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Women in baseball

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Women playing baseball at theUniversity of Wisconsin–Madisonin 1928
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Women have a long history inAmerican baseballand many women's teams have existed over the years.Baseballwas played at women's colleges in New York and New England as early as the mid-nineteenth century;[1]teams were formed atVassar College,Smith College,Wellesley College,andMount Holyoke College.[2]AnAfrican Americanwomen's team, the PhiladelphiaDolly Vardens,was formed in 1867.[3]

A number of women's barnstorming teams have existed,[4]and women have played alongside major league players in exhibition games. On April 2, 1931, 17-year-oldJackie Mitchell(originally known as "Virne Beatrice Mitchell Gilbert" ) of theChattanooga Lookoutsstruck out bothBabe RuthandLou Gehrigin an exhibition game. Commissioner of BaseballKenesaw Mountain Landisvoided her contract as a result.[5]The first girl to play on a boys varsity high school baseball team wasNellie Twardzik,on April 24, 1935. Twardzik started at first base for the Bartlett High School Indians inWebster, Massachusettsfrom 1935 through 1937. Her high school letter and glove are on display in the "Diamond Dreams" exhibit featuring women in baseball at theNational Baseball Hall of FameinCooperstown, New York.

In 1946, former playerEdith Houghtonbecame the first woman to work as an independent scout in Major League Baseball when she was hired by thePhiladelphia Philliesof the National League.[6]In 1989, NBC'sGayle Gardnerbecame the first woman to regularly hostMajor League Baseball gamesfor a majortelevision network.In 2015,Jessica Mendozawas the first female analyst for a Major League Baseball game in the history ofESPN,andMargaret Donahue(1892–1978) was the first non-owner female front office executive inMajor League Baseball,starting as a stenographer for theChicago Cubsin 1919 before becoming the team's corporate secretary in 1926 and team vice president and executive secretary before she retired in 1958.[7]

Effa Manley,the only woman member of theNational Baseball Hall of Fame(inducted 2006), co-owned theNewark Eaglesbaseball franchise in theNegro leaguesfrom 1935 to 1948.[8]

Early history

[edit]

Women were playing base ball (as it was then called) as far back as the 1860s,[9]but it was not normal for young women to play what was considered a man's sport. In fact, until the early 1890s, when the bicycle craze hit America, women who wanted to get some outdoor exercise were usually discouraged from doing so.[10]Nevertheless, baseball was played at women's colleges in New York and New England as early as the mid-nineteenth century;[1]teams were formed atVassar College,Smith College,Wellesley College,andMount Holyoke College.[2]AnAfrican Americanwomen's team, the PhiladelphiaDolly Vardens,was formed in 1867.[3]

In the late 1890s, there were some organized efforts to have all-female baseball teams, several of which enjoyed success. One of the most successful was the Boston Bloomer Girls baseball club; they took their name from the comfortable pants that some sports-minded young women had begun to wear instead of a long skirt. Young women who went against traditional fashion norms and chose bloomers were often called "bloomer girls".[11]While in some cities, local authorities banned women's baseball teams, including the Bloomer Girls,[12]in other cities, the club was welcomed by curious fans who had never seen female ballplayers.[13]

The Bloomer Girls toured the United States in 1897; the press referred to them as the "champion women's club of the world",[14]although this may have been marketing hyperbole, given that the team often seemed inexperienced and did not play very well. One regular standout for the Bloomers was pitcherMaud Nelson,whose talents as a player were praised by reporters; but her teammates did not seem to have as much polish or skill as she did.[15]As they gained more experience, they began to play with more confidence; while still regarded as a novelty, the club often drew large crowds of appreciative fans, many of whom came to see Maud Nelson and her curve ball.[16]The Boston Bloomers were still touring and playing baseball in the early 1900s; by 1907–1908, their team also included several male players, but the majority of the team continued to be female.[17]

