Full Description
Immortalized in the film A League of Their Own, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League debuted in 1943 as a way to fill ballpark seats should Major League Baseball suspend operations during World War II. Any fan expecting to see a watered-down version of the game was in for quite a surprise. The women on the field proved every bit as tough and competitive as their male counterparts, running with abandon, diving for catches, and sliding fearlessly, all while wearing uniforms with short skirts. This work examines the history of the league as seen through the eyes of the players and management and the experiences of the South Bend Blue Sox--one of only two teams to play in all 12 seasons of the league. Although players never saw themselves as revolutionaries, these daring heroines helped pave the way toward greater freedom of choice for the generations of women who followed.
Contents
Table of Contents
Forewords by Three South Bend Blue Sox (Betsy Jochum, Sue Kidd, Jean Faut)
Preface
Introduction
1. The Blue Sox and the All-American League: 1943
2. South Bend's Second Winning Season: 1944
3. The Last Wartime Season: 1945
4. Making the Playoffs in the First Postwar Season: 1946
5. Havana Adventure, Sidearm Pitching, and the Playoffs Again: 1947
6. Overhand Pitching and the Ten-Team League: 1948
7. The Blue Sox and the Peaches Win the Pennant: 1949
8. The League Crisis and Fifth Place: 1950
9. South Bend Wins the Shaughnessy Championship: 1951
10. Champions Again—The Beautiful Dozen: 1952
11. The Blue Sox and the League Struggle: 1953
12. The Final Innings: 1954
Appendix: South Bend Roster, 1943-1954
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
