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

The Belles of Baseball: The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League — page 9
Through the years the AAGPBL underwent numerous changes in rules ball size and field layout Originally established as a softball league with standard underhand pitching the league continually evolved toward regulation men's baseball Distances to the pitcher's mound and A LEAGUE OF between the bases were MANY NAMES lengthened An increasingly The first name given to the women's professional league smaller ball was used Base launched by Wrigley was the stealing and leading off All American Girls Softball League Because the rules the bases were permitted more closely resembled those Through it all highly used in baseball Wrigley's board of Trustees changed skilled women athletes the name to the All American Girls Baseball League partway successfully adapted to a through the 1943 season Then rough and tumble version in response to controversy about the league's use of of male baseball underhand pitching and For much of its shorter base path distances they revised the name yet existence the AAGPBL again to the All American Girls Professional Ball League was a resounding success In its 12 season existence the In one year alone nearly league would take on several more name variations but the one million fans poured version officially recognized by the National Baseball Hall of into ballparks to watch the Fame is the All American Girls women perform In time Professional Baseball League according to author Barbara Gregorich even the men