On July 5, 1898,Lizzie Arlingtonbecame the first woman to play for a professional men's baseball team when she pitched the ninth inning for theReading Coal Heaversagainst theAllentown Peanuts.Reading was leading 5–0 heading into the final inning when Arlington entered the game. Though she allowed twohitsandwalkeda batter toload the bases,Arlington succeeded in retiring the next three batters to preserve the victory, as the crowd enthusiastically shouted "Good for Lizzie!"[18][19]

Margaret Donahue(1892–1978) was the first non-owner female front office executive inMajor League Baseball,starting as a stenographer for theChicago Cubsin 1919 before becoming the team's corporate secretary in 1926 and team vice president and executive secretary before she retired in 1958.[7]

1920–2000

[edit]

Perhaps the best known young woman playing baseball in the early 1920s was Rhode Island'sLizzie Murphy.She was the first woman to play baseball against major league players, in 1922.[20]A first baseman, she played for the Providence (RI) Independents, and was praised by newspaper reporters for her fielding skills. Sportswriters said she was every bit as talented as a male player, and noted that she was paid $300 a week, more than many minor league players of the 1920s received.[21]Murphy, who had begun playing baseball when she was only ten, had dreams of becoming a major league player, but she was not able to achieve that goal.[22]She did in 1922 become the first female baseball player to play against major league players, in a game that was a charity exhibition pitting all-star players from the New England and American Leagues against theBoston Red Sox.[23][24]She was also able to have a long career in the semi-pro leagues, leading a touring team that played all over the eastern United States. According to newspaper accounts, she developed a loyal following, with numerous fans who came out to watch her and her team play.[25]Lizzie Murphy's baseball career lasted from 1918 to 1935.[26]

While Murphy was perhaps the best-known woman playing for an all-male team in the 1920s, there was at least one other woman athlete whose abilities included playing baseball. Philadelphia's Betty Schenkel not only played baseball with the boys during high school, but she was said to be adept in other sports, including basketball, soccer, and cycling.[27]

On April 2, 1931, 17-year-oldJackie Mitchell(originally known as "Virne Beatrice Mitchell Gilbert" ) of theChattanooga Lookoutsstruck out bothBabe RuthandLou Gehrigin an exhibition game. Commissioner of BaseballKenesaw Mountain Landisvoided her contract as a result.[5]

The first girl to play on a boys varsity high school baseball team wasNellie Twardzik,on April 24, 1935. Twardzik started at first base for the Bartlett High School Indians inWebster, Massachusettsfrom 1935 through 1937. Her high school letter and glove are on display in the "Diamond Dreams" exhibit featuring women in baseball at theNational Baseball Hall of FameinCooperstown, New York.

Effa Manley,the only woman member of theNational Baseball Hall of Fame(inducted 2006), co-owned theNewark Eaglesbaseball franchise in theNegro leaguesfrom 1935 to 1948.[8]

World War II through 1950

[edit]

DuringWorld War II,over 500 baseball players, including super-stars likeTed Williams,Stan MusialandJoe DiMaggio,were drafted.[28]This left major league rosters depleted and severely diminished the level of talent in the league. The owner of the Chicago Cubs,Philip K. Wrigleyformed a committee to come up with ideas to keep baseball financially afloat during the war. The result of that committee was the organization of theAll-American Girls Professional Baseball League,which operated from 1943 to 1954. At the height of its popularity, it had teams in twelve cities.[29]One of the most successful of the teams in the league was theRockford (IL) Peaches,which won four championships. The Peaches, and the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, were commemorated in a 1992 movie,A League of Their Own,starring Geena Davis.[30]In 2022, the television seriesA League of Their Own,co-created byWill GrahamandAbbi Jacobson,was an adaptation of the 1992 movie with new characters and storylines, about the formation of a World War II-era women's professional baseball team.[31]Founded for similar reasons as the AAGPBL, theNational Girls Baseball Leaguewas in operation from 1944 to 1954.

