The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was the result of an idea by Chicago Cubs owner Philip K. Wrigley to have women play organized baseball. The league was formed in 1942 and game play began the following year. This occurred during World War II, when many major league baseball players were being drafted into military service. The players in the AAGPBL wore distinctive uniforms that were designed to highlight their attractiveness.The league remained a competitive entity through the 1954 season.
Building the League
Major League Baseball did not disappear during World War II, but many of its players were engaged in military service. Notable stars Ted Williams and Bob Feller left the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians respectively to contribute to the war effort. Many fans were no longer in going to Major League games to see backup players and substitutes. However, Wrigley believed that they would come out to see the top women players compete at the game. He conducted tryouts at Wrigley Field in May 1943 and players were signed to participate in the league as a result of those tryouts.
Uniforms
Wrigley and the other owners wanted to sell baseball fans on the quality of the game and the attractiveness of the player. In addition to practice every day to improve their skills under the eye of managers and coaches who had been associated with the major leagues, the players got lessons on how to improve their appearance. All students went to beauty school to learn how to do their hair and makeup in an attractive manner. They also wore uniforms designed to highlight their femininity. The uniform was a one-piece, short-skirted flared tunic. This was similar to the outfit worn by tennis players, figure skaters and field hockey players.
Code of Conduct
Women in the AAGPBL were given a code of conduct when they signed professional contracts. Among the clauses in the code of conduct was that players pledged to look their best while playing games. Players also had chaperones who traveled on the road with them to help them follow standards within the code of conduct.
A League of Their Own
The history of the AAGPBL was made into a major motion picture. Columbia Pictures produced a feature film called "A League of Their Own" that showed the travails of the players throughout the league's existence. The movie starred Geena Davis, Madonna and Tom Hanks in lead roles, and it detailed the uniforms worn and how important the appearance of the players was to the league.
Member Comments