1944 All-American Girls Professional Baseball League season

1944 All-American Girls Professional Baseball League season All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Baseball Logo of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.svg 90px Six Regular season Kenosha Comets (first half)Milwaukee Chicks (second half) Scholarship Series Kenosha Lake Front Stadium, Kenosha, Wisconsin Milwaukee Chicks AAGPBL 1943 1945 The 1944 All-American Girls Professional Baseball League season was the second season in the history of the league. The AAGPBL expanded in its second year of existence by adding two franchises to the original four-team format. At this point, the Milwaukee Chicks and the Minneapolis Millerettes joined the Kenosha Comets, Racine Belles, Rockford Peaches and South Bend Blue Sox. The number of games in the schedule also increased to 118, while the playoffs featured the first-half winner Kenosha against the second-half champion Milwaukee in a best-of-seven series.https://www.aagpbl.org/history/league-history All-American Girls Professional Baseball League History August 19, 2026 In that season, the ball was decreased in size from 12 inches to 11½ inches. In addition, the base paths were lengthened to 68 feet.http://aagpbl.org:80/index.cfm/pages/league/20/rules-of-play Rules of Play All-American Girls Professional Baseball League www.aagpbl.org As a result, batting averages decreased to low .200 as pitching continued to dominate for second straight season. No batters surpassed the .300 mark, with South Bend's Betsy Jochum collecting the highest average at .296. Once again Kenosha's Helen Nicol led all pitchers in earned run average, turning in a minuscule 0.98 mark, while Minneapolis' Annabelle Lee hurled the first perfect game in league history against Kenosha. Among pitchers who threw no-hitters were Rockford's Carolyn Morris (two) and Mary Pratt, and Kenosha' Elise Harney and Nicol.All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Record Book – W. C. Madden. Publisher: McFarland & Company, 2000. Format: Softcover, 294pp. Language: English. 978-0-7864-3747-4 The final series was extended from three to seven games. The series went to the limit of seven games and Milwaukee clinched the championship. Despite losing Game 1, Connie Wisniewski earned the four wins to set a series record, pitching a four-hit shutout in decisive Game 7 to give the Chicks the title.http://www.aagpbl.org/index.cfm/articles/wisniewski-connie/19 Connie Wisniewsi biography by Joyce M. Smith Although the Chicks won the championship, they had no local financial backing and could not compete with the American Association Milwaukee Brewers. In fact, the Chicks were forced to play all seven games of the series at Kenosha's Lake Front Stadium because the Brewers were using the Borchert Field in Milwaukee. In addition, the high ticket prices charged for AAGPBL games failed to encourage significant fan support. Due to lack of community support and skepticism of journalists, the Chicks moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan prior to the 1945 season.http://minds.wisconsin.edu/handle/1793/38219 University of Wisconsin Oral History Project – The Forgotten Champs: The 1944 Milwaukee Chicks. Interview with Viola Griffin (Thompson). Robert Carter. December 11, 2009 The AAGPBL drew 260,000 fans during the 1944 season, which represented a 49 percent raise over the previous year. Teams 1944 All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Teams Team City Stadium Kenosha Comets Kenosha, Wisconsin Lake Front Stadium Milwaukee Chicks Milwaukee, Wisconsin Borchert Field Minneapolis Millerettes Minneapolis, Minnesota Nicollet Park Racine Belles Racine, Wisconsin Horlick Field Rockford Peaches Rockford, Illinois Rockford Municipal Stadium