Annastasia Batikis
'Stash''(March 15, 1927 – March 12, 2016) was a
center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the c ...
who played for the
Racine Belles
The Racine Belles were one of the original teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League playing from through out of Racine, Wisconsin. The Belles won the league's first championship. The team played its home games at Horlick Fi ...
of the
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) was a professional women's baseball league founded by Philip K. Wrigley which existed from 1943 to 1954. The AAGPBL is the forerunner of women's professional league sports in the Uni ...
during the season.
Listed at , 125 lb., she batted and threw
left-handed
In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to it being stronger, faster or more dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dextrous or simply less subjecti ...
.
Career
Born in
Kaukauna, Wisconsin
Kaukauna () is a city in Outagamie and Calumet counties, Wisconsin, United States. It is situated on the Fox River, approximately north of Milwaukee. The population was 15,462 at the 2010 census. It is a part of the Appleton, Wisconsin Metr ...
to
Greek-American
Greek Americans ( el, Ελληνοαμερικανοί ''Ellinoamerikanoí'' ''Ellinoamerikánoi'' ) are Americans of full or partial Greek ancestry. The lowest estimate is that 1.2 million Americans are of Greek descent while the highest es ...
parents, Batikis was one of three descendants of Greek migrants to play in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, being the others
Kay Lionikas and
Vickie Panos
Victoria Panos (March 20, 1920 – April 29, 1986) was Canadian baseball player who played as an outfielder for two different teams in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 3", 120 lb., Panos batted left-handed a ...
. She had two brothers – Alex (who served in the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
from 1943 to 1946) and John. She was first intrigued with playing baseball as a young girl in third grade while watching men play baseball on the playgrounds. When she got older she joined the Recreation Department League and played
softball
Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...
. She and her high school friends would go out to games where the Racine Belles played and watch in awe the women who played so well.
At 18 years of age and in her senior year in high school, Batikis tried out at the
Historic Horlick Field where the Belles played and made the cut. She was then sent to
spring training
Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...
in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, where she got a contract with the Racine team of her home town. At that time only one other woman in the league played for her home town. She believed that playing ball gave her the opportunity to travel, meet all kinds of neat people - helped with self-confidence.
Batikis played for one season because she left the following year to attend college at
La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of La Crosse County. Positioned alongside the Mississippi River, La Crosse is the largest city on Wisconsin's western border. La Crosse's population as of the 2020 census w ...
. She appeared in five games and went hitless in 11
at-bat
In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a bat ...
opportunities.
After her career as a professional baseball player ended, Batikis went on to get a teaching position, working in the educational department for 35 years. She did a significant amount of volunteer work for clubs, churches, ballteams, civic groups to give talks about the League she played in. She also attended
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Charte ...
.
The AAGPBL folded in 1954, but there is now a permanent display at the
Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-re ...
at
Cooperstown, New York
Cooperstown is a village in and county seat of Otsego County, New York, United States. Most of the village lies within the town of Otsego, but some of the eastern part is in the town of Middlefield. Located at the foot of Otsego Lake in the C ...
since November 5, that honors those who were part of this unique experience. Batikis, along with the rest of the league's girls, is now enshrined in the Hall.
In 2002, Batikis was added to Milwaukees Walls of Honor, which salutes Wisconsin's baseball history greats. She is also in the Hall of Fame at her old college
University of Wisconsin–LaCrosse for being a pioneer for women in professional baseball. In addition, she was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Washington Park Hall High School in 1987, joining her brother John, who was inducted in 1976.
See also
*
List of Greek Americans
Sources
* ''All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Record Book'' – W. C. Madden. Publisher: McFarland & Company. Format: Paperback, 294pp. Language: English.
External links
An Interview with Ann Batikis thediamondangle.com via archive.org; accessed November 15, 2016.
star-collector.net; accessed November 15, 2016.
Obituary legacy.com; accessed November 15, 2016.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Batikis, Annastasia
1927 births
2016 deaths
People from Kaukauna, Wisconsin
Northwestern University alumni
University of Wisconsin–La Crosse alumni
Baseball players from Wisconsin
American people of Greek descent
Sportspeople from Racine, Wisconsin
Sportspeople from the Milwaukee metropolitan area
Racine Belles (1943–1950) players
21st-century American women