Little League baseball - what happened on June 12, 1974?

Maria Pepe

June 12 is always a bittersweet date for me.

Where do I start? Growing up in the Chicago area back in the 1970s, I spent my days cheering for the Cubs and sitting in the bleachers watching my brothers and their friends play Little League baseball.

What would it take to play?

Sure, I played in the neighborhood ball games (we played in the streets!). But when it came to organized Little League, girls weren't allowed. Simple as that.

However, girls and their families (including Maria Pepe and NOW) began taking their cases to court. By June 12, 1974, Little League baseball finally changed their rules, allowing girls to play. 

As for me? By that summer, I had turned 13 -- too old to play.

I love baseball & am thrilled that girls now are allowed to play. But when I look at the old Little League rule books and see the stern wording that kept girls out for so many years? It's chilling, to say the least. 

Our girls have much to be thankful for, but there's still a long way to go. Let's encourage them every day in every way.

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