Lizzie Arlington
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth Stroud was a woman who played Minor league baseball
and Women's baseball
. She played professionally under the name Lizzie Arlington.
Lizzie Arlington is regarded by many historians as the first female to play organized baseball in the 19th century. Ed Barrow
, a future member of the Hall of Fame, claimed he brought her into professional baseball when he served as president for the Atlantic League. Details of her brief stint in professional ball remained virtually unknown until Al Kermisch, a baseball enthusiast and researcher, ferreted them out.
Arlington came from the Pennsylvania
Coal Region
, where she accustomed to play baseball with her father and brothers. By then, a promoter named William J. Connor, after watching her play, engaged Arlington for $100.00 a week in the hope of making money on her as a gate attraction. She debuted in 1898 while pitching for the reserve team of the Philadelphia Nationals. Thereafter, she pitched and played at infield
against several professional clubs. She also did well playing for the New York Athletic Club.
On July 5, 1898, Arlington appeared briefly with the Reading Coal Heavers
of the Atlantic League in a regulation Minor league game against the Allentown Peanuts
. It is reported that more than a thousand fans, including 200 women, attended mostly, according to the Reading Eagle
newspaper, to see what she looked like and what she wore. They were not disappointed. Lizzie entered the grounds in a "stylish carriage drawn by two white horses" and, responding to applause by lifting her cap, revealed her hair done in the latest fasshion. She wore black stockings and a gray uniform with knee-length skirt.
During the pre-game practice, Arlington played second base like a professional, "even down to expectorating on her hands and wiping them on her uniform", according the report. Reading was leading 5–0 in the ninth inning, which prompted team's manager to use her in to pitch. Though she allowed two hits
and walked
a batter to load the bases
, Arlington succeeded in retiring the next three batters to preserve the victory, as the crowd enthusiastically shouted "Good for Lizzie!"
The verdict of the Eagles sports writer was that Arlington might do all right among amateurs but lacked control and the strength to get much speed in the ball. However, he added, "for a woman, she is a success." By other side, a writer for the Hartford Courant, anticipating her coming to play for the locals against the Newark team, commented, "It is said that she plays ball like a man and talks ball like a man and if it was not for her bloomers she would be taken for a man on the diamond, having none of the peculiarities of women ball players." But authorities cancelled the appearance of Arlington in Hartford, reportedly because the home team management wanted to take no chances on losing the game, and thereafter her name disappeared for the sports pages.
Apart from Lizzie Arlington and a handful of other female players, women's baseball in the 19th century caricatured the game. But she was part of a segment, however minor, of the women's movement in baseball who did their contribution to weaken prejudice against them.
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
and Women's baseball
Women's baseball
Women's baseball is currently played in several countries. The strongest and most organized women's baseball leagues are in the United States, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, Cuba, Hong Kong, and Canada. Those countries have national governing bodies that support girls' and women's baseball programs...
. She played professionally under the name Lizzie Arlington.
Lizzie Arlington is regarded by many historians as the first female to play organized baseball in the 19th century. Ed Barrow
Ed Barrow
Edward Grant Barrow was an American manager and executive in Major League Baseball, primarily with the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox...
, a future member of the Hall of Fame, claimed he brought her into professional baseball when he served as president for the Atlantic League. Details of her brief stint in professional ball remained virtually unknown until Al Kermisch, a baseball enthusiast and researcher, ferreted them out.
Arlington came from the Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
Coal Region
Coal Region
The Coal Region is a term used to refer to an area of Northeastern Pennsylvania in the central Appalachian Mountains comprising Lackawanna, Luzerne, Columbia, Carbon, Schuylkill, Northumberland, and the extreme northeast corner of Dauphin counties....
, where she accustomed to play baseball with her father and brothers. By then, a promoter named William J. Connor, after watching her play, engaged Arlington for $100.00 a week in the hope of making money on her as a gate attraction. She debuted in 1898 while pitching for the reserve team of the Philadelphia Nationals. Thereafter, she pitched and played at infield
Infield
Infield is a widely used term in sports terminology, its meaning depends on the sport in which it is used.- In baseball :In baseball the baseball diamond plus a region beyond it , has both grass and dirt, in contrast to the more distant, usually grass-covered outfield...
against several professional clubs. She also did well playing for the New York Athletic Club.
On July 5, 1898, Arlington appeared briefly with the Reading Coal Heavers
Reading Phillies
The Reading Phillies are a minor league baseball team based in Reading, Pennsylvania, playing in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League. Since the 1967 season, they have been the AA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies....
of the Atlantic League in a regulation Minor league game against the Allentown Peanuts
Allentown Peanuts
Alentown Peanuts refers to two baseball teams: one that played in the Central League in 1888, and another that played in the Atlantic League from 1898 to 1900. They were based in Allentown, Pennsylvania and had no big league affiliations....
. It is reported that more than a thousand fans, including 200 women, attended mostly, according to the Reading Eagle
Reading Eagle
The Reading Eagle is the major daily newspaper in Reading, Pennsylvania, in the United States. This family-owned newspaper has a daily circulation of 64,000 and a Sunday circulation of 100,000...
newspaper, to see what she looked like and what she wore. They were not disappointed. Lizzie entered the grounds in a "stylish carriage drawn by two white horses" and, responding to applause by lifting her cap, revealed her hair done in the latest fasshion. She wore black stockings and a gray uniform with knee-length skirt.
During the pre-game practice, Arlington played second base like a professional, "even down to expectorating on her hands and wiping them on her uniform", according the report. Reading was leading 5–0 in the ninth inning, which prompted team's manager to use her in to pitch. Though she allowed two 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....
and walked
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...
a batter to load the bases
Bases loaded
In the sport of baseball, the bases are loaded when there is a runner on each base . This presents a great scoring opportunity for the batting team, but it also presents an easy double play opportunity for the defense. Causing the bases to become loaded is called loading the bases...
, Arlington succeeded in retiring the next three batters to preserve the victory, as the crowd enthusiastically shouted "Good for Lizzie!"
The verdict of the Eagles sports writer was that Arlington might do all right among amateurs but lacked control and the strength to get much speed in the ball. However, he added, "for a woman, she is a success." By other side, a writer for the Hartford Courant, anticipating her coming to play for the locals against the Newark team, commented, "It is said that she plays ball like a man and talks ball like a man and if it was not for her bloomers she would be taken for a man on the diamond, having none of the peculiarities of women ball players." But authorities cancelled the appearance of Arlington in Hartford, reportedly because the home team management wanted to take no chances on losing the game, and thereafter her name disappeared for the sports pages.
Apart from Lizzie Arlington and a handful of other female players, women's baseball in the 19th century caricatured the game. But she was part of a segment, however minor, of the women's movement in baseball who did their contribution to weaken prejudice against them.