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WOMEN'S SPORT HISTORY

Pioneers of Baseball Inducted Into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame

by Ashleigh Barney

On the weekend of June 4-7, the residents of St. Marys, Ont., had a chance to meet 17 original members of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) when they came to town to be inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.

During World War Two, with so many young men in military service, the ranks of the professional baseball leagues were being decimated. P.K. Wrigley, owner of the Chicago Cubs, feared that by the time the war ended, the public would have forgotten about baseball, and the sport would die.

Wrigley's solution to this dilemma was to send scouts in all directions to bring together the best women baseball players who could be found to form the first professional league for women. Sixty-four women were chosen from various Canadian women's amateur leagues across the country to participate in the bold experiment that was professional women's baseball. After tryouts, training, and charm school instruction, this unique baseball league was launched in 1943. It operated for 11 years and generated thousands of fans who remain loyal to their heroes to this day.

Last March, the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame Selection Committee met to consider this year’s nominations. An outstanding historical document, produced by Bill Rayner of St. Thomas, Ont., nominating the Canadian women who played for the AAGPL, was put before the committee

The nomination passed on the first ballot.

Thus, for the first time ever, the women of the AAGPBL were honoured by induction into a Hall of Fame. Being a group nomination, they were inducted in the Honorary category.

As the Induction Committee prepared for the ceremony, they began to realize what a national treasure these women are, true pioneers in their sport and having the dedication to excellence, commitment, and performance we expect from our heroes.

Probably the best kept secret in the sports world was the fact that many Canadians, over 10 per cent of the League's roughly 560 players, had played at least one season in the League. In fact, the batting champion of that first season of play in 1943, with an average of .332, was Gladys ‘Terrie’ Davis, who emerged out of the Toronto softball leagues.

Despite our small population, Canada, especially the Prairies, produced more than its share of all-stars—Mary ‘Bonnie’ Baker, the Callaghan sisters, ‘Evie' Wawryshyn, ‘Dottie’ Ferguson Key, Olive ‘Ollie’ Little, Eleanor ‘Squirt’ Callow, Helen ‘Nickie’ Fox, Terry Donahue, Chris Jewitt, Daisy Junor, and Arleene ‘Johnnie’ Noga.

Throughout the ‘40s and ‘50s, they were a determined, tough group of highly capable athletes who had a deep love of baseball and an unquenchable desire to play the game. Today, each one is a treasure trove of stories of adventure, a valued community member who has shared her knowledge with others, and an outstanding role model for anyone who believes that dedication to a goal has its rewards.

Ashleigh Barney is project coordinator, Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.