The Grand Rapids Chicks were a women's professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

team based in

Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

. They played in 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 ...

from 1945 to 1954, winning championships in 1947 and 1953.

History

The franchise originated in 1944 in

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

as 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 ...

. Although the Chicks won the 1944 AAGPBL championship, they could not compete with the minor league

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...

for ticket sales, and the franchise moved to Grand Rapids. They enjoyed continued success following the move, making the playoffs every year until the league folded following the 1954 season. Grand Rapids had its share of league stars including Players of the Year

Connie Wisniewski Constance Wisniewski (Wiśniewski) (February 18, 1922 – May 4, 1995) was a starting pitcher and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 8", 147 lb., she batted left-handed an ...

in 1945 and Alma Ziegler in 1950. League pitching titles were won by Chicks pitchers in 1944 and 1945 by Wisniewski,

Mildred Earp Mildred Kathryn Earp (October 7, 1925 – 2017), nicknamed Mid or Millie, was an American female pitcher who played from to in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 135 lb, she batted and threw right-handed. Earp ...

in 1947,

Alice Haylett Alice Haylett (April 2, 1923 – March 27, 2004), nicknamed "Al" and "Sis", was a female pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 155 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.

in 1948, and Ziegler in 1950. Additionally, several Chicks made All-Star teams from 1946 to 1954 including Wisniewski, Ziegler, Earp, Haylett, Ruth Lessing,

Merle Keagle Merle Patricia Keagle (March 21, 1923 – November 12, 1960) was an American center fielder who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League between the and seasons. Listed at 5' 2", 144 lb., she batted and threw right-ha ...

Doris Satterfield Doris L. Satterfield 'Sadie''(July 27, 1926 – November 4, 1993) was a left and center fielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She batted and threw right-handed. A three-time All-Star, Doris Sa ...

Earlene Risinger Helen Earlene Risinger (March 20, 1927 – July 29, 2008) was a pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 6' 2", 137 lb., she batted and threw right-handed. One of the tallest player ...

, Eleanor Moore, and

Joyce Ricketts Joyce Ricketts (April 25, 1933 – May 8, 1992) was a right fielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Born in Oquawka, Illinois, Joyce Ricketts barel ...

. The Chicks played their home games at South High School in Grand Rapids, with the exception of 1950-1952 when games were played at Bigelow Field in Wyoming Township. After a fire destroyed Bigelow Field, the Chicks returned to South High School through 1954.

All-time players roster

:''Bold denotes members of the inaugural roster'' *

Evelyn Adams Evelyn E. "Tommie" Adams (November 16, 1923 – August 14, 1999) was a shortstop who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the season. Listed at 5' 3", 110 lb., she was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed. A ...

Isabel Alvarez Isabel is a female name of Spanish origin. Isabelle is a name that is similar, but it is of French origin. It originates as the medieval Spanish form of '' Elisabeth'' (ultimately Hebrew ''Elisheva''), Arising in the 12th century, it became popul ...

Lois Barker Lois Anna "Tommie" Barker (April 7, 1923 – February 14, 2018) was a utility player who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) during the season. Listed at 5 ft 3 in, 130 lb, she batted and threw righ ...

Charlene Barnett Charlene Barnett ("Barney") (March 13, 1928 – January 25, 1979) was an infielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She batted and threw right-handed. Born in Elgin, Illinois, Charlene Barnett fill ...

Edith Barney Edith Barney 'Little Red''(February 3, 1923 – March 23, 2010) was a female catcher who played for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the season. Listed at 5' 6", 136 lb., she batted and threw right-handed. A nat ...

Betty Bays Betty Bays (née Schuller; April 1, 1931 – April 12, 1992) was an outfielder and catcher who played from 1950 to 1951 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She batted and threw right handed.Mary Lou Beschorner Mary Lou Beschorner (September 18, 1929 – November 8, 2008) was an outfielder who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 7", 135 lb., she batted and threw right handed. Born in Sandwich, Illinois, Mary ...

Jaynne Bittner Jaynne Berrier Bittner B(March 17, 1926 – April 23, 2017) was a starting pitcher who played from through for four teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 140 lb, she batted and threw right-handed. B ...

Kay Blumetta Catherine Kay Blumetta 'Swish''(May 1, 1923 – April 25, 1997) was a utility who played for six different clubs in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League between the and seasons. Listed at , 150 lb., she batted and threw righ ...

