Ladies' Day, also referred to as Ladies' Night if held during night games, was a baseball promotional event in Major League Baseball aimed at women baseball fans from early to mid 20th century. It was a common fixture at baseball stadiums until the rise of the Women's Liberation Movement in the 1970s, after which it was eventually discontinued as it was seen as being discriminatory to men. [1]
Though Ladies' Day had existed in baseball since the 19th century, the idea was to create an environment in the stands free of unsavory characters and conduct and to make baseball a family-oriented event. The New York Gothams reportedly held the first Ladies' Day in 1883.
Ladies' Day was reintroduced in 1913 by Helene Hathaway Britton, the owner of the St. Louis Cardinals and the first woman to own a baseball team. [2] The Cardinals Ladies' Day promotion allowed women free entry to the park if accompanied by a man. [3]
The promotion gained popularity after World War I. [4] This was due, in part, to Charles Weeghman, owner of the Chicago Cubs. Weegham had used the promotion during his time with the short-lived Federal League as owner of the Chicago Whales and to promote the park which would eventually become known as Wrigley Field. [5]
Ladies Day promotions began to decline after the case of Abosh v. New York Yankees, Inc. in 1972, where the New York State Human Rights Appeal Board ruled that Ladies' Day was discriminatory "in a modern technological society where women and men are to be on equal footing as a matter of public policy." [6] [7]
John Robert Mize, nicknamed "Big Jawn" and "the Big Cat", was an American professional baseball player, coach and scout. He played as a first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 15 seasons between 1936 and 1953, losing three seasons to military service during World War II. Mize was a ten-time All-Star who played for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, and the New York Yankees. During his tenure with the Yankees, the team won five consecutive World Series.
The following are the baseball events of the year 1981 throughout the world.
The following are the baseball events of the year 1966 throughout the world.
The following are the baseball events of the year 1965 throughout the world.
The following are the baseball events of the year 1964 throughout the world.
The following are the baseball events of the year 1963 throughout the world.
The following are the baseball events of the year 1962 throughout the world.
The following are the baseball events of the year 1956 throughout the world.
The following are the baseball events of the year 1959 throughout the world.
The following are the baseball events of the year 1958 throughout the world.
The following are the baseball events of the year 1951 throughout the world.
The following are the baseball events of the year 1950 throughout the world.
The following are the baseball events of the year 1949 throughout the world.
The following are the baseball events of the year 1940 throughout the world.
The 1935 Cincinnati Reds season was a season in American baseball. The team finished sixth in the National League with a record of 68–85, 31½ games behind the Chicago Cubs. The highlight of the season was the first night game in Major League baseball history when the Reds behind the arm of Paul Derringer prevailed over the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 under the lights at Crosley Field in Cincinnati.
The 1962 Los Angeles Dodgers season was the fifth for the team in Southern California, and the 73rd for the franchise in the National League. After spending the previous four seasons at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, they began the season by opening Dodger Stadium, the team's new ballpark. The stadium opened on April 10 with a game against the Cincinnati Reds. The Dodgers proceeded to win a Los Angeles record 102 games and tied the San Francisco Giants for first place in the National League. The Giants won the ensuing tie-breaker series two games to one.
The 1981 Major League Baseball season culminated with the Los Angeles Dodgers defeating the New York Yankees in the World Series, capturing the franchise's fifth World Series title. The season had a players' strike, which lasted from June 12 to July 31, and split the season into two halves. Teams that won their division in each half of the season advanced to the playoffs. This was the first split season in American League history, and second for the National League, which had played a split season in 1892.
The 1985 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 56th playing of the game, annually played between the All-Stars of the National League and the All-Stars of the American League. The game was played on July 16, 1985, in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota, home of the Minnesota Twins.
The 1963 Major League Baseball season was contested from April 8 to October 6, 1963. The American League and National League both featured ten teams, with each team playing a 162-game schedule.
The 1965 Major League Baseball season was contested from April 12 to October 14, 1965. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Minnesota Twins were the regular season champions of the National League and American League, respectively. The Dodgers then defeated the Twins in the World Series, four games to three.