Women's Baseball in the 1940
During World War II, when many of the male baseball players were enlisted in the service, along with taking over some of the jobs that men left, women began to entertain themselves on the baseball field as the first professional women's leagues were founded.
Women have been playing professional baseball since the 1940's,
yet it wasn't really a well know fact until the 1992 Penny Marshall movie,
"A
League of Their Own", starring Tom Hanks, that put these women in the
public eye.
In 1943, The United States was in full force fighting in World War II.
P.K. Wrigley received word from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt that the
1943 Major League baseball season might be suspended due to manpower shortage.
He wanted Wrigley to do something to keep the baseball game going until the men
got home from service.
In the midst of removing barriers for women to be able to work in the industry to help the war effort, Wrigley joined forces with Branch Rickey and several small town entrepreneurs to create the first professional baseball league for women. A new game was born. Using rules from the men's game the game became a faster action game than softball. In 1943 when the league began, the girls were actually playing fast-pitch softball using an underhand pitching delivery but with certain variations to make the game faster. Runners were allowed to lead off and steal, and the size of the diamond was larger than the field used in softball but smaller than a baseball diamond.
The women of the league were expected to act like ladies and had to abide to the rules of conduct and had to attend charm school to continue to act as a proper lady. Wrigley and his advertising agent promoted the new "Girls Baseball" as wholesome family entertainment for war workers.
Thirty scouts were hired to start looking for outstanding softball players all over the United States and Canada. Four teams were formed and the league started its first season in 1943. In 1944, the All American Girls Professional Baseball League expanded to six teams. By 1946 eight teams were playing 110 games per season.
The schedule of 110-120 games per season consisted of playing single games six days a week plus double headers on Sundays. The only time off were rained out games and then they were made up by doubleheaders next time around. Traveling was done by bus between the different cities leaving right after the game and sometimes arriving just in time to play the next game in the new city.
The pay schedule was from $55.00 to $125.00 per week. In the
1940's and early 1950's that was not bad pay for playing a game that was fun.
Expenses on the road were paid by the team including $2.25 per day for meals.
The league lasted from 1943 - 1954. In 1948, the league drew a record
910,000 fans for the 10 team league. The All American Girls Professional
Baseball League memorabilia was enshrined in the Cooperstown, New York Hall of
Fame on November 5, 1988. Over 550 names are on a plaque in the exhibit named
"WOMEN IN BASEBALL".
(Credit given to http://www.nocryinginbaseball.com/women/women.html)
LEAGUE STANDINGS
(1943-1954)
Credit given to (http://www.nocryinginbaseball.com/women/women.html)
1943
First Half
Racine Belles (20-15)
South Bend Blue Sox (21-16)
Kenosha Comets (16-19)
Rockford Peaches (15-22)
Second Half
Kenosha Comets (33-21)
South Bend Blue Sox (30-24)
Racine Belles (25-23)
Rockford Peaches (20-34)
Play-off Champions: Racine Belles
1944
First Half
Kenosha Comets (36-23)
South Bend Blue Sox (33-25)
Milwaukee Chicks (31-27)
Racine Belles (28-32)
Rockford Peaches (24-32)
Minneapolis Millerettes (23-36)
Second Half
Milwaukee Chicks (40-19)
South Bend Blue Sox (31-27)
Rockford Peaches (29-28)
Racine Belles (26-31)
Kenosha Comets (25-32)
Minneapolis Millerettes (22-36)
Play-off Champions: Milwaukee Chicks
1945
Rockford Peaches (67-43)
Fort Wayne Daisies (62-47)
Grand Rapids Chicks (60-50)
Racine Belles (50-60)
South Bend Blue Sox (49-60)
Kenosha Comets (41-69)
Play-off Champions: Rockford Peaches
1946
Racine Belles (74-38)
Grand Rapids Chicks (71-41)
South Bend Blue Sox (70-42)
Rockford Peaches (60-52)
Fort Wayne Daisies (52-60)
Muskegon Lassies (46-66)
Kenosha Comets (42-70)
Peoria Redwings (33-79)
Play-off Champions: Racine Belles
1947
Muskegon Lassies (69-43)
Grand Rapids Chicks (65-47)
Racine Belles (65-47)
South Bend Blue Sox (57-54)
Peoria Redwings (55-57)
Rockford Peaches (48-63)
Fort Wayne Daisies (45-67)
Kenosha Comets (43-69)
Play-off Champions: Grand Rapids Chicks
1948
Eastern Division
Grand Rapids Chicks (77-47)
Muskegon Lassies (66-57)
South Bend Blue Sox (57-69)
Fort Wayne Daisies (53-72)
Chicago Colleens (47-76)
Western Division
Racine Belles (76-49)
Rockford Peaches (74-49)
Peoria Redwings (70-55)
Kenosha Comets (61-64)
Springfield Sallies (41-84)
Play-off Champions: Rockford Peaches
1949
* Rockford Peaches (75-36)
* South Bend Blue Sox (75-36)
Grand Rapids Chicks (57-54)
Kenosha Comets (56-55)
Fort Wayne Daisies (53-57)
Muskegon Lassies (46-66)
Racine Belles (45-65)
Peoria Redwings (36-73)
Play-off Champions: Rockford Peaches
* Rockford won best of seven against South Bend 4-0 for the League Championship.
1950
Rockford Peaches (67-44)
Fort Wayne Daisies (62-43)
Kenosha Comets (64-46)
Grand Rapids Chicks (59-53)
South Bend Blue Sox (55-55)
Racine Belles (50-60)
Peoria Redwings (44-63)
Kalamazoo Lassies (36-73)
Play-off Champions: Rockford Peaches
1951
First Half
Grand Rapids Chicks (40-13)
Fort Wayne Daisies (34-17)
South Bend Blue Sox (38-22)
Rockford Peaches (31-26)
Peoria Redwings (28-25)
Kenosha Comets (21-36)
Kalamazoo Lassies (19-38)
Battle Creek Belles (11-45)
Second Half
South Bend Blue Sox (38-14)
Rockford Peaches (34-15)
Fort Wayne Daisies (34-18)
Grand Rapids Chicks (31-22)
Peoria Redwings (21-31)
Battle Creek Belles (19-35)
Kenosha Comets (15-35)
Kalamazoo Lassies (15-37)
Play-off Champions: South Bend Blue Sox
1952
Fort Wayne Daisies (67-42)
South Bend Blue Sox (64-45)
Rockford Peaches (55-54)
Grand Rapids Chicks (50-60)
Kalamazoo Lassies (49-60)
Battle Creek Belles (43-67)
Play-off Champions: South Bend Blue Sox
1953
Fort Wayne Daisies (66-39)
Grand Rapids Chicks (62-44)
Kalamazoo Lassies (56-50)
Rockford Peaches (51-55)
South Bend Blue Sox (44-62)
Muskegon Belles (38-67)
Play-off Champions: Grand Rapids Chicks
1954
Fort Wayne Daisies (54-40)
South Bend Blue Sox (48-44)
Grand Rapids Chicks (46-45)
Kalamazoo Lassies (48-49)
Rockford Peaches (37-55)
Play-off Champions: Kalamazoo Lassies
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6251/
http://eteamz.active.com/hallfame/index.cfm
http://www.womensbaseball.com/
Created by the 1998-1999 class. Modified by the class of 2003-2004. Modified again by the class of 2004-2005.