The story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball league has been told in a number of differing angles; however the raw story is that on the heels of World War II many Major League Baseball players went into the Military in the 1940’s. In response, major league baseball essentially halted for some time.
During this time, in an attempt to keep baseball revenue coming in for the managers, promoters, and owners a Girl’s baseball league was starting. This story is most notably told nationally in the film, A League of their Own.
The individual teams that made up this league were, like major league baseball, all over the country. And the athletes came from all over as well. I’ve discussed sever of the area players that leant their talents to the league during its run and continuing that I thought I’d take a look at Sellersburg native, Doris Jones.
She stayed nearby her hometown during her one and only professional season in 1945 playing with the South Bend Blue Sox.
Despite not having a great deal of information on public file regarding Jones’ impact on the game of baseball her legacy is known and powerful, and it is just that a legacy. A legacy that related to one moment in time which for all intents and purposes defined a generation of people, the league which was began to do one thing: make money did so much more than that because of the women that were involved. That proved beyond a shadow of a doubt not only their athleticism but their tenacity as well, most of these teams were in a smaller town around the Midwest and these women were mothers, wives, and sisters and they took an opportunity and made it something truly remarkable and very noteworthy in every since of the word.
Outside Sources
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
Image courtesy of the AAGPBL