Gloria Cordes
Encyclopedia
Gloria Cordes [Elliott] is a former starting 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.
, Mildred Deegan
, Nancy Mudge
, Betty Trezza
and Margaret Wigiser
. Cordes pitched in the last five seasons of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, primarily with the Kalamazoo Lassies
. A hard-thrower and extremely competitive, she overcame control problems early in her career to become one of the most consistent overhand pitchers of the league. Obviously, she was adversely affected by the constantly moving from one place to another, totaling five trips in her first two seasons before settling in Kalamazoo for the rest of her career.
In 1948, the Springfield Sallies
and Chicago Colleens
were added to the roster of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Both teams had a lousy year and lost their franchises by the end of the season. For the next two years, the Colleens and Sallies became rookie
training teams that played exhibition games and recruited new talent as they toured through the South and East. When the teams stopped for an exhibition game at Yankee Stadium
in 1949, Cordes tried out for the league and was invited to another tryout in South Bend, Indiana
the following year. She attended the invitation and was assigned to the Muskegon Lassies
.
. She pitched in nine games and was 0-5 on a team made up mainly of rookies from the traveling teams. It was a very bad season for the Lassies, who relocated to Kalamazoo, Michigan
in the middle of the year, and posted the worst record of the league with 36 wins, 73 losses and two ties. Although never credited with a no-hitter
in the midseason because the contest ended in a 0-0 tie, she later defeated the South Bend Blue Sox
, 1–0, behind a two-hit shutout
. After pitching in the two cities, she joined the Racine Belles
late in the season. She combined for a 5-10 record with a 3.63 earned run average
, giving up 76 walks
while striking out
just 23 in 119 innings of work. Cordes stayed with the Belles when the team moved from Racine, Wisconsin
to Battle Creek, Michigan
for the 1951 season, but was sent back to the Lassies during the midseason. She finished 1951 with a solid 3.63 ERA, despite her 3-15 record for two helpless teams.
Cordes enjoyed a career year in 1952, pitching 34 consecutive consecutive scoreless
innings and going the whole season without ever being relieved
in her 24 starts
. She finished with a 16-8 record and a 1.44 ERA and lowered drastically her numbers of the previous season, cutting her walks from 96 to 52, by increasing her strikeouts from 70 to 84, and allowing 12 fewer hits
(168 to 156) in 34 more innings (179 to 213). Besides this, she finished fifth in the league in innings, third in strikeouts, sixth in wins and second in ERA to Jean Faut
, who set an all-time, single-season record of 0.93 (.51 ahead of Cordes).
Cordes also appeared in the 1952 midseason All-Star Game as a member of the All-Star Team
, which faced the South Bend Blue Sox, the league’s 1951 playoff champions. The All-Stars prevailed, 7–6, when Betty Foss
scored the eventual winning run on an RBI
-single
by Doris Sams
in the top of the 9th inning. Then Cordes retired South Bend in the bottom of the ninth to earn the save
. Kalamazoo improved to a 49-61 record in that season.
When the 1953 season opened, Cordes felt more confident about her game. She won three of the first four victories of Kalamazoo, already achieving her wins mark from the previous season. By then, she depended on a good fastball
and a curve
, but also possessed a knuckler
that baffled opposite hitters who tried to analyze her pitches. Cordes finished 13-11 with 106 strikeouts and a 1.98 ERA, and again ranked among the leaders in ERA (3rd), strikeouts (5th), complete games (20, tied for 8th), shutouts (six, 2nd) and innings pitched (218, 10th). In the first round of the playoffs, Kalamazoo defeated the Fort Wayne Daisies
and advanced to the best-of-three game Championship Series only to lost to the Grand Rapids Chicks
, 2-0.
In her last season, Cordes went 12-7 with 86 strikeouts and a 4.58 ERA, ending in fourth place both in strikeouts and wins (tied). She was rewarded with her second All-Star berth and a trip to the best-of-five game Championship Series. Previously in the playoffs, Kalamazoo dispatched South Bend in three games and the Daisies did the same with the Chicks.
, who also helped herself by hiting 2-for-4, including one home run
. Her teammates Carol Habben
and Fern Shollenberger
also slugged one each, and Chris Ballingall
belted a grand slam
. Pitching star Maxine Kline
, who had posted an 18-7 record with 3.23 ERA for the Daisies during the regular season, gave up 11 runs in six innings and was credited with the loss. Katie Horstman
connected two home runs for the Daisies in a lost cause, and her teammate Joanne Weaver
slugged one.
