0307 - Ange Armato
Ange Armato is a former player in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League who spent time playing with the Rockford Peaches and the Kalamazoo Lassies. During our conversation, she referenced a handful of things and people upon which you may want to do more research. Consider this page to be your “liner notes” for the episode so you can follow along.
Me and Ange Armato after recording our interview in her home in Rockford, Illinois
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
The AAGPBL was founded by Philip K. Wrigley in 1943. It was the first professional women’s sports league in the United States. Over 600 women played in the league during its 11-year run through 1954.
Feminine Ideal
Women were selected for their skilled play, but the player also needed to fit what was seen by marketers as a “wholesome, feminine ideal.”
In this photo, Grand Rapids Chicks catcher Ruth "Tex" Lessing is adjusting her makeup during spring training in Opa-Locka, Florida in 1948.
Lessing has been considered as one of the best defensive catchers in AAGPBL history. Respected for her solid skills behind home plate, including a strong and accurate arm, she set several all-time and single-season records before suffering a career-ending shoulder injury that forced her to retire prematurely.
Lessing also was renowned for her fiery and competitive spirit. In 1947, she was fined $100 for punching an umpire after he made a call she disapproved. In response, a collection taken up by fanatics netted more than $2000. She paid the fine and gave the rest of the money to charity.
1949 Spring Training
Ange Armato (second from right) getting ready to board the Rockford Peaches team bus as it heads to Spring Training prior to the 1949 season.
Dave Pearce
Dave lives in Rockford and has an amazing Rockford Peaches collection. He is pictured here with his friend, Ange.
Graig Kreindler
Artist and friend of the podcast, Graig Kreindler, had previously painted Peaches great Dottie Kamenshek for Dave Pearce. Graig introduced me to Dave, who then introduced me to Ange, which is how this interview became possible.
Dottie Kamenshek’s AAGPBL Profile
Listen to Graig’s episode of My Baseball History HERE
USA Baseball Women's National Team
When the team announced they would be playing an exhibition game at Beyer Stadium in August of 2023, I knew I had to be there.
Some of the many pieces in Dave Pearce’s incredible Rockford Peaches collection.
Athletic From An Early Age
Growing up in Rockford, Illinois, Ange would play sports with the boys her age in the fields near her house.
Ange’s First Game
Ange attended her first Rockford Peaches game in 1945. She was immediately hooked.
Carolyn Morris
A hard-throwing, underhand pitcher, Carolyn “India” Morris had a brief but relevant career in the AAGPBL. She hurled a perfect game, three no-hitters, twelve innings of no-hit ball in a final championship series, and averaged 26 wins in each of her three seasons in the circuit.
While many people think the AAGPBL strictly played baseball, the first few years of the league were actually spent playing softball.
Bill Allington
Bill Allington spent 31 years in baseball as a player (15), coach (4) and manager (12). He started his professional career as an outfielder, playing from 1926 through 1940 with ten teams in four different leagues.
Following his playing career, Allington coached in the minors from 1941 to 1944, before landing in the AAGPBL, to become the most successful manager in the league's history. With Allington at the helm, the Rockford Peaches reached the playoff six times, winning the Title in 1945 and in consecutive years from 1948 to 1950. Allington later managed the Fort Wayne Daisies in 1953 and 1954, leading them to the league’s best record in both seasons.
1943 Rules and Regulations
In 1943, the league’s first year, a 12” ball was used. There were 65’ between bases, and the pitching distance was 40’. Pitching was done only underhand.
For comparison’s sake, a Major League Baseball ball must be between 9 and 9.25”, while the bases are 90’ apart, and the pitching mound is 60’6” from home plate.
Autographs
While players were always willing to sign autographs for fans (and especially for children), Ange doesn’t remember too many people asking the players to sign things. That has made era-specific autographs of players from the AAGPBL particularly hard to find for collectors.
“Snookie” Harrell
Dorothy “Snookie” Harrell (eventually Snookie Doyle) was a smooth-fielding Shortstop who played with the Peaches from 1944 to 1952. She was a 5-time All-Star who collected 667 hits and stole 229 bases in her career.
After eight seasons in the league, Snookie moved on to softball, playing with teams in Phoenix, Portland, and Los Angeles. At the end of her softball career, she even served as manager of the champion Orange Lionettes.
Growing up, Snookie was Ange’s favorite player.
Playing During WWII
The AAGPBL had an impact on American morale during a time when many men had been drafted off to war, leaving behind family and friends. Philip K. Wrigley purposely placed teams in manufacturing cities that were beleaguered by the war effort on the home front. At the beginning of every game, the Star Spangled Banner was played while the girls formed a 'V' for victory in remembrance of the men at war.
DeKalb Traveling Team
When Ange was 15, she played with a traveling team based out of DeKalb, Illinois. In this photo, she is in the front row, second from the left, without a hat on.
A Loyal Fan
Since Ange was local to Rockford, she was able to attend all of the games and eventually became close enough with the team’s players and manager Bill Allington that she felt comfortable asking to participate at practice. Allington obliged, and at the age of 15, Ange was playing with the best team in the AAGPBL on a regular basis.
Pitching Batting Practice
Before too long, Ange was pitching batting practice to the Peaches. Remember, she was only 17 years old at the time, and not even an official member of the team since she hadn’t yet been offered or signed a contract.
1945 Rockford Peaches
The 1945 Rockford Peaches included (kneeling from left) Alva Jo Fisher, Dottie Key, Kay Rohrer, Betty Carveth, manager Bill Allington, (standing from left) Jean Cione, Helen Filarski, and Irene Kotowitz.
