In 1942 many young men who played in minor league baseball teams were being drafted to war. For fear that Major League Baseball parks would collapse, Philip K. Wrigley advised the idea to have an all girls softball league.
With the financial support of Wrigley and help from a group of Midwestern Businessmen they came up with the All-American Girls Softball League,a non-profit organization, that started in spring of 1943. During the first season of play the board of trustees changed the name to All-American Girls Baseball League (AAGBL) for a distinction between the Softball League and because the rules of play were that of Major League Baseball. Wrigley sent his scouts all over The United States and Canada to find feminine women who could play ball. Women around the world were ecstatic about the tryouts. In addition to being paid $55-150 a week, which is far more than the $40 they earned back home in the kitchen, they got to do what they loved. If the girls performed well enough at the tryouts they were selected to play on one of four teams. The teams were The Kenosha Comets and Racine Belles from Wisconsin, The Rockford Peaches from Illinois and The South Bend Blue Sox from Indiana. 
The public's first impression of the girls was crucial. The games were a form of entertainment and something for people to come home and relax to. Therefore, much thought went into not only making the uniforms, but also presenting the girls as All-American sweet hearts. Wrigley had the girls attending Charm School at night and assigned each team a chaperone to make sure they were in by curfew. Many had their doubts about the league and thought when the war was over, men would take over again. However, the women proved them wrong and eventually ended up with ten teams in the league. Even after the men came home, the girls endured grueling seasons with 6-7 games a week. This had no affect on the girls, however, since they were so passionate about the game. By the end of the second season the league was gaining enormous popularity. Photos of the girls and articles were displayed in magazines across the country. The articles often referred to the girls as "Babette Ruths" and the league as "Baseball-with a twist". At first fans would come to see the girls, but the players won them over with skilled baseball. Some argued that the women were just as good as the men. The girls received presents and numerous letters from fans saying how much they appreciated them and how they wanted their daughters to grow up to be just like them. Some fans even considered the women as part of the family and would invite them over for dinner. In 1948 the teams were at their peaks in attendance and held strong until the mid 1950's. All in all this is definately a unique aspect in baseball history that is demonstrated in the movie A League of their Own. This movie documents a time in American history when women proved themselves to be equal athletes to men. They provided our country with entertainment and gave the people a new view on women and sports. The popularity of this league contributed to the development of strong, athletic women proving themselves to our country. Without this league it is possible Women's Atheltics would have take much longer to get established. In the early season of 1944 it was apparent that major league baseball would not fall apart because of the war. Wrigley became bored witht the girl's league thinking it would be less interesting to people and would decrease in attendance at games. As a result he sold the league to Arthur Meyerhoff, his Chicago advertising executive. When Meyerhoff took charge the league's publicity and expansion was at it's highest. Meyerhoff defidentaly proved Wrigley wrong that the girls would not lose the public's interest just because the men were back from war.
With the financial support of Wrigley and help from a group of Midwestern Businessmen they came up with the All-American Girls Softball League,a non-profit organization, that started in spring of 1943. During the first season of play the board of trustees changed the name to All-American Girls Baseball League (AAGBL) for a distinction between the Softball League and because the rules of play were that of Major League Baseball. Wrigley sent his scouts all over The United States and Canada to find feminine women who could play ball. Women around the world were ecstatic about the tryouts. In addition to being paid $55-150 a week, which is far more than the $40 they earned back home in the kitchen, they got to do what they loved. If the girls performed well enough at the tryouts they were selected to play on one of four teams. The teams were The Kenosha Comets and Racine Belles from Wisconsin, The Rockford Peaches from Illinois and The South Bend Blue Sox from Indiana. 
