History
Women began playing baseball in 1866.
It
wasn't easy. Why? The women played in long skirts. After a woman hit the
ball, she had to drape the train of her heavy skirt over her arm before she
could run to first base!
Beginning in 1890, women began playing
professional and amateur baseball with "bloomer girl" teams. Other
women entered the men's ranks. In 1898, Lizzie Arlington signed a minor
league contract. From 1905-1911, Amanda Clement umpired semi-pro games in
the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa, and Nebraska. In 1922, Lizzie Murphy played
first base with a major league team of American League All-Stars. Six years
later, she played an exhibition game with a national League All-Star team.
In 1931, Jackie Mitchell struck out Babe Ruth
and Lou Gehrig. Even though Jackie's story is unusual, she was just one of
many women to play the game. top
