Jean Smith (baseball)
Encyclopedia
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. lb., she batted and threw right handed.
Jean Smith entered the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in 1948, beginning her career at outfield and later doubling as a reliever until the final season of play in 1954. Regarded as a disciplined hitter and a daring base runner, she posted a robust .334 on-base percentage and a 1.77 walk-to-strikeout ratio
, while utilizing her speed to snatch 194 stolen base
s in 567 career games. A member of a championship team, she also played in five out of seven possible playoffs.
, Smith was the daughter of James C. and Marie (née Burnham) Smith. She attended Ann Arbor schools and graduated from Ann Arbor Pioneer High School in 1946. Athletics were her passion and as a 12-year-old she won the Ann Arbor singles table tennis
tournament, and in 1943 she placed second in the state finals. A passionate fan of the Detroit Tigers
, at age 15 she pitched for a softball
team sponsored by Dad's Root Beer
, which won the state championship in 1947. They lied about my age. You were supposed to be 16 to play the league, she explained in an interview. Playing softball during high school led to her professional life with the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
. After being selected at a try-out camp in Grand Rapids I was sent a contract in the mail for me to sign and also to be signed with consent with my parents or guardian. Both my parents gave me their permission, she recalled. For her career, Smith was able to play well in all three outfield positions, mainly at center field. She then attended the 1948 spring training in Opa-locka, Florida
, and was assigned to the Kenosha Comets
.
Smith was sent to the Fort Wayne Daisies
during the 1948 midseason, just in time for playoffs, but Fort Wayne lost the first round to the Rockford Peaches
, four games to one. She batted a combined .168 average with 36 runs and 22 runs batted in in 104 games.
In 1949 Smith also was used as a relief pitcher, because Daisies manager Dick Bass
thought he had a hard fastball
and a good curve
. I was a thrower and not a pitcher, she admitted. In that season, she collected a 3.38 earned run average
in eight innings of work while playing 25 games at outfield. Fort Wayne advanced again to the playoffs, losing to the Grand Rapids Chicks
in the best-of-three first round series.
Smith opened 1950 with the Peoria Redwings
. She finished with a 2-0 record and a 1.80 ERA in four relief appearances. As a hitter, she went 58-for-267 (.217) with 36 runs and 14 RBI in 89 games, including 10 doubles
and three triples
, while stealing 12 bases.
Smith had her first good season in 1951, collecting a .233 average with 10 doubles and 38 stolen bases, driving in 30 runs while scoring 50 times in 93 games. She made 18 appearances on the mound, posting a 7-7 record and a 2.92 ERA in a career-high 111 innings.
For the next three years Smith played for the Grand Rapids Chicks
, a strong team managed by Woody English
, which included talented players as Jean Geissinger
, Pepper Paire
, Doris Satterfield
, Dorothy Stolze
, Connie Wisniewski
and Alma Ziegler
. Smith shared outfield duties with Geissinger, Satterfield and Wisniewski, hitting .196 in 46 games while going 1-2 as a reliever. Grand Rapids advanced to the playoffs, but was swept by the South Bend Blue Sox
in the best-of-three series on strong pitching by Jean Faut
.
Smith had a solid season in 1953, hitting .227 with 73 stolen bases and a .343 OBP in a career-high 114 games, being surpassed only by Fort Wayne's Betty Foss
for the most stolen bases (80). She also posted career numbers in hits (91), runs (86), doubles (20), triples (5) and steals, while walking 71 times and tying for third in doubles. In the best-of-three first round series, third place Kalamazoo Lassies
dispossed of first place Fort Wayne and second place Grand Rapids drew fourth place Rockford. In the best-of-three final series, Grand Rapids swept Kalamazoo behind complete game
victories by Mary Lou Studnicka
and Earlene Risinger
. In Game 1, Studnicka limited the Lassies to seven hits in a 7–2 victory, while Risinger drove in two runs and struck out nine to whip Kalamazoo, 4–3, in a cold weather, shortened seven-inning game. Smith went 3-for-10 and scored a run in the finals.
In her final season of 1954, Smith batted .252 (78-for-309) with nine triples, three home runs 56 RBI and 88 walks, all career numbers. She also scored 74 runs and stole 28 bases, while collecting a notable .397 on-base percentage in 88 game appearances. Fort Wayne repeated the regular season title and faced Grand Rapids in the first round of the playoffs, while second place South Bend played fourth place Kalamazoo. As a member of the champion team, Davis played in the All-Star Game against an All-Stars team selected by the league's managers. Fort Wayne and Kalamazoo defeated their respective opponents and advanced to the best-of-five final series.
, who also helped herself by hitting 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.
The Daisies bounced back in Game 2, hitting five home runs against the Lassies to win, 11–4. Horstman started the feat with a two-run home run to open the score in the first inning. In the rest of the game, Betty Weaver Foss
added two homers with five RBI, while her sister Joanne and Geissinger added solo shots. Peppas, Nancy Mudge
and Dorothy Schroeder
homered for Kalamazoo.
In Game 3, the Daisies won the Lassies, 8–7, fueled again by a heavy hitting by Joanne Weaver, who hit a double, a triple and a three-run home run in five at bats, driving in four runs.
In Game 4, starter Gloria Cordes
helped Kalamazoo to tie the series, pitching a complete game
victory over the Daisies, 6–5. 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 inning. 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 twelve-year history of the league.
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 Smith, the Allington All-Stars included players as Joan Berger
, Gloria Cordes
, Jeanie Descombes
, Gertrude Dunn
, Betty Foss
, Jean Geissinger
, Katie Horstman
, Maxine Kline
, Dolores Lee
, Magdalen Redman
, Ruth Richard
, Dorothy Schroeder
and Joanne Weaver
, among others.
, where she worked as a secretary at the Harbor Springs IGA and as a bookkeeper for Woodland Buildersand. She also mowed the meadows at Barnyard Golf on her John Deere tractor until retirement in 1992.
Since 1980, Peppas and a group of friends began assembling a list of names and addresses of former AAGPBL players. Her work turned into a newsletter 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 AAGPBL players continued to enjoy reunions, which became annual events in 1998. Smith attended the first reunion and regained communication with her teammates and old friends. Of the approximately 560 women who had played in the league, most had lost touch with the others, at least not until the reunion held in Chicago. The association was largely responsible for the opening of an AAGPBL permanent display at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at Cooperstown, New York
, opened in , which is dedicated to the entire league rather than any individual personalities. Smith, along with the rest of the league's girls, is now enshrined in the Hall.
Jean Smith died in Harbor Springs, Michigan at the age of 82, following a brief illness.
Pitching
Outfield fielding
Playoff hitting
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
and relief pitcher
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...
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' 6", 128. lb., she batted and threw right handed.
Jean Smith entered the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in 1948, beginning her career at outfield and later doubling as a reliever until the final season of play in 1954. Regarded as a disciplined hitter and a daring base runner, she posted a robust .334 on-base percentage and a 1.77 walk-to-strikeout ratio
Walk-to-strikeout ratio
In baseball statistics, walk-to-strikeout ratio is a measure of a hitter's plate discipline and knowledge of the strike zone. Generally, a hitter with a good walk-to-strikeout ratio must exhibit enough patience at the plate to refrain from swinging at bad pitches and take a base on balls, but he...
, while utilizing her speed to snatch 194 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s in 567 career games. A member of a championship team, she also played in five out of seven possible playoffs.
Early life
Born in Ann Arbor, MichiganAnn Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
, Smith was the daughter of James C. and Marie (née Burnham) Smith. She attended Ann Arbor schools and graduated from Ann Arbor Pioneer High School in 1946. Athletics were her passion and as a 12-year-old she won the Ann Arbor singles table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
tournament, and in 1943 she placed second in the state finals. A passionate fan of the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, at age 15 she pitched for a softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
team sponsored by Dad's Root Beer
Dad's Root Beer
Dad's Root Beer is an American root beer created in Chicago in 1937 by Ely Klapman and Barney Berns. It is currently sold and marketed by The Dad's Root Beer Company LLC, and owned by Hedinger Brands, LLC.- History :...