The Peaches went 67-43 that season, winning the regular season championship. They went on to also win the playoff championship, beating the Fort Wayne Daisies in the finals.
Tickets
Tickets were affordable, as the teams were trying to draw as much attendance as possible.
Night Games
Smith field, home of the Grand Rapids Chicks from 1945-1950, was one of the many stadiums which had lights. This allowed for night games to be played in the AAGPBL. It also helped draw the biggest attendances possible, since day baseball makes it hard for anyone with a day job to attend.
Beyer Stadium
This photo, taken during a Peaches game in 1950, shows what Ange was talking about with the stands being filled.
1946 K&K Koeds
Ange played for the Rockford K&K Koeds during the 1946 season at the age of 16. She is in the top row, third from the right in this photo.
New Uniforms
Ange designed these uniforms for the Koeds to wear. They look modern and stylish even today, but this was nearly 80 years ago! And Ange was only 16 years old!
Ange In Her Own Uniform
It’s not often that an athlete can say that they personally designed the uniforms their team wore. But Ange can say that about the Rockford K&K Koeds. Here she is, standing, wearing the uniform she designed for the team.
The Koeds were a traveling team that played in cities such as Kenosha, Wisconsin and Chicago, Illinois.
1946 Rules and Regulations
In 1946, the league changed to an 11” ball for game play after playing with an 11.5” ball in 1944 and 1945.
The distance between the bases was increased to 72’, up from 68’ in 1944 and 1945.
In 1945, the pitching distance increased from 40’ to 42’, but they pushed it back another foot in 1946, making the distance 43’ from the rubber to home plate. Pitching was still allowed to be done underhand, but starting in 1946, the AAGPBL also allowed sidearm delivery.
1948 Spring Training
Though she was still young and underweight, Ange was invited to Spring Training in 1948 by Peaches manager Bill Allington.
1948 Rules and Regulations
In 1948, the league changed to a 10 3/8” ball for game play after playing with an 11” ball the previous two seasons.
The distance between the bases remained at 72’, but the pitching distance was moved all the way back to 50’ after having been only 43’ each of the previous two seasons.
However, the reason for this drastic move back was because in 1948, overhand pitching became legal for the first time in AAGPBL history. Sidearm delivery was still allowed, if a pitcher preferred.
Ange in 1948
Bill Allington thought Ange was still too young and small to play with the Peaches in 1948. He recommended that she go back to school and try to put some weight on to be ready for the next season.
In 1948, Ange played Shortstop for the DeKalb girls team, as well as for the Rockford All-Stars girls team.
1948 AAGPBL Champions
The Rockford Peaches went 74-49 during the 1948 regular season, good enough to finish in second place in the AAGPBL’s Western Division.
They defeated the Kenosha Comets in the first round of the playoffs, then the Racine Belles in the second round to advance to the championship.
There, they defeated the Fort Wayne Daisies to win their second title in four seasons, having also won the 1945 title.
1948 Trophy
This is the trophy the Peaches received for winning the AAGPBL championship after the 1948 playoffs.
Getting The Call
Ange and Arlene Houston (pictured, right) were set to join the Peaches for the 1949 season after participating at the AAGPBL training academy in Chicago in 1948.
Jean “Cy” Cione
Cy played 10 seasons in the AAGPBL, starting in 1945 with Rockford, 1946 in Peoria, 1947 back with Rockford, 1947-51 with Kenosha, 1952 in Battle Creek, 1953 with Muskegon and then back to Rockford for the league’s last season. During her career, Jean pitched three no-hitters. Jean played some outfield and first base when not pitching.
As a 17-year-old junior in high school, Cy attended a tryout in Rockford. Max Carey, a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, conducted the day long tryout. Jean was selected and invited to the spring training session in Chicago.
She could run, hit and throw. During her first year with the Rockford Peaches, Jean sharpened those raw skills and learned the strategies of the game from the manager considered to be the best in the league, Bill Allington. Jean attributed her longevity in the league to her first year under such an outstanding manager.
Spring Training
Ange at the 1948 Spring Training in Florida, pictured here with Jean Smith.
“I Don’t Recall”
When asked what the players got up to at night during their month-long Spring Training in Florida, Ange couldn’t really remember too much other than the fact that there were lots of bottles on the floors each morning.
This photo shows Dottie Ferguson Key (seated center) enjoying a postgame talk with teammates (from left) Lorraine Fischer, Mary Pratt, Naomi "Sally" Meiers, Dorothy "Kammie" Kamenshek and Cartha "Ducky" Doyle.
Employee Ticket
This little yellow card let everyone know you were a member of the AAGPBL. It was all Ange cared about.
1949 Rules and Regulations
In 1949, the league changed to a 10” ball for game play after playing with a 10 3/8” ball the previous season.
The distance between the bases remained at 72’, but the pitching distance moved back again, this time to 55’ after having been only 50’ the previous season.
Pitching was allowed to be either an overhand or a sidearm delivery, whichever the pitcher preferred.
1949 Spring Training
Ange was invited to Spring Training again in 1949, this time in Peoria, Illinois. This time, she was fully expecting to make the team and play the regular season as a member of the Peaches.
Ange’s Biggest Strengths
Ange said what made her such a good player was her fielding, and the fact that she enjoyed doing the work.
Ange Batting
Ange’s greatest strength offensively was her speed. She was a fast runner, which made her a good base stealer.
