Lee Surkowski (October 26, 1925 – March 30, 2012) was a Canadian

center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the c ...

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 ...

in parts of four seasons spanning 1945–1948. Listed at 5' 5", 128 lb., Surkowski batted and threw right handed. She also played under the name of Lee Delmonico. Born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Lee Surkowski was one of the 68 players born in Canada to join the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in its twelve years history. An AAGPBL talent

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 ...

spotted Surkowski while playing softball in Canada and offered her a contract to play in the league without a previous tryout. Surkowski entered the league in 1944 with 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 ...

, playing for them two and a half years before joining the Rockford Peaches during the 1946 midseason. Her older sister, Anne, also played in the league.The Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Surkowski was the everyday center fielder for South Bend in her rookie season. Over 97 games, she batted a .212 average with a .288

on-base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batter reaches base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA), as it is rarely presented as a ...

and a .284 of slugging, while driving in 29 runs and scoring 32 times. She also tied for third in home runs (3) and for eighth in doubles (7), a pretty good performance considering it was a dominant pitching league. On defense, she committed only five errors in 159 fielding chances to lead all center fielders with a .969 fielding average. She also tied with

Racine Belles The Racine Belles were one of the original teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League playing from through out of Racine, Wisconsin. The Belles won the league's first championship. The team played its home games at Horlick Fi ...

Claire Schillace Claire Joan Schillace (March 29, 1921 – January 17, 1999) was a center fielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 3", 128 lb., she batted right-handed and threw left-handed. AAG ...

for the most

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 (4) at center field. During the regular season, she belted two homers against Kenosha Comets'

Elise Harney Elise "Lee" Harney (July 22, 1924 – November 1, 1989) was a female pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She batted and threw right-handed.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) while tying for eighth in doubles (8). In 1946 she hit a combined .200 average for South Bend and Rockford in 82 games, helping the Peaches reach the postseason. Surkowski did not play in 1947 due to family reasons, but returned the next year with the Fort Wayne Daisies for her last season. She played all outfield positions, batting .186 in just 63 games, and returned for the postseason. She married Alphonso Delmonico, which limited her play on the field. She then moved in 1957 to California, where she raised three children: Barry, Randy and Teri Lee. Lee became a US citizen in 1970. A longtime resident of

Rancho Mirage Rancho Mirage is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 17,218 at the 2010 census, up from 13,249 at the 2000 census, but the seasonal (part-time) population can exceed 20,000. Incorporated in 1973 and locate ...

in California, she has been honored with many recognitions and awards over the years. In 1998, she garnered honorary inductions in the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame. She is also 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 in 1988 to honor the entire All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She died in 2012.

Career statistics

Batting Fielding

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Surkowski, Lee 1925 births 2012 deaths All-American Girls Professional Baseball League players Baseball people from Saskatchewan Canadian baseball players People from Rancho Mirage, California Sportspeople from Moose Jaw 21st-century American women Rockford Peaches players