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Women's Baseball: Can It Go Professional?

© Colleen Bittner

In 1943 the world was at war. Husbands, sons, fathers, and brothers were fighting overseas. On July 1, 1943, The war was supposed to be the focus of the event, but it wasn't. The Red Cross rally, attended by famous Hollywood celebrities in an effort to raise money for the war, was overshadowed by a group of women. That warm evening, the first game ever played in Wrigley Field took place. It was the all-star game for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, the Wisconsin's, were playing Illinois - Indiana club. On the record books however, the first nighttime baseball game played in Wrigley Field was held on Aug. 8, 1988, between the Chicago Cubs, and the Philadelphia Phillies.

The AAGPBA had started its inaugural season four months earlier with only four teams. In 1944, Wrigley sold the league to Arthur Meyerhoff when he saw that the major leagues would be affected by the war. Within a year, it expanded to five teams and, within four years it had expanded to ten. Attendance was just under one million fans, with eight home teams and two touring teams consisting of rookie players.

In 1951, Meyerhoff turned the league over to the team owners. With the lack of central control and the Major League games being televised, the league folded.

Since then, there have been several women's professional baseball leagues. In 1988, a Chicago-based league called the Women's Baseball Association was organized. They started with four teams and play recreationally today with three.

Jim Glennie and his daughter Kristen founded the Michigan Women's Baseball League in 1992. They play today with five teams. The South Diamond league, a Florida league, was founded shortly after the Michigan Women's baseball league. Based near Miami, it currently operates with five teams.

The Colorado Silver Bullets emerged shortly after the box office hit A League of Their Own. The movie had brought public awareness to women's baseball, and the team capitalized on it. Stadiums fill everywhere they play, and they have sustained interest in women's baseball.

Is this possibly the beginning of a large women's professional league on a national basis? With the success of the ABL and the WNBA, and the women's Olympic hockey team, it is a possibility. The Women's Professional Fastpitch League league started in 1989. They will have six teams for the 1998 season and are planning to expand nationally in 1999. Will there be enough fan base, and players to play?

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