Nancy Warren (June 13, 1921 – June 1, 2001) was a

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

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. ...

who played from through for six different teams of 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 , 130 lb., she batted and threw right-handed. ''Hank'' was a nickname she picked up as a youth.

Early life

A native of

Springfield, Ohio Springfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Clark County, Ohio, Clark County. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Mad River (Ohio), Mad River, Buck Creek, and Beaver Creek, approxim ...

, Nancy Warren used to play

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

with her four brothers in their home's backyard at an early age. She joined her first organized fastpitch softball team after turning 14, juggling positions on the field as a

and at

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...

. She later played

softball Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...

for the Fink and Heine Packers team in a national tournament, where she were recruited by an AAGPBL scout. Warren was given a tryout during the 1946

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...

held at

Pascagoula, Mississippi Pascagoula ( ) is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. It is the principal city of the Pascagoula Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi–Pascagoula Combined Statistical Area. The population was 22 ...

, and was allocated to the

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 ...

as a shortstop.''The Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League: A Biographical Dictionary'' – W. C. Madden. Publisher: McFarland & Company, 2005. Format: Paperback, 295 pp. Language: English.

AAGPBL career

1946-1950 seasons

Since the Lassies already had an overloaded infield, Warren was benched most of the time. Halfway through the season she demanded an opportunity to play or be traded, and Muskegon

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 ...

Buzz Boyle Ralph Francis "Buzz" Boyle (February 9, 1908 – November 12, 1978) was a professional baseball player who played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball from 1929 through 1935. He played for the Boston Braves and Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1934, hi ...

gave her the opportunity to pitch and play at

infield Infield is a sports term whose definition depends on the sport in whose context it is used. Baseball In baseball, the diamond, as well as the area immediately beyond it, has both grass and dirt, in contrast to the more distant, usually grass-c ...

. Unfortunately, Warren broke an ankle in the process and lost the rest of the season. In April 1947, all of the league's players were flown to

Havana, Cuba Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

, for spring training. After that, the teams paired off and played exhibition games, traveling by train to their home cities. That exhibition schedule helped get the players ready for the opening of regular season games in the last week of May. New Muskegon manager

Bill Wambsganss William Adolf Wambsganss (March 19, 1894 – December 8, 1985) was a second baseman in Major League Baseball. From 1914 in baseball, 1914 through 1926 in baseball, 1926, Wambsganss played for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, and Philadelphia ...

assumed he might use Warren in the pitching rotation. She did well, going 17–11 with 93

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...

s and a 1.13

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

in 31 games. Warren started 1948 in good form, but was dealt to the expansion

Chicago Colleens The Chicago Colleens were a women's professional baseball team who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1948 to 1951, evolving into a development team. The team was based Chicago, Illinois and played their home gam ...

during the midseason. At the time the league shifted players in anytime as needed to help new teams stay afloat. She posted a combined 12–5 record for a .706

winning percentage In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of match ...

while striking out 86 batters. Chicago had a horrendous record and folded at the end of the season. She found herself on the move again, this time to the

Peoria Redwings The Peoria Redwings was a women's professional baseball team who joined the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in the 1946 season and remained in the league through 1951. The team represented Peoria, Illinois, playing home games a ...

the next year. ''Every time they wanted to booster a team, they'd transfer you'', Warren recalled in an interview. Nevertheless, she enjoyed to play in Peoria, even though she had negative numbers with the Redwings after leading the league in losses (16),

runs allowed Run(s) or RUN may refer to: Places * Run (island), one of the Banda Islands in Indonesia * Run (stream), a stream in the Dutch province of North Brabant People * Run (rapper), Joseph Simmons, now known as "Reverend Run", from the hip-hop group ...

(92) and earned runs (64) in 1949. She rebounded in 1950, going 18–18 with 86 strikeouts and a 2.41 ERA in 32 pitching appearances with Peoria.

1951-1953 seasons

During the 1951 midseason Warren was sent to the

Fort Wayne Daisies The Fort Wayne Daisies were a women's professional baseball team based in Fort Wayne, Indiana that played from through as members of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. History The Daisies represented Fort Wayne, Indiana, and ...

. In her new team she had plenty of run support from her teammates, thanks to a lineup that included the explosive bats of

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 ...

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'' 1953–1 ...

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 profi ...

Dorothy Schroeder Dorothy "Dottie" Schroeder (April 11, 1928 – December 8, 1996) was a shortstop who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 150 lb., Schroeder batted and threw right-handed. She was born in ...

and

Joanne Weaver 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. Listed at , 142 lb., she batted and threw right-handed. Overview profile ...