* Mary Butcher *

Thelma Childress Thelma Childress (later Pedin and then Kinney, October 9, 1926 – October 18, 2019) was an All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player. She was born in Richmond, Virginia.Louise Clapp *

Donna Cook Donna Jean Cook �Cookie״(May 24, 1928 – October 16, 2006) was a pitcher and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 121 lb., she batted right-handed and threw left-handed. ...

Patricia Courtney Patricia A. Courtney (October 8, 1931 – July 12, 2003) was an infielder who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , , she batted and threw right handed. Born in Everett, Massachusetts, Pat Courtney graduated ...

Jeanie Descombes Jeneane Descombes Lesko (born March 28, 1935) is a former pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 135 lb., she batted and threw left-handed. She played under the name of Jeanie (or ...

Thelma Eisen Thelma "Tiby" Eisen (May 11, 1922 – May 11, 2014) was an outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 4", 130 lb., she batted and threw right-handed. Thelma Eisen was among the t ...

* Lorraine Fisher * Anita Foss *

Rose Gacioch Rose M. Gacioch (; August 31, 1915 – September 9, 2004) was a right fielder and pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.Eileen Gascon * Barbara Gates *

Jean Geissinger Jean Louise Geissinger (later Harding; June 25, 1934 – June 8, 2014) was an infielder and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League with the Fort Wayne Daisies (1951-1952 'start'' 1953–1 ...

Philomena Gianfrancisco Philomena Theresa Gianfrancisco (later Zale; April 20, 1923 – January 18, 1992) was an outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 134 lb., she batted left-handed and threw right ...

* Annie Gosbee *

Thelma Grambo Thelma Josephine Grambo (later Hundeby; October 28, 1923 – July 30, 2001) was a Canadian catcher who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 7", 165 lb., she batted and threw right handed. ...

Audrey Haine Audrey Haine Daniels (May 9, 1927 – September 11, 2021) was a pitcher who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League between the and seasons. Listed at 5' 9", 150 lb., she batted and threw right handed.

Julia Hardin Julia Hardin was an All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player.Julia Hardin
''

Josephine Hasham *

* Katherine Herring *

Joyce Hill Joyce Elaine Westerman (née Hill; December 29, 1925 – January 18, 2021) was a catcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 150 lb., she batted left-handed and threw right-handed. B ...

* Joan Holderness *

Margaret Holgerson Margaret Holgerson (January 28, 1927 – March 23, 1990) was an American pitcher and infielder who played from to in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She batted and threw right-handed. After being married in 1948 she played u ...

* Dorothy Hunter * Frances Janssen * Joan Jaykoski * Marilyn Jenkins *

Josephine Kabick Josephine Kabick 'Jo''(March 27, 1922 – February 8, 1978) was an American female pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 142 lb., Kabick batted and threw right-handed. She was ...

Phyllis Koehn Phyllis C. Koehn ��Sugar″(September 15, 1922 – May 28, 2007) was an American pitcher and utility who played from through for six different teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 5", 120 lb., Koehn ba ...

Jaynie Krick Jaynie Krick 'Red''(October 1, 1929 – December 29, 2014) was an American pitcher and utility infielder who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League between the and seasons. She was a switch-hitter and threw right-h ...

* Karen Kunkel * Beverly Leach *

Annabelle Lee Annabelle Lee Harmon (January 22, 1922 – July 3, 2008) was an American female pitcher who played from through with four teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 120 lb, Lee was a switch-hitter and threw ...

Joan LeQuia Joan LeQuia (later Barker; born March 13, 1935) is a former infielder and pitcher in All-American Girls Professional Baseball League who played for the Grand Rapids Chicks in its 1953 season. Listed at 5' 2, 120 lb., she batted and threw right ha ...

* Ruth Lessing * Kay Lionikas *

Dorothy Maguire Dorothy Maguire (November 21, 1918 – August 2, 1981) was a catcher and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Maguire batted and threw right-handed. She also played under the name of Doroth ...

Ruth Mason Ruth Mason (7 November 1913 – 14 May 1990) was a New Zealand Botany, botanist specialising in the Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy and ecology of freshwater plants. She was employed at the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research ...

* Joyce Messinger * Dorothy Montgomery * Dolores Moore * Eleanor Moore * Dorothy Mueller *

Doris Neal Doris M. Neal (August 30, 1928 – July 7, 2012) was an infielder and outfielder who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 4", 128 lb., she batted and threw right handed. Doris Neal was a light-hitti ...

* Dolly Niemiec *

Marilyn Olinger Marilyn J. Olinger �Corky״ (June 7, 1928 – July 4, 2006) was a shortstop who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 140 lb., she batted and threw right-handed. Born in Sunbury, Ohio, ...