In 1946, former playerEdith Houghtonbecame the first woman to work as an independent scout in Major League Baseball when she was hired by thePhiladelphia Philliesof the National League.[6]

1950s–1990s

[edit]

There not being a rule against it, 12-year-oldKathryn Johnstonof Corning, New York became the first girl to playLittle League Baseballin 1950. Johnston played first base for the King's Dairy team.[32]After that, a rule prohibited girls from playing in Little League; this was in force until 1974.[33][34]Due to a lawsuit brought on behalf ofMaria Pepeby theNational Organization for Women,in 1974 theNew Jersey Superior Courtdecided thatLittle League Baseballmust allow girls to play.[35][36]In the final week of December 1974, PresidentGerald Fordsigned into law a bill that openedLittle League Baseballto girls.[37]In 1988,Julie Croteauwas recognized as the first woman to play men's NCAA baseball.[38]In 1995,Ila Bordersbecame the first woman to start as pitcher in a men's collegiate baseball game.[32]

In 1952 Major League Baseball began a ban on the signing of women to contracts, a ban that lasted until 1992.[39]TheIndianapolis Clownsof theNegro leagueswere the first professional baseball team to hire a female player to a long-term contract that was not voided soon after. In an effort to replaceHank Aaron,who had left the team the previous year, the Clowns hiredToni Stoneto play second base with the team in 1953, in which she batted.243.[40]In 1992 Major League Baseball lifted a ban on the signing of women to contracts, a ban that had begun in 1952.[39]In the 1993 MLB draft, theChicago White Soxdrafted left handed pitcherCarey Schuelerin the 43rd round. She was the first woman ever drafted by a Major League Baseball team.[41]Prior to Schueler's drafting, the MLB had a ban in place on signing contracts for women; following her drafting by the White Sox, the rule was rescinded.[42]However, she did not sign with the White Sox, and instead attended and played basketball forDePaul UniversityinChicago, Illinoisbefore transferring toSt. Mary's College of California,in Moraga,[43]where she continued to play until an injury in 1996.[44]

Starting in 1989 and continuing to date (July 2021),Janet Marie Smithoversaw multiple MLB stadium projects for the Baltimore Orioles, the Atlanta Braves, the Boston Red Sox, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Smith directed the design of Baltimore'sOriole Park at Camden Yardswhich marked a new era of MLB parks. Camden Yards was the first of the "Retro Ballparks," and was unique in that it honored many qualities of ballparks from the classic era ballparks like Fenway Park and Wrigley Field, but also incorporated modern elements and building techniques to improve the overall fan experience as well as the views.[45][46][47]Smith's work in major league baseball stadium design and renovation has influenced ballpark design since 1992.[48]"Every ballpark built since Oriole Park’s opening owes some debt of its design to that park."[45]Oriole Park became known as "the Baltimore ballpark that changed baseball."[49]Janet Marie Smith's "fingerprints are all over baseball."[50][51]

Since 1992, theSan Francisco Giantshave employed older men as “balldudes”, instead of the traditionalyouths.In 1993, Corinne Mullane became the first "balldudette", and she and her daughter Molly, who began working as a balldudette in the 2000s, have since been included in theNational Baseball Hall of Fameas the first mother-daughter ball-retrieving duo in baseball.[52][53][54]

In 1994, theColorado Silver Bulletswomen's professional baseball team was founded, in which the women players barnstormed around the country playing men's professional and semi-professional teams.[55]They won six of 40 games in their inaugural season, improving to a final winning season of 23–22 in their final year, 1997.[56]Croteau played with the Colorado Silver Bullets in its inaugural season. After one season, she and teammate Lee Anne Ketcham joined theMaui Stingraysof theHawaii Winter Baseballleague for their 1994 season,[57]becoming the first women to play in aMajor League Baseball-sanctioned league.[58]

2000-present

[edit]

