1952 All-American Girls Professional Baseball League season

Summary

The 1952 All-American Girls Professional Baseball League season marked the tenth season of the circuit. The teams Battle Creek Belles, Fort Wayne Daisies, Grand Rapids Chicks, Kalamazoo Lassies, Rockford Peaches and South Bend Blue Sox competed through a 110-game schedule, while the Shaugnessy playoffs featured the top four teams from each half of the regular season.[1]

1952 All-American Girls Professional Baseball League season
LeagueAll-American Girls Professional Baseball League
SportBaseball
Number of teamsSix
Regular season
Season championsFort Wayne Daisies
Shaugnessy playoffs
ChampionsSouth Bend Blue Sox
AAGPBL seasons
← 1951
1953 →

In 1952 the league was left with six teams, as Kenosha and Peoria folded at the end of the previous season. No changes were made to the game, but attendance continued to decline. Joanne Weaver of Fort Wayne won the batting crown with a .344 average, while her older sister and teammate Betty Foss was honored with the Player of the Year Award. Foss registered the second best average (.331) and led the league in total bases (209), runs scored (81), runs batted in (74), doubles (24) and triples (17). South Bend's Jean Faut won the pitching Triple Crown, after leading the league in earned run average (0.93) and strikeouts (114), while tying with Rockford's Rose Gacioch for the most victories (20). Faut also posted the best win–loss record (.909), that would eventually become the highest in league history. Furthermore, Marilyn Jones of Battle Creek hurled the only no-hitter of the season against Rockford on July 10.[2][3]

During the best-of-three series, first place Fort Wayne lost to third place Rockford, two games to one, while second place South Bend swept fourth place Grand Rapids. Fort Wayne won the first game, 5–4, in a heroic 10-inning effort by Maxine Kline. But Rockford won the next contest, 4–3, with strong pitching from Rose Gacioch, who limited the powerful Daisies to a run after struggling in the first inning. In Game 3, Migdalia Pérez scattered six hits in a 6–0 shutout against Fort Wayne, while receiving offensive support from Jean Buckley, who went 4-for-4 with four RBI. In the other series, South Bend disposed of Grand Rapids in two games. Jean Faut struck out nine Chicks in a three-hit, 2–1 victory while facing Alma Ziegler in Game 1. Then, Glenna Sue Kidd defeated Earlene Risinger and Grand Rapids in Game 2, 6–1, to face Grand Rapids in the finals. South Bend clinched the title over the Peaches, 3 to 2 games. Once more Faut was brilliant in the final series, winning two games and batting an average of .300 (6-for-20) with two triples and three RBI, while leading the Blue Sox to their second championship in a row.[4]

Attendance continued to decline, but no figures are available. For the second consecutive year Battle Creek failed to capture a sustainable fan base. The team would be relocated and renamed Muskegon Belles for the next season.[5]

Standings edit

Rank Team W L W-L% GB
1 Fort Wayne Daisies 67 42 .613
2 South Bend Blue Sox 64 45 .587 3
3 Rockford Peaches 55 54 .505 10
4 Grand Rapids Chicks 50 60 .455 17½
5 Kalamazoo Lassies 49 60 .450 18
6 Battle Creek Belles 43 67 .344 24

[6]

Postseason edit

First round
Best of three series
Second round
Best of five series
      
1 Fort Wayne Daisies 1
3 Rockford Peaches 2
3 Rockford Peaches 2
2 South Bend Blue Sox 3
2 South Bend Blue Sox 2
4 Grand Rapids Chicks 0

[4]