Cordes started for the Lassies in Game 2, which featured seven home runs by the two teams. Due to a mix-up over the game's starting time the umpires
did not allow Cordes to warm up
(supposedly there would be a half hour delay). Starting cold, she allowed five runs before getting a batter out. After a leadoff walk to Mary Weddle, Horstman belted a home run for a 2-0 Fort Wayne lead. Then Ruth Richard
and Joanne Weaver hit back-to-back singles
, and Betty Weaver Foss
hit a three-run homer for a 5-0 edge. Elaine Roth
relieved
Cordes and completed the game. But the Lassies hit three more home runs, one each by Jean Geissinger
and the Weaver sisters. Kalamazoo discounted the margin with leadoff shots by Nancy Mudge
, Peppas (playing at first base) and Dorothy Schroeder
, but the game's outcome was never in doubt.
In Game 3 the Daisies won a close one, 8-7, fueled by the heavy hitting of Joanne Weaver, who collected a double
, a triple
, and a three-run home run in five at-bats, while driving in
four runs. Cordes relieved with the bases loaded in the seventh inning, but did not allow any damage for the remainder of the game.
Cordes started Game 4 of the series with her team against the wall, 2-to-1. This time properly warmed up, she pitched a complete game, allowing five runs on nine hits, to help Kalamazoo to tie the series. Habben drove in two runs who marked the difference, while Kline suffered her second loss of the Series.
In decisive Game 5, Peppas pitched a clutch complete game and went 3-for-5 with an RBI against her former Daisies team, winning by a 8–5 margin to gave the Lassies the Championship title in the AAGPBL's last ever game. She received support from Balingall (3-for-4) and Schroeder, who drove in the winning run in the bottom of the eight. Peppas finished with a .450 average in the Series and collected two of the three Lassies victories, to become the winning pitcher of the last game in the league's history. In the end, the inspired Lassies rose to the challenge and batted .337 as a team. On the other hand, the usually heavy-hitting Daisies averaged only .275.
to play in the national touring team known as the All-Americans All-Stars. The team played 100 games, each booked in a different town, against male teams, while traveling over 10,000 miles in the manager's station wagon
and a Ford Country Sedan
. Besides Cordes, the Allington All-Stars included players as Joan Berger
, Jeanie Descombes
, Gertrude Dunn
, Betty Foss
, Jean Geissinger
, Katie Horstman
, Maxine Kline
, Dolores Lee
, Magdalen Redman
, Ruth Richard
, Dorothy Schroeder
, Jean Smith
and Joanne Weaver
, among others.
Following her baseball retirement, Cordes coached girls softball and has been an active participant in events related to the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She currently lives in her hometown of Staten Island, New York.
and a Ford Country Sedan
. Besides Cordes, the Allington All-Stars included players as Joan Berger
, Gertrude Dunn
, Betty Foss
, Jean Geissinger
, Katie Horstman
, Maxine Kline
, Dolores Lee
, Ruth Richard
and Dorothy Schroeder
, between others.
since November 5, 1988 that honors those who were part of this unique experience.
is a 1992 film about the first season of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. While the film does not use real names, filmmaker Penny Marshall
seemed to be aiming for realism, as her film includes fake newsreel footage and pseudo-documentary present day scenes at the beginning and end of the fictitious
story. A League of Their Own itself was inspired by the 1987 documentary of the same title, written and produced by Kelly Candaele, one of the five sons of Helen Callaghan
, who in 1945 won the AAGPBL batting championship with a .299 average. The AAGPBL players were relatively unknown until the Marshall's film was exhibited for the first time. After that, the AAGPBL Players Association reunions became formal annual events in 1998.
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
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.-History:...
. Listed at 5' 8", 138 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.
Overview profile
Gloria Cordes was one of 25 players who made the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League clubs hailed from New York City and State, including Muriel BevisMuriel Bevis
Muriel Bevis [″Breezy″] was a female outfielder and pitcher who played in All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the season. Bevis batted and threw left-handed. She was born in Corona, Queens, New York City....
, Mildred Deegan
Millie Deegan
Mildred Eleanor Deegan was an American pitcher and second baseman who played ten seasons in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, from to .-Background:...
, Nancy Mudge
Nancy Mudge
Nancy Mudge [Cato] is a former second basewoman who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 2", 120 lb., Mudge batted and threw right handed. She was nicknamed ″Smudgie″....