Professional leagues

[edit]

In 2008,Eri Yoshidabecame the first woman drafted by a Japanese men's professional baseball team.[59]In 2010, she became the first female baseball player to play professionally in two countries.[60]On Tuesday, July 27, 2010, Yoshida made her first road start against theVictoria Sealsof the independentGolden Baseball LeagueinVictoria, British Columbia,making her the first woman in baseball history to pitch professionally in three different countries.[61][62]In 2009,Justine Siegalbecame the first female coach of a men's professional baseball team.[63]In 2011, she was the first woman to throw batting practice to anMLBteam, theCleveland Indiansatspring training.[64]She also threw BP to theOakland Athletics,Tampa Bay Rays,St. Louis Cardinals,Houston Astros,andNew York Mets.[65][66][67][68]In 2015, Siegal became the Oakland Athletics guest instructor for their Instructional League Club, thus making her the first female coach in major league baseball history.[69]

For one day in May 2016,Jennie Finchwas a guest manager for theBridgeport Bluefishof theAtlantic League,becoming the first woman to manage a professional baseball team.[70]The team played and won one game that day.[70]In 2016, theSonoma Stompersof thePacific Association,anindependent baseball league,signedKelsie WhitmoreandStacy Piagno;they became the first female teammates in professional baseball since the 1950s in the Negro Leagues.[71][72]Whitmore pitched toAnna Kimbrellduring a game in 2016, forming the first all-femalebatterysince theAll-American Girls Professional Baseball League.[73][74]

In January 2021, the Boston Red Sox hiredBianca Smithas a minor league coach. With the hire, Smith was the first black woman to become a coach in professional baseball.[75]In May 2022,Kelsie Whitmoresigned with theStaten Island FerryHawksof the Atlantic League, and started a game for them in left field; this made her the first woman to start anAtlantic League of Professional Baseballgame.[76][77]Slightly later in May she became the first woman to pitch in an Atlantic League game when she made her first pitching appearance for Staten Island; entering the game with thebases loadedand twoouts,she retiredRyan Jackson,a former major leaguer, on afly outto end the inning.[78]In 2024, Whitmore became the first woman to play for thePioneer League.On June 6, 2024, she became the first female player to start a Pioneer League game. In that game she struck out one batter.[79]

Development leagues

[edit]

On August 15, 2014,Mo'ne Daviswas the first girl in Little League World Series history to pitch a winning game (for the Taney Dragons),[80]which also made her the first girl to pitch a shutout in Little League postseason history.[81][82]

In 2020, Marika Lyszczyk, a player from Canada, became the first woman to catch in a men's college baseball game, while playing forRivier University.[83]In 2023, she became the first woman to play in theFutures Collegiate Baseball League,by pitching for theBrockton Rox.[83]

Jaida Lee,at 16 years old, was in August 2022 the first female baseball player to compete in men’s baseball at theCanada Summer Games.[84][85][86][87][88][89][90][excessive citations]

In November 2022,Olivia Pichardobecame the first woman chosen for anyDivision Ibaseball roster when she was chosen for that ofBrown University.[91]Pichardo became the first woman to play in a Division I baseball game on March 17, 2023,pinch-hittingfor Brown University.[92]In July 2023, she became the first woman to hit a home run while playing in theHamptons Collegiate Baseball League;she was playing for the Sag Harbor Whalers.[93]

On January 11, 2022, the Yankees announced thatRachel Balkovecwould manage the Low-ATampa Tarponsin 2022, making her the first woman to manage in affiliated baseball.[94]

In January 2023,Veronica Gajownikwas hired to manage theHillsboro Hops,which made her the first woman to manage a ClassHigh-Abaseball team,[95]and the first openlyLGBTQmanager in minor or major league baseball history.[96]

In 2023Jocelyn Alobecame the first woman to play for theSavannah Bananas,getting anat batin one of their games. In 2024 it was announced that Alo had become the first female member of the Savannah Bananas, by signing a one-month contract with them.[97]

