The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) was a professional women's baseball league founded by Philip K. Wrigley, which existed from 1943 to 1954. The AAGPBL is the forerunner of women's professional league sports in the United States. Over 600 women played in the league, which eventually consisted of 10 teams located in the American Midwest. In 1948, league attendance peaked at over 900,000 spectators. The most successful team, the Rockford Peaches, won a league-best four championships.
The Grand Rapids Chicks were a women's professional baseball team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1945 to 1954, winning championships in 1947 and 1953.
Phyllis C. Koehn [″Sugar″] was an American pitcher and utility who played from 1943 through 1950 for six different teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 5", 120 lb., Koehn batted and threw right-handed. She was born in Madison, Wisconsin.
Mildred Kathryn Earp, nicknamed Mid or Millie, was an American female pitcher who played from 1947 to 1950 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m), 135 lb, she batted and threw right-handed.
Constance Wisniewski (Wiśniewski) was a starting pitcher and outfielder who played from 1944 through 1952 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 8", 147 lb., she batted left-handed and threw right-handed.
Alma Ziegler was an infielder and pitcher who played from 1944 through 1954 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m), 125 lb., Ziegler batted and threw right-handed.
Lorraine Fisher was a right-handed pitcher who played from 1947 through 1949 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
Doris L. Satterfield [Sadie] was a left and center fielder who played from 1947 through 1954 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She batted and threw right-handed.
Renae Audrey Youngberg [Ray] was a third basewoman who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during four seasons spanning 1949–1954. She batted and threw right-handed.
Marguerite Pearson (Tesseine) was a utility player who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League between the 1948 and 1954 seasons. Listed at 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m), 125 lb., Pearson batted and threw right-handed. She was nicknamed ″Dolly".
Ernestine Petras [״Teeny״] was an infielder who played from 1944 through 1952 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m), 125 lb., Petras batted and threw right-handed. She was born in the Haskell section of Wanaque, New Jersey.
Marie Wegman was a utility infielder-outfielder and pitcher who played from 1948 through 1950 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m), 130 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.
Twila Shively was an American competitive baseball player. An outfielder, she played from 1945 through 1950 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m), 128 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.
Viola Thompson [Griffin] was a pitcher who played from 1944 through 1947 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). Listed at 5 feet 5 inches (165 cm), 120 pounds (54 kg), she batted and threw left-handed.
Evelyn E. "Tommie" Adams was a shortstop who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the 1946 season. Listed at 5' 3", 110 lb., she was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed.
Patricia A. Courtney was an infielder who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m), 125 lb (57 kg), she batted and threw right handed.
Dolly Niemiec was an American baseball player who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League between 1948 and 1952. She both batted and threw right-handed.
Joan LeQuia is a former infielder and pitcher in All-American Girls Professional Baseball League who played for the Grand Rapids Chicks in its 1953 season. Listed at 5' 2, 120 lb., she batted and threw right handed.
Betty Bays was an American outfielder and catcher who played from 1950 to 1951 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). She batted and threw right handed.
The National Girls Baseball League (NGBL) was a professional women's baseball league which existed from 1944 to 1954, with teams based in Chicago, Illinois. The National Girls Baseball League started a year after the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL), which was featured in the film A League of Their Own. The National Girls Baseball League differed from the AAGPLB in that the NGBL kept and allowed the traditional underhand softball pitching format. Football legend Red Grange served as commissioner of the National Girls Baseball League.
Lois Barker | |
---|---|
![]() | |
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League | |
Third base / Right field | |
Born: Dover, New Jersey, U.S. | April 7, 1923|
Died: February 14, 2018 94) Morristown, New Jersey, U.S. | (aged|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
Teams | |
Career highlights and awards | |
|
Lois Anna "Tommie" Barker (April 7,1923 –February 14,2018) was an American utility player who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) during the 1950 season. Listed at 5 ft 3 in,130 lb,she batted and threw right-handed. [1] [2]
Born in Dover,New Jersey,Barker was one of seven girls in a nine-sibling family. While growing up in Chester Borough,she used to watch her father coach baseball teams and her brother's career as an Olympic track athlete. [3]
In an interview,Barker recalled catching batting practice for a local men's team when she was eight years old. She admitted to growing up "more boy than girl". The reason,she explained matter-of-factly,stems from the nickname she received as an infant –Tommie. In fact,her family thought she would be a boy and had a name all picked out,Thomas Henry. As she told the story,her brothers and sisters,when passing her crib,would exclaim,"There's our Tommie!",and the name stuck. [3]
Barker graduated from Roxbury High School,where she played softball. [4] She started to play in organized leagues and tournaments in 1947 with the Chester Farmerettes,being able to play all positions except catcher. In one game,she turned an unassisted triple play while playing at shortstop. After making the league at tryouts held in Irvington,she signed a contract and went to the AAGPBL rookie camp in South Bend,Indiana. [5]
Barker entered the league in 1950 with the Grand Rapids Chicks,being used primarily in the outfield and at third base. Making the AAGPBL at age 27 as a rookie,was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. Grand Rapids,managed by Johnny Rawlings,took fourth place with a 59–53 record and advanced to the postseason,but lost in the first round of the best-of-five series to the Fort Wayne Daisies. Baker was a .125 hitter in 32 games and received a contract for the 1951 season,but she was unable to play due to family commitments. [6]
Following her baseball career,Barker took a job in a company connected with the aerospace industry,working at all the way from entry level to supervisor during 40 years,until her retirement in 1990. She also played softball for about ten years after she obtained permission to play amateur sports again. [5] [7]
Barker is part of Women in Baseball,a permanent display based at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown,New York,which was unveiled in 1988 to honor the entire All-American Girls Professional Baseball League rather than any individual personality. She also was honored by the Chester Historical Society in 1999,during the Chester Township's Bicentennial Parade celebration. [8]
After retirement,Barker focused much of her time and energy visiting friends and family and traveling to reunions of the AAGPBL Players Association. Besides this,she spent countless hours responding to request for autographs and corresponding with young athletes interested in hearing of her days in the league. [3] She lived in Chester Borough,New Jersey,and loved to watch baseball and travel. [7] [9]
Barker died February 14,2018,in Morristown,New Jersey. [10]
Batting
GP | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | BA | OBP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
32 | 64 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 15 | .125 | .200 |
Fielding
GP | PO | A | E | TC | DP | FA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
31 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 0 | .944 |