Uniforms
The uniform in the AAGPBL was a dress with a flared, three-quarter length skirt, instead of pants or even shorts, like most other women's baseball and softball teams wore, because league managers wanted to emphasize the feminine image of the players. Satin shorts were worn under the skirt.
Sliding Hazards
Sophie “The Flint Flash” Kurys slides as Pauline “Pinky” Pirok tries to apply the tag in this action shot during a game between the Racine Belles and the South Bend Blue Sox on September 14, 1947. Despite the fact that the AAGPBL uniforms offered little to no protection for a player sliding in the dirt, Sophie did it often, and was great at it.
More Sliding Hazards
'All The Way' Faye Dancer recalled her experience in the AAGPBL: 'The guys would look at our short skirts, then look at our legs and wonder how we could slide without taking all the hide off ourselves. Well, we did take the hide off ourselves. I loved to slide.’
Colored Uniforms
Pictured here are the first four players to be signed to the league in 1943. Standing, L-R: Clara Schillace of the Racine Bells, Ann Harnett of the Kenosha Comets, Edie Perlick of the Racine Belles. Seated: Shirley Jameson of the Kenosha Comets. They are pictured here in colors to represent all four teams, not necessarily the team they actually played for.
Bloomer Girls
After Ange was left off the 1949 Peaches roster due to her injury, she went to Chicago to go play with Emery Parichy’s Bloomer Girls of the National Girls Baseball League.
One of the best players in the league, and arguably the greatest softball pitcher of all time, was a woman named Wilda Mae Turner. Turner (pictured middle, right) had consecutive winning streaks of 102 and 46 games for the World Amateur Alameda team in 1938 at the age of 16. She turned professional with Parichy’s Bloomer Girls and won 153 games in six years.
She was voted to the All-Star team each year. She pitched a perfect game in 1946, and had a streak of 104 consecutive scoreless innings in 1948. It is estimated that her overall career Earned Run Average was 0.14.
Barber-Colman
The Barber–Colman Company was a manufacturer of textile and milling machinery from its founding in 1894 until the 1980s.
Howard Colman organized the company in Rockford, Illinois, with capital from W. A. Barber. Early successes with their Hand Knotter and Warp Tying Machine allowed the company to expand internationally, manufacturing goods in five states and three countries.
1949 AAGPBL Champions
The Rockford Peaches went 75-36 during the 1949 regular season, finishing tied with the South Bend Blue Sox for the best record in the AAGPBL.
After earning a first round bye in the playoffs, they defeated the Blue Sox in the second round to advance to the finals.
There, they defeated the Fort Wayne Daisies to win their second consecutive title, and third in five seasons, having also won the 1945 title. It was the first time a team had repeated as champions in the AAGPBL.
1949 Trophy
This is the trophy the Peaches received for winning the AAGPBL championship after the 1949 playoffs.
1950 AAGPBL Champions
The Rockford Peaches went 67-44 during the 1950 regular season, earning the best record by 2.5 games over the Kenosha Comets.
They beat the Comets in the first round of the playoffs to advance to the finals.
There, they again defeated the Fort Wayne Daisies to win their third consecutive title, and fourth in six seasons, having also won the 1945 title. It was the first time a team had won three straight titles in the AAGPBL.
Jean Faut
The Peaches were up 2-0 in the 1951 championship series before the South Bend Blue Sox took the final 3 games to win the best-of-5 series. Rockford lost ro South Bend in 5 games again in 1952, after Jean Faut won two games pitching and went 6-for-20 with two triples and three RBI in the series at the plate for the Blue Sox.
From 1945 to 1952, a span of 8 seasons, the Rockford Peaches made it to the Championship Series 7 times. They won 4 titles, and the 3 series that they lost, they lost them all in the last possible game (one of them in 16 innings). That’s a string of dominance that would never be matched.
Injuries
Muskegon Lassies player Marion Watson Stanton broke her right leg in two places while sliding home during an exhibition game with a Cuban team in 1947. Rossey Weeks consoles Marion while long time AAGPBL umpire, Norris “Gadget” Ward, examines her leg.
Night games were common in the AAGPBL, as most stadiums had lights. This shot was taken from a 1948 game in Peoria.
Dottie Kamenshek
Dorothy Kamenshek played 10 seasons in the league, all of them with the Rockford Peaches. She is the league’s all-time leader in hits and total bases, and was named an All-Star all 7 seasons when All-Star teams were named.
She won two batting titles, hitting .345 in her best season. In 3,736 at bats in her career, she struck out a total of 81 times. She was so good that at one point, she was recruited by a men's team from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but she believed they only wanted her for publicity so she turned down the offer.
Dottie Kamenshek’s AAGPBL Profile
Captain vs. Leader
Ange doesn’t remember there being a player who was specifically anointed “Captain” of the team, but she does remember that Snookie Harrell was the team’s leader.
Here, she is pictured with teammate Carolyn Morris.
Eleanor Callow
Eleanor was more than just the greatest power hitter in League history. On top of being the all-time leader in home runs and triples, Callow was perhaps the league’s best all-around position player. Callow ranks in the Top 10 in career batting average and was one of only two players in League history to post a 20 HR-20 SB season. She was an elite five-tool player.
She is one of only five sluggers with at least 400 career RBIs, and she was named to an all-star team in seven of her eight professional seasons. But she was at her best in the postseason, hitting .322 clip and setting playoff records for most career RBIs, doubles, and triples.
