AAGPBL Interview - Mary Moore

Mary Moore was an infielder who played in the early 1950s. She shared some of her memories with us.

1) How did you get interested in playing baseball and where did you play before you turned pro?

I played out in the vacant lots with the boys and always liked sports of any kind. Also played on a fast pitch team in Wyandotte, Michigan. My high school English teacher put me in touch with another girl that had graduated and was playing ball as I had never heard of the AAGPBL.

2) Describe your signing.

I went to South Bend, IN with another girl that played for the Blue Sox and they gave me a tryout and sent me to Chicago for more training and out of about 150 girls I was lucky enough to be picked for the Springfield Sallies.

3) What position(s) did you play? Which teams did you play for?

I played second base only. Springfield Sallies 1950, Battle Creek Belles 1951-2.

4) What was the best thing about playing pro ball?

Doing something you loved to do and getting paid for it. Plus traveling all over the country. Also all the life-long friendships that were made.

5) What was the worst thing about playing ball?

Getting hurt and not being able to play anymore.

6) What was the highlight of your career?

Playing in Yankee Stadium before one of the Yankees games and meeting all of them such as Casey Stengel, Joe DiMaggio, Phil Rizzuto, Whitey Ford and Billy Martin

Also being involved in an unusual triple play. All were tag plays and I tagged two of the three outs

Leading my team in almost every category in my first year.

7) Who were the best players you played with or faced? Comments?

You know, it's been so long. I'm not sure as they all seemed great.

8) Do you think the fans and press accepted you more as the years wore on? (Describe how it was when you started. Did increased exposure change some minds?)

By the time I started in 1950 the fans and press all knew what a good league and ballplayers we all were.

9. Who were your favorite big league ballplayers during the era you played in?

Hank Greenberg, Hal Newhouser, Eddie Lake.

10) Do you follow big league ball now? If so, how do you think it compares with your day?

Yes, I think they are a bunch of overpaid crybabies. Maybe not all of them, but a lot of them.

11) Should women have their own pro league, should they play in the majors, or should we have both (a women's league and the chance for the best women players to play in the majors?)

Yes, they should have their own pro leagues if anything. No, they shouldn't play in the majors.

12) How do you feel about the Silver Bullets?

I thought it was degrading for them to always play men's teams and lose 99% of the time by quite a large score.

13) Briefly describe your life since your pro career ended.

I worked for the phone company for 35 years as a central office supervisor

I have played ball ever since. Playing fast pitch for many years, winning the class A state championship, also later years a class B + C state championship. Then as I got older I went to slo-pitch and I still play golf 3 to 5 times a week in the summer. About 2 times a week in the winter

Go to our reunions, give speeches, made 2 or 3 half-hour TV appearances.

Life has been good.

14) What advice do you have for young women who want to become pro ballplayers?

If they have a dream they should pursue it and work at it, anything is possible. They are trying to put some women's pro hardball teams around the country. Here in Detroit I think they have what they call the Detroit Danger, but I'm not sure if it is a professional team or not.

It was the best time of my life and I wouldn't change it for anything in the world.

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