, Betty Trezza
Betty Trezza
Betty Trezza [″Moe″] was an American professional baseball player. An infield and outfield utility, she played from through for four different teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League....
and Margaret Wigiser
Margaret Wigiser
Margaret M. Wigiser [Wiggie] is a former center fielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
. Cordes pitched in the last five seasons of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, primarily with the Kalamazoo Lassies
Kalamazoo Lassies
The 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...
. A hard-thrower and extremely competitive, she overcame control problems early in her career to become one of the most consistent overhand pitchers of the league. Obviously, she was adversely affected by the constantly moving from one place to another, totaling five trips in her first two seasons before settling in Kalamazoo for the rest of her career.
Early life
A native of Staten Island, New York, Cordes was one of eleven children having five sisters and five brothers. At the age of eleven she began playing baseball with her brothers, learning the basics of the game, but intermittently, because there were no teams for girls. Nevertheless, she was determined to play well and continued to practice whenever she could.In 1948, the Springfield Sallies
Springfield Sallies
The 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....
and Chicago Colleens
Chicago Colleens
The 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....
were added to the roster of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Both teams had a lousy year and lost their franchises by the end of the season. For the next two years, the Colleens and Sallies became rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
training teams that played exhibition games and recruited new talent as they toured through the South and East. When the teams stopped for an exhibition game at Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
in 1949, Cordes tried out for the league and was invited to another tryout in South Bend, Indiana
South Bend, Indiana
The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
the following year. She attended the invitation and was assigned to the Muskegon Lassies
Muskegon Lassies
The 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....
.
AAGPBL career
At 19 age, Cordes entered the league in 1950 with the Lassies, based in Muskegon, MichiganMuskegon, Michigan
Muskegon is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 38,401. The city is the county seat of Muskegon County...
. She pitched in nine games and was 0-5 on a team made up mainly of rookies from the traveling teams. It was a very bad season for the Lassies, who relocated to Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
in the middle of the year, and posted the worst record of the league with 36 wins, 73 losses and two ties. Although never credited with a no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
in the midseason because the contest ended in a 0-0 tie, she later defeated the South Bend Blue Sox
South Bend Blue Sox
The South Bend Blue Sox were a women's professional baseball team who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
, 1–0, behind a two-hit shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
. After pitching in the two cities, she joined the Racine Belles
Racine Belles
The 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:...
late in the season. She combined for a 5-10 record with a 3.63 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
, giving up 76 walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
while striking out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
just 23 in 119 innings of work. Cordes stayed with the Belles when the team moved from Racine, Wisconsin
Racine, Wisconsin
Racine is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city had a population of 82,196...
to Battle Creek, Michigan
Battle Creek, Michigan
Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek Rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Calhoun county...
for the 1951 season, but was sent back to the Lassies during the midseason. She finished 1951 with a solid 3.63 ERA, despite her 3-15 record for two helpless teams.
Cordes enjoyed a career year in 1952, pitching 34 consecutive consecutive scoreless
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
innings and going the whole season without ever being relieved
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
in her 24 starts
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
. She finished with a 16-8 record and a 1.44 ERA and lowered drastically her numbers of the previous season, cutting her walks from 96 to 52, by increasing her strikeouts from 70 to 84, and allowing 12 fewer hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
(168 to 156) in 34 more innings (179 to 213). Besides this, she finished fifth in the league in innings, third in strikeouts, sixth in wins and second in ERA to Jean Faut
Jean Faut
Jean Anna Faut [Winsch/Eastman] is a former female starting pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 4", 137 lb., she batted and threw right handed....
, who set an all-time, single-season record of 0.93 (.51 ahead of Cordes).
Cordes also appeared in the 1952 midseason All-Star Game as a member of the All-Star Team
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League All-Star Team
The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was a women's professional baseball circuit which existed for twelve seasons from through ....
, which faced the South Bend Blue Sox, the league’s 1951 playoff champions. The All-Stars prevailed, 7–6, when Betty Foss
Betty Foss
Betty Foss [Fossey] was a infielder and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 10", 180 lb., she was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed. She started her career as Betty Weaver but changed her last name to Foss after marrying...
scored the eventual winning run on an RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
-single
Single (baseball)
In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
by Doris Sams
Doris Sams
Doris Jane Sams [Sammye] is a former female outfielder and pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 9", 145 lbs., she batted and threw right handed....
in the top of the 9th inning. Then Cordes retired South Bend in the bottom of the ninth to earn the save
Save (sport)
In baseball, a save is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. The number of saves, or percentage of save opportunities successfully converted, is an oft-cited statistic of relief pitchers...
