Joanne "Joltin' Jo" Weaver (December 19, 1935 – March 19, 2000) was a right fielder who played from through 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 ...

. Listed at , 142 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.

Overview profile

One of the most talented hitters in AAGPBL history, Joanne Weaver was the youngest of three sisters to play for the Fort Wayne Daisies in the final years of the league. Weaver often outdid her renowned sister, Betty, as a power hitter, winning three consecutive batting titles and setting several all-time records. At this point, the Weaver-Foss duet led the AAGPBL in most major offensive categories between 1952 and 1954. A three-time All-Star, Weaver earned Player of the Year honors in 1954, when she hit a .429 average to set an AAGPBL single-season record. Besides this, her .429 mark was the highest Professional American Baseball batting average collected by any player in a single season in a minimum of 300

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 ...

appearances.The Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League

Early life

A native of Metropolis, Illinois, Joanne Weaver was the daughter of

minor league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nor ...

pitcher Lloyd Weaver and Elsie (Dummeier) Weaver. At the age of 11, she began playing softball with her sisters Betty and Jean. Their father tried to get them to play on a local boys' baseball team, with little success, until he managed to insert them into the Magnavox team of the Chicago industrial league, a successful fastpitch softball squad in which they finally started to play regularly. In 1950, Betty rejected a contract offer from the Chicago White Sox minor league system and opted to sign with the

. Betty was allocated to the Fort Wayne Daisies and her sisters joined her on the team a year later.

AAGPBL career

Joanne Weaver debuted at third base with the Daisies in the 1951 season. She hit .276 in 53 games, showing a smooth, quick swing with good speed and above average base running instincts. Her fielding was the only skill lacking. Meanwhile, her sister Betty won batting titles in back-to-back seasons in 1950 and 1951, helping Fort Wayne to make the playoffs in these years. Weaver's performance exploded in her second season. After moving to right field in 1952, she led all hitters with a .344 average, surpassing her sister Betty (.331), who led five offensive categories and earned the

Player of the Year Award Several sports leagues honour their best player with an award called Player of the Year (POY) . In the United States, this type of award is usually called a Most Valuable Player award. Association football In association football, this award is he ...

, while Joanne did not rank high in any other category. Both sisters were selected for the All-Star Team and helped Fort Wayne advance to the playoffs. Weaver improved her fielding considerably in 1953, when she finished the year with a .952 average. Her hitting stayed about the same, which was good enough to win another batting title with a .346 average, ending second to Betty in total bases (187) and

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(142, two behind). Joanne also finished third in runs (79),

stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base to which they are not entitled and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or ...

s (70), and runs batted in (76). Fort Wayne added another playoff trip, and she made the All-Star Team again. During the 1954 midseason the AAGPBL reduced the

ball A ball is a round object (usually spherical, but can sometimes be ovoid) with several uses. It is used in ball games, where the play of the game follows the state of the ball as it is hit, kicked or thrown by players. Balls can also be used f ...

from 10.00 inches to the major league size, around 9.00 inches. The league also extended pitching distance from 56 feet to 60 feet and base paths from 75 feet to 85 feet. As a result, Joanne earned the

and made the All-Star Team for the third consecutive year after setting season-records with 29 home runs and 254

total base In baseball statistics, total bases (TB) is the number of bases a player has gained with hits. It is a weighted sum for which the weight value is 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run. Only bases attained from hits c ...

s, while leading the league in hits (143), runs (109) and stolen bases (79). She finished second in doubles (16) and

triples TripleS (stylized as tripleS; Help:IPA/English, /ˈtɹɪpəl:ɛs/; ) is a South Korean girl group formed by MODHAUS. They aim to be the world's first decentralized K-pop idol group. The members will rotate between the group, sub-unit, and solo ac ...

(4), and joined

Eleanor Callow Eleanor 'Squirt' Callow (born August 8, 1927) was a left fielder who played from through for three teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Callow was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed. She was born in Winnipeg, Manito ...

as the only players in the league's history to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases during a regular season. Weaver also hit a league-leading .429, which remains the highest professional baseball batting average posted in the 20th century. The Fort Wayne Daisies advanced to the best-of-five game Championship Series. Previously in the playoffs, the

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 the ...

dispatched the

South Bend Blue Sox The South Bend Blue Sox was a women's professional baseball team who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. A founding member, the team represented South Bend, Indiana, and played their home games at Bendix Fi ...

in three games and Fort Wayne did the same with the Grand Rapids Chicks.

1954 Championship Title

In Game 1 of the AAGPBL Series, the Kalamazoo Lassies defeated the Fort Wayne Daisies 17–9 behind a four-hit, seven strong innings from

June Peppas June Peppas (June 16, 1929 – March 14, 2016) was a first basewoman and pitcher who played from 1948 through 1954 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , , she batted and threw left-handed. Early life Peppas was bor ...

, who also helped herself by hitting 2-for-4, including one home run. Her teammates

Carol Habben Carol Habben (May 15, 1933 – January 11, 1997) was a center fielder and backup catcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 135 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.

and

Fern Shollenberger Fern Shollenberger ''

helly Eduard Helly (June 1, 1884 in Vienna – 28 November 1943 in Chicago) was a mathematician after whom Helly's theorem, Helly families, Helly's selection theorem, Helly metric, and the Helly–Bray theorem were named. Life Helly earned his doctora ...

