Julie Kathleen Gutz (December 4, 1926 – April 26, 2021) was an American baseball catcher who 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 ...

. Listed at 5' 5", 155 lb., Gutz batted and threw right handed. She was dubbed 'Gutzie' by her teammates.Julie Gutz
''

''. Retrieved 2019-04-13. Madden, W. C. (2005) ''The Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League: A Biographical Dictionary''. McFarland & Company. Born in Storm Lake, Iowa, Julie Gutz caught for three seasons from 1948 through 1950, starting with the Springfield Sallies and

Muskegon Lassies The Muskegon Lassies were one of the expansion teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in the 1946 season, representing Muskegon, Michigan. The team played their home games at Marsh Field. History The 1946 Muskegon Lassies p ...

before ending her career with the Kenosha Comets. While she was a light-hitting catcher, Gutz provided solid defense with a strong throwing arm and showed notable durability. During one stretch, she caught in 110 consecutive games and never missed an inning. Her most productive season came in 1950, when she hit .203 in 112 games. In a 235-game career, Gutz posted an average of .175 (124-for-709) with 13 doubles, five

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and one home run,

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 ...

14 bases and scoring 62 runs while driving in another 44. As a catcher, she recorded 846

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 238 assists and turned 20

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, committing 55 errors in 1,139 total chances for a .952 fielding average. Afterwards, Gutz worked as an electronics technician at Honeywell and later managed a resort in

Kabetogama, Minnesota Kabetogama ( ) is an unincorporated community in Kabetogama Township, Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States, located within the Kabetogama State Forest. The community is located 27 miles southeast of International Falls on Saint Louis Co ...

. In 1988 was unveiled a permanent display at the

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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 ...

, that honors those who were part of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Julie Gutz is included at the display/exhibit.Before A League of Their Own
''National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum''. Retrieved on September 5, 2016. Gutz would consult on the 1992 film '' A League of Their Own'', which was about the AAGPBL. Gutz died in

Murrieta, California Murrieta is a city in southwestern Riverside County, California, United States. The population of Murrieta was 110,949 as of the 2020 census. Murrieta experienced a 133.7% population increase between 2000 and 2010, making Murrieta one of the f ...

in April 2021, at the age of 94.

Career statistics

Batting Fielding ''All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Record Book'' – W. C. Madden. Publisher: McFarland & Company, 2008. Format: Paperback, 302pp. Language: English.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gutz, Julie 1926 births 2021 deaths All-American Girls Professional Baseball League players Springfield Sallies players Muskegon Lassies players Kenosha Comets players Baseball players from Iowa People from Storm Lake, Iowa 21st-century American women