. Kalamazoo improved to a 49-61 record in that season.
When the 1953 season opened, Cordes felt more confident about her game. She won three of the first four victories of Kalamazoo, already achieving her wins mark from the previous season. By then, she depended on a good fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
and a curve
Curveball
The curveball is a type of pitch in baseball thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball causing it to dive in a downward path as it approaches the plate. Its close relatives are the slider and the slurve. The "curve" of the ball varies from pitcher to...
, but also possessed a knuckler
Knuckleball
A knuckleball is a baseball pitch with an erratic, unpredictable motion. The pitch is thrown so as to minimize the spin of the ball in flight. This causes vortices over the stitched seams of the baseball during its trajectory, which in turn can cause the pitch to change direction—and even...
that baffled opposite hitters who tried to analyze her pitches. Cordes finished 13-11 with 106 strikeouts and a 1.98 ERA, and again ranked among the leaders in ERA (3rd), strikeouts (5th), complete games (20, tied for 8th), shutouts (six, 2nd) and innings pitched (218, 10th). In the first round of the playoffs, Kalamazoo defeated the Fort Wayne Daisies
Fort Wayne Daisies
The Fort Wayne Daisies were a women's professional baseball team that played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
and advanced to the best-of-three game Championship Series only to lost to the Grand Rapids Chicks
Grand Rapids Chicks
The 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....
, 2-0.
In her last season, Cordes went 12-7 with 86 strikeouts and a 4.58 ERA, ending in fourth place both in strikeouts and wins (tied). She was rewarded with her second All-Star berth and a trip to the best-of-five game Championship Series. Previously in the playoffs, Kalamazoo dispatched South Bend in three games and the Daisies did the same with the Chicks.
1954 Championship Title
In Game 1 of the AAGPBL Series, the Kalamazoo Lassies defeated the Fort Wayne Daisies 17-9 behind a four-hit, seven strong innings from 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:...
, who also helped herself by hiting 2-for-4, including one home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
. Her teammates Carol Habben
Carol Habben
Carol Habben was a center fielder and backup catcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 5", 135 lb., she batted and threw right-handed....
and Fern Shollenberger
Fern Shollenberger
Fern Shollenberger [Shelly] was a third basewoman who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 4", 125 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.-Brief profile:...
also slugged one each, and Chris Ballingall
Chris Ballingall
Chris Ballingall is a former female catcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5'6", 145 lb., she batted left-handed and threw right-handed....
belted a grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
. Pitching star Maxine Kline
Maxine Kline
Maxine Kline [Randall] is a former female starting pitcher who played from through with the Fort Wayne Daisies of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
, who had posted an 18-7 record with 3.23 ERA for the Daisies during the regular season, gave up 11 runs in six innings and was credited with the loss. Katie Horstman
Katie Horstman
Catherine Horstman [″Horsey″] is a former female utility who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
connected two home runs for the Daisies in a lost cause, and her teammate Joanne Weaver
Joanne Weaver
Joanne Weaver [″Joltin' Jo″] was a right fielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
slugged one.
Cordes started for the Lassies in Game 2, which featured seven home runs by the two teams. Due to a mix-up over the game's starting time the umpires
Umpire (baseball)
In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump...
did not allow Cordes to warm up
Warming up
A warm-up is usually performed before participating in technical sports or exercising. A warm-up generally consists of a gradual increase in intensity in physical activity , a joint mobility exercise, stretching and a sport related activity. For example, before running or playing an intense sport...
(supposedly there would be a half hour delay). Starting cold, she allowed five runs before getting a batter out. After a leadoff walk to Mary Weddle, Horstman belted a home run for a 2-0 Fort Wayne lead. Then Ruth Richard
Ruth Richard
Ruth Richard [Richie] is a former female catcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 4", 134 lb., she batted left-handed and threw right-handed....
and Joanne Weaver hit back-to-back singles
Single (baseball)
In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
, and Betty Weaver Foss
Betty Foss
Betty Foss [Fossey] was a infielder and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 10", 180 lb., she was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed. She started her career as Betty Weaver but changed her last name to Foss after marrying...
hit a three-run homer for a 5-0 edge. Elaine Roth
Elaine Roth
Elaine Roth [E] was a female pitcher and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
relieved
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
Cordes and completed the game. But the Lassies hit three more home runs, one each by Jean Geissinger
Jean Geissinger
Jean Louise Geissinger-Harding [″Dutch″] is a former infielder and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League for the Fort Wayne Daisies and Grand Rapids Chicks...
and the Weaver sisters. Kalamazoo discounted the margin with leadoff shots by Nancy Mudge
Nancy Mudge
Nancy Mudge [Cato] is a former second basewoman who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 2", 120 lb., Mudge batted and threw right handed. She was nicknamed ″Smudgie″....
