Women Baseball Players 1940s & 50s
The Period Is Noted for the First Successful Women's Baseball League
The era of bloomer girls’ baseball came to an end by the mid-1930s. The Great Depression, the rapid expansion of minor league teams, and the increasing popularity of softball had led to its demise. It took a major league owner to revive interest in women’s baseball.
The All-American Girls’ Professional Baseball League
In 1943, Philip Wrigley of the Chicago Cubs came up with the idea of a women’s league, hoping that it would sustain interest in baseball during World War II. The AAGPBL originally consisted of four Midwest teams: the Kenosha Comets, Racine Belles, Rockford Peaches, and South Bend Blue Sox. Because the players, with few exceptions, came from softball backgrounds, the original teams actually played softball with a few minor changes.
However, the game quickly evolved into baseball. The ball became smaller; the base paths were lengthened; the distance from home to the pitcher’s mound was increased; and pitchers were allowed to throw sidearm and overhand. The league grew from the original four teams to ten by 1950 and also grew in popularity, several seasons exceeding over a million in league attendance. In later years, it even had its own “World Series”.
“Rules of the Game”
The AAGPBL emphasized that the players had to be not only good athletes but also reflect “femininity”. This resulted in restrictive rules. Although the players wore ballet-type skirts on the field, they were always to wear dresses, heels and makeup off the field. They were not to use profane language and could not smoke or drink in public. Unmarried players, which were the majority, could not date unless their escorts were pre-approved by the team chaperone.
Despite these restrictions, the AAGPBL never had problems filling team rosters. Like the bloomer girls and industrial league players before them, most of the women came from working class backgrounds and were eager to continue in a sport that they had grown up with and which they truly loved. And, the pay of $85 to $125 a week plus free room and board were attractive incentives.
Quality of Play in the AAGPBL
Of great benefit to the league was its use of ex-professional male players as managers. Bringing their experience and teaching skills to the league enhanced the natural athleticism of the players. Regarding the caliber of play, one former manager was quoted in a 1949 issue of Collier’s Magazine: “You’ve got to see those girls play to believe it. They slide, steal bases, throw overhand and pitch curves—and the fans love it. That’s why so many of us get fired—every city wants a winner, or else!”
Although there were numerous stars, four of the most prominent were:
- Dorothy Kamenshek. A southpaw hitter and excellent fielding first baseman, she is considered by many to have been the league’s best player. In ten years of league play, she struck out only 81 times in 3736 at-bats.
- Rose Gacioch. She began as a bloomer girl and adapted quickly to the AAGPBL. She was among the first of the league’s overhand pitchers and its only 20 game winner. She was also a fine hitter and outfielder.
- Sophie Kurys. An excellent second baseman and hitter, she is primarily known for her speed. One season she stole 201 bases in 203 attempts and during her nine year career had a total of 1114 stolen bases.
- Jean Faut. She was an outstanding right handed pitcher who played eight years and had a career record of 140-69 and a 1.23 ERA. She also pitched two perfect games.
Women’s Baseball after the AAGPBL
The AAGPBL folded after the 1954 season. From its crude beginnings 90 years before, the sport had reached its height and several attempts to start new pro women’s leagues since then have failed. However, this does not mean that women are no longer part of the game. Girls have been allowed to play Little League since 1974. Several amateur and semipro leagues exist today in parts of the United States and Canada, and women have played on college men teams. One player, Ila Borders, even competed for several years in the minors.
Recommended reading: Berlage, Gai Ingham, Women in Baseball: The Forgotten History (Westport, CT, Praeger Trade,1994)
