The Origins And History of the All-american Girls Professional Baseball League [Hardcover]

Merrie A. Fidler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 30, 2006

This is an in-depth treatment of the organization and operation of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Referencing primary documents from league owner Arthur Meyerhoff and others, the book offers a unique perspective inside the AAGPBL and examines its rise and fall, with an emphasis on league and team administration. The study begins with a brief history of women's softball, noting its importance as a precursor to, and talent pool for, women's professional baseball. Next the book investigates changing league administration and organization. Publicity and promotional philosophy and practices receive particular attention. Later chapters cover team administrative structure, team managers, and chaperones. Finally, discussion focuses on player backgrounds and league policies and regulations for the players, including salaries, trades, waivers, and allocation procedures and problems. The book includes a foreword by AAGPBL all-star Jean Cione; four appendices with valuable information about the AAGPBL Players’ Association and league highlights; numerous photographs; and an extensive bibliography.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"this book is both a great narrative tale as well as an important reference book on the women's league" --SABR Bibliography Committee Newsletter

"well worth picking up and reading" --Women in Baseball Committee Newsletter

"a tremendously thorough study of our league. If other books written about our league were combined, they still would never compare to the masterful finished product of [this] book. It is an amazing piece of work!" --Helen "Gig" Smith (Kenosha Comets 1947, Grand Rapids Chicks 1948) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Retired teacher and coach Merrie A. Fidler has published several articles regarding the history of women in sports. She lives in Trinidad, California.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: McFarland & Company (June 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786422432
• ISBN-13: 978-0786422432
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 6.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,288,449 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great History of a unique period of social history, March 28, 2008

By 

Gregory N. Ashton - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Origins And History of the All-american Girls Professional Baseball League (Hardcover)

A thoroughly entertaining and engrossing read about an enterprise that predicted the soon to emerge the second wave women's movement in an area, women's sport, that is sadly neglected. Highly recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars Important History, August 1, 2011

By 

Ohioan - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Origins and History of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (Paperback)

This is a must-read book for anybody interested in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League -- the women who played baseball from 1943-54. It is these women whose story was made into the movie "A League of Their Own." Everything you would want to know about the origin, the rules, the regulations, the schedules, the players, and the results of each season is in this book.