Girls Playing Baseball

September 29, 2012

What would America be like without baseball? Probably, not exactly what it is today. During a time of world conflict, there were some steadfast, courageous women in the workforce but also in the sports arenas. 

With World War II at hand, national baseball was doomed to be finished like the minors. Everyone had a duty to help however they could, no matter age or gender. But you can't be all work and no play, and many girls played big time. The league was the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League or AAGPBL. Why not AAWPBL? Perhaps, girl was a gentler way of saying lady or woman in those times. I became interested in women who played baseball during WWII because of the movie A League of Their Own. Also, since I am a historian, it is my duty to seek out facts. I contacted the Baseball Hall of Fame, and they directed me to the official website of the AAGPBL. I don’t know if there is a need for a woman’s league now, but it sure would be nice to see.

If you would like more information on women in baseball, here are some titles in our Library:

• Curveball: The Remarkable Story of Toni Stone the First Woman to Play Professional Baseball in the Negro League by Martha Ackmann
• The Origins and History of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League by Merrie A. Fidler

~Trish S.
Parkville Branch