Alta Weiss
Encyclopedia
Alta Weiss Hisrich born Alta Weiss, was an American minor league baseball
pitcher
from Ohio
who drew large crowds to exhibition games at minor league
and major league venues in the US states of Ohio and Kentucky
. She was an early semiprofessional female baseball player who went on to become a physician
.
the daughter of Dr. George and Lucinda Zehnder Weiss. When she was 5 years old the family moved to Ragersville. She began to pitch
for boys' baseball
teams at the age of 14. At 17, she joined a men's semiprofessional team, the nearby Vermilion
Independents. 1200 people turned out to see her make her debut: she gave up only four hits and a single run in five innings
. Soon, special train
s were being run out from Cleveland, Ohio
whenever she pitched. When she appeared in the Cleveland Naps' League Park
, more than 3,000 people paid their way in to see her.
"I found that you can't play ball in skirt
s, I tried. I wore a skirt over my bloomers
– and nearly broke my neck. Finally I was forced to discard it, and now I always wear bloomers.- but made so wide that the fullness gives a skirtlike effect," she told reporters.
at the Starling Medical College, where she was the only female to graduate with the class of 1914. Even after she began to practice as a physician in Norwalk
, she continued to play off and on into the 1920s.
, with illustrations by Terry Widener, was published in 2003 (ISBN 0-689-83300-8). On October 20, 2004 she was inducted into the Ragersville Hall of Fame. Her uniform was sent to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
in Cooperstown, New York
for exhibition in a Women's baseball
exhibit that opened in 2005.
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
from Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
who drew large crowds to exhibition games at minor league
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
and major league venues in the US states of Ohio and Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. She was an early semiprofessional female baseball player who went on to become a physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
.
Early life
Weiss was born in 1890 in Berlin, Holmes County, OhioBerlin, Holmes County, Ohio
Berlin is a census-designated place located in central Berlin Township, Holmes County, Ohio, United States. It is situated at the junction of U.S. Route 62 and State Route 39....
the daughter of Dr. George and Lucinda Zehnder Weiss. When she was 5 years old the family moved to Ragersville. She began to pitch
Pitch (baseball)
In baseball, a pitch is the act of throwing a baseball toward home plate to start a play. The term comes from the Knickerbocker Rules. Originally, the ball had to be literally "pitched" underhand, as with pitching horseshoes. Overhand throwing was not allowed until 1884.The biomechanics of...
for boys' baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
teams at the age of 14. At 17, she joined a men's semiprofessional team, the nearby Vermilion
Vermilion, Ohio
Vermilion is a city in Erie and Lorain counties in Ohio, on the North Coast of the U.S.A. The population was 10,927 at the 2000 census. The current mayor is Eileen Bulan...
Independents. 1200 people turned out to see her make her debut: she gave up only four hits and a single run in five innings
Innings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
. Soon, special train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
s were being run out from Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
whenever she pitched. When she appeared in the Cleveland Naps' League Park
League Park
League Park was a baseball park located in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It was situated at the northeast corner of Lexington Avenue and E. 66th Street in the Hough neighborhood. It was home to the National League Cleveland Spiders, the American League Cleveland Indians, and the Cleveland...
, more than 3,000 people paid their way in to see her.
"I found that you can't play ball in skirt
Skirt
A skirt is a tube- or cone-shaped garment that hangs from the waist and covers all or part of the legs.In the western world, skirts are usually considered women's clothing. However, there are exceptions...
s, I tried. I wore a skirt over my bloomers
Bloomers (clothing)
Bloomers is a word which has been applied to several types of divided women's garments for the lower body at various times.-Fashion bloomers :...
– and nearly broke my neck. Finally I was forced to discard it, and now I always wear bloomers.- but made so wide that the fullness gives a skirtlike effect," she told reporters.
Later career
Her baseball skills were good enough to put her through medical schoolMedical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine. Degree programs offered at medical schools often include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, master's degree, or other post-secondary...
at the Starling Medical College, where she was the only female to graduate with the class of 1914. Even after she began to practice as a physician in Norwalk
Norwalk, Ohio
At the 2000 census, there were 16,238 people, 6,377 households and 4,234 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,950.3 per square mile . There were 6,687 housing units at an average density of 803.1 per square mile...
, she continued to play off and on into the 1920s.
Honors
A picture-story book for children Girl Wonder: A Baseball Story in Nine Innings, by Deborah HopkinsonDeborah Hopkinson
Deborah Hopkinson was born in Lowell, Massachusetts. She is the author of approximately 30 children's books, including Hear My Sorrow, the final book in the Dear America series...
, with illustrations by Terry Widener, was published in 2003 (ISBN 0-689-83300-8). On October 20, 2004 she was inducted into the Ragersville Hall of Fame. Her uniform was sent to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
in Cooperstown, New York
Cooperstown, New York
Cooperstown is a village in Otsego County, New York, USA. It is located in the Town of Otsego. The population was estimated to be 1,852 at the 2010 census.The Village of Cooperstown is the county seat of Otsego County, New York...
for exhibition in a Women's baