We Were the All-American Girls: Interviews with Players of the AAGPBL, 1943-1954

by Jim Sargent

Overview

Here are 42 interviews with women who competed in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Each interview features data about the player, a short summary of her athletic career, and the player's recollections. A brief history covers the many changes as the league evolved from underhand pitching with a 12-inch circumference ball in 1943 to overhand pitching, adopted in 1948, through the circuit's final year, 1954, when a regulation baseball was introduced. The interviews range from 1995 to 2012 and reveal details of particular games, highlights of individual careers, the camaraderie of teammates, opponents and fans, and the impact the League made on their lives. Several players recall how the 1992 movie A League of Their Own brought the historic All-American League back to life almost 40 years after the final game was played.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476601809
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	04/26/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	316
File size:	13 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Jim Sargent, a longtime professor of American history, retired as dean of the Social Science Division at Virginia Western Community College in 2010. Before that, he taught on the college and university level for more than 30 years. He lives in Roanoke, Virginia.
Jim Sargent, a longtime professor of American history, retired as dean of the Social Science Division at Virginia Western Community College in 2010. Before that, he taught on the college and university level for more than 30 years. He lives in Roanoke, Virginia.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Foreword by Merrie Fidler
Preface
Introduction by David Hillman
A Brief History of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
Part I: The Early Years, 1943–1945
Annastasia “Stash” Batikis
Dottie (Wiltse) Collins
Audrey (Haine) Daniels
Betsy Jochum
Vivian Kellogg
Sophie Kurys
Elizabeth “Lib” Mahon
Marge (Callaghan) Maxwell
Grace Piskula
Rose (Folder) Powell
Mary Pratt
Ellen (Ahrndt) Proefrock
Lucella (MacLean) Ross
Joyce (Hill) Westerman
Part II: The Postwar Years, 1946–1949
Isabel “Lefty” Alvarez
Mary “Wimp” Baumgartner
Erma Bergmann
Wilma Briggs
Shirley Burkovich
Marge (Villa) Cryan
Terry Donahue
Lillian “Lil” Faralla
Jean Faut
Betty Francis
Frances “Fran” Janssen
Glenna Sue Kidd
Betty (Petryna/Allen) Mullins
June Peppas
Maxine (Kline) Randall
Eilaine Roth
Doris Sams
Lou (Erickson) Sauer
Pat Scott
Inez Voyce
Delores “Dolly” (Brumfield) White
Part III: The Last Years, 1950–1954
Mary Lou (Studnicka) Caden
Jean (Geissinger) Harding
Katie Horstman
Joan (Berger) Knebl
Mary Moore
Mary (Froning) O’Meara
Janet “Pee Wee” (Wiley) Sears
Epilogue: From the 1954 Season to the Newsletter, the Reunions, A League of Their Own, and Beyond
Index

Editorial Reviews

The interviews...are informative, providing a wonderful new resource for scholars and casual researchers alike. Even those who have studied the league extensively will find new information contained in the memories and stories of the former players...unique details and anecdotes. The women’s stories, presented in their actual words, offer all readers special insight to their thoughts, feelings, and experiences”—Nine; “fascinating reading for anyone interested in baseball’s history. The best part of the book however is the forty-two interviews with former AAGPBL players. Together, the interviews provide a fantastic history of the league, but each one is a stand-alone piece”—Canadian Baseball Network; “sports history fans who enjoy reading about the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League are in for a treat”—baseball-almanac.com.

From the Publisher

"sports history fans who enjoy reading about the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League are in for a treat"

baseball-almanac.com

fascinating reading for anyone interested in baseball's history. The best part of the book however is the forty-two interviews with former AAGPBL players. Together, the interviews provide a fantastic history of the league, but each one is a stand-alone piece

Canadian Baseball Network

The interviews...are informative, providing a wonderful new resource for scholars and casual researchers alike. Even those who have studied the league extensively will find new information contained in the memories and stories of the former players...unique details and anecdotes. The women's stories, presented in their actual words, offer all readers special insight to their thoughts, feelings, and experiences

Nine