Women in baseball...In the early 20th century, barnstorming teams known as Bloomer Girls were formed in parts of the U.S. and took on amateur and semi-professional teams that included both women and men.
It is thought that women in baseball first came to be because of an attempt to profit from the "novelty" of female players.
In 1931, Jackie Mitchell signed a contract with the minor league Chattanooga Lookouts. Mitchell pitched against the New York Yankees and struck out their two star players, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig!!! Since then, in 1952, organized baseball formally banned women from signing professional contracts with mens teams. This is still in effect today!
Women in baseball were about to increase, as World War II arose, many men were sent out to fight. This ment that the women had to step in to keep the game of baseball alive until the return of the men. It when then that the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) was founded with four teams; the Rockford Peaches, the Racine Belles, the Kenosha Comets and the South Bend Blue Sox. The amount of women in baseball soared!
Rules encouraging the wearing of lipstick and long hair on the women in baseball were declared. Also the banning of wearing trousers off the field.
Initially, the women played fast-pitch softball with a larger ball and underhand pitching. In 1948 overhand pitching was introduced, and eventually there was not much difference between mens baseball and AAGPBL women's baseball. The women's baseball game evolved using men's baseball rules, but with a few small changes...80 feet between bases, 55 feet for the pitching distance and only nine players on the field.
The AAGPBL finally folded in 1954, due to the televising of major league baseball in the 1950's. But the spirit of the women of baseball was to live on, as on November 5, 1988, the All American Girls Professional Baseball League enshrined memorabilia in the Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, New York. More than 550 names are on a plaque in the exhibit named "Women In Baseball".
Currently, there are roughly 40 youth and women's baseball teams in the United States that play in roughly nine leagues and independent tournaments throughout the year.
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