, which won the state championship in 1947. They lied about my age. You were supposed to be 16 to play the league, she explained in an interview. Playing softball during high school led to her professional life with the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
AAGPBL career
In 1947 Smith attended a tryout of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in Grand Rapids, MichiganGrand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
. After being selected at a try-out camp in Grand Rapids I was sent a contract in the mail for me to sign and also to be signed with consent with my parents or guardian. Both my parents gave me their permission, she recalled. For her career, Smith was able to play well in all three outfield positions, mainly at center field. She then attended the 1948 spring training in Opa-locka, Florida
Opa-locka, Florida
Opa-locka is a city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. As of the mid decade census, the population was 15,376 as recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau....
, and was assigned to the Kenosha Comets
Kenosha Comets
Based 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...
.
Smith was sent to 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...
during the 1948 midseason, just in time for playoffs, but Fort Wayne lost the first round to 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....
, four games to one. She batted a combined .168 average with 36 runs and 22 runs batted in in 104 games.
In 1949 Smith also was used as a relief pitcher, because Daisies manager Dick Bass
Dick Bass (baseball)
Richard William "Dick" Bass was a Major League Baseball pitcher. Bass played for the Washington Senators in . In 1 career game, he had a 0-1 record, with a 6.75 ERA. He batted right and threw left-handed....
thought he had a hard 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 good 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...
. I was a thrower and not a pitcher, she admitted. In that season, she collected a 3.38 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...
in eight innings of work while playing 25 games at outfield. Fort Wayne advanced again to the playoffs, losing 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....
in the best-of-three first round series.
Smith opened 1950 with the Peoria Redwings
Peoria Redwings
The 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....
. She finished with a 2-0 record and a 1.80 ERA in four relief appearances. As a hitter, she went 58-for-267 (.217) with 36 runs and 14 RBI in 89 games, including 10 doubles
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....
and three triples
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....
, while stealing 12 bases.
Smith had her first good season in 1951, collecting a .233 average with 10 doubles and 38 stolen bases, driving in 30 runs while scoring 50 times in 93 games. She made 18 appearances on the mound, posting a 7-7 record and a 2.92 ERA in a career-high 111 innings.
For the next three years Smith played for 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....
, a strong team managed by Woody English
Woody English
Elwood George "Woody" English was an American shortstop who played in Major League Baseball for twelve seasons with the Chicago Cubs and the Brooklyn Dodgers.- Early life :...
, which included talented players as 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...
, 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:...
, Doris Satterfield
Doris Satterfield
Doris L. Satterfield [Sadie] was a left and center fielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She batted and threw right-handed....
, Dorothy Stolze
Dorothy Stolze
Dorothy Stolze [Dottie] was a second basewoman who played from through for four different teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
, Connie Wisniewski
Connie Wisniewski
Constance Wisniewski was a starting pitcher and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
and Alma Ziegler
Alma Ziegler
Alma Ziegler was an infielder and pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 3", 125 lb., Ziegler batted and threw right-handed....
. Smith shared outfield duties with Geissinger, Satterfield and Wisniewski, hitting .196 in 46 games while going 1-2 as a reliever. Grand Rapids advanced to the playoffs, but was swept by 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...
in the best-of-three series on strong pitching by 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....
.
Smith had a solid season in 1953, hitting .227 with 73 stolen bases and a .343 OBP in a career-high 114 games, being surpassed only by Fort Wayne's 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...
for the most stolen bases (80). She also posted career numbers in hits (91), runs (86), doubles (20), triples (5) and steals, while walking 71 times and tying for third in doubles. In the best-of-three first round series, third place 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...
dispossed of first place Fort Wayne and second place Grand Rapids drew fourth place Rockford. In the best-of-three final series, Grand Rapids swept Kalamazoo behind complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
victories by Mary Lou Studnicka
Mary Lou Studnicka
Mary Lou Studnicka [Brazauskas, Caden] is a former overhand pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Studnicka batted and threw right-handed. She was affectively nicknamed ML....
and Earlene Risinger
Earlene Risinger
Helen Earlene Risinger was a pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 6' 2", 137 lb., she batted and threw right-handed....
. In Game 1, Studnicka limited the Lassies to seven hits in a 7–2 victory, while Risinger drove in two runs and struck out nine to whip Kalamazoo, 4–3, in a cold weather, shortened seven-inning game. Smith went 3-for-10 and scored a run in the finals.