Off the field

[edit]

Effa Manley,the only woman member of theBaseball Hall of Fame,was inducted into it in 2006. She co-owned theNewark Eaglesbaseball franchise in theNegro leaguesfrom 1935 to 1948.[8]

French baseball playerMelissa Mayeuxwas the first female player to be eligible to sign with a major league team, because in 2015 she became the first female player on Major League Baseball's international registration list.[98][99][100]

In 2023, Alexandra Irving became the first woman in Major League Baseball history to be an official scorer for aperfect game,which she did forDomingo Germán's perfect game.[101]Previously, on April 8, 2022, Irving and Kara Blackstone, Jillian Geib, and Sarah Johnson had been official scorers for Opening Day, which was the first time Major League Baseball's Opening Day featured four female official scorers.[101][102]

Also in 2024, the video gameMLB: The Showenabled users to create and play as a female baseball player for the first time.[103]

Broadcasting

[edit]

In 1989, NBC'sGayle Gardnerbecame the first woman to regularly host Major League Baseball games for a major television network. In 1990,Lesley Visserbecame the first woman to cover theWorld Series.[104]On August 3, 1993,Gayle Gardnerbecame the first woman to do televisedplay-by-playof a baseball game when she called the action of a game between theColorado Rockiesand theCincinnati Reds.[105]That same year, CBS'sAndrea Joycebecame the first woman to co-host the network television coverage of theWorld Series.Joyce co-hosted that particular World Series withPat O'Brien.In 1995,NBC'sHannah Stormnot only became the first woman to serve as solo host aWorld Seriesgame, but also the first woman to preside over theWorld Series Trophypresentation.

In 2009,New York YankeesbroadcasterSuzyn Waldmanbecame the first woman to work aWorld Seriesgame from the broadcast booth.[106]On July 2, 2015,Jenny Cavnarbecame the first woman to provide analysis for a series of National League games in the radio booth, filling in on KOA for the Colorado Rockies vs Arizona Diamondbacks.[107]Cavnar would also become the fill-in play-by-play voice for theColorado Rockieson April 23, 2018, when she stepped in the booth to call theSan Diego PadresatColorado Rockies.[108]Later that year, on August 24, 2015,Jessica Mendozawas the first female analyst for a Major League Baseball game in the history ofESPN,during a game between theSt. Louis Cardinalsand theArizona Diamondbacks.[109]John Kruk,Dan Shulmanand Jessica Mendoza called the2015 American League Wild Card Gameon October 6, and Mendoza thus became the first female analyst in MLB postseason history.[110]In October 2020 Mendoza became the first female World Series analyst on any national broadcast platform; she was on ESPN's radio platform.[111]

In 2021, an all-female broadcast crew called a Major League Baseball game for the first time; specifically,Sarah LangsHeidi Watney,Lauren Gardner,Melanie NewmanandAlanna Rizzo,called aYouTubeGame of the Week featuring theBaltimore OriolesandTampa Bay RaysatTropicana Field.[112]Before the 2024 season, theOakland AthleticshiredJenny Cavnaras their full-time play-by-play announcer, making her the first female primary play-by-play announcer in MLB history.[113]On May 13, 2024, in a game between theOakland Athleticsand theHouston Astros,Cavnar andJulia Moralesbecame the first two women to do the play-by-play on television for the same MLB game.[114]

Umpires

[edit]