, Peppas (playing at first base) and Dorothy Schroeder
Dorothy Schroeder
Dorothy Schroeder [″Dottie″] was a shortstop who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 7", 150 lb., Schroeder batted and threw right-handed...
, but the game's outcome was never in doubt.
In Game 3 the Daisies won a close one, 8-7, fueled by the heavy hitting of Joanne Weaver, who collected a double
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, a triple
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, and a three-run home run in five at-bats, while driving in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
four runs. Cordes relieved with the bases loaded in the seventh inning, but did not allow any damage for the remainder of the game.
Cordes started Game 4 of the series with her team against the wall, 2-to-1. This time properly warmed up, she pitched a complete game, allowing five runs on nine hits, to help Kalamazoo to tie the series. Habben drove in two runs who marked the difference, while Kline suffered her second loss of the Series.
In decisive Game 5, Peppas pitched a clutch complete game and went 3-for-5 with an RBI against her former Daisies team, winning by a 8–5 margin to gave the Lassies the Championship title in the AAGPBL's last ever game. She received support from Balingall (3-for-4) and Schroeder, who drove in the winning run in the bottom of the eight. Peppas finished with a .450 average in the Series and collected two of the three Lassies victories, to become the winning pitcher of the last game in the league's history. In the end, the inspired Lassies rose to the challenge and batted .337 as a team. On the other hand, the usually heavy-hitting Daisies averaged only .275.
Bill Allington All-Stars
When the league was unable to continue in 1955, Cordes joined several other players selected by former Daisies manager Bill AllingtonBill 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....
to play in the national touring team known as the All-Americans All-Stars. The team played 100 games, each booked in a different town, against male teams, while traveling over 10,000 miles in the manager's station wagon
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
and a Ford Country Sedan
Ford Country Sedan
The Ford Country Sedan was a full-size station wagon built by the Ford Motor Company from 1952 until 1974.It was based on the Ford full-size car line available in each year. The Country Sedan was the mid-trim station wagon in the Ford range. Unlike the Country Squire, the Country Sedan featured...
. Besides Cordes, the Allington All-Stars included players as Joan Berger
Joan Berger
Joan Berger [Knebl] is a former female infielder and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 4", 132 lb., Berger batted and threw right handed...
, Jeanie Descombes
Jeanie Descombes
Jeneane Descombes Lesko is a former pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 5", 135 lb., she batted and threw left-handed...
, Gertrude Dunn
Gertrude Dunn
Gertrude Dunn was an American baseball player with the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, the league made famous by the 1992 movie A League Of Their Own. She played shortstop on two teams, the Battle Creek Belles and the South Bend Blue Sox, and was named "Rookie of the Year" in . ...
, Betty Foss
Betty Foss
Betty Foss [Fossey] was a infielder and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 10", 180 lb., she was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed. She started her career as Betty Weaver but changed her last name to Foss after marrying...
, Jean Geissinger
Jean Geissinger
Jean Louise Geissinger-Harding [″Dutch″] is a former infielder and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League for the Fort Wayne Daisies and Grand Rapids Chicks...
, Katie Horstman
Katie Horstman
Catherine Horstman [″Horsey″] is a former female utility who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
, Maxine Kline
Maxine Kline
Maxine Kline [Randall] is a former female starting pitcher who played from through with the Fort Wayne Daisies of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
, Dolores Lee
Dolores Lee
Dolores Margaret Lee is a former female pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 6", 130 lb., she batted and threw right handed....
, Magdalen Redman
Magdalen Redman
Magdalen Redman [״Mamie״] is a former catcher and utility infielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
, Ruth Richard
Ruth Richard
Ruth Richard [Richie] is a former female catcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 4", 134 lb., she batted left-handed and threw right-handed....
, Dorothy Schroeder
Dorothy Schroeder
Dorothy Schroeder [″Dottie″] was a shortstop who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 7", 150 lb., Schroeder batted and threw right-handed...
, Jean Smith
Jean Smith (baseball)
Jean Marie Smith was an outfielder and relief pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 6", 128...
and Joanne Weaver
Joanne Weaver
Joanne Weaver [″Joltin' Jo″] was a right fielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
, among others.