Eleanor Callow’s AAGPBL Profile
Dottie Ferguson Key
Dorothy B. "Dottie" Ferguson Key was a Canadian softball player, but she was also a speed skating champion. She joined the Peaches in 1945 at the age of 23, originally playing second base. Her speed led her to be moved to Center Field, where she could use her speed and great arm to make plays most others couldn’t.
She wasn’t a great hitter, but she wasn’t afraid to get hit. One season, she was hit by 92 pitches. Once she was on base, her quickness made her an excellent base stealer, something she did 461 times during her 10-year career.
Lois “Flash” Florreich
Kathleen Lois "Flash" Florreich played for the South Bend Blue Sox and Kenosha Comets from 1943 to 1946 where she split time between Third Base and Outfield. In 1946, the Comets also tried her as a pitcher, where she struggled. She came over to the Peaches in 1947, and Rockford exclusively used her on the mound, focusing on turning her into a great pitcher.
From 1947 until her retirement after the 1950 season, Lois went 77-44 with an ERA of 1.18. She struck out 702 batters in 1,051 innings pitched, was a 2-time All-Star, and was named the League’s “Pitching Champion” in 1949.
Helen Nicol Fox
Helen Nicol Fox was born in Alberta, Canada where she became the city’s top softball pitcher before her 20th birthday. She once struck out 23 batters in a 1940 playoff game. In 1942, she won the deciding game of the Western Canadian championship while pitching for the Edmonton Walk-Rites, but was lured south to play in the All-American League.
Helen played for the Kenosha Comets from 1943 to 1947, and was named the League’s “Pitching Champion” in 1943 and 1944. She even acted as the team’s chaperone in 1945, at the age of 25. Halfway through the 1947 season, she was traded to the Peaches, where she played until she retired after the 1952 season. She had speed and control, and was one of the League’s greatest pitchers, holding several all-time records, including 163 wins and 1,076 strikeouts.
Helen “Sis” Waddell
Helen "Sis" Waddell-Wyatt was an excellent softball player from Pennsylvania, she grew up playing ball with her 5 brothers, who gave her the nickname “Sis.” She was an all-star basketball player in high school, but she was scouted by the South Bend Blue Sox and invited to try out for the AAGPBL, which she had never even heard of. She played Second Base for the Rockford Peaches in 1950 and 1951, helping them to the championship her first year.
Rose Gacioch
Rose "Rosie Gaspipe" Gacioch is the connection between the Bloomer Girls of the 1930s and the AAGPBL. She pitched for 7 years before joining the South Bend Blue Sox in 1944. She came to the Peaches in 1945, where she would play until the League folded, besides a brief stint with the Grand Rapids Chicks for part of the 1950 season.
Rose played every position throughout her career besides Shortstop and Catcher, was a good hitter with power, and she was an excellent bunter. But she was really known for her pitching. She had 94 career wins and was an All-Star in each of the final four seasons of the League. On August 26, 1953, she pitched a no-hitter.
Dottie Green
Dorothy “Dottie” Green wasn’t an average chaperone. Chaperones were usually older women. They handled the players’ paychecks and housing, made sure they followed the League’s strict rules for proper behavior, and mentored young players. Most players were between the ages of 17 and 22, and many were away from home for the first time, so having an older woman around to almost be a maternal figure made sense.
But Dottie Green was a former player. She was a catcher for four seasons with the Rockford Peaches, but her career ended in 1947 when she tore ligaments in her knee. After her time in the League, she became a captain of the guards at the state prison in Framingham. She said “I never would have been able to handle that without the training I got on the ballfield.”
She is pictured here (on the right) with Olive Little.
AAGPBL Rules of Conduct
Read the full list of rules HERE.
In this photo, the 1945 Rockford Peaches meet at Rockford College before the season starts to go over those rules and talk about the upcoming year.
“Feminine Looks”
One of the requirements for women playing in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was for them to maintain their "feminine looks."
The very first entry in the Rules of Conduct reads:
”ALWAYS appear in feminine attire when not actively engaged in practice or playing ball. This regulation continues through the playoffs for all, even though your team is not participating. AT NO TIME MAY A PLAYER APPEAR IN THE STANDS IN HER UNIFORM, OR WEAR SLACKS OR SHORTS IN PUBLIC.”
In this photo, Elise Harney, pitcher for the Kenosha Comets, refreshes her makeup between innings as teammate Janice O'Hara and another player look on.
Breaking The Rules
Fines of FIVE DOLLARS for the first offense, TEN DOLLARS for the second offense, and SUSPENSION for the third offense were automatically imposed for breaking any of the League’s rules as outlined by the code of conduct. Most players followed the rules rather than risk being thrown out of the league, but “most” does not mean “ALL.”
Charm School
Charm and beauty school was a requirement for all members of the AAGPBL.
Read the text from the official Charm School Guide HERE.
Roster Turnover
Sometimes a player from the previous year’s roster wouldn’t show up for spring training the following season. Whether it was because she had a child in the offseason, or had obligations with another job or her family, or if she just couldn’t decide in time if she wanted to play another year, the team she was expected to play for would essentially release her into a pool of other similar players, and then the other teams would have an opportunity to sign them if they wanted to.
After pitching until she was 4 months pregnant, Dottie Wiltse Collins decided to go on maternity leave with her first child, Patricia (pictured) on August 1, 1948. Dottie had gone 13-8 with a 2.01 ERA so far that season. Patty was born on December 22nd of that year. Dottie would return to the League in 1950 for her final season.
