Rockford, Illinois for the entire existence of the league from 1943 to 1954....
- 1951 South Bend Blue SoxSouth Bend Blue SoxThe South Bend Blue Sox were a women's professional baseball team who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
- 1952 South Bend Blue SoxSouth Bend Blue SoxThe South Bend Blue Sox were a women's professional baseball team who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
- 1953 Grand Rapids ChicksGrand Rapids ChicksThe Grand Rapids Chicks were a women's professional baseball team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1945 to 1954, winning championships in 1947 and 1953....
- 1954 Kalamazoo LassiesKalamazoo LassiesThe Kalamazoo Lassies were a team who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The team represented Kalamazoo, Michigan. Home games were initially played at Lindstrom Field, but later games were played at the Catholic Athletic Association Field, now the...
AAGPBL Players Association
When the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was unable to continue in 1955, its history and its significance were not soon forgotten. Many people in the 1950s thought that women were not supposed to play baseball, so most female athletes competed on other fields of endeavor. Finally, in 1980, former pitcher June PeppasJune Peppas
June Peppas is a former first basewoman and pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 5", 145 lb., she batted and threw left-handed.-Early life:...
launched a newsletter project to get in touch with friends, teammates and opponents, that resulted in the league’s first-ever reunion in Chicago, Illinois in 1982. Starting from that reunion, a Players Association was formed five years later and many former players of the defunct league continued to enjoy reunions.
National Women's Baseball Hall of Fame inductees
- 1999 - Claire SchillaceClaire SchillaceClaire Joan Schillace was a center fielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
- 2002 - Faye DancerFaye DancerFaye Katherine Dancer was a center fielder who played from through for three different teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
- 2003 - Dorothy FergusonDorothy FergusonDorothy B. Ferguson Key [Dottie] was an infielder and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
- 2005 - Joanne WinterJoanne WinterJoanne Emily Winter [Jo] was a pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 8", 138 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.-Overview profile:...
- 2010 - Dorothy KamenshekDorothy KamenshekDorothy "Dottie" Kamenshek was an All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player. She batted and threw left-handed....
- Source
See also
- All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Player of the Year AwardAll-American Girls Professional Baseball League Player of the Year AwardStarting on its third year of operation, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League honored with the Player of the Year Award the top performer in the circuit that year. The AAGPBL folded at the end of the 1954 season. This is the list of winners.-Winners:...
- All-American Girls Professional Baseball League All-Star TeamAll-American Girls Professional Baseball League All-Star TeamThe All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was a women's professional baseball circuit which existed for twelve seasons from through ....
- AAGPBL players
- AAGPBL managers
- AAGPBL batting recordsAll-American Girls Professional Baseball League batting recordsThis is a list of All-American Girls Professional Baseball League players who posted the best offensive marks in the history of the circuit.Incidentally, the relatively low batting averages for many players reflect mainly the high quality of the AAGPBL pitchers, rather than a lack of skills by the...
- AAGPBL pitching recordsAll-American Girls Professional Baseball League pitching recordsThis is a list of All-American Girls Professional Baseball League pitchers who posted the best records in the history of the circuit.-All time records:-Single season records:-Perfect games:-No-hitters:-Sources:...
- Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame (including AAGPBL exhibit)