In 1952 the league was left with six teams, as Kenosha and Peoria folded at the end of the previous season. No changes were made to the game, but attendance continued to decline. Joanne Weaver of Fort Wayne won the batting crown with a .344 average, while her older sister and teammate Betty Foss was honored with the Player of the Year Award. Foss registered the second best average (.331) and led the league in total bases (209), runs scored (81), runs batted in (74), doubles (24) and triples (17). South Bend's Jean Faut won the pitching Triple Crown, after leading the league in earned run average (0.93) and strikeouts (114), while tying with Rockford's Rose Gacioch for the most victories (20). Faut also posted the best win–loss record (.909), that would eventually become the highest in league history. Furthermore, Marilyn Jones of Battle Creek hurled the only no-hitter of the season against Rockford on July 10.[2][3]
During the best-of-three series, first place Fort Wayne lost to third place Rockford, two games to one, while second place South Bend swept fourth place Grand Rapids. Fort Wayne won the first game, 5–4, in a heroic 10-inning effort by Maxine Kline. But Rockford won the next contest, 4–3, with strong pitching from Rose Gacioch, who limited the powerful Daisies to a run after struggling in the first inning. In Game 3, Migdalia Pérez scattered six hits in a 6–0 shutout against Fort Wayne, while receiving offensive support from Jean Buckley, who went 4-for-4 with four RBI. In the other series, South Bend disposed of Grand Rapids in two games. Jean Faut struck out nine Chicks in a three-hit, 2–1 victory while facing Alma Ziegler in Game 1. Then, Glenna Sue Kidd defeated Earlene Risinger and Grand Rapids in Game 2, 6–1, to face Grand Rapids in the finals. South Bend clinched the title over the Peaches, 3 to 2 games. Once more Faut was brilliant in the final series, winning two games and batting an average of .300 (6-for-20) with two triples and three RBI, while leading the Blue Sox to their second championship in a row.[4]
Attendance continued to decline, but no figures are available. For the second consecutive year Battle Creek failed to capture a sustainable fan base. The team would be relocated and renamed Muskegon Belles for the next season.[5]
Teams
1952 All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Teams
Mary Lou Studnicka [Brazauskas, Caden] was an overhand pitcher who played from 1951 through 1953 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Studnicka batted and threw right-handed. She was nicknamed "ML".
Dorothy Mueller was a pitcher who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League between the 1947 and 1953 seasons. Listed at 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) and 160 pounds (73 kg), she batted and threw right-handed. She was nicknamed Dottie or Sportie by her close friends and teammates.
Eleanor Moore [Warner] was an American baseball pitcher who played from 1950 through 1954 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m), Moore batted and threw right-handed. She was born in Long Point, Illinois.
Jean Anna Faut [Winsch/Eastman] was an American starting pitcher who played from 1946 through 1953 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m), 137 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.
Jane Stoll ("Jeep") was an outfielder who played from 1946 through 1954 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 2", 135 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.
Jean S. Cione [″Cy″] was a pitcher who played from 1945 through 1954 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 8", 143 lb., She batted and threw left-handed.
Dorothy B. "Dottie" Ferguson Key was a Canadian infielder and outfielder who played from 1945 through 1954 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 6", 125 lb., she batted and threw right handed.
Helen Earlene Risinger was a pitcher who played from 1948 through 1954 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 6' 2", 137 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.
Marie Mansfield was an American pitcher who played from 1950 through 1954 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m), 140 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.
Janet Jeree Rumsey was a pitcher who played from 1951 through 1954 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m), 135 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.
Josephine "Feena” Hasham was a pitcher who played from 1948 through 1954 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Hasham batted right-handed and threw left-handed.