There is evidence that at least one woman, Amanda Clement, was umpiring semi-professional games as early as 1905.[115]"Mandy", as she was called, grew up near a ballpark in her hometown of Hudson, South Dakota, where she was introduced to baseball by her brother Henry.[116]Clement began umpiring while a student at Yankton College, and gained fame nationwide for her knowledge of baseball and her accuracy in umpiring the games. She was paid between $10 and $15 per game, which helped pay her tuition.[117]She umpired games in North Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and South Dakota until at least 1909, and later became a physical education instructor for high school and college women's teams.[118]She still would umpire an occasional semi-pro game in South Dakota even during the 1910s.[119]There were several other woman umpires in the early 1920s: one was Deana Ernest of Toledo, Ohio, who umpired semi-pro games in the area, and also managed a city league team there.[120][121]Another was Nina Belle Hurst, a resident of Sawtelle, California, who umpired in the Southern California Baseball Managers Association.[122]During World War II, there were also some women who umpired, including some the press jokingly referred to as "WUMPS" (women umpires). Among them was Lorraine Heinisch, of Kenosha WI, who umpired semi-pro games in 1943, including a championship game in Wichita, Kansas.[123]

The first woman to umpire a professional game wasBernice Gera.[124]A former Little League coach and a passionate fan of baseball, she entered umpiring school in 1967 (the first woman ever to attend the Fort Lauderdale Baseball School).[125]After a lengthy court battle with major league baseball, she finally won the right to umpire. Her first pro game was in the minor leagues in June 1972, a game between theAuburn PhilliesandGeneva Rangersin the New York-Penn League, but after several disputed calls, she decided to resign and never umpired another professional game.[126]

In 1988Pam Postemabecame the first female umpire to officiate aMajor League Baseballspring traininggame, and the last untilRia Cortesioin 2007. Since 2017,Jen Pawolhas been active as an umpire in the minor leagues.[127][128]

Executives

[edit]
See also:List of female Major League Baseball principal owners

Since 2000,Jane Forbes Clarkhas served as the chairwoman of the Board of Directors at theNational Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.[129]

The first woman to own a baseball team wasHelene Hathaway Britton,who owned the St. Louis Cardinals National League baseball team from 1911 through 1916.[130]She, among other things, initiated aLadies' Daypromotion for Mondays, allowing women free entry to the park if accompanied by a man.[131]Margaret Donahuewas the first female front office executive inMajor League Baseballwho was not an owner. She worked for theChicago Cubsfrom 1919 to 1958 and introduced marketing concepts such as theseason ticketand reduced prices for children under 12, both still used in the 2000s.[132]Since then, many women have held executive positions in business and financial areas of Major League Baseball. Yet, there have not been many women who have become player personnel, though, there are women who have been hired as general managers (GMs) for minor league affiliates. However, these positions are not responsible for player personnel moves, since roster maneuvers are handled by front-office personnel of the minor league affiliate's major league parent team.

One woman who has a position in player personnel at the Major League level isKim Ng.She first worked for theChicago White Sox,where she successfully presented an arbitration case. After working for the American League as director of waivers and records, she was hired as Assistant GM by theNew York Yankees.When she left the Yankees in 2001 for the same position with theLos Angeles Dodgers,the Yankees hired another woman to replace her,Jean Afterman.Afterman still holds the same position as of July 2015. Kim Ng later moved on to work for Major League Baseball as Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations.[133][134][135]In 2020, she was hired by theMiami Marlinsas the first woman to serve as general manager of an MLB team.[136]On September 30, 2023, with the Marlins' 7–3 win in Pittsburgh, the Marlins clinched their fourth postseason berth, making Kim Ng the first woman GM in MLB history to lead a playoff team.[137]It was the club's first postseason appearance since 2020, although Ng's team was immediately eliminated without a playoff win. In October, Ng declined to exercise heroptionfor the 2024 season, reportedly because she learned the team sought to hire a president of baseball operations, which would have left her second in command in her department.[138][139]

Coaching

[edit]

Several women have made milestone firsts as coaches, including:

  • Rachel Balkovec
    • 2019: Balkovec became the first woman hired to be a full-time hitting coach for a Major League Baseball team.[140]
    • 2022, theYankeesannounced that Balkovec will manage the Low-ATampa Tarponsin 2022, making her the first woman to manage in affiliated baseball.[94]
  • Justine Siegal
    • 2009: Siegal becomes the first female coach of a men's professional baseball team[141]
    • 2015: Siegal becomes the Oakland Athletics guest instructor for their Instructional League Club, thus making her the first female coach in major league baseball history[141]
    • 2019: Siegal becomes the first woman to coach Japanese Professional Baseball[141]
    • 2019: Siegal becomes the first woman to coach Professional Baseball in Mexico[141]
    • 2023: Siegal becomes the first woman to coach in the Mexican Baseball League[141]
  • Alyssa Nakken
    • 2020: Nakken became the first full-time female coach in Major League Baseball history and the first to coach on the field during a major league pre-season game.[142][143]
    • 2022: Nakken became the first woman to coach on the field in a regular season major league game on April 12, 2022, when the Giants substituted Nakken into the game as the first base coach afterAntoan Richardsonwas ejected during the top of the third inning of a game against theSan Diego Padres.[144]
    • 2023: Nakken was interviewed for a managerial position with the San Francisco Giants, making her the first woman to interview for any managerial position with a Major League Baseball team.[145][146]
  • Bianca Smith
    • 2021: Smith was hired by theBoston Red Soxas a minor league coach, making her the first African American woman to serve as a coach in a professional baseball organization.[147][148]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^abRing (2009), 33.
  2. ^abRing (2009), 34.
  3. ^abGems, Borish, and Pfister (2008), 145.
  4. ^Cahn (1995), 38.
  5. ^abRing (2009), 18.
  6. ^abClark, Vernon (February 12, 2013)."Edith G. Houghton, 100, pro baseball's first female scout".Philadelphia Inquirer.RetrievedApril 6,2016.
  7. ^ab"Margaret Donahue – Society for American Baseball Research".
  8. ^abc"Effa Manley – Society for American Baseball Research".
  9. ^"A Female Baseball Club at Peterboro".Chicago Tribune,August 29, 1868, p. 4.
  10. ^"Thirty Thousand Women Cyclists".New York Herald,November 20, 1892, p. 30.
  11. ^"A Pair of Bloomer Girls in Wisconsin".New York Tribune,August 23, 1869, p. 2.
  12. ^"Rooters Ready for Baseball to Begin".San Francisco Chronicle,October 14, 1895, p. 10.
  13. ^"Bloomers Were Beaten". Portland Oregonian, October 4, 1897, p. 6.
  14. ^"Bloomer Baseball Club".Seattle Daily Times,September 18, 1897, p. 8.
  15. ^"They Hail from Boston and Can't Play Ball".San Francisco Chronicle,October 25, 1897, p. 5.
  16. ^"Women Ball Twirlers".Fresno (CA) Weekly Republican,November 5, 1897, p. 8.
  17. ^"Bloomer Girls Will Play at Broadway Park".Denver Daily News,July 23, 1908, p. 9.
  18. ^Shattuck, Debra (2017).Bloomer Girls: Women Baseball Pioneers.University of Illinois Press. p. 149.ISBN978-0-252-08186-6.
  19. ^Seymour, Harold; Seymour, Dorothy Z. (1991).Baseball: The People's Game.Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0-19-506907-5.
  20. ^www.todayifoundout.comThe first person to play for both baseball's National League and American League All-Star teams was a woman: Lizzie "Queen of baseball" Murphy
  21. ^"Draws Large Salary".Cincinnati Enquirer,April 29, 1923, p. 22.
