Beatrice Jean Allard ("Bea") (born July 10, 1930) is a former

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 dr ...

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 ...

during the season. Listed at , 130 lb, she batted and threw right-handed. Beatrice Allard was a fireballing right-hander, with a deceptive sidearm delivery, whose promising career was cut short by an injured shoulder after being forced to change her delivery. Born in

Muskegon, Michigan Muskegon ( ') is a city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Muskegon County. Muskegon is known for fishing, sailing regattas, pleasure boating, and as a commercial and cruise ship port. It is a popular vacation destination because of the expans ...

, Allard learned to play

sandlot ball Sandlot ball or sandlot baseball is a competitive and athletic sports game that follows the basic rules and procedures of baseball. It is often less organized and structured, as the name alludes to a makeshift field or an empty lot. History and ...

with other neighborhood children when she was a youngster. She became a fan of 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 ...

and did not miss a home game during their first three seasons in All American Girls Professional Baseball League. One day she decided to assist a tryout to help a friend

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the ( home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the cat ...

by tossing a few balls sidearm, gradually increasing the distance each time, even though she had no intention of playing in the league. The league's president

Max Carey Maximillian George Carnarius (January 11, 1890 – May 30, 1976), known as Max George Carey, was an American professional baseball center fielder and manager. Carey played in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1910 through 192 ...

spotted her as a potential pitcher, so he signed her to a contract.The Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Allard joined the league in 1949 with her beloved Lassies. In the season opener in Muskegon, against the

Kenosha Comets Based in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the Kenosha Comets were a women's professional baseball team that played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The team played their home games at Kenosha's Lake Front Stadium, but l ...

, she was called by team's

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 activitie ...

Carson Bigbee Carson Lee "Skeeter" Bigbee (March 31, 1895 – October 17, 1964) was an American outfielder in Major League Baseball who played his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was born in Lebanon, Oregon, and attended the University of Oreg ...

to relieve in the top of the ninth inning with the bases loaded and nobody out. "The manager tossed me a ball and said 'Okay kid, see what you can do'", Allard explained in an interview. She struck out the first two batters and the third popped out to preserve the win and earn her a save. She was used again the next night, this time as a starter. "I pitched five good innings and was able to hit a

triple Triple is used in several contexts to mean "threefold" or a " treble": Sports * Triple (baseball), a three-base hit * A basketball three-point field goal * A figure skating jump with three rotations * In bowling terms, three strikes in a row * ...

first time up and a single later", she remembered. As the year progressed, Allard was going along fine until a sore arm midway through the season quickly dimmed her performance. ''They tried to change my delivery and I got all messed up'', she said. ''I didn't complain, I didn't want to be a baby'', she added. Allard finished the season with her arm in a sling and decided to go to a doctor, who told her that she had a dead arm and her playing days were over. After her baseball career ended, Allard joined the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

as a

cryptographer Cryptography, or cryptology (from grc, , translit=kryptós "hidden, secret"; and ''graphein'', "to write", or ''-logia'', "study", respectively), is the practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of adver ...

and was stationed in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...

for three years. Afterwards, she returned to Michigan and worked in the

Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...

Employment Office for 31 years. In 1988, Allard became 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 ...

, which was unveiled to honor the entire All-American Girls Professional Baseball League rather than any individual personality. Beatrice Allard is a long-time resident of

Lillian, Alabama Lillian is an unincorporated community in eastern Baldwin County, Alabama, United States. Lillian is located on U.S. Route 98 on the western shore of Perdido Bay, east of Elberta. Its eastern edge lies on the Alabama/Florida state line. Demogra ...

, where she still receives fan mail, including requests for her autograph.Intelius.com – Beatrice J. Allard in Lillian, AL
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Career statistics

Pitching Batting Fielding

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allard, Beatrice All-American Girls Professional Baseball League players Baseball pitchers Baseball players from Michigan Sportspeople from Muskegon, Michigan 1930 births Living people People from Baldwin County, Alabama Muskegon Lassies players 20th-century American sportswomen