The public's first impression of the girls was crucial. The games were a form of entertainment and something for people to come home and relax to. Therefore, much thought went into not only making the uniforms, but also presenting the girls as All-American sweet hearts. Wrigley had the girls attending Charm School at night and assigned each team a chaperone to make sure they were in by curfew. Many had their doubts about the league and thought when the war was over, men would take over again. However, the women proved them wrong and eventually ended up with ten teams in the league. Even after the men came home, the girls endured grueling seasons with 6-7 games a week. This had no affect on the girls, however, since they were so passionate about the game. By the end of the second season the league was gaining enormous popularity. Photos of the girls and articles were displayed in magazines across the country. The articles often referred to the girls as "Babette Ruths" and the league as "Baseball-with a twist". At first fans would come to see the girls, but the players won them over with skilled baseball. Some argued that the women were just as good as the men. The girls received presents and numerous letters from fans saying how much they appreciated them and how they wanted their daughters to grow up to be just like them. Some fans even considered the women as part of the family and would invite them over for dinner. In 1948 the teams were at their peaks in attendance and held strong until the mid 1950's. All in all this is definately a unique aspect in baseball history that is demonstrated in the movie A League of their Own. This movie documents a time in American history when women proved themselves to be equal athletes to men. They provided our country with entertainment and gave the people a new view on women and sports. The popularity of this league contributed to the development of strong, athletic women proving themselves to our country. Without this league it is possible Women's Atheltics would have take much longer to get established. In the early season of 1944 it was apparent that major league baseball would not fall apart because of the war. Wrigley became bored witht the girl's league thinking it would be less interesting to people and would decrease in attendance at games. As a result he sold the league to Arthur Meyerhoff, his Chicago advertising executive. When Meyerhoff took charge the league's publicity and expansion was at it's highest. Meyerhoff defidentaly proved Wrigley wrong that the girls would not lose the public's interest just because the men were back from war.
Major league baseball for women was such an amazing thing. It brought girl's talents in athletics. I agree that without this league, sports for women would not have been established for a long time. Is the reason that there is not a major league baseball team for women anymore because the men got back into playing the game and kicked the women out? Because if so then Wrigley would not have been completely wrong.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea womens baseball/softball came up from all of the men being away at war. What I am wondering is if monitering the girls on the teams and making them "sweethearts" was the main reason the sport became so popular, or was it just the ladies skill in the game itself..
ReplyDeleteI think the womens baseball league was a great thing. First it got women involved in a sport, because back then women didn't really have that many opportunities to be involved in a sport. I also think it helped with distracting peoples minds from the war that was going on.
ReplyDeleteWomens softball was a great accomplishment when the war was present. However, when Wrigley sold the league to Arthur Meyerhoff, how did Meyerhoff make the sport more interesting and exciting?
ReplyDeleteI think it is great that women had this opportunity. In the midst of war, destruction, and fighting these women were able to find hope and have fun doing something they love. I think that giving people something to be excited about during this time really helped them not to lose hope during this time of war.
ReplyDeleteWomen's Softball(baseball) did seem like a very inspirational idea for women among the country and to the respective men. But when you said scouts scattered the country for feminine females, were they just trying to replace major league baseball with "candy eye" for the public. Was there no room for the masculine women of the country, were they just shunned away. And with these women being "away from the kitchen,'' did that lower any economic problems throughout the nation.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Hannah, to have strength and passion in something like baseball helped give hope to women that their men would come home safe. But what if their men did not come back safely? Do you think the women would continue playing baseball and continue having such a great passion toward it?
ReplyDeleteIn the 1950's, why did there fan attendance go down?And once the men came back from the war, did the men or the women have more popularity?
ReplyDeleteI think that it was a great thing to have softball for the women. They got a ton of things out of it. Got paid great and it was a huge distraction from the war and also they got to make friends which probably made them feel better to talk to someone.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't softball, it was baseball. They were the AAGPBL(all-american girls professional ball league). They started doing underhand softball pitching in the beginning, but switched to overhand baseball pitching in the end.
DeleteIt's true that the women who's loved ones did die in the war probably lost some of their passion for the game. But since there were so many talented women who loved baseball there was never a team with a missing player.
ReplyDeleteI think it is excellent that the women began to play softball. As for attending Charm Schools, it is great that the women could bring femininity to the sport. Just because women are athletic doesn't mean they have to act like men!
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