The History of Women in US Baseball

Baseball is one of the most popular sports in the US and the MLB gains huge crowds and has a large following in every state. The fact stands, however, that this is largely a male-dominated sport, with women historically playing softball instead.

In this article, I take a look at the history of women in US baseball and see where they have made inroads and how they have competed on a professional level in traditionally male leagues and teams. With the MLB postseason looming in the 2023 season, when you want to get your MLB computer picks, it’s a great time to take a break before the action and look at some fun historical info like this.

1800s-1900s¾Limited Progression and Bloomer Girls

There has been evidence to show that women have been playing baseball, or base ball as it used to be called, in the US as early as the 1860s. However, during this era, it was not seen as proper for women to compete in what was considered to be a man’s sport.

Indeed, social stigmas prevented the development of many women’s sports and some of these issues are still present today. As the 1800s progressed and during the 1890s, many efforts were made to create all-female baseball teams and one of the most recognizable was the Boston Bloomer Girls.

This team toured the US in 1897 and was widely popular as people came to watch pitcher Maud Nelson, who was known for her curveball technique.

1920s¾The Legendary Lizzie Murphy

Generally, female baseball players were still seen as a novelty during these eras, but this changed with the emergence of Lizzie Murphy. Murphy is perhaps the best-known female baseball player of all time and played for the Providence Independents.

She has lovingly been known as the queen of baseball and she is hailed as the first-ever woman to play professional baseball in male teams/male leagues. Murphy made many milestones in women’s baseball, including playing against Major League players, making a base hit against legendary Negro Leagues pitcher Satchel Paige, and being the first female to play for the Negro League.

Aside from Lizzie Murphy, during this period, there weren’t really any standout female baseball stars or much progression in terms of women competing with men.

World War II Era¾All-American Girls Professional Baseball League

During WWII, many baseball players, including MLB stars, were drafted and thus the talent of the MLB teams was severely depleted. This saw the development of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which ran from 1943-54 and was relatively popular, with 12 teams competing at its height. The most successful team in this league were the Rockford Peaches, with four titles.

1980s-1990s – Stadium Developments and the Colorado Silver Bullets

During this era, Janet Marie Smith was pivotal in the development of many MLB stadiums, including Oriole Park in Baltimore, which set the standard for many modern baseball parks and what is considered the “retro ballpark” design.

In terms of playing, the Colorado Silver Bullets were established as an all-female professional team, and they traveled the country playing against men’s semi-pro and professional teams. They ran for four seasons and in their last year, they had a record of 23-22.

Julie Croteau played for this time and, together with Lee Anne Ketcham, eventually joined the Maui Stingrays and became one of the first women to play in MLB-sanctioned leagues.

Current Era Minimum Breakthrough

From the 2000s onwards, there really hasn’t been much progression or breakthrough in women playing baseball in male leagues and teams.

Ila Borders played professionally from 1997-2000 and she was a female pitcher in men’s leagues, while Eri Yoshida was the first professional female baseball player to play in the Japanese Independent League and also for the Chicago Outlaws.

Another progression during this era was mainly achieved with women coaches, including Bianca Smith who was hired for the Boston Red Sox minor league team, and Rachel Balkovec who managed the Tampa Tarpons.

Women’s Baseball is Growing in its Own Right

As you can see, the history of women in US baseball is quite limited and currently, there doesn’t seem to be any signs of females making inroads into professional leagues like the MLB. However, that doesn’t mean that women’s baseball isn’t growing or competitive.

Indeed, there have been numerous attempts to create leagues, including the National Girls Baseball League during the 1940s, the Ladies League Baseball during the 1990s and early 2000s, and the most successful, the Women’s Baseball World Cup.

This is the longest-standing competition running since 2004 and includes 12 teams, with Japan being the most successful, with six titles. However, despite the success of the World Cup, sports like softball and professional fastpitch are arguably more popular and have a brighter future than women’s baseball.