Mitch Skupien
Mitch Skupien managed each of the last six years of the AAGPBL’s existence. In addition to his work as a skipper, from 1949 to 1950 Skupien was kept busy as a general manager for the Chicago Colleens and Springfield Sallies touring teams.
For the next two years, the Colleens and Sallies recruited new talent for the league while playing an extensive exhibition schedule against each other. They played games through the South and East, including contests at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C., and Yankee Stadium in New York City.
Mitch saw Ange play softball in Oak Park (near Chicago) and told her to come play for his Kalamazoo Lassies team in the AAGPBL. After years of waiting, Ange finally had her shot in the league.
1953 Kalamazoo Lassies
The Kalamazoo Lassies went 56-50 during the 1953 regular season, finishing in third place out of the six teams remaining in the AAGPBL.
Ange is second row, far right in this photo.
Ange got her nickname “Little Bonnie” because of her resemblance to South Bend catcher Bonnie Baker.
Bonnie Baker
Mary Geraldine “Bonnie” Baker was an all-star catcher in the AAGPBL from 1943 to 1952. Baker was one of 68 Canadian players in the AAGPBL. She had five brothers and four sisters, and all of them were catchers on Canadian ball teams.
A former model, Baker was often chosen by the league to pose for publicity shots and act as a league spokesperson. She was the league's most publicized player and was referred to as "Pretty Bonnie Baker" by the press.
When she joined the AAGPBL, Baker promised her husband, who was fighting overseas in World War II, that she would quit the game when he returned. She also served as player-manager with the Kalamazoo Lassies in 1950, becoming the only woman in league history to do so.
Traveling By Bus
It certainly wasn’t a luxurious lifestyle, traveling in a bus that wasn’t air conditioned, sometimes driving all night to get to the next city after a doubleheader. But the players loved the game.
Hotel Faust
At the end of World War II, during VJ day, the center for much of the celebration in Rockford took place in the area of the Hotel Faust and the nearby Midway theater. In its heyday, the Faust was known as the premier hotel for Rockford, hosting such dignitaries as President Dwight D. Eisenhower and the 1960 Democratic Presidential candidate John F. Kennedy, as well as one of the Kings of Sweden during a visit to the Swedish community located in Rockford.
Eating on the Road
Players would get a per diem, which was supposed to be enough for them to afford food on the road. Sometimes it was enough, sometimes it wasn’t, but players would rarely have any money leftover to subsidize their salaries.
Fun As A Team
When the players had some down time if they weren’t playing a game or traveling to the next city, they would often go to the beach.
Here, South Bend Blue Sox players Elizabeth “Lib” Mahon, Marie Kruckel, Lillian Luckey, and Jean Faut relax by the water on July 15, 1946.
Singing
Singing was a way that players loved to kill time on the bus and connect with each other away from the field, too.
Here, Lavonne “Pepper” Paire Davis sings with Nalda “Bird” Phillips while Nalda plays the piano.
Pepper was a fine catcher and had a very high fielding average of .977. She was a steady influence behind the plate, handling the pitchers well. She was always able to get the best out of her pitchers. In her 10 seasons as a player in the AAGPBL, her team won the championship nine times.
“Victory Song”
The All-American Girls League Song, sung in the movie A League Of Their Own by the players, was written for the movie by Pepper Paire and Nalda Bird Phillips.
The real life players sing the song at each AAGPBL reunion.
The Kalamazoo Lassies lost the 1953 AAGPBL championship to the Grand Rapids Chicks. Ange is top row, second from right.
Ange’s 1953 Player Pass
Pretty special to have one of these.
Cold Weather Baseball
A deep run in the playoffs meant you were playing ball in less-than-ideal weather at that time of year in the midwest. Here, Laurie Lee, Irene Hickson, Sophie Kurys, Joanne Winter, and Janet Jamieson huddle up under some blankets in the dugout during a 1948 game for the Racine Belles.
Dottie Schroeder
Dorothy "Dottie" Schroeder was a shortstop who played from 1943 through 1954 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, the only player to play every season in the league. At age fifteen, Schroeder was the youngest original member of the AAGPBL.
Doris Sams
Doris Jane "Sammye" Sams was an outfielder and pitcher who played from 1946 through 1953.
By the time her final season ended in 1953, Sams’ career average of .290 was good enough to be the league’s sixth highest lifetime mark. She also set a new league home run mark with 12 in 1952.
Following the 1947 season, Sammye’s second year, she was selected as the league’s Player of the Year. A pitcher turned outfielder, she was named to the All-Star team at both positions. No other player in the twelve-year history of the AAGPBL accomplished that feat. Sams was a gifted all-around athlete. Not only did the tall right-hander pitch a perfect game for the Muskegon Lassies on August 18, 1947, defeating the Fort Wayne Daisies, 2-0, but she batted .280, the third highest average among the league’s regulars, and contributed 41 RBIs.
Isabel “Lefty” Álvarez
Isabel "Lefty" Álvarez was born and raised in Havana, Cuba, and learned to play baseball from a neighbor. At age 13, she joined the Estrellas Cubanas (Cuban Stars), an All-Star team modeled after the AAGPBL. The first AAGPBL spring training outside the United States was held in 1947 in Cuba, as part of a plan to create an International League of Girls Baseball.
Álvarez was the youngest Cuban player to join the AAGPBL at the age of 15 in 1949. She is pictured here (on the right), along with Cuban-born Daisies teammate Mirtha “Mita” Marrero Fernandez.
June Peppas
June Peppas was a two-time All-Star pitcher and first baseman for seven seasons.
