Elizabeth Jane Whiting (November 13, 1925 – February 10, 1967) was a
utility
As a topic of economics, utility is used to model worth or value. Its usage has evolved significantly over time. The term was introduced initially as a measure of pleasure or happiness as part of the theory of utilitarianism by moral philosoph ...
who played from through in the
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 147 lb., Whiting batted and threw right-handed. She was born in
Ida,
Michigan
Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
.
Betty Whiting was a valuable utility in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, playing mainly at
first base for seven different teams in a span of nine seasons. She joined the league in 1944, as starting
shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...
for the
Milwaukee Chicks
The Milwaukee Chicks were a women's professional baseball team which played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the season. They were managed by Max Carey, former star player for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Brooklyn Robi ...
. By 1946 she was playing first base for the
Grand Rapids Chicks
The Grand Rapids Chicks were a women's professional baseball team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1945 to 1954, winning championships in 1947 and 1953.
History
The franchise ...
.
After that, Whiting played through 1952 for the
Grand Rapids Chicks
The Grand Rapids Chicks were a women's professional baseball team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1945 to 1954, winning championships in 1947 and 1953.
History
The franchise ...
,
Fort Wayne Daisies
The Fort Wayne Daisies were a women's professional baseball team based in Fort Wayne, Indiana that played from through as members of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
History
The Daisies represented Fort Wayne, Indiana, and ...
,
Chicago Colleens
The Chicago Colleens were a women's professional baseball team who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1948 to 1951, evolving into a development team. The team was based Chicago, Illinois and played their home gam ...
,
South Bend Blue Sox,
Kalamazoo Lassies
The Kalamazoo Lassies were a team who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The team represented Kalamazoo, Michigan. Home games were initially played at Lindstrom Field, but later games were played at th ...
and
Battle Creek Belles, for whom she also
caught and played in the
outfield
The outfield, in cricket, baseball and softball is the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield. In association football, the outfield players are positioned outside the goal area.
In cricket, baseball a ...
.
Her most productive season came in 1952, when she posted career numbers with a .231
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
and 79
hits, while
driving in 28 runs and
scoring
Score or scorer may refer to:
*Test score, the result of an exam or test
Business
* Score Digital, now part of Bauer Radio
* Score Entertainment, a former American trading card design and manufacturing company
* Score Media, a former Canadian m ...
38 times in 104 games. She also led the league in being
hit by pitches in two years, while in 1946 she committed only 13
errors at first base to lead all
first sackers in
fielding average
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, divi ...
(.989).
A member of the 1944 Milwaukee champion team, Whiting also appeared in four postseasons (1945–46, 1948–49). In 1988, she became part of ''Women in Baseball'', a permanent display based at the
Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in
Cooperstown, New York, which was unveiled to honor the entire All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
Whiting died in
Battle Creek, Michigan at the age of 41, when she fell down the stairway to her cellar.
Batting statistics
[''All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Record Book'' – W. C. Madden. Publisher: McFarland & Company, 2000. Format: Paperback, 294pp. Language: English. ]
Sources
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whiting, Betty
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League players
Baseball players from Michigan
People from Monroe County, Michigan
1925 births
1967 deaths
Sportspeople from Battle Creek, Michigan
20th-century American women
20th-century American people