Helen Irene Kerwin (November 3, 1925 – November 29, 2023) was an

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 ...

player. Listed at 5' 7", 130 lb., she batted and threw right handed. She was dubbed 'Pepper' by her teammates. Madden, W. C. (2005) ''The Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League: A Biographical Dictionary''. McFarland & Company.

Background

Born in

Peoria, Illinois Peoria ( ) is the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, United States, and the largest city on the Illinois River. As of the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census, the city had a population of 113,150. It is the principal city of the Peoria ...

, Irene Kerwin only played during one season in the All American League for her home team in 1949. Kerwin started to play organized softball at some point between eighth grade and high school graduation. At age 14, she played for the Farrow Chix for a couple of years before working at

Caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...

and playing for its fast-pitch softball team in an industrial league. During that time, a common practice was to recruit people to play for Caterpillar based on their athletic skill level and offer them employment.A picture is worth one thousand memories
''Caterpillar Official Website'' As a result, the

Pekin Lettes The Pekin Lettes is a fast-pitch softball team in Pekin, Illinois, and is the oldest member-sanctioned Amateur Softball Association team in the United States. History The Lettes were started in 1936 and were then called the "Caterpillar Girls" bec ...

softball team sponsored by Caterpillar was a huge success in Peoria, as they won several Illinois State Championships over the course of many seasons and entertained crowds, while averaging over 5,000 fans per game. Kerwin died in Peoria on November 27, 2023, at the age of 98.

All-American League

When Kerwin was 24, she was approached by an All American League

scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement **Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom **Scouts BSA, sectio ...

after a tournament. She signed a contract in 1949 that led her hometown team, the Peoria Redwings. She was used sparingly as a backup catcher and at

first base A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

while appearing in 27 games with the Redwings, who finished last in the eight-team league. Kerwin hit .173 (10-for-73) with two runs scored and one RBI while

stealing Theft is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word ''theft'' is also used as a synonym or informal shorthand term for some ...

one base. Madden, W. C. (2000) ''All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Record Book''. McFarland & Company. At the field, she recorded 166

putout In baseball statistics, a putout (denoted by ''PO'' or ''fly out'' when appropriate) is awarded to a defensive player who (generally while in secure possession of the ball) records an out by one of the following methods: * Tagging a runner wit ...

s with seven assists and turned six

double play In baseball and softball, a double play (denoted as DP in baseball statistics) is the act of making two outs during the same continuous play. Double plays can occur any time there is at least one baserunner and fewer than two outs. In Major Leag ...

s, while committing six errors in 179 total chances for a combined .966 fielding average. The Redwings offered Kerwin another contract for the next year, but she realized the team did not have much future and might fold due to low attendance, and she needed to pay for college studies.Heaphy, Leslie A.; May, Mel Anthony (2006). ''Encyclopedia of Women and Baseball''. McFarland & Company. She then rejected the offer and signed a contract to play in the

National Girls Baseball League The National Girls Baseball League (NGBL) was a professional women's baseball league which existed from 1944 to 1954, with teams based in Chicago, Illinois. The National Girls Baseball League started a year after the All-American Girls Professio ...

of Chicago for four years instead. At the same time, Kerwin enrolled at Illinois State University and the Peoria team folded a short time after. Therefore, Kerwin played basketball during her four years at Illinois and led her team in scoring every year, while playing also for the volleyball and field hockey squads.Tri-County Youth Sports
''Greather Peoria Sports Hall of Fame website'' She received her degree in 1953 and played a few more years of softball for the Caterpillar Pekin Lettes. Kerwin played a total of 31 softball seasons, spending time at every position except pitcher. She also served as a player-coach for the Lettes, was a member of two Illinois basketball champions, and played in three national Amateur Athletic Union tournaments. In between, she also starred in basketball for four seasons at Peoria Academy of Our Lady High School, then was high scorer for the Lettes basketball squad from 1942 through 1947. Additionally, she won 75 Senior Olympics gold medals in 20 sports, including at least one gold in every sport. Besides, she holds 13 single-season and career records for the Lettes softball team.

Coaching and Retirement

From there, she went on to teaching physical education at elementary schools for 30 years and coached two unbeaten teams at Oak Grove School in Bartonville, before retiring in 1983. Kerwin earned inductions in the Indiana State University and the Illinois Amateur Softball Association Halls of Fame, and is also a member of the 1965 Pekin Lettes softball team enshrined in the Greather Peoria Sports Hall of Fame. In 1988, Irene Kerwin received further recognition when she became part of ''Women in Baseball'', a permanent display based 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 ...

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 ...

, which was unveiled to honor the entire All-American Girls Professional Baseball League rather than any individual figure.Before A League of Their Own
''National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum''

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kerwin, Irene 1925 births 2023 deaths All-American Girls Professional Baseball League players Peoria Redwings players Baseball players from Peoria, Illinois Basketball players from Peoria, Illinois Illinois State University alumni American men's basketball players National Girls Baseball League players American female baseball players