In the decisive Game 5 of the 1954 AAGPBL Championship Series, Peppas pitched a clutch complete game for Kalamazoo and went 3-for-5 with an RBI against her former Daisies team, winning by an 8–5 margin to give the Lassies the Championship.
Peppas finished with a .450 average and collected two of the three Lassies victories, becoming the winning pitcher of the last game in the league's history.
She later helped compile the list of players and would edit the first newsletter for the Players Association that would eventually bring everyone together for the first reunion in 1982 in Chicago.
AAGPBL Directory
Without June’s work, the AAGPBL alums would have never had a directory for the former players to all stay in touch with each other. They would have never had their first reunion in 1982. They would have never created the Players Association in 1987.
If it weren’t for that renewed interest in the league and the stories of its players, Penny Marshall never would have heard about it, and A League Of Their Own never would have been made.
The story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League would have very likely been lost to the sands of time (like many of its contemporary leagues) had it not been for June Peppas and her work.
Ange’s Lifetime Pass
Thanks to June Peppas’ work, the AAGPBL eventually created a Players Association. This lifetime pass, belonging to Ange Armato, states that she is and always will be a member of the league.
AAGPBL Reunions
This photo is from the AAGPBL’s 50th reunion in South Bend, Indiana in 1993.
The league’s 80th reunion was held in Kenosha, Wisconsin in 2023.
Video courtesy of the Midway Village Museum in Rockford, Illinois.
Bill Allington
Managers were usually men who had played professional baseball, but Allington was actually a fast pitch softball coach in California when he became aware of the League. Many of his California Sate Championship players came East with Bill when he accepted a managerial position with the League.
He expected maximum effort from his players, but he also required that they intimately know the rules of the game. It wasn’t unusual for Bill to give his players pop quizzes about the game during bus rides to away games.
Jimmie Foxx
Hall of Fame slugger Jimmie Foxx giving some hitting tips to AAGPBL superstar Dottie Schroeder.
White Sox Fandom
Ange decided in 1954 that she needed to start rooting for a Major League Baseball team. She thought it made the most sense to pick a team close to her, and between the two Chicago teams, she picked the White Sox. Five years later, the Go-Go White Sox were in the World Series.
It would be 46 more years after that before her favorite team would actually win a World Series, and it looks like it may be 46 more before they win again. But that doesn’t keep Ange from being a fan, as is evidenced by the home decor pictured here.
Bill Allington's All Stars
Allington organized “Allington’s All Stars,” made up of some of the best players from the league. They toured & played exhibition games against men’s teams coast to coast from 1955-1958. They even traveled north into Canada, and south into Mexico.
Pictured here (left to right): Allington, Jo Weaver, Dottie Schroeder, Kate Horstman, Joan Berger, Gertie Dunn, Ruth Richard, Delores Lee, Jean Smith, Jean Geissinger, and Maxine Kline.
Penny Marshall
Penny’s vision to bring the story of the AAGPBL to the mainstream resulted in a resurrection of popularity for the league and its players.
A League of Their Own was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $132.4 million worldwide and garnering acclaim for Marshall's direction and the performances of its ensemble cast.
Tryouts For The Movie
Tryouts were held in Skokie, Illinois. It wasn’t a given that just because you showed up to tryouts, you would automatically be included in the movie. Luckily, Ange made the cut.
National Baseball Hall of Fame
The entire AAGPBL was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1988. Not any individual players, but the entire league.
In 1991, the players involved in the filming of A League of Their Own went back to Cooperstown to recreate their induction for the film. This photo shows Ange during that 1991 visit.
Look Familiar?
This display was featured prominently toward the end of the movie. Here is Ange taking it in during her 1991 trip to Cooperstown.
Women In Baseball
Now a permanent display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Ange poses in front of the history she helped create.
Names We Should Know
Ange points to her name on the list of the more than 600 total players who played during the AAGPBL’s 12-year run.
Blue Team
Ange was the shortstop on the blue team in the movie, so next time you watch, keep your eyes open for her.
Jean Faut
Jean played from 1946 to 1953 for the South Bend Blue Sox. She led the Blue Sox to championships in 1951 and 1952, and was a four-time All-Star with South Bend.
She’s the league’s all-time leader in ERA, with a 1.23 career mark, and second in career wins with 140. She was a three-time 20-game winner who threw two career no-hitters, and two of the AAGPBL’s five perfect games in league history.
She won two out of the ten Player of the Year Awards given in the history of the league, and is just one of two two-time winners of the award.
Connie Wisniewski
Connie Wisniewski was a two-way star who played from 1944 to 1952, playing in the outfield and pitching. Connie’s 23-10 record in 1944 helped the Milwaukee Chicks win the championship. The team moved to Grand Rapids in 1945 where Connie played the remainder of her career.
In 1945, Connie was the Player of the Year, going 32-11 on the mound. She led the league’s pitchers in winning percentage, a feat which she duplicated for three consecutive years. She set an all-time low ERA mark with 0.81 for the season. She led the league in most games pitched and most games won, as well.
In 1946, she pitched 40 complete games, without once being removed from a game. Although her ERA increased that year to 0.96, her winning percentage also increased and she was named the league’s Pitching Champion for the second consecutive year.
Jo Weaver
Joanne “Jo” Weaver played for the Fort Wayne Daisies from 1950 to 1954. She was named the league’s Batting Champion in 1952, 1953, and 1954. She was also named the league’s Player of the Year in 1954 with a batting average of .429 to go with her 29 home runs, 87 RBI, 109 runs, and a .763 slugging percentage.
