The Belles of Baseball: The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League

The Belles of Baseball: The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League — page 5
and television programming generally depict women as spectators not as active participants in the sport Though it's not widely known women have been playing organized baseball in the United States for approximately 150 years They currently play recreational amateur and semipro games on Little League teams on college squads and in international tournaments And the women of the AAGPBL played high quality competitive baseball more than 70 years ago Hidden Heroines In 1943 Philip K Wrigley the owner of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs and president of the Wrigley Chewing Gum Company formed what came to be known as the All American Girls Professional Baseball League His goal was to provide inexpensive entertainment to residents of midwestern towns and cities after the United States 1941 entry into World War II 1939 1945 He also sought to encourage the public's continued interest in baseball so fans would still support it after the war Many of the townspeople supported the war effort by working in nearby factories that produced planes vehicles and other essential materials During its 12 seasons from 1943 to 1954 the league recruited more than 550 women ballplayers They came from all parts of the United States Canada and even