  22. ^"Sport Snap Shots".Olean (NY) Evening Herald,October 24, 1923, p. 6.
  23. ^Mills, Dorthy Jane (2016)."Murphy, Elizabeth" Lizzie "".In Heaphy, Leslie A.; May, Mel Anthony (eds.).Encyclopedia of Women and Baseball.Jefferrson, North Carolina: McFarland. pp. 201–203.ISBN978-1-4766-6594-8.
  24. ^Steverson, Bryan (2014).Baseball: A Special Gift from God.Bloomington, Indiana: WestBow Press. p. 114.ISBN978-1-4908-5297-3.
  25. ^"Lizzie Murphy Will Play Here".North Adams (MA) Transcript,June 24, 1926, p. 15.
  26. ^"Lizzie Murphy, 70, Former Baseball Star".Newport (RI) Daily News,July 29, 1964, p. 6.
  27. ^"Women of Today No Longer Mollycoddles in the World Of Sports".Colorado Springs Gazette,August 27, 1922, p. 44.
  28. ^Weintraub, Robert (May 25, 2013)."Remembering the Major Leaguers Who Died in World War II".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedNovember 4,2016.
  29. ^"Skirting a Forgotten Era".Boston Herald,July 20, 1988, p. 94.
  30. ^"Rockford's Baseball Past May Appear in 'Civil War' Producer's Next TV Series".Rockford (IL) Register Star,December 13, 1991, p. 29.
  31. ^August 06, James Hibberd; EDT, 2020 at 02:01 PM."Amazon orders 'A League of Their Own' TV series, reveals changes to story line from film".EW.com.RetrievedOctober 11,2022.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  32. ^ab"Timeline of Women in Sports".faculty.elmira.edu.RetrievedJanuary 19,2014.
  33. ^Amdur, Neil (August 20, 2001)."BASEBALL; One More Pitch for First Girl in Little League".The New York Times.
  34. ^"FIRST WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FOR WOMEN-- 1953".USA Basketball.RetrievedJune 29,2016.
  35. ^S.F.L. (Fall–Winter 1998)."Alumni Profile: Maria Pepe".FDU Magazine.Fairleigh Dickinson University.RetrievedSeptember 15,2009.
  36. ^"Greatest U.S. women's sports moments".ESPN.RetrievedSeptember 13,2009.
  37. ^"Newsmakers closer to home".San Francisco Examiner.January 1, 1975.p.26
  38. ^"First Female NCAA Men's Baseball Player Croteau '93 Receives Trailblazer Award".SMCM Newsroom.April 12, 2017.RetrievedJune 10,2021.
  39. ^ab"Are Women the Next Demographic to Integrate into Major League Baseball?".Bleacher Report.September 13, 2011.
  40. ^NLBPA (April 21, 2007)."Toni Stone".NLBPA. Archived fromthe originalon April 16, 2007.RetrievedApril 21,2007.
  41. ^Lyons, Jeffrey and Douglas B. Lyons, Out of Left Field, Times Books, 1999, p. 56.
  42. ^May, Jeffery (March 31, 2022)."Women pitching for their place in baseball".Diario AS.RetrievedMay 13,2024.
  43. ^"Knuckleballers support Japanese girl | MLB.com: News".mlb.mlb.com.RetrievedApril 5,2014.
  44. ^"Contra Costa: Search results".nl.newsbank.com.RetrievedApril 5,2014.
  45. ^ab"#Shortstops: Janet Marie Smith's ballpark designs have changed the landscape of the game". Baseball Hall of Fame.
  46. ^April 2012, Jess Mayhugh | (April 1, 2012). "Field of Dreams". Baltimore Magazine.
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References

[edit]
  • Cahn, Susan K (1995).Coming on strong: gender and sexuality in twentieth-century women's sport.Harvard University Press.ISBN0-674-14434-1.
  • Gems, Gerald; Linda Borish; Gertrud Pfister (2008).Sports in American History: From Colonization to Globalization.Human Kinetics.ISBN978-0-7360-5621-2.
  • Ring, Jennifer (2009).Stolen Bases.University of Illinois Press.ISBN978-0-252-03282-0.
  • Shattuck, Debra (c. 2015).Bloomer Girls: Women Baseball Pioneers.University of Illinois Press.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Women_in_baseball&oldid=1247892875"