All American Girls Professional Baseball Team

As explained in “The Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League: Pioneers in their own right,” the United States entry into World War Ⅱ (1939-1945) left the National Baseball League in fear of shutting down due to low numbers of men available to play for the teams. In response to this problem, Philip K. Wrigley created the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) in 1943. This league created an alternative form of family entertainment by allowing women to play professional baseball. During this time, playing professional sports was out of the social norm for women, however, this league created a short period of time where women could not only play the sport they were passionate about, but were respected and encouraged by the public. The AAGPBL started losing support once the men’s league recovered after the war and was officially shut down in 1954. A traveling team, the Allington’s All-Americans, continued to play for three years afterwards and then similarly disbanded.

Clement C. GrawOzburn, the interviewer, asked similar questions to the women throughout their interviews to gain a better understanding of what it was like to be a player for the AAGPBL. Each woman in this collection begins their interview by describing their childhood and how they were introduced to baseball. They each have unique stories of how they gained experience ranging from playing ball with the neighborhood kids in their free time to playing on official softball and baseball teams. These experiences led them to receiving an invitation to try-out for the AAGPBL. 

As the interviews unfold, they focus on their individual experiences during their professional athletic careers. Despite playing on different teams and at different times, they all share similar stories around enduring long bus rides, strict chaperones rules, and positive interactions with fans. A common theme addressed in the interviews revolves around the expectation for them to perform traditional femininity while playing in a professional league. “...we were to act and look like women off the field but when we got on the field we were to play like men… and we did.” --Anastasia Batikis This highlights the conflicting standards discussed in the interviews.

They conclude their interviews by sharing the impact of “A League of their Own,” a film inspired by their experiences playing in the league. They explain how the movie allowed them to receive the long-overdue attention they deserve for playing baseball at a professional level. “If it wasn’t for that movie, we would still be the best kept secret of World War Ⅱ.” --Louise Sauer (Erickson) Additionally, they describe their reactions to being inducted into the hall of fame and how it led to their recognition as pioneers for women’s athletics.

In addition to OHP’s AAGPBL oral histories, the following external websites may be helpful for providing further research material. 

Grand Valley State Oral History’s All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Interviews: 

This collection has 51 interviews with video and transcripts of players from the AAGPBL. The large sample of interviews in this collection can be useful for providing a wider range of historical evidence and gaining a better understanding of the reality of playing in the AAGPBL.

Oral History Interviews of The Forgotten Champs: The 1944 Milwaukee Chicks Oral History Project: 

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Archives Department holds five interviews and transcripts featuring women who played for the Milwaukee Chicks in 1944. This resource offers specifics on the Milwaukee team and provides a wider understanding of playing in the AAGPBL from multiple accounts within the same team. 

AAGPBL Players Association:

This resource offers information on the history, teams, and players from the AAGPBL. This can be useful for additional material on individual players and teams or as a historical overview of the AAGPBL.