' (May 18, 1923 – December 24, 1977) was a third basewoman who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 125 lb., she batted and threw right-handed. Brief profil ...

also slugged one each, while Chris Ballingall added a grand slam.

Katie Horstman Catherine Horstman ��Horsey″(born April 14, 1935) is a former female utility player who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 150 lb., she batted and threw right-handed. Overview profile ...

connected two home runs for the Daisies in a lost cause and Joanne Weaver slugged one. Pitching star

Maxine Kline Maxine Kline (later Randall, September 16, 1929 – June 9, 2022) was a female starting pitcher who played from 1948 through 1954 with the Fort Wayne Daisies of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , , she batted and ...

, who had posted an 18–7 record with a 3.23

ERA An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth. Compa ...

during the regular season, gave up 11 runs in six innings and was credited with the loss. In Game 3, the Daisies won the Lassies, 8–7, fueled again by a heavy hitting by Joanne Weaver, who hit a double, a triple and a three-run home run in five at bats, driving in four runs. Peppas went 1-for-4 to spark a seventh inning three-run rally, but Fort Wayne came back in the bottom of the inning with two two runs that marked the difference. Cordes relieved with the bases loaded in the seventh inning, but did not allow any damage for the remainder of the game. In other close score, the Lassies evened the Series in Game 4 with a victory over the Daisies, 6–5. Cordes started again with her team against the wall, 2-to-1. This time properly warmed up, she hurled a

complete game In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...

, allowing five runs on nine hits. Habben drove in two runs who marked the difference, while Kline suffered her second loss of the Series. Peppas contributed with a single, a double and one RBI in four at-bats. In decisive Game 5, Peppas pitched a clutch complete game and went 3-for-5 with an RBI against her former Daisies team, winning by an 8–5 margin to give the Lassies the Championship title in the AAGPBL's last ever game. She received support from Balingall (3-for-4) and Schroeder, who drove in the winning run in the bottom of the eight. Peppas finished with a .450 average and collected two of the three Lassies victories, to become the winning pitcher of the last game in the league's history. The sisters Foss-Weaver were able to win the final five batting championships of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League and two Player of the Year awards. With

Helen Callaghan Helen Callaghan Candaele St. Aubin (March 13, 1923 – December 8, 1992) was a left-handed center fielder who appeared in five seasons in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL), playing under the name Helen Callaghan.

winning the batting title in 1945, the Fort Wayne Daisies amassed six batting crowns to set a league record. But while Fort Wayne made the playoffs in the last seven seasons of the league, the team struggled in the post-season and never won a Championship Title. In 1952 and 1953, the Daisies were knocked out in the first round after posting the best regular-season record.

Bill Allington All-Stars

Once the league disbanded in 1954, Joanne Weaver was one of eleven players selected by former Daisies

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...

Bill Allington to play in the national touring team known as the All-Americans. The Allington All-Stars played 100 games between 1954 and 1958, each booked in a different town, against male teams, while traveling over 10,000 miles in the manager's

station wagon A station wagon ( US, also wagon) or estate car ( UK, also estate), is an automotive body-style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door ( ...

and a Ford Country Sedan. Besides Weaver, the All-Americans included her sister

Betty Foss Betty "Fossey" Weaver-Foss (May 10, 1929 – February 8, 1998) was an infielder and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 180 lb., she was a switch-hitter and threw right-hand ...

Joan Berger Joan Berger ''Knebl(October 9, 1933 – September 11, 2021) was a infielder and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 132 lb, she batted and threw right-handed. She was bo ...

, Gloria Cordes, Jeanie Descombes,

Gertrude Dunn Gertrude Dunn (September 30, 1933September 29, 2004) was an American baseball player with the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, the league made famous by the 1992 film ''A League Of Their Own''.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'' 1953–195 ...

Mary Froning Mary Froning (later O'Meara; August 26, 1934 – November 2, 2014) was an outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 118 lb., she batted and threw right-handed. ...

Dolores Lee Dolores Margaret Lee (April 21, 1935 – May 14, 2014) was an American female baseball player who played as a pitcher from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 130 lb, she batted and threw right-hande ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

, Dorothy Schroeder and Dolly Vanderlip, among others.''Women in Baseball: The Forgotten History'' – Gai Ingham Berlage, Charley Gerard. Publisher: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1994. Format: Hardcover, 224pp. Language: English.

Life after baseball

Following her baseball career, Joanne Weaver lived in Fort Wayne, Indiana for more than 30 years. In November 1988, the Weaver sisters received recognition when 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 ...

dedicated a permanent display to the entire league rather than any individual player. In 1990 Joanne moved back to her hometown of Metropolis, Illinois, to be with her parents. Betty returned in 1994 while Jean moved back in 1995, allowing the three Weaver sisters to see each other every day. Betty died in 1998, at the age of 68, following complications related to

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that results in the progressive loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles. ALS is the most comm ...

( Lou Gehrig's disease). Joanne died in 2000 at age 64 of the same disease that claimed her sister. Eight years later, Jean died at age 74.

Career statistics

Batting Fielding

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Weaver, Joanne All-American Girls Professional Baseball League players Baseball players from Fort Wayne, Indiana Baseball players from Illinois People from Metropolis, Illinois Neurological disease deaths in Illinois Deaths from motor neuron disease 1935 births 2000 deaths Baseball outfielders Fort Wayne Daisies players 20th-century American women 20th-century American people