The All American Girls Professional Baseball League
Before we told our daughters that they could be anyone, or anything they wanted to be, we told them that they could only be what was acceptable for women to be, and that they could only do things that were considered "ladylike." It was at this time, when the nation was frenzied with the business of war, that the women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League decided that they could do and be whatever it was that they chose. These women broke free of the limitations that their family and society had set for them, and publicly broke into what had been an exclusively male sport up until that time.
To understand the significance of the league (which will further be referred to as the AAGPBL) you must first have an understanding of the role of women in society at this time. Post World War II, women had a very slight role in anything not concerning domestic issues. Public figures and decision-makers were male, and very few women were involved in anything having to with business or politics. Women were expected to be ladylike and well mannered at all times. Because of these factors it was rare to find a woman involved in any type of sport, especially those dominated by males.
The start of the war era came on the heels of a decade when women had seemingly taken a step backward in social and economic progress. The depression of the 1930's had devastated the American economy. Women, especially married women, had bore the largest share of the burden. To help male workers get back on the job, national leaders called for married women in two-income families to give up their jobs. Several states had passed laws barring women from holding state jobs.
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...omically, while also liberating some of their fans by their example.
These women laid the groundwork for future women's sports and professional women's teams. They displayed an independence unheard of at that time, and they served as role models to their fans. For all of these reasons the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was a significant part of women's history.
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Fincher, Jack. "Belles of the Ball Game." Smithsonian. 20 (July, 1989):88-97.
Gregorich, Barbara. Women at Play. Orlando: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1993.
Johnson, Susan E. When Women Played Hardball. Seattle: Seal Press, 1994.
Macy, Sue. A Whole New Ball Game. New York: Henry Holt and Company Inc., 1993.
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In 1941, the United States entered WWII. Young men all over the country were being called to serve in the war. That doesn’t exclude professional sports players either. High profile MLB players, like Joe DiMaggio, were responsible for signing up for the draft also at the age of 18; so when duty called, they had to answer(Teitelbaum, 14). Baseball was an extremely popular form of entertainment. President Roosevelt called on Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis to keep the sport alive, even if the quality of a game was not as high(Galt, 10). At the same time, over 40,000 hometown women’s softball teams had already been formed. Teams were being sponsored by breweries, bakeries, taverns, big industries, and little individuals who wanted to be a part of the success(Galt,11). Women were going to take on the responsibility to ...
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This was the start of a new age in the history for women. Before the war a woman’s main job was taking care of her household more like a maid, wife and mother. The men thought that women should not have to work and they should be sheltered and protected. Society also did not like the idea of women working and having positions of power in the workforce but all that change...
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Professional women's sports haven't been around too long, although it does have an extensive history and root system. In 1865, Vasser became one of the first women colleges in the United States. Within the safe boundaries of campus and away from the curious eyes of men, w...
Women are being allowed to participate now, including professional leagues such as the Women’s National Basketball Association, and the Ladies Professional Golf Association. Women in sports, especially softball and basketball, have become a big-time business. World War II is when the basis of women’s professional sports began. While the men were overseas fighting the war against the Nazis and Germans, the women entertained the people who stayed back by playing baseball.
Lesko, J. (2005). League History. All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Players Association. Retrieved for this paper Mar 20, 2014 from, http://www.aagpbl.org/index.cfm/pages/league/12/league-history
When speck of whether women should play men sports such as baseball, we most forget there was a time when females ruled the diamond. During World War II, two team owners started a league for women, to prevent losing season profits. Women who played just as well as or better the men were brought in from all over the country and given a chance to be paid for playing the game they love. Although the league was eventually ended in 1954 due to the end of the war and growing lack of interest in the league. The league is honored with a space in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Another event which in my opinion truly proves women can stick it with the men is when 17-year-old pitcher Virne Beatrice "Jackie" Mitchell strikes out Landis voids Mitchell's contract, saying baseball is "too strenuous" for women Baseball Commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis bans women from professional baseball (the bans lasts until 1992). &nbs