Her 29 home runs set an AAGPBL single season record. Jo was also the youngest sister to Jean and Betty Weaver, who were each also very good hitters in the league.
Faye Dancer
“All The Way” Faye Dancer played from 1944-50 as an OF and pitcher. Labeled as “a fly-catching genius” by sportswriters of the day, Dancer could “go back on the dead run, catch the ball over her shoulder, wheel around, and in one motion throw a strike to the catcher in the air from deep center field.”
Dancer was also known for her hitting and base stealing. In 1948, she stole 108 bases. She led the league in both Steals and HRs at times.
“She was that rare breed of ballplayer who could get up to bat, lay down a perfect bunt, and then steal second base. And then the next time up, she could hit the long ball and knock it out of the ballpark.”
Sophie Kurys
Sophie Kurys played from 1943 to 1952, mostly as a second baseman for the Racine Belles. In 1946, Sophie was the Player of the Year. She hit .286, but she stole 201 bases out of 203 attempts!
She scored 119 runs, walked 93 times, and had a fielding percentage of .973 at second base. She led all players in the playoffs in hitting, stolen bases, and runs scored.
Soph was the real deal, and was an all-star year in and year out. She was, without a doubt, one of the greatest team players developed in the league. She also had two incredible nicknames: “The Flint Flash” and “Tina Cobb.”
Hall of Famer
Ange in front of a uniform at the National baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York in 1991.
For Mother’s Day 2023, my mom and I went to Beyer Stadium in Rockford to see the field where the Peaches played.
Ticket Booth
The original ticket booth to Beyer Stadium is still standing, and was designated a city historic landmark in 2004. Some plaques and signage have been added to the structure to really give a sense of the history of the park.
Plaques and Information Boards
The walkway from the entrance by the ticket booth to the stands at the field is decorated with all sorts of plaques and information boards which all give a nicely detailed history of the stadium, of the Rockford Peaches, and of the players who played at Beyer. It was all very well done.
Midway Village Museum
After our stop at Beyer, my mom and I continued on to the Midway Village Museum in Rockford, which had even more exhibits and artifacts relating to the Rockford Peaches and the AAGPBL. It was a fantastic day, and we both highly recommend making both stops if you’re ever in the Rockford area.
Over the past couple decades, the Friends of Beyer Stadium group has helped renovate and restore the historic field.
The evolution of the ball during the course of play in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
This display at the Midway Village Museum was very eye-opening to me.
Young Players
While they were professional athletes, many of the players in the AAGPBL were incredibly young. Some as young as 14 years old, the average age of a rookie in the league was somewhere between 17 and 22.
Here, 22-year-old Kay Blumetta of the Grand Rapids Chicks holds a couple stuffed animals.
A League Of Their Own
Ange with Lynn Cartwright, who played the senior version of Dottie Hinson (Geena Davis’ character) in A League Of Their Own.
Bloomer Girls
Ange’s parents seemed to be very progressive, both with their encouragement of her interest in sports, and in art. Not to mention being okay with Ange going to Chicago and playing sports away from home.
Photo courtesy of: nationalgirlsbaseballleague.com
Camp Grant
Camp Grant in Rockford, Illinois, was established in July 1917 to train the 86th “Black Hawk” Infantry Division (National Army).
It was originally built with the capacity of just under 43,000 men, but by the summer of 1918, there were over 57,000, making Camp Grant the largest cantonment in the United States.
Reminders of War
This billboard in Glendale, New York, was erected in 1942. As of 1943, the Glendale Honor Roll (as it was called) bore the names of 1,263 listed in service in the U.S. Armed Forces.
By the time the war ended in 1945, there were some 2,000 from Glendale who had served; about 30 of them had been killed in combat.
Victory Gardens
Victory gardens, as they were called, grew out of a national push during World War II to help ease food shortages in the states, as so much food from America was going to soldiers abroad and our allies.
Victory gardens were mostly about food. But they had a civic function as well, rallying communities to work together to aid the war effort.
A.J. Pierzynski
A.J. Pierzynski is mom’s favorite player.
A.J. please come on the podcast?
shoelesspodcast@gmail.com if you’re interested, I promise it will be fun.
A Grueling Schedule
Even though these cities don’t seem very far apart from each other, playing 109 games in 110 days is still going to wear you down.
This timeline shows which teams existed at which times during the 12-year history of the AAGPBL.
Negro League Travel
Similar to that of the travel taking place within the AAGPBL, except it wasn’t a guarantee that when a Negro League team got to their destination city, there would be a hotel that would allow them to sleep there.
Listen to my interview with former Kansas City Monarchs player Sam Allen HERE.
Based On A True Story
Madonna’s character in the movie is said to have been modeled after Faye Dancer, the real AAGPBL player.
Other characters from the film were based on specific players, or amalgamations of multiple players.
Dottie Ferguson Key
Dorothy "Dottie" Ferguson Key was once hit by 92 pitches in one season.
Dirt In The Skirt
Chaperone Dottie Green doctors a strawberry on Lois Florreich.
Jean Faut
When most people hear Jean Faut’s name, they think of the great pitcher who was the AAGPBL’s Pitching Champion in 1950, 1952, and 1953.
But she was also a skilled hitter, who was the league’s Batting Champion in 1949.
In this photo, Jean Faut hits in her first career AAGPBL at bat with the South Bend Blue Sox during the opening game of the 1946 season against the Fort Wayne Daisies.
Having Fun As A Team
Kenosha Comet players enjoying their time at a carnival in 1947.
