Joan LeQuia (later Barker; born March 13, 1935) is a former
infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.
Standard arrangement of positions
In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...
and
pitcher in
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 ...
who played for the
Grand Rapids Chicks in its 1953 season. Listed at 5' 2, 120 lb., she batted and threw right handed.
Career
LeQuia began playing
fast-pitch softball at the age of 14 years. She appeared for the Chicks in a few games during the first half of the season, when financial difficulties at home forced her to leave the league and never returned.
[Madden, W.C. ''The Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League: A Biographical Dictionary'' (2005). McFarland & Company; ] She continued playing fast-pitch softball in the
Marquette, Michigan area, leading her teams to two state championships over the years, while hitting a .390
batting average in her softball career.
LeQuia worked at
AT&T Corporation for 36 years.
After retiring in 1989, LeQuia attended league reunions and baseball card shows to sign autographs.
LeQuia is part of the AAGPBL 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 ...
in
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 ...
opened in 1988, which is dedicated to the entire league rather than any individual figure.
Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Official Website
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Personal life
On March 13, 1935, LeQuia was born in Negaunee, Michigan
Negaunee ( or ) is a city in Marquette County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,568 at the 2010 census. The city is located at the southwest corner of Negaunee Township, which is administratively separate, in the Upper Peni ...
.
See also
* Woody English, coach
References
External links
1953 Grand Rapids Chicks
{{DEFAULTSORT:LeQuia, Joan
1935 births
Living people
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League players
Grand Rapids Chicks players
Baseball players from Michigan
People from Negaunee, Michigan
Softball players
21st-century American women