* Lavonne Paire *

Shirley Palesh Shirley Palesh (November 23, 1929 – March 1, 2017) was an American baseball player in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League between 1949 and 1950. She both batted and threw right-handed. She earned herself two nicknames while play ...

* Marguerite Pearson * Katherine Pechulis *

Ernestine Petras Ernestine Petras �Teeny״(October 22, 1924 – November 20, 2017) was an infielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 125 lb., Petras batted and threw right-handed. She was born i ...

* Betty Petryna *

Magdalen Redman Magdalen "Mamie" Redman (July 2, 1930 – August 22, 2020) was a catcher and utility infielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 150 lb., she batted and threw right-handed. Early ...

* Dorice Reid *

Ruth Richard Ruth Richard '' ichie' (September 20, 1928 – May 6, 2018) was an American baseball player who played as a catcher from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 4", 134 lb., she batted left-handed and t ...

Mary Rountree Mary Rountree (July 23, 1922 – August 7, 2007) was a catcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). Listed at and , she batted and threw right-handed. Nicknamed "Square Bush", Mary Rountree w ...

* Gloria Schweigerdt * Twila Shively * Frances Sloan *

Colleen Smith Colleen Smith (May 31, 1925 – December 28, 2018) was a Canadian people, Canadian former infielder who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 6", 120 lb., Smith batted and threw right handed. She was born in ...

* Helen Smith *

Jean Smith Jean Isabel Smith (born 1959) is a Canadian writer, painter and the lead singer of the Vancouver band Mecca Normal. Career Music Smith co-founded Mecca Normal with bandmate David Lester in 1981, while the two were working together at a Vancouv ...

* Marjean Smith * Barbara Sowers * Rosemary Stevenson * Jane Stoll *

Dorothy Stolze Dorothy Stolze 'Dottie''(May 1, 1923 – July 19, 2003) was a second basewoman who played from through for four teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 129 lb., she batted and threw right-handed. Career ...

* Ruby Stoykovich * Mary Lou Studnicka * Shirley Sutherland * Mary Lou Swanagon * Yolande Teillet * Barbara Tetro * Doris Tetzlaff *

Viola Thompson Viola Thompson ''Griffin(January 2, 1922 – December 31, 2017) was a pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). Listed at , , she batted and threw left-handed. A hard-throwing, underhand ...

* Ina Dell Towers * Betty Tucker * Joan Tysver * Karen Violetta * Inez Voyce *

Betty Wanless Betty Wanless ''Decker (August 28, 1928 – December 20, 1995) was an infielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 134 lb, Wanless batted and threw right-handed. She was born in S ...

* Marie Wegman * Margaret Wenzell * Vera Whiteman *

Betty Whiting Elizabeth Jane Whiting (November 13, 1925 – February 10, 1967) was a utility 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, Mich ...

* Elizabeth Wicken * Elsie Wingrove *

Sylvia Wronski Sylvia Wronski traka (December 2, 1924 – November 28, 1997) was a pitcher who played for parts of two seasons in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 140 lb., she batted and threw right-handed. A member of ...

Renae Youngberg Renae Audrey Youngberg 'Ray''(April 3, 1933 – January 10, 2015) was a third basewoman who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during four seasons spanning 1949–1954. She batted and threw right-handed. Early life ...

* Marie Zeigler * Alma Ziegler

Managers

Season-by-season records

* 1945: 60-50 * 1946: 71-41 * 1947: 65-47 * * 1948: 77-47 * 1949: 57-54 * 1950: 59-53 * 1951: 71-35 * 1952: 50-60 * 1953: 62-44 * * 1954: 46-45 * Championship season

References

Sources

All-American Girls Professional Baseball League history

All-American Girls Professional Baseball League official website – Grand Rapids Chicks seasons

All-American Girls Professional Baseball League official website – Manager/Player profile search results

* ''All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Record Book'' – W. C. Madden. Publisher:

McFarland & Company McFarland & Company, Inc., is an American independent book publisher based in Jefferson, North Carolina, that specializes in academic and reference works, as well as general-interest adult nonfiction. Its president is Rhonda Herman. Its former ...

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, 294pp. Language:

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. * ''The Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League: A Biographical Dictionary'' – W. C. Madden. Publisher:

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. {{Authority control All-American Girls Professional Baseball League teams 1945 establishments in Michigan 1954 disestablishments in Michigan Baseball teams established in 1945 Baseball teams disestablished in 1954 Sports in Grand Rapids, Michigan Defunct baseball teams in Michigan Women's sports in Michigan