The 1945 All-American Girls Professional Baseball League season marked the third season of the circuit. The action began with six teams, like the previous season. But the Milwaukee Chicks and the Minneapolis Millerettes franchises were renamed the Grand Rapids Chicks and Fort Wayne Daisies respectively. The measure took effect for poor attendances in the cities of these teams the year before. At this point, the new clubs joined the Kenosha Comets, Racine Belles, Rockford Peaches and South Bend Blue Sox, all founding members of the league. The six teams competed through a 110-game schedule, while the split season was dropped in favor of a longer playoff format with the Shaugnessy format: the one seed facing the three seed and the two seed against the four seed. In addition, the pitching distance increased from 40 to 42 feet during the midseason.
The 1946 All-American Girls Professional Baseball League season marked the fourth season of the circuit. The AAGPBL expansion brought two new franchises to the previous six-team format. At this point, the Muskegon Lassies and the Peoria Redwings joined the Fort Wayne Daisies, Grand Rapids Chicks, Kenosha Comets, Racine Belles, Rockford Peaches and South Bend Blue Sox. The eight teams competed through a 112-game schedule, while the final Shaugnessy playoffs faced season winner Racine against defending champion Rockford in a Best of Seven Series.
The 1947 All-American Girls Professional Baseball League season marked the fifth season of the circuit. The teams Fort Wayne Daisies, Grand Rapids Chicks, Kenosha Comets, Muskegon Lassies, Peoria Redwings, Racine Belles, Rockford Peaches and South Bend Blue Sox competed through a 112-game schedule. The final Shaugnessy playoffs faced second place Grand Rapids against third place Racine in a Best of Seven Series.
The 1948 All-American Girls Professional Baseball League season marked the sixth season of the circuit. The AAGPBL grew to an all-time peak of ten teams in that season, representing Eastern and Western zones, just in the first year the circuit shifted to strictly overhand pitching. Other modifications occurred during 1948. The ball was decreased in size from 11+1⁄2 inches (290 mm) to 10+3⁄8 inches (260 mm), while the base paths were lengthened to 72 feet and the pitching distance increased to 50 feet.
The 1949 All-American Girls Professional Baseball League season marked the seventh season of the circuit. With the Chicago Colleens and Springfield Sallies turning into rookie development teams after the 1948 season, the AAGPBL was left with eight squads: the Kenosha Comets, Fort Wayne Daisies, Grand Rapids Chicks, Muskegon Lassies, Peoria Redwings, Racine Belles, Rockford Peaches and South Bend Blue Sox. The teams competed through a 112-game schedule.
The 1950 All-American Girls Professional Baseball League season marked the eight season of the circuit. The teams Fort Wayne Daisies, Grand Rapids Chicks, Kenosha Comets, Muskegon Lassies, Peoria Redwings, Racine Belles, Rockford Peaches and South Bend Blue Sox competed through a 112-game schedule.
The 1951 All-American Girls Professional Baseball League season marked the ninth season of the circuit. The teams Battle Creek Belles, Fort Wayne Daisies, Grand Rapids Chicks, Kalamazoo Lassies, Kenosha Comets, Peoria Redwings, Rockford Peaches and South Bend Blue Sox competed through a 112-game schedule, while the Shaugnessy playoffs featured the top four teams from each half of the regular season.
The 1953 All-American Girls Professional Baseball League season marked the eleventh season of the circuit. The teams Fort Wayne Daisies, Grand Rapids Chicks, Kalamazoo Lassies, Muskegon Belles, Rockford Peaches and South Bend Blue Sox competed through a 110-game schedule, while the Shaugnessy playoffs featured the top four teams. This time, the postseason was reduced to a best-of-three series for both rounds.
The 1954 All-American Girls Professional Baseball League season marked the twelfth and last season of the circuit. The AAGPBL was left with five teams after the Muskegon Belles franchise folded at the end of the past season. As a result, it was the lowest number of teams since its opening season in 1943. The Fort Wayne Daisies, Grand Rapids Chicks, Kalamazoo Lassies, Rockford Peaches and South Bend Blue Sox competed through a 96-game schedule, while the Shaugnessy playoffs featured the top four teams in a best-of-three first round series, with the two winning teams facing in a best-of-five series to decide the championship.
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