South Bend Blue Sox South Bend, Indiana Bendix Field Map of teams left 10px All-American Girls Professional Baseball League teams 950 450 300 425 130 USA Midwest 900 USA Midwest 42.58 -87.85 Black pog.svg 80 bottom Comets USA Midwest 43.07 -87.92 Black pog.svg 80 top Chicks USA Midwest 44.95 -93.28 Black pog.svg 80 bottom Millerettes USA Midwest 42.74 -87.80 Black pog.svg 80 right Belles USA Midwest 42.25 -89.09 Black pog.svg 80 bottom Peaches USA Midwest 41.67 -86.27 Black pog.svg 80 bottom Blue Sox Standings First half RankTeamWLW-L%GB1 Kenosha Comets 36 23 .610 –2 South Bend Blue Sox 33 25 .569 2½3 Milwaukee Chicks 30 26 .536 4½4 Racine Belles 28 32 .467 8½5 Rockford Peaches 24 32 .429 10½6 Minneapolis Millerettes 23 36 .390 13 Second half RankTeamWLW-L%GB1 Milwaukee Chicks 40 19 .678 –2 South Bend Blue Sox 31 27 .534 8½3 Rockford Peaches 29 28 .509 104 Kenosha Comets 26 31 .456 135 Racine Belles 25 32 .439 146 Minneapolis Millerettes 22 36 .379 17½ Composite records RankTeamWLW-L%GB1 Milwaukee Chicks 70 45 .609 –2 South Bend Blue Sox 64 52 .552 6½3 Kenosha Comets 62 54 .469 8½4 Rockford Peaches 53 60 .456 165 Racine Belles 53 64 .453 186 Minneapolis Millerettes 45 72 .385 26½ Postseason All seven games of the championship series were played at Kenosha Lake Front Stadium in Kenosha, Wisconsin.Revisiting the brief, brilliant history of the Milwaukee Chicks baseball team Milwaukee Record https://milwaukeerecord.com/sports/revisiting-the-brief-brilliant-history-of-the-milwaukee-chicks-baseball-team/ 2026-09-03 milwaukeerecord.comhttps://newspaperarchive.com/other-clipping-sep-09-1944-5900562/?utm_source=newspaperarchive&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=share_link&utm_content=newspaper_clipping/ Other-Sep-09-1944-5900562 | NewspaperArchive newspaperarchive.comhttps://newspaperarchive.com/other-clipping-sep-18-1944-5900566/?utm_source=newspaperarchive&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=share_link&utm_content=newspaper_clipping/ Other-Sep-18-1944-5900566 | NewspaperArchive newspaperarchive.comAll-American Girls Professional Baseball League Record Book GameDate TeamsSeries lead1 September 8https://newspaperarchive.com/other-clipping-sep-09-1944-5900548/?utm_source=newspaperarchive&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=share_link&utm_content=newspaper_clipping/ Other-Sep-09-1944-5900548 | NewspaperArchive newspaperarchive.com Milwaukee Chicks 2, Kenosha Comets 4 0–12 September 9 Kenosha Comets 4, Milwaukee Chicks 1 0–23 September 10 Milwaukee Chicks 7, Kenosha Comets 0 1–24 September 12 Kenosha Comets 1, Milwaukee Chicks 7 2–25 September 15https://newspaperarchive.com/other-clipping-sep-16-1944-5900546/?utm_source=newspaperarchive&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=share_link&utm_content=newspaper_clipping/ Other-Sep-16-1944-5900546 | NewspaperArchive newspaperarchive.com Milwaukee Chicks 0, Kenosha Comets 9 2–36 September 16 Kenosha Comets 1, Milwaukee Chicks 2 (11 innnings) 3–37 September 17 Milwaukee Chicks 3, Kenosha Comets 0 4–3 Game seven boxscore Team123456789RHEMilwaukee000000201340Kenosha000000000037 Batteries: Milwaukee: Connie Wisniewski and MaguireKenosha: Nicol and Harnett, ColacitoAttendance: 3,166 Batting statistics StatisticPlayerRecord Batting average Betsy Jochum (SB)Helen Callaghan (MIN)Faye Dancer (MIN)Eleanor Dapkus (RAC)Merle Keagle (MIL)Vickie Panos (SB/MIL)Rose Folder (KEN)   Dorothy Kamenshek (ROC)   Shirley Jameson (KEN)Ann Harnett (KEN) .296.287.274.273.264.263.261.257.253.248Runs scored Sophie Kurys (RAC)Vickie Panos (SB/MIL)Helen Callaghan (MIN)Pauline Pirok (KEN)Betsy Jochum (SB)Merle Keagle (MIL)Claire Schillace (RAC)Shirley Jameson (KEN)Phyllis Koehn (KEN)Doris Tetzlaff (MIL) 87848173727265646262Hits Betsy Jochum (SB)Dorothy Kamenshek (ROC)Helen Callaghan (MIN)Merle Keagle (MIL)Vickie Panos (SB/MIL)Eleanor Dapkus (RAC)Sophie Kurys (RAC)Phyllis Koehn (KEN)Faye Dancer (MIN)Ann Harnett (KEN) 1281151141071069996919087Doubles Eleanor Dapkus (RAC)Pauline Pirok (KEN)Ann Harnett (KEN)Dorothy Kamenshek (ROC)Vivian Kellogg (MIN)Josephine Lenard (ROC)Lavonne Paire (MIN)Lucille Colacito (KEN)Merle Keagle (MIL)Sophie Kurys (RAC)Edythe Perlick (RAC)Lee Surkowski (SB) 10108888877777Triples Josephine Lenard (ROC)Ann Harnett (KEN)Vivian Kellogg (MIN)Lois Florreich (SB)Phyllis Koehn (KEN)Faye Dancer (MIN)Mildred Deegan (ROC)Dorothy Maguire (MIL)Merle Keagle (MIL)Betty Whiting (MIL) 10876655555Home runs Merle Keagle (MIL)Eleanor Dapkus (RAC)Helen Callaghan (MIN)Vivian Kellogg (MIN)Elizabeth Mahon (KEN)Doris Tetzlaff (MIL)Lee Surkowski (SB)Josephine D'Angelo (SB)Faye Dancer (MIN)Betsy Jochum (SB)Mary Nesbitt (RAC)Edythe Perlick (RAC)Margaret Wigiser (MIN) 7533333222222Runs batted in Edythe Perlick (RAC)Sophie Kurys (RAC)Eleanor Dapkus (RAC)Faye Dancer (MIN)Merle Keagle (MIL)Vivian Kellogg (MIN)Margaret Stefani (SB)Ann Harnett (KEN)Phyllis Koehn (KEN)Doris Tetzlaff (MIL)Thelma Eisen (MIL)Mary Baker (SB) 636056484746464542424141Stolen bases Sophie Kurys (RAC)Vickie Panos (SB/MIL)Betsy Jochum (SB)Merle Keagle (MIL)Shirley Jameson (KEN)Lois Florreich (SB)Helen Callaghan (MIN)Doris Tetzlaff (MIL)Mary Baker (SB)Alma Ziegler (MIL)Pauline Pirok (KEN)Dorothy Schroeder (SB) 16614112712211911311210192777570 Pitching statistics StatisticPlayerRecordWins Josephine Kabick (MIL)Carolyn Morris (ROC)Mary Nesbitt (RAC)Connie Wisniewski (MIL)  Charlotte Armstrong (SB)  Margaret Berger (SB)Mary Pratt (ROC/KEN)Dorothy Wiltse (MIN)Elise Harney (KEN)Helen Nicol (KEN)Amy Applegren (ROC)Viola Thompson (MIL)Joanne Winter (RAC)Catherine Bennett (SB)Betty Luna (ROC)Annabelle Lee (MIN) 26232323212121201817161515141211Earned run average Helen Nicol (KEN)Charlotte Armstrong (SB)Margaret Berger (SB)Dorothy Wiltse (MIN)Catherine Bennett (SB)Carolyn Morris (ROC)Elise Harney (KEN)Connie WisniewskiAnnabelle Lee (MIN)Mary Pratt (ROC/KEN)Betty Luna (ROC)Josephine Kabick (MIL)Amy Applegren (ROC)Jane Jacobs (RAC)Viola Thompson (MIL)Joanne Winter (RAC)Doris Barr (SB) 0.931.511.571.882.042.152.232.232.432.502.612.662.772.822.882.962.98Strikeouts Dorothy Wiltse (MIN)Helen Nicol (KEN)Carolyn Morris (ROC)Mary Nesbitt (RAC)Margaret Berger (SB)Elise Harney (KEN)Connie WisniewskiJosephine Kabick (MIL)Charlotte Armstrong (SB)Amy Applegren (ROC)Viola Thompson (MIL)Joanne Winter (RAC) 2051361121069288828168565252Games pitched Josephine Kabick (MIL)Mary Nesbitt (RAC)Carolyn Morris (ROC)Margaret Berger (SB)Mary Pratt (ROC/KEN)Joanne Winter (RAC)Charlotte Armstrong (SB)Dorothy Wiltse (MIN)Amy Applegren (ROC)Connie WisniewskiCatherine Bennett (SB)Audrey Haine (MIN)Elise Harney (KEN) 45454441414039383636343434Innings pitched Josephine Kabick (MIL)Carolyn Morris (ROC)Mary Nesbitt (RAC)Charlotte Armstrong (SB)Margaret Berger (SB)Joanne Winter (RAC)Mary Pratt (ROC/KEN)Dorothy Wiltse (MIN)Connie WisniewskiElise Harney (KEN)Amy Applegren (ROC)Helen Nicol (KEN) 366343343321315310303297291262250243 The Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League: A Biographical Dictionary – W. C. Madden. Publisher: McFarland & Company, 2005. Format: Softcover, 295pp. Language: English. 0-7864-3747-2 All-Star Game All-American Girls Professional Baseball League All-Star Team See also 1944 Major League Baseball season Sources External links AAGPBL Official Website AAGPBL Records Baseball Historian files The Diamond Angle profiles and interviews SABR Projects – Jim Sargent articles YouTube videos Category:All-American Girls Professional Baseball League seasons Category:1940s in women's baseball All-American Girls Professional Baseball League season All