, which led to her best ever winning record of 17–6 (.739). In 1952, she went 17–7 with a 2.46 ERA and finished second in the league with 91 SO (23 behind leader

Jean Faut Jean Anna Faut insch/Eastman(born November 17, 1925) is an American retired starting pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 137 lb., she batted and threw right-handed. Jean F ...

). Unfortunately, Warren experienced her worst season in 1953 with a 6–17 record after being traded to the helpless Muskegon Belles.

1954 season

Warren was traded to 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 ...

in 1954, during what turned out to be the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League's final season. For the second time, she inadvertently found herself in an inspired team. The Lassies, with

Mitch Skupien Mitch Skupien was a manager and executive in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Very little is known about this man who worked hard for the AAGPBL during the final five years of its existence. Previously, Skupien had managed the ...

at the helm, finished fourth of five teams with a 48-49-1 mark, earning a berth to the playoffs. In the first round, the team disposed of 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 ...

(48-44 record) in three games and later faced Fort Wayne in the best-of-five series. During the regular season, Warren posted a 12–9 record with 63 strikeouts and a 3.86 ERA in 26 pitching appearances, ranking seventh in the league in strikeouts while tying teammate

Gloria Cordes Gloria Cordes Elliott (September 21, 1931 – March 13, 2018) was a starting pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 8", 138 lb., she batted and threw right-handed. Overview pro ...

for the fourth-best in wins. For the first (and last) time of her career, Warren was selected for the All-Star Team. In the playoffs, Cordes hurled and lost the opener to South Bend, but Warren and

Elaine Roth Elaine Roth (January 17, 1929 – May 25, 2007) was a female pitcher and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She batted and threw right-handed. A native of Michigan City, Indiana, Elaine R ...

won games two and three, respectively.

Last Championship Series

In Game 1 of the AAGPBL Series, the Kalamazoo Lassies defeated the visiting 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 In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

. Her teammates Carol Habben and Fern Shollenberger also batted one each, and

Chris Ballingall Chris Ballingall (born May 17, 1932) is a former professional baseball catcher who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) in 1953 and 1954. Listed at and , she batted left-handed and threw right-handed. A native ...

belted a

grand slam Grand Slam most often refers to: * Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to: Games and sports * Grand slam, winning category te ...

. Warren relieved Peppas in the eight, forcing

to hit into a

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 ...

, and preserved the victory. 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 3.23 ERA for the Daisies during the regular season, gave up 11 runs in six innings and was credited with the loss.

connected two home runs for the Daisies in a lost cause, while her teammate

slugged one. In a seven-season career, Warren posted a mark of 114 wins with 93 losses and a 2.41 earned run average. She hit a career-average of .155 (104-for-66) and recorded a collective .939 career

fielding percentage In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, div ...

. In her final season, did not commit an error all year to lead all pitchers in the league with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage .In addition, she was one of seven pitchers to collect 100 or more wins in the circuit, ranking 6th on the all-time list behind

Helen Nicol Helen Nicol (later Fox; May 9, 1920 – July 25, 2021) was a Canadian-American baseball pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). Listed at , , Nicol batted and threw right-handed. She was ...

(163),

(140),

Joanne Winter Joanne Emily Winter '' o' (November 24, 1924 – September 22, 1996) was a pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 138 lb., she batted and threw right-handed. Early life A native ...

(133),

Dorothy Collins Dorothy Collins (born Marjorie Chandler;
''

(116), and over

Connie Wisniewski Constance Wisniewski (Wiśniewski) (February 18, 1922 – May 4, 1995) was a starting pitcher and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 8", 147 lb., she batted left-handed an ...

(107). As an added value, Warren joined a softball team who won the Michigan state championship in 1956. She also worked during 25 years for the

North Central Airlines North Central Airlines was a regional airline in the Midwestern United States. Founded as Wisconsin Central Airlines in 1944 in Clintonville, Wisconsin, the company moved to Madison in 1947. This is also when the "Herman the duck" logo was bor ...

. After retiring in 1980, she was a long resident of

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 ...

. Nancy Warren 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 ...

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 , which is dedicated to the entire league rather than any individual player. She died in

Southfield, Michigan Southfield is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the city had a population of 76,618. As a northern suburb of Detroit, Southfield shares part of its ...

, twelve days short of her 80th birthday.

Pitching statistics

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Warren, Nancy All-American Girls Professional Baseball League players Baseball players from Ohio Sportspeople from Springfield, Ohio 1921 births 2001 deaths Muskegon Lassies players Chicago Colleens players Peoria Redwings players Fort Wayne Daisies players Muskegon Belles players Kalamazoo Lassies players