Attendance
The stand were packed at Playland Park in South Bend 80 years before Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes were breaking attendance and viewership records for women’s sporting events.
Reunions
This is the cover of the 50th Anniversary Reunion held in 1993 in South Bend, Indiana.
Those reunions wouldn’t have been possible without the tireless efforts of June “Lefty” Peppas.
Bosse Field
Bosse Field is located in Evansville, Indiana. Opened in 1915, it was the first municipally owned sports stadium in the U.S. and is the third-oldest ballpark still in regular use for professional baseball, surpassed only by Fenway Park (1912) and Wrigley Field (1914).
Some of the scenes from A League Of Their Own were filmed at Bosse. Faux 1940s-vintage signs created for the 1992 movie were left in place for baseball and film fans to enjoy.
The Suds Bucket
The exterior shots of the Suds Bucket bar in the movie were shot at Hornville Tavern, which is located at 2607 West Baseline Road in Evansville, Indiana. So if you’re planning on making a trip to go see Bosse Field, stop for a drink there, too.
Thanks to friend of the podcast Perry Barber for that tip.
Listen to Perry'’s episode of My Baseball History HERE
Dottie Green
Dottie played in the AAGPBL as a catcher before knee injuries ended her playing days. She then became a chaperone for the team.
After her playing days, she worked in a prison, saying she never would have been able to have that career had she not learned what she did as a member of the AAGPBL.
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National Girls Baseball League
The National Girls Baseball League (NGBL) was a professional women's baseball league which existed from 1944 to 1954, with teams based in the Chicagoland area.
Emery Parichy
The National Girls Baseball League was founded by Emery Parichy, who was the owner of a local roofing company. Charles Bidwill (who was the owner of the Chicago Cardinals football team), and politician Ed Kolski co-founded the league with Parichy.
Photo courtesy of: nationalgirlsbaseballleague.com
Buck Weaver
Emery Parichy had operated the predecessor to the NGBL, the Metropolitan League, but to bring legitimacy and notoriety to the new league, big name retired male athletes were brought on.
Football great Red Grange was named the president of the league, while former Major League ball players Woody English and Buck Weaver were hired as managers.
Red Grange’s Pro Football Hall of Fame Biography
Woody English’s SABR Biography
Photo courtesy of: nationalgirlsbaseballleague.com
Technically Softball
The National Girls Baseball League started a year after the AAGPBL and differed from it in that the NGBL kept and allowed the traditional underhand softball pitching format, despite explicitly labeling itself as “baseball.”
Wilda Mae Turner, pictured here, is arguably the greatest softball pitcher to ever live. She once reeled off a string of 84 scoreless innings, winning 102 straight games as an amateur in Oakland before joining the NGBL.
Dorothy “Boots” Klupping
Many players appeared in both the AAGPBL and the NGBL during the course of their careers. Some notable players to have done so are Connie Wisniewski, Sophie Kurys, Jo Winter, Audrey Wagner, Edie Perlick, and Dorothy “Boots” Klupping.
Klupping was subject in a promotion to showcase her skills by having her pitch against a group of Major League players from the White Sox. She struck out one of them.
Here, “Boots” is pitching for the Montgomery Vee-Eights in the 1938 national tournament at Soldier Field in Chicago.
Gwen Wong
Gwendolyn Wong was a Chinese-American who was a left-handed pitcher for the Bloomer Girls. In her only season, she pitched six no-hitters, 10 one-hit games, and had six two-hit games, facing only 282 batters in 22 games.
After winning the League Championship with the Bloomer Girls, she retired and went on to University of California Berkeley.
Wong was 14-year-old in this photo, pitching for the “39ers” softball team in San Francisco. The patch on her sleeve was to advertise the Golden Gate International Exposition while the team barnstormed throughout California.
Photo courtesy of: nationalgirlsbaseballleague.com
Nancy Ito
Nancy Ito was a shortstop for the Bloomer Girls and the first Japanese-American ballplayer in the National Girls Baseball League. After her time in the league, a future coach asked her to learn catching because that team’s regular catcher left to get married. In the next two decades, Ito was named a 13-time All-American.
An outstanding defensive catcher with a strong throwing arm, Ito made only 10 errors in 1,401 chances in 222 games in the Pacific Coast Women’s League from 1967-1974 for a fielding percentage of .993.
Former teammate Carol Spanks called Ito “the best catcher she’d ever seen.” And In 1982, Ito was elected to the National Softball Hall of Fame.
Nancy Ito - USA Softball Hall of Fame Profile
Photo courtesy of: nationalgirlsbaseballleague.com
Betty Chapman
Betty Chapman became the first female African-American professional softball player when she signed as an outfielder for the Music Maids of the National Girls Baseball League in 1951.
Chapman had two RBI in her debut game July 18, 1951, and scored the game-winning run in the team’s game four days later. She was given the nickname “Miss Minnie Minoso” in an article that came out 10 days after her debut, when her batting average was still over .500.
Despite Chapman’s success, over the four remaining years of the league, very few other African American players were signed.
The Dolly Vardens
Black women playing baseball wasn’t something that started in the 1940s. During the second half of the 19th century, a semi-pro team called the Dolly Vardens played around the Philadelphia area.
The team was assembled by barber-turned-sports entrepreneur John Lang in the 1880s, with newspaper confirmation of games as early as May of 1883.
Many of the photos used in these liner notes are courtesy of the Dave Pearce Collection, which consists of many original items from Ange Armato’s life and career. We can’t thank either of them enough for their generosity.