Gloria Ruiz | |
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All-American Girls Professional Baseball League | |
Outfield | |
Born: Havana, Cuba | June 25, 1928|
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
Teams | |
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Career highlights and awards | |
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Gloria "Baby-Face" Ruiz (born June 25,1928) is a former outfielder who played from 1948 through 1949 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She batted and threw right handed. [1]
Born in Havana,Ruiz was one of seven girls born in Cuba to play in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in its twelve years history. The other Cubanas who went on to play in the league were Isabel Alvarez (1949–1954),Isora del Castillo (1949–1951),Luisa Gallegos (1948–1949),Migdalia Pérez (1948–1954),Mirtha Marrero (1948–53) and Zonia Vialat (1948). [2]
The first AAGPBL spring training outside the United States was held in Cuba in 1947,as part of a plan to create an International League of Girls Baseball. The experiment took shape when Cuban executives Alfonso Rodríguez and Rafael León and AAGPBL president Max Carey formed two teams,one called the Cubans and the other called the Americans. Both teams toured Costa Rica,Nicaragua,Puerto Rico and Venezuela,playing exhibition games with each other. After that,Ruiz and her aforementioned fellows were contracted by the AAGPBL. [3] [4] Ruiz was added to the Peoria Redwings roster in parts of two seasons,spanning from 1948 to 1949. She was used by Peoria manager Leo Schrall as a backup for Josephine Lenard,Mary Reynolds and Eilaine Roth. [5] [6]
In 1988,Ruiz and the other six Cuban girls were honored during the opening of Women in Baseball,a permanent display based at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown,New York,which was unveiled to honor the entire All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Another tribute to the AAGPBL players came with the 1992 film A League of Their Own ,featuring Tom Hanks,Geena Davis and Madonna,and directed by filmmaker Penny Marshall. [7] In 2011,Ruiz and her AAGPBL teammates from Cuba were honored by having their names and photos presented at a ceremony in New York City. The event was presented by Leslie Heaphy,history professor at Kent State University of Ohio,during the Cuban Baseball Congress held on August 20 at Fordham University. [3]
Batting
GP | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | BA | OBP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
52 | 126 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 10 | 19 | 26 | .095 | .214 |
Fielding
GP | PO | A | E | TC | DP | FA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
50 | 60 | 3 | 4 | 67 | 2 | .940 |
Eulah Elizabeth Tucker was a pitcher who played from 1946 through 1949 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 4", 123 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.
Rita Ann Meyer was a shortstop and pitcher who played from 1946 through 1949 for the Peoria Redwings of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m), 145 lb., Meyer batted and threw right-handed. She was born in Florissant, Missouri.
Rita Briggs["Maude"] was an American female baseball catcher who played from 1947 through 1954 for seven different teams in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m), 120 lb., Briggs batted left-handed and threw right-handed. She was born in Ayer, Massachusetts.
Isabel "Lefty" Álvarez was a Cuban pitcher and outfielder who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League between the 1949 and 1954 seasons. She batted and threw left-handed.
Nancy Warren was a pitcher and infielder who played from 1946 through 1954 for six different teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m), 130 lb., she batted and threw right-handed. Hank was a nickname she picked up as a youth.
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.
Leo Schrall was an infielder and manager in minor league baseball and a head coach in college baseball.
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.
Jenniffer A. Romatowski [″Romey″] was an American baseball utility player who played from 1946 through 1954 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m), 145 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.
Thelma "Tiby" Eisen was an outfielder who played from 1944 through 1952 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 4", 130 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.
Migdalia Pérez (″Mickey″) was a Cuban pitcher who played from 1948 through 1954 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She batted and threw right handed. After being married she played under the name of Migdalia Jinright.
Naomi Meier [″Sally″] was an outfielder who played from 1946 through 1953 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m), 115 lb., Meier batted and threw right-handed. She was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Luisa Gallegos [ga-yeh'-gos] is a former pitcher and infielder who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in the 1947 season. She batted and threw right handed.
Mirtha Marrero [Fernández] is a Cuban born former pitcher who played from 1948 through 1953 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She batted and threw right handed.
Isora del Castillo [ee-soa'-ra del cast-ee'-yo] is a former infielder who played from 1949 through 1951 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 1", 117 lb., she batted and threw right handed. She played under the name of Ysora Castillo, as a result of a misspelling.
Zonia Vialat was an All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player.
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 11½ inches to 10⅜ inches, while the base paths were lengthened to 72 feet and the pitching distance increased to 50 feet.
June Rose Schofield, nicknamed Moneybags, was a Canadian-American infielder who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She batted and threw right handed.
Barbara J. Payne [״Bobbie״] is a former infielder and reliever who played from 1949 through 1951 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m), 118 lb, she batted and threw right-handed.