In her final season of 1954, Smith batted .252 (78-for-309) with nine triples, three home runs 56 RBI and 88 walks, all career numbers. She also scored 74 runs and stole 28 bases, while collecting a notable .397 on-base percentage in 88 game appearances. Fort Wayne repeated the regular season title and faced Grand Rapids in the first round of the playoffs, while second place South Bend played fourth place Kalamazoo. As a member of the champion team, Davis played in the All-Star Game against an All-Stars team selected by the league's managers. Fort Wayne and Kalamazoo defeated their respective opponents and advanced to the best-of-five final series.
1954 Championship Title
In Game 1 of the best-of-five 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 hitting 2-for-4, including one home run. 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.
The Daisies bounced back in Game 2, hitting five home runs against the Lassies to win, 11–4. Horstman started the feat with a two-run home run to open the score in the first inning. In the rest of the game, 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...
added two homers with five RBI, while her sister Joanne and Geissinger added solo shots. Peppas, 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″....
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...
homered for Kalamazoo.
In Game 3, the Daisies won the Lassies, 8–7, fueled again by a heavy hitting by Joanne Weaver, who hit a double, a triple and a three-run home run in five at bats, driving in four runs.
In Game 4, starter Gloria Cordes
Gloria Cordes
Gloria Cordes [Elliott] is a former starting pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
helped Kalamazoo to tie the series, pitching a complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
victory over the Daisies, 6–5. 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 inning. 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 twelve-year history of the league.
Bill Allington All-Stars
When the league was unable to continue in 1955, Smith 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 Smith, 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...
, Gloria Cordes
Gloria Cordes
Gloria Cordes [Elliott] is a former starting pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
, 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...
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.
Life after baseball
Following her baseball career, Smith settled down in Harbor Springs, MichiganHarbor Springs, Michigan
Harbor Springs is a city and resort community in Emmet County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,567 at the 2000 census.Harbor Springs is in a sheltered bay on the north shore of the Little Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan. The Little Traverse Lighthouse is a historic lighthouse on...
, where she worked as a secretary at the Harbor Springs IGA and as a bookkeeper for Woodland Buildersand. She also mowed the meadows at Barnyard Golf on her John Deere tractor until retirement in 1992.
Since 1980, Peppas and a group of friends began assembling a list of names and addresses of former AAGPBL players. Her work turned into a newsletter 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 AAGPBL players continued to enjoy reunions, which became annual events in 1998. Smith attended the first reunion and regained communication with her teammates and old friends. Of the approximately 560 women who had played in the league, most had lost touch with the others, at least not until the reunion held in Chicago. The association was largely responsible for the opening of an AAGPBL permanent display at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at Cooperstown, New York
Cooperstown, 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...
, opened in , which is dedicated to the entire league rather than any individual personalities. Smith, along with the rest of the league's girls, is now enshrined in the Hall.
Jean Smith died in Harbor Springs, Michigan at the age of 82, following a brief illness.
Career statistics
Batting| GP Games played Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,... | AB At bat In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance... | 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... | 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.... | 2B 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.... | 3B 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.... | HR 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... | 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... | SB Stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate... | 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.... | BA Batting average Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :... | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 567 | 1853 | 320 | 396 | 67 | 18 | 13 | 174 | 194 | 333 | 188 | .215 | .334 | .290 |
Pitching
| 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.... | RA 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... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | 10 | 10 | .500 | 3.61 | 172 | 137 | 92 | 69 | 129 | 45 | 1.55 |
Outfield fielding
| GP Games played Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,... | PO | A Assist (baseball) In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional... | E Error (baseball) In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ... | TC Total chances In baseball statistics, total chances , also called chances offered, represents the number of plays in which a defensive player has participated. It is calculated as follows: Total Chances = assists + putouts + errors. Chances accepted refers to the total of putouts and assists only. Fielding... | DP Double play In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two".... | FA Fielding percentage In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 538 | 953 | 78 | 47 | 1078 | 15 | .987 |
Playoff hitting
| GP Games played Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,... | AB At bat In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance... | 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... | 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.... | 2B 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.... | 3B 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.... | HR 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... | 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... | SB Stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 63 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |