The Diamond Angle
Profiles and Interviews of the Women of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League
Read Lou Parrotta's profile of
Faye Dancer.
Our three most recent interviews...Ellen Ahrndt - Ellen played one year and enjoyed performing in front of her friends and relatives in Wisconsin.
Mary Lou Graham - Mary Lou was a batgirl who later became a pitcher for South Bend.
Lenora Mandella - Lenora came into the league as a shortstop, but was converted to pitching.
The Women of Cooperstown - Lou Parrotta recounts the Mother's Day 2002 AAGPBL gathering at the Hall of Fame.
Gertie Alderfer - Gertie joined the league's touring teams at the age of 17. She was a member for two years.
Bea Allard - After watching the Muskegon Lassies in high school, she went to tryouts to help a friend and ended up in the AAGPBL.
Vivian Anderson - Vivian played for the short-lived Milwaukee franchise.
Amy Applegren - Amy tossed a no-hitter against Grand Rapids.
Bea Arbour - She was a Moonlight Graham, she was on Racine's roster but never played in a game.
Lou Arnold - Lou was the 13th of 13 kids, and had a strong 4 year pitching career. Playing in the AAGPBL was a wonderful time in my life. I'm very thankful and proud to say I played in that league.
Phyllis Baker - Phyllis joined the league at the age of 15.
Chris Ballingall - This catcher caught league interest at the age of 15, but didn't sign until 21.
Lois Barker - This New Jersey native was a member of the Grand Rapids Chicks.
Ann Batikis - This Racine center fielder played for her hometown Belles in 1945.
Mary Baumgartner - "Wimp" Baumgartner was a catcher for the South Bend Blue Sox.
Joan Berger - Joan was a member of the Rockford Peaches.
Erma Bergmann - This St. Louis native pitched in the AAGPBL and later went on to become a police officer.
Mary Beschorner - Mary played outfield for Grand Rapids and Peoria.
Ruth Born - Ruth pitched for South Bend in the AAGPBL's very first season.
Wilma Briggs - This league standout gave us a very long interview.
Pat Brown - Pat played in 1950 and 1951 and then went on to earn four degrees.
Read our review of Pat Brown's autobiography A League of My Own.
Jean Buckley - Jean played some centerfield in the early 1950s.
Geraldine Bureker - This Oregon native played for Racine.
Shirley Burkovich - Shirley signed out of highschool. Many years later she had a speaking role in "A League of Their Own".
Mary Butcher - This Indiana native played for Kenosha and Grand Rapids.
Dorothy Christ - Here's what Dorothy had to say: I signed in the '48 season! It was too close to the playoffs to give a rookie a chance. I was more than disappointed. After 6 weeks sitting on the bench I came home (LaPorte, IN). Thank you for your interest.
Josephine D'Angelo - Josephine made the cut at the Wrigley Field tryouts and played in the first two years of the league.
Eleanor Dapkus - She was a top-flight pitcher and is #10 on the career RBI list.
Millie Deegan - The Babe Ruth of Women's Softball played in the AAGPBL for ten years.
Audrey Deemer - Audrey's favorite memories come from the barnstorming tour.
Pauline Dennert - Pauline played for one year with the Muskegon Lassies before returning to college.
Terry Donahue - Terry was one of the many Canadians in the AAGPBL.
Cartha Doyle - Cartha played second for the Rockford Peaches in 1947.
Read Lou Parrotta's rememberance of Maddy English.
Louise Erickson - Louise was an All Star pitcher for Rockford in 1949 and 1950.
Lillian Faralla - Lillian threw a pair of no-hitters in 1948.
Salty Ferguson - Salty played in the last two years of the All American Girls Professional League as a catcher.
Lorraine Fisher - This Detroit native both pitched and played outfield.
Rose Folder - Rose was an outfielder for Kenosha.
Gertrude Ganote - Gertrude played for the AAGPBL for two years. She wrote that the New York Yankees were her favorite team, and that big league ball today is great. I would like to see women have their own league.
Jean Geissinger - She was an All Star in 1953 and 1954.
Jean Havlish - After playing for Ft. Wayne, Jean later became a Hall of Fame bowler.
Alice Haylett - Alice was a member of the Grand Rapids Chicks for four years.
Esther Ann Hershey - She was picked out of a tryout camp in Allentown in 1948.
Joyce Hill - Joyce played for eight years in the League.
Mabel Holle - She played one year in the AAGPBL.
Alive Hoover - Alice played for the Ft. Wayne Daisies.
Katie Horstman - She signed at 15 and played until the end of the League.
Christine Jewitt - Christine was a Canadian who played for Kenosha and Peoria.
Betsy Jochum - Betsy won the AAGPBL batting title in 1944.
Vivian Kellogg - Vivian Kellogg played first base for the Milwaukee and Ft. Wayne.
Sue Kidd - Sue was a mainstay with the South Bend Blue Sox of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League.
Audrey Kissel - Audrey played second for the Minneapolis Millerettes.
Dolores Klosowski - Dolores played a pair of years towards the end of the war.
Jo Lenard - Jo was one of the greats of the AAGPBL. She spanned almost the entire duration of the league, and is #9 on the career RBI list.
Rhoda Leonard - Rhoda sent us the following note: I have been away so I'm very sorry this reply took so long. I did not do your survey. I was only in Ft. Wayne for part of the summer of 1946. I arrived late because I wanted to graduate with my high school class and left early to come home to get ready for college. I am very proud to have participated in the League. It was a thrill to play in front of all those fans. I stayed with a wonderful family in Ft. Wayne, met some wonderful people and loved the traveling. I am still amazed at the requests that arrive after all these years. I'm sure the movie "A League of Their Own" was responsible for the reaction. Good Luck. Go Red Sox.
Elizabeth Mahon - This longtime outfielder for South Bend in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League topped the league in RBIs in 1946 and 1949.
Theda Marshall - Theda played first for South Bend and Chicago, and gave a short interview.
Joanne McComb - Joanne played first for the Springfield Sallies.
Terry McKinley - Terry played one year in the League and served in the Navy during the Korean War.
Anna Meyer - Anna joined the league at age 15.
Mary Moore - After a year on the tour with Springfield, Mary played a pair of seasons for Battle Creek.
Nancy Mudge - Nancy graduated from college field hockey to the AAGPBL.
Dolores Mueller - Dolores was a pitcher for the South Bend Blue Sox.
Mary Nelson - Mary signed with the Ft. Wayne Daisies but was released when it was discovered when she was 15 and hence underage. The league folded before her next birthday: Sorry, I can't help you. I only played in one game.
Mary Nesbitt - Mary played in one of the first seasons of the League and enjoyed a six-year career.
Dolly Niemiec - Dolly played baseball as a kid in Chicago, and spent five years in Grand Rapids.
Eileen O'Brien - She played for a few months for Muskegon and then became a chaperone.
Anna Mae O'Dowd - Anna Mae was a catcher for many years in the AAGPBL.
Pepper Paire Davis - Pepper was a shortstop and catcher in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League.
June Peppas - June pitched in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League, and won its final game.
Betty Petryna - Betty was one of the many Canadians in the AAGPBL.
Grace Piskula - This Wisconsin native played for Rockford in 1944.
Alice Pollitt - Alice was a long-time member of the Rockford Peaches.
Mary Pratt - This pitcher played for Rockford and Kenosha in the 1940s
Mamie Redman - Mamie played every position except for catcher.
Earlene Risinger - Earline struck out Sammy Sams with bases loaded to win the 1953 All American Girls Professional League pennant.
Patricia Roy - Pat joined up at the age of 15, her career was cut short by the end of the league.
Mary Rudis - Mary was a chaperone for the Springfield Sallies in 1949. Here's what she had to say: While I participated in most sports, I never turned pro. I may have had a chance in baseball. I think if they keep the focus on a league strictly for girls and women and pattern the game after the WGBPL it would make it - don't compete against men. One year after the league, I married a baseball player, Joe Bestudik, who played for Indianapolis, 1943-4. Died 1990
Pat Scott - This pitcher from the 1950s gave us a short interview.
Carol Sheldon - Carol is a modern-day woman in baseball. Read this interview with a member of the National Women's Baseball Hall of Fame.
Jean Smith - She was an outfielder from 1948 through the end of the league.
Kay Sopkovic - Kay was a backup catcher for South Bend in 1945. Due to her health, she couldn't fill out our survey, but passed along the following note: Thank you for your interest. During our game the news came over the speaker that the war was over. My brothers would all be coming home. She had four brothers serve in WWII.
Barbara Sowers - This Michigan native played in the last two years of the league.
Donna Stageman - Donna toured with the Peoria Redwings, but was cut just before the season started.
Elma Steck - An interview with a woman who played for both the Rockford Peaches and Peoria Redwings.
Joyce Steele - Joyce played outfield for the Kalamazoo Lassies in 1953.
Bev Steuert - Bev signed with Rockford while she was in high school. She played only in 1952: I enjoyed every moment of my time spent playing with the Rockford Peaches.
Jeanette Stocker - Stocker was a catcher for four months in 1946 for Kenosha.
Mary Lou Studnicka - Mary Lou pitched for Grand Rapids in the early 1950s.
Bev Stuhr - Bev played for Racine and Peoria and later went on to work on the Apollo program.
Lee Surkowski - Looking back, this Canadian would have put off her wedding to play more baseball.
Eunice Taylor - Eunice was a catcher who played both on the tour and for Kenosha.
Virginia Tezak - Virginia was a utility player in the AAGPBL.
Gene Travis - Gene played outfield for Rockford.
Katheryn Vonderau - Kathryn was a catcher for 8 years in the late '40s and early '50s.
Inez Voyce - Inez was a longtime player in the AAGPBL. She is #2 on the career RBI list.
Betty Wagoner - After a coin toss that sent her to South Bend, Betty enjoyed a seven-year career that included an All Star season in 1950.
Evelyn Wawryshyn - Evelyn was one of the many Canadians in the League. She left baseball when she married.
Jean Weaver - Jean was one of the famous Weavers. Her sisters were two of the league's greats.
Mary Weddle - Mary pitched a one-hitter for the Ft. Wayne Daisies in 1954.
Helen Westerman - Helen was a catcher in the first years of the league.
Ruth Williams - Ruth once pitched 46 consecutive scoreless innings in the AAGPBL.
Dottie Wiltse - This great pitcher gave us a short interview.
Elsie Wingrove - This Canadian played for Grand Rapids and Ft. Wayne.
Betty Yahr - Betty played for the Peaches in 1946.
Renea Youngberg -"Ray" overcame a bout with TB to rejoin the league.
Lois Youngen - Lois played in the AAGPBL before earning a PhD.
Marie Zeigler - Marie's career was cut short by illness and the collapse of the league.
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