Right now in Toronto everyone in the city is riding this awesome Baseball high because our team the Toronto Blues Jays are finally doing really really well (I hope I am not jinxing them) and the whole city is just buzzing with excitement. It’s pretty fun time to be in Toronto right now.
On a vintage level, baseball has been around for 100’s of years. For women’s baseball it has been around just as long but came to the forefront in 1943 with the formation of ‘The All-American Girls’ Professional Baseball League‘ which lasted from 1943 to 1954 and was created to keep the game going while the men were at war. The league even had my fellow Canadian ladies on their teams.
Now for today’s post I wanted to post a bunch of fun vintage images & history notes of the lovely ladies of AAGPBL (if your a fan of “A League of Their Own’ this is your blog post!). Lets Play Ball!
Lets Play Ball! The All-American Girls’ Professional Baseball League
As you might have noticed from the photo above, the league was originally using a different name in 1943. By the time the second season began in 1944, the name of the league had been officially renamed the All-American Girls Professional Ball League (source).
The creator of the league was Mister Bubblegum himself…Philip K Wrigley.
The Teams -Here is a small sampling. ‘The Racine Belles’ as seen on a 1947 Year Book cover.
‘The Grand Rapids Chicks’ -1953 Official Baseball program and scorebook.
‘The Muskegon Lassies’ 1948 Baseball Program.
The ‘Rockford Peaches’ 1945 Baseball Program (and the main focus of the movie ‘A League of Their Own’.
The Uniforms-They were designed to provide mobility on the field without compromising the athletes’ feminine appearance (mandatory for them on and off the field). Unfortunately though the uniforms were not appropriate for the game and many painful injury’s were to be had.
The uniforms in action. The skirts were not fun when sliding!
Charm School & Beauty routines As mentioned above, the league wanted the women to retain their femininity on the field and off the field so that meant Charm School and Beauty Routines.
Photo: Dorothy [″Dottie″] Schroeder – She inspired the character in “A League of Their Own”, catcher Dottie Hinson.
![Vintage Photo of Photo: Dorothy [″Dottie″] Schroeder - She inspired the character in “A League of Their Own”, catcher Dottie Hinson. Image for the All American Girls Baseball League](https://www.vintageinn.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/33970c42292e8e4bdb43f2740b5fa537.jpg)
Here is a sampling of what they were expected to do.
Beauty Kit-“Your ALL-AMERICAN GIRLS BASEBALL LEAGUE BEAUTY KIT Should always contain the following (source):
- Cleansing Cream
- Lipstick
- Rouge Medium
- Cream Deodorant
- Mild Astringent
- Face powder for Brunette
- Hand Lotion
- Hair Remover
Other Highlights:
Hair– “Woman’s Crowning Glory”. One of the most noticeable attributes of a girl is her hair, woman’s crowning glory. No matter the features, the clothes, the inner charm or personality, they can all suffer beneath a sloppy or stringy coiffure. Neither is it necessary to feature a fancy or extravagant hairdo, because a daily program for the hair will help to keep it in healthful and attractive condition.
Mouth– Every woman wants to have an attractive and pleasing mouth. As you speak, people watch your mouth and you can do much, with a few of the very simplest tools, to make your mouth invitingly bespeak your personality.
Clothes– Clothes, of course, have always been one of woman’s great problems and it might seem so to the All-American girl. However, with the exercising of good taste, the All-American Girls Baseball League player can solve her problem in a tasteful manner and without great expense, without being encumbered with too great a wardrobe for the summer months. The accent, of course, is on neatness and feminine appeal.
Etiquette–IN PUBLIC PLACES. The All-American girl should avoid behavior that would make her conspicuous in public. One of the cardinal rules is not to talk too loudly.
Public Relations. Choose your new-found friends carefully and well and when you participate in the social life of the community, always act and behave in good taste. If you are gracious, ladylike, friendly and cooperative, you will have the opportunity of choosing your own friends.
**For a more detailed breakdown on all the beauty routines they had to do, please visit the AAGPBL site HERE.**
OH and we cannot forgot the “Victory Song” made famous in the Movie “League of their Own”…..
One more thing….In the original movie there is a very short scene (shown below) where a loose ball is picked up by a Black Woman and thrown back at great strength and speed. The scene is very important because it acknowledges the lack of diversification in the league and that there were talented Black Women looking to play ball.
HOWEVER…all was not completely lost for some of these women. There was the ‘Negro Leagues’ and they welcome the first three Black women to play professional baseball when they joined the Indianapolis Clowns in the Negro Leagues. Toni Stone, Mamie “Peanut” Johnnson, and Connie Morgan (Source).
Please take some time and read all about these three trailblazing women in the article ‘The women of the Negro Leagues‘.
Canadian Connection:
The league also had 68 Canadian Women on their teams. Here is a ‘Heritage Minute’, celebrating Saskatchewan’s Mary “Bonnie” Baker, an all-star catcher in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League and a pioneer for women in sports.
I hope you enjoyed this brief history lesson on these wonderful women of baseball.
One last note (Nov 2023): ‘A League Of Their Own’ tv show has been created for Amazon Prime Video. It was fantastic but sadly cancelled 🙁 Please watch the season they did get.
I’m also very excited about them addressing topics they could not discuss in the 1990s, like WOC & Queer Women in this new take.
Take a look at the trailer below (video link).
After you watch the show, let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.
FURTHER READING:
Liz 🙂
Being from England I know next to nothing about baseball but I really enjoyed looking at all these fab images of these jolly, sporty women. The uniform doesn’t look so practical but does look cute which I suppose was the point at the time. The charm and beauty school instruction, especially the mouth one, made me giggle!
The uniforms were terrible. Watch the movie “League of their own” and you will see exactly what I mean (plus the movie is 1940s awesome!).
I could not imagine, not only having to play baseball but ALSO remember all the things you can and cannot do on and off the field. Sigh..so much work.
Liz
Why, yes, I do love this whole awesome post to no end 🙂 A League of Their Own was one of the most influential movies on my early childhood passion for the mid-twentieth century (and amongst the first topics I blogged about back in 2009). I love the movie and the real life history of the AAGPBL equally and will forever be grateful to both for the role that they played in my lifelong adoration of the past.
♥ Jessica
I agree with you Jessica on the influence the movie played on my vintage lifestyle today (also swing kids). I wish that I could chat with one of the ladies and really hear it first hand what it was like to be part of this experience, but since I cannot I’m really glad that there is excellent documentation on it.
Have a super week!
Liz 🙂