Merrie A. Fidler - The Origins and History of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League

McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Jefferson, North Carolina, and London

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGUING DATA ARE AVAILABLE

BRITISH LIBRARY CATALOGUING DATA ARE AVAILABLE

e-ISBN: 978-1-4766-0428-2

2006 Merrie A. Fidler. All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Cover photograph: Marie Red Mahoney and Marnie Danhauser (courtesy Department of Special Collections at the University of Notre Dame)

McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com

To the PLAYERS, PERSONNEL, AND FANS of the

ALL-AMERICAN GIRLS BASEBALL LEAGUE

and to

ANITA M. LIBBEE,

guardian and friend,

who encouraged and enabled this endeavor beyond measure

Now and forever, you are a part of me....

It is a privilege and a pleasure to acknowledge those who helped make this book a reality. First, the impetus behind this book must be credited to two UMass, Amherst, friends and colleagues from the 1970s. At that time, Dr. Ellen W. Gerber stimulated and encouraged my interest in womens sport history, and doctoral student (now Dr.) Jack W. Berryman assisted my research of the All-American Girls Baseball League.

The substance of the book was initially contributed by individuals who volunteered their personal time, materials, and information in response to inquiries and requests related to the writing of a masters thesis on the AAGBBL. Joe Boland, former South Bend Tribune sports editor, began the process in late 1971 when he responded to my inquiries about the AAGBBL and referred me to Jean Faut Winsch, former South Bend player, and ex-manager Chet Grant. Jean graciously loaned me the AAGBBL records Dr. Harold T. Dailey had bequeathed to her, and she also arranged interviews with other South Bend Blue Sox personnel, including players Lib Mahon and Betsy Jochum, chaperone Lucille Moore, business manager Ed Des Lauriers, and umpire Gadget Ward. Chet Grant, then director of Notre Dames International Sports and Games Collection, loaned me some of his AAGBBL materials and suggested I contact former league owner Arthur E. Meyerhoff.

In early 1972, Mr. Meyerhoff devoted a day out of his busy schedule to be interviewed and welcomed me to examine the league les in his Chicago advertising agency office. He subsequently gave me complete freedom and every assistance in this endeavor. He also read the rst draft of my masters thesis and offered valuable suggestions for its improvement. Dorothy Armington and Agnes Rhoten, members of his staff, contributed valuable assistance in examining and copying pertinent items from his les.

Throughout my thesis research in the 1970s, Philip K. Wrigley, founder of the AAGBBL, head of the Wrigley Chewing Gum Company, and owner of the Chicago Cubs, was most gracious in answering inquiries through correspondence.

Also in the 1970s, Marilyn Jenkins, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, arranged contacts with league personnel residing in the Grand Rapids area. These included Joyce Ricketts, Dorothy Hunter, Earlene Beans Risinger, and Carl Orwant. Mr. Orwant, former business manager of the Grand Rapids Chicks, contributed valuable AAGBBL records for 19511954. Other ex-players who shared their memories and loaned items from their personal scrapbooks at that time were Jean Cione, then of Ypsilanti, Michigan, and Nancy Mudge Cato from Elk River, Minnesota.

John Schultz at the University of Minnesota and Harold J. VanderZwaag at UMass, Amherst, contributed to my thesis research by sharing their memories as young fans of AAGBBL games. Harold VanderZwaag also served as a member of my thesis committee at UMass, Amherst, along with Dr. Guy M. Lewis and Dr. Betty Spears. These three ably guided my thesis research.

Other friends and colleagues to whom the masters thesis was indebted include Stephen D. Mosher, who shared in the struggles of research and writing; Belmar Gunderson, whose persistent prodding kept me at work; Sue Smith, Maryanne Schumm, and Mary Jo Haverbeck who helped with proofreading, editing, and typing the manuscript.

The authors recent research efforts are indebted to archivists George Rugg in Special Collections at Notre Dames Library, Cheryl Taylor, and Joe Hughes at the Northern Indiana Center for History, and Jason White at the Grand Rapids Public Museum for assisting with photographs and information. Tim Wiles, Bill Burdick, Ted Spencer, Darci Harrington, and Becky Ashe from the Baseball Hall of Fame also contributed valuable assistance, materials, photographs, and suggestions.

Special thanks is extended to Janis Taylor and her students and Mary Moore for their oral history interviews. Janis began the effort in 1993. Mary Moore renewed the oral history project in 1996 and has continued interviews through the present. These were extremely valuable for updating the manuscript and exposing the author to new material.

Revision of the thesis for publication and provision of many photographs have been enabled and accomplished through the encouragement and generosity of many former players and a few league personnel presented here in alphabetical order: Isabel Alvarez, Lou Arnold, Dolores Bajda, Jackie Baumgart, Mary Wimp Baumgartner, Maybelle Blair, Wilma Briggs, Shirley Burkovich, Mary Lou Studnicka Caden, Helen Hannah Campbell (chaperone), Coralyn Corky Carl (bat girl), Nancy Mudge Cato, Jean Cione, Dottie Collins, Lavone Pepper Paire Davis, Ruth Davis (bat girl), Terry Donahue, Dorothy Snookie Doyle, Thelma Tiby Eisen, Jean Faut Fantry, Betty Francis, Eileen Ginger Gascon, Jean Geissinger Harding, Annabelle Lee Harmon, Jean Havlish, Alice Lefty Hohlmayer, Joan Holderness, Katie Horstman, Fran Janssen, Marilyn Jenkins, Betsy Jochum, Dorothy Kammie Kamenshek, Sue Kidd, Arlene Kotil, Karen Kunkel, Sophie Kurys, Jeneane Lesko, Lenora Smokey Mandella, Joyce McCoy, Jane Moffet, Mary Moore, Arleene Johnson Noga, June Peppas, Mary Pratt, Ruth Richard, Earlene Beans Risinger, Janet Pee Wee Wiley Sears, Helen Filarski Steffes, Marge Wenzell, Delores Dolly Brumeld White, Mary Wisham, Renae Youngberg, Leonard Zintak (manager).

Others who helped with materials, photographs, services, or suggestions toward the manuscripts completion include, in alphabetical order, Darrah Barnes, Diane Barts, Leigh and Diane Benson, Joanne Bickley, Pastor Mike Blaine and Joseph Blaine, Kelly Brown, Pat and Dale Bunselmeier, Sarah Campbell, Kelly Candaele, Andy Card, Ken and Dee Clark, Fran Cvitkovich, Geena Davis, Mary Dierstein, Gilbert Emralino, Marilyn and Marshall Fidler, Lorraine Fitzgerald, Murline Georgeson, Ellen W. Gerber, Millie Gerdom, Adrienne Graham, Tom Hanks, Jacqueline Heitmann, Carol Hendrich, Virginia Hunt, Yvonne Jacques, Susan Johnson, Kris Lipkowski, Sue Macy, Penny Marshall, Shelley McCann, Donna McLin, Ede Moody, Nan Nichols, Mary Renshaw, Jon Richards, Monica Rivera, Sharon Roepke, Chuck and Tressa (Fidler) Rosecrantz, Jnell Ruetz, Dona Schaefer, Erin Schmidt, Maria Sexton, Ronald Seymour, Joyce Smith, Ronald A. Smith, Carolyn Trombe, Tom E. Van Hyning, Judy Meyerhoff Yale, and Tracy Young.