Today, people across the globe are celebrating National Girls and Women in Sports Day. We look at the history of women’s baseball and how it continues to impact the world today.
Women began playing baseball in the mid-nineteenth century at several women’s colleges in New York and New England. In 1867, the Philadelphia Dolly Vardens, an All-African American team, was one of the first teams assembled for women’s baseball. Women’s teams were also formed at Vassar College, Smith College, Wellesley College, and Mount Holyoke College.
The first woman to play baseball against men was Lizzie Murphy, who played first base for the Providence Independents in 1922. Many newspapers praised her defensive skills at the position. She played in a charity exhibition against the Boston Red Sox. Her baseball career lasted from 1918 to 1935, during which time she played in semi-pro leagues.
In 1931, the Chattanooga Lookouts held an exhibition game, where 17-year-old Jackie Mitchell would pitch and strike out future hall of famers Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. As a result, the commissioner of baseball at the time voided her contract.
At the start of World War II, several MLB players were drafted to the war, including Ted Williams, Stan Musial, and Joe DiMaggio. With several players heading to help with the war, the owner of the Chicago Cubs, Phillip K. Wrigley, created the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League to keep baseball financially afloat. The league would last from 1943 to 1954. A movie would come out in 1992, A League of Their Own, to commemorate the history of the league. The film starred Geena Davis and Tom Hanks.
Since then, several women have had many opportunities across many different leagues. In 2014, Mo’ne Davis became the first woman to record a win in the Little League World Series and the first woman to pitch a shutout in Little League postseason history. Olivia Pichardo became the first woman to play Division 1 Baseball, playing at Brown University. Back in 2019, Rachel Balkovec became the first hired to be a full-time hitting coach with the Yankees organization. In 2022, Balkovec became the manager of the Tampa Tarpons. In 2020, Alyssa Nakken became the first full-time coach in MLB History, joining the San Francisco Giants.
The history of women in baseball will only continue to grow larger as the years continue to progress. Many opportunities are opening up by the minute, as we’ve also seen several women hold positions as executives, umpires, and in broadcasting. The possibilities are endless as women help to continue to be a vital part of baseball today.
