- Paperback: 320 pages
- Publisher: Seal Press; First Edition edition (Mar 21 1994)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1878067435
- ISBN-13: 978-1878067432
- Product Dimensions: 22.9 x 15.5 x 1.7 cm
- Shipping Weight: 499 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #2,304,790 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
For Johnson, a sociology professor, 1950 was a banner year, marking the summer when the 10-year-old Midwest native became a fan of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The league lasted only 11 years (1943-1954), but interest in it was recently revived by the film A League of Their Own . Johnson warmly recalls her own days in the stands and convincingly portrays the importance of the league to young female fans, who often became "Coke girls" to their favorite players, meeting them after every game with a can of soda. Her history alternates excerpts from interviews with 26 of the women who played for the Rockford Peaches and the Fort Wayne Daisies in 1950 with newspaper accounts of that year's championship series between the two teams. Many of the players' recollections have a certain sameness, but the author's enthusiasm for her subject keeps them fresh. Former Peaches catcher Marilyn Jones contends that management insisted on the women being feminine because fans "wanted to see a bunch of girls that acted like girls, and looked like girls and played like boys." Several players were shocked to learn that they were expected to play in skirts and attend "charm school" to learn how to be more graceful; one woman claims "I learned how to be graceful by playing ball out in the pasture, side-steppin' all the cowpies!"
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
As a girl, Johnson was a devoted fan of the Rockford Peaches, a team in the All-American Girls Baseball League (1943-54) that was featured in the 1992 movie A League of Their Own . This book, a love letter to the league and its players, vividly re-creates what being in the league was like for the players, who were "unconventional before, during and after their ball-playing days." Seven chapters recount the seven games of the exciting 1950 playoff series between the Rockford Peaches and the Fort Wayne Daisies. Each chapter is accompanied by an in-depth player profile and a section dealing with such topics as the league's feminine image; game strategy; the players' upbringings; and life after the league disbanded. Johnson lets us share the players' memories, lest we forget the high caliber of their play. Highly recommended for public and academic libraries.
- Kathy Ruffle, Coll. of New Caledonia Lib., Prince George, British Columbia
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- Kathy Ruffle, Coll. of New Caledonia Lib., Prince George, British Columbia
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
There was little in the close of the 1949 All-American Girls Baseball League season to suggest the fierce battle between the Rockford Peaches and the Fort Wayne Daisies that would erupt at the end of 1950. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
There was little in the close of the 1949 All-American Girls Baseball League season to suggest the fierce battle between the Rockford Peaches and the Fort Wayne Daisies that would erupt at the end of 1950. Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful Read About Women Who Played Baseball,
By Seattle Girl "Sisi" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: When Women Played Hardball (Paperback)
I just read this book, and was surprised by how moved I was by the story of the history of women's baseball! The interviews with the former players were both humorous and touching, and framed an outstanding portrait of a unique, and practically forgotten, era. I hope a lot of young women read this book, as it is quite an inspiration.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.6 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews) 9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Probably the Best of AAGBPL Books,
By Bruce Baskin - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: When Women Played Hardball (Paperback)
While Lois Browne's "The Girls Of Summer" is perhaps the most complete history of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, this book is the most personal account due to Ms. Johnson's own fandom of the early 1950's. It's an extremely well-done book interpolating Ms. Johnson's text with interviews of former AAGBPL players and contemporary newspaper game accounts of the 1950 league championship series. While Browne's book (and others) are a little more academic in their approach to the subject, this is the one that really gives readers the best "feel" for what it was like for women to play baseball 50-60 years ago. Parents considering buying this for their children should note that there is a little more emphasis on player sexuality in this book than the others, but that detracts little from the overall effort. I've read four or five books on the AAGPBL, and would consider this the best of them (with Browne's book a solid second).
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful Read About Women Who Played Baseball,
By Seattle Girl "Sisi" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: When Women Played Hardball (Paperback)
I just read this book, and was surprised by how moved I was by the story of the history of women's baseball! The interviews with the former players were both humorous and touching, and framed an outstanding portrait of a unique, and practically forgotten, era. I hope a lot of young women read this book, as it is quite an inspiration.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great AAGPBL book,
By Ryan Woodward - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: When Women Played Hardball (Paperback)
Susan Johnson leaves nothing out in her account of the 1950 playoffs series between the Rockford Peaches and Ft. Wayne Daisies. Well written with the lively enthusiam that could only be brought to the pages by an actual fan of the teams written about, Johnson's book not only gives a solid history of the entire league, but also gives a highly detailed account of particular players and games during one season. A must have book for AAGPBL enthusiasts.
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