Following her baseball retirement, Cordes coached girls softball and has been an active participant in events related to the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She currently lives in her hometown of Staten Island, New York.
Pitching statistics
| GP Games pitched In baseball statistics, games pitched is the number of games in which a player appears as a pitcher; a player who is announced as the pitcher must face at least one batter, although exceptions are made if the pitcher announced in the starting lineup is injured before facing a batter, perhaps while... | W | L | W-L% | ERA Earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine... | IP Innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two... | H Hit (baseball) In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice.... | R Run (baseball) In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured... | ER Earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine... | BB Base on balls A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08... | SO Strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters.... | WHIP Walks plus hits per inning pitched In baseball statistics, walks plus hits per inning pitched is a sabermetric measurement of the number of baserunners a pitcher has allowed per inning pitched. It is a measure of a pitcher's ability to prevent batters from reaching base... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 49 | 51 | .490 | 2.82 | 874 | 750 | 422 | 274 | 361 | 369 | 1.271 |
Bill Allington All-Stars
Following her AAGPBL career, Cordes joined several other players on Bill Allington's All-American team, a barnstorming remnant of the league. The team, known as the All-American All-Stars, played 100 games from 1955 through 1957, each booked in a different town, against male semi-pro teams. The girls traveled over 10,000 miles in the manager's station wagonStation wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
and a Ford Country Sedan
Ford Country Sedan
The Ford Country Sedan was a full-size station wagon built by the Ford Motor Company from 1952 until 1974.It was based on the Ford full-size car line available in each year. The Country Sedan was the mid-trim station wagon in the Ford range. Unlike the Country Squire, the Country Sedan featured...
. Besides Cordes, the Allington All-Stars included players as Joan Berger
Joan Berger
Joan Berger [Knebl] is a former female infielder and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 4", 132 lb., Berger batted and threw right handed...
, Gertrude Dunn
Gertrude Dunn
Gertrude Dunn was an American baseball player with the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, the league made famous by the 1992 movie A League Of Their Own. She played shortstop on two teams, the Battle Creek Belles and the South Bend Blue Sox, and was named "Rookie of the Year" in . ...
, Betty Foss
Betty Foss
Betty Foss [Fossey] was a infielder and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 10", 180 lb., she was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed. She started her career as Betty Weaver but changed her last name to Foss after marrying...
, Jean Geissinger
Jean Geissinger
Jean Louise Geissinger-Harding [″Dutch″] is a former infielder and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League for the Fort Wayne Daisies and Grand Rapids Chicks...
, Katie Horstman
Katie Horstman
Catherine Horstman [″Horsey″] is a former female utility who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
, Maxine Kline
Maxine Kline
Maxine Kline [Randall] is a former female starting pitcher who played from through with the Fort Wayne Daisies of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
, Dolores Lee
Dolores Lee
Dolores Margaret Lee is a former female pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 6", 130 lb., she batted and threw right handed....
, Ruth Richard
Ruth Richard
Ruth Richard [Richie] is a former female catcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 4", 134 lb., she batted left-handed and threw right-handed....
and Dorothy Schroeder
Dorothy Schroeder
Dorothy Schroeder [″Dottie″] was a shortstop who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 7", 150 lb., Schroeder batted and threw right-handed...
, between others.
Players Association
When the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was unable to continue in 1955, its history and its significance were 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, June Peppas launched a newsletter project to get in touch with friends, former 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.Hall of Fame honors
The AAGPBL Players Association movement helped to bring the league story to the public eye. The association was largely responsible for the opening of a permanent display at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New YorkCooperstown, New York
Cooperstown is a village in Otsego County, New York, USA. It is located in the Town of Otsego. The population was estimated to be 1,852 at the 2010 census.The Village of Cooperstown is the county seat of Otsego County, New York...
since November 5, 1988 that honors those who were part of this unique experience.
A League of Their Own
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...
is a 1992 film about the first season of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. While the film does not use real names, filmmaker 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...
seemed to be aiming for realism, as her film includes fake newsreel footage and pseudo-documentary present day scenes at the beginning and end of the fictitious
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
story. A League of Their Own itself was inspired by the 1987 documentary of the same title, written and produced by Kelly Candaele, one of the five sons of 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...
, who in 1945 won the AAGPBL batting championship with a .299 average. The AAGPBL players were relatively unknown until the Marshall's film was exhibited for the first time. After that, the AAGPBL Players Association reunions became formal annual events in 1998.