Batting statistics edit

Statistic Player Record
 Batting average Joanne Weaver (FW)
Betty Foss (FW)
Doris Sams (KAL)
Jane Stoll (SB)
Inez Voyce (GR)
Betty Wagoner (SB)
Jean Faut (SB)
Doris Satterfield (GR)
Ruth Richard (ROC)
   Jean Geissinger (FW/GR)   
Joyce Hill (SB)
Jean Cione (BC)
Wilma Briggs (FW)
Alice Pollitt (ROC)
.344
.331
.314
.301
.295
.295
.291
.285
.284
.280
.277
.275
.275
.270
Runs scored Betty Foss (FW)
Thelma Eisen (FW)
Dorothy Schroeder (FW)
Betty Wagoner (SB)
Connie Wisniewski (GR)
Joanne Weaver (FW)
Inez Voyce (GR)
Eleanor Callow (ROC)
Joan Berger (ROC)
Josephine Lenard (SB)
Doris Sams (KAL)
Wilma Briggs (FW)
Alice Pollitt (ROC)
Jane Stoll (SB)
Jean Cione (BC)
Doris Satterfield (GR)
81
77
67
64
64
58
57
56
54
49
47
46
45
45
43
43
Hits Betty Foss (FW)
Doris Sams (KAL)
Inez Voyce (GR)
Jean Geissinger (FW/GR)
Alice Pollitt (ROC)
Ruth Richard (ROC)
Thelma Eisen (FW)
Doris Satterfield (GR)
June Peppas (KAL)
Joanne Weaver (FW)
Wilma Briggs (FW)
Eleanor Callow (ROC)
137
128
115
114
113
112
110
110
108
108
102
101
Doubles Betty Foss (FW)
Doris Sams (KAL)
Jean Cione (BC)
Inez Voyce (GR)
Jean Geissinger (FW/GR)
Wilma Briggs (FW)
Josephine Lenard (SB)
Gertrude Dunn (SB)
Several Others
26
25
17
16
16
16
15
15
14
Triples Betty Foss (FW)
Marjorie Pieper (BC)
Alice Pollitt (ROC)
Eleanor Callow (ROC)
Joan Berger (ROC)
Catherine Horstman (FW)
Dorothy Schroeder (FW)
Ruth Richard (ROC)
Jean Geissinger (FW/GR)
Betty Foss (FW)
Joanne Weaver (FW)
Wilma Briggs (FW)
Jane Stoll (SB)
Inez Voyce (GR)
17
8
7
6
6
6
5
5
5
5
5
4
3
3
Home runs Doris Sams (KAL)
Inez Voyce (GR)
Eleanor Callow (ROC)
Dorothy Schroeder (FW)
Jean Geissinger (FW/GR)
Betty Foss (FW)
Marjorie Pieper (BC)
Wilma Briggs (FW)
Jean Marlowe (KAL)
Ruth Richard (ROC)
Joanne Weaver (FW)
12
10
8
6
5
4
4
3
3
3
3
Runs batted in Betty Foss (FW)
Jane Stoll (SB)
Doris Sams (KAL)
Jean Geissinger (FW/GR)
Inez Voyce (GR)
Doris Satterfield (GR)
Wilma Briggs (FW)
Joanne Weaver (FW)
Eleanor Callow (ROC)
Josephine Lenard (SB)
Marjorie Pieper (BC)
Ruth Richard (ROC)
Dorothy Schroeder (FW)
74
60
57
56
54
51
50
50
49
47
47
46
43
Stolen bases Charlene Pryer (SB)
Betty Foss (FW)
Thelma Eisen (FW)
Josephine Lenard (SB)
Dorothy Harrell (ROC)
Ernestine Petras (BC)
Doris Satterfield (GR)
Betty Wagoner (SB)
Eleanor Callow (ROC)
Alice Pollitt (ROC)
Connie Wisniewski (GR)
Jane Stoll (SB)
Joyce Hill (SB)
59
56
54
47
46
42
40
40
39
35
35
21
20
Total bases Betty Foss (FW)
Doris Sams (KAL)
Inez Voyce (GR)
Jean Geissinger (FW/GR)
Eleanor Callow (ROC)
Ruth Richard (ROC)
Doris Satterfield (GR)
Joanne Weaver (FW)
Alice Pollitt (ROC)
Dorothy Schroeder (FW)
Wilma Briggs (FW)
Jane Stoll (SB)
Joan Berger (ROC)
Josephine Lenard (SB)
Marjorie Pieper (BC)
209
195
167
155
151
145
138
137
136
136
135
127
124
106
105

[4]

Pitching statistics edit

Statistic Player Record
Wins Jean Faut (SB)
Rose Gacioch (ROC)
Maxine Kline (FW)
Pat Scott (FW)
Nancy Warren (FW)
Gloria Cordes (KAL)
Margaret Holgerson (GR)
Glenna Sue Kidd (SB)
Jacquelyn Kelley (ROC)
Josephine Hasham (BC)
Jaynne Bittner (GR/FW)
Migdalia Pérez (BC/ROC)
    Mary Lou Studnicka (GR)    
Earlene Risinger (GR)
Gloria Schweigerdt (BC)
Ruth Williams (KAL)
20
20
19
17
17
16
14
13
12
12
11
11
11
10
10
10
Winning percentage Jean Faut (SB)
Maxine Kline (FW)
Catherine Horstman (FW)
Pat Scott (FW)
Nancy Warren (FW)
Gloria Cordes (KAL)
Rose Gacioch (ROC)
Glenna Sue Kidd (SB)
Margaret Holgerson (GR)
Marilyn Jones (BC)
Helen Nicol (ROC)
Jacquelyn Kelley (ROC)
.909
.731
.714
.708
.708
.667
.667
.650
.609
.563
.533
.522
Earned run average Jean Faut (SB)
Gloria Cordes (KAL)
Marilyn Jones (BC)
Dorothy Mueller (SB)
Rose Gacioch (ROC)
Maxine Kline (FW)
Glenna Sue Kidd (SB)
Pat Scott (FW)
Nancy Warren (FW)
Janet Rumsey (SB)
Migdalia Pérez (BC/ROC)
Earlene Risinger (GR)
Catherine Horstman (FW)
Margaret Holgerson (GR)
Georgette Vincent (SB)
0.93
1.44
1.69
1.82
1.88
1.93
2.00
2.13
2.14
2.22
2.34
2.34
2.35
2.36
2.36
Strikeouts Jean Faut (SB)
Nancy Warren (FW)
Gloria Cordes (KAL)
Earlene Risinger (GR)
Margaret Holgerson (GR)
Jacquelyn Kelley (ROC)
Maxine Kline (FW)
Mary Lou Studnicka (GR)
Georgette Vincent (SB)
Glenna Sue Kidd (SB)
Pat Scott (FW)
Rose Gacioch (ROC)
Marilyn Jones (BC)
Gloria Schweigerdt (BC)
Ruth Williams (KAL)
114
91
84
82
78
73
70
70
65
64
60
48
46
44
41
Games pitched Josephine Hasham (BC)
Migdalia Pérez (BC/ROC)
Rose Gacioch (ROC)
Maxine Kline (FW)
Eleanor Moore (FW)
Gloria Schweigerdt (BC)
Mary Lou Studnicka (GR)
Earlene Risinger (GR)
Janet Rumsey (SB)
Jaynne Bittner (GR/FW)
33
33
31
28
28
28
28
27
26
25
Innings pitched Rose Gacioch (ROC)
Maxine Kline (FW)
Josephine Hasham (BC)
Nancy Warren (FW)
Gloria Cordes (KAL)
Migdalia Pérez (BC/ROC)
Pat Scott (FW)
Earlene Risinger (GR)
Mary Lou Studnicka (GR)
Jean Faut (SB)
259
238
222
219
213
208
202
192
185
184

[4]

All-Star Game edit

See also edit

Sources edit

  1. ^ All-American Girls Professional Baseball League teams by season
  2. ^ All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Record BookW. C. Madden. Publisher: McFarland & Company, 2000. Format: Softcover, 294pp. Language: English. ISBN 978-0-7864-3747-4
  3. ^ The Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League: A Biographical DictionaryW. C. Madden. Publisher: McFarland & Company, 2005. Format: Softcover, 295pp. Language: English. ISBN 0-7864-3747-2
  4. ^ a b c d All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Record Book
  5. ^ All-American Girls Professional Baseball League History
  6. ^ "All-American Girls Professional Baseball League records".

External links edit

  • AAGPBL Official Website
  • AAGPBL Records
  • Baseball Historian files
  • The Diamond Angle profiles and interviews
  • SABR Projects – Jim Sargent articles
  • YouTube videos