Marguerite Kerrigan (July 24, 1931 – February 12, 2022) was an American

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

and infield/outfield utility 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' 9", 150 lb., Kerrigan batted and threw right handed. She was dubbed ''Kerry'' by her teammates. Madden, W. C. (2005) ''The Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League: A Biographical Dictionary''. McFarland & Company. Born in

La Crescent, Minnesota La Crescent is a city in Houston and Winona counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 5,276 at the 2020 census. La Crescent is located in the northeast portion of Houston County; the northern edge of the city falls into Winon ...

, Marguerite Kerrigan played from 1950 through 1952 for the

Rockford Peaches The Rockford Peaches were a women's professional baseball team who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. A founding member, the team represented Rockford, Illinois. The Peaches were one of two teams to pla ...

, even though she saw limited action. Kerrigan played baseball with her cousins as a child before starting to play organized softball while attending high school. She then attended the

College of Saint Teresa The College of Saint Teresa was a Catholic women's college in Winona, Minnesota. Previously a women's seminary, it became a college in 1907 and was operated by the Sisters of Saint Francis of Rochester, Minnesota until its closing in 1989. Hi ...

Winona, Minnesota Winona is a city in and the county seat of Winona County, in the state of Minnesota. Located in bluff country on the Mississippi River, its most noticeable physical landmark is Sugar Loaf. The city is named after legendary figure Winona, who ...

, where she played for a local team. At the time, she had a friend In Rockford who told her about the league and convinced her to try out in 1950. The Peaches signed Marguerite, but did not use her much over three seasons. Afterwards, Kerrigan played for a team sponsored by R. H. Hall in

St. Petersburg, Florida St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the fifth-most populous city in Florida and the second-largest city in the Tampa Bay Area, after Tampa. It is the ...

that won several state titles. In addition, she worked as a reservation sales agent for

Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the List of airlines by foundation date, world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atla ...

for 24 years, retiring in 1987. She then moved to

Largo, Florida Largo is the third largest city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States, as well as the fourth largest in the Tampa Bay area. As of the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 82,500, up from 69,371 in 2000. Largo was first incorporated in 1 ...

. The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League folded in 1954, but there is now a 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 ...

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 ...

since November 5, 1988 that honors those who were part of the league. Marguerite Kerrigan, along with the rest of the girls and the league staff, is included in the display/exhibit.Before A League of Their Own
''National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum''. Retrieved on September 5, 2016. Kerrigan died on February 12, 2022, at the age of 90.

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kerrigan, Marguerite 1931 births 2022 deaths All-American Girls Professional Baseball League players Rockford Peaches players Baseball players from Minnesota College of Saint Teresa alumni People from La Crescent, Minnesota People from Largo, Florida Baseball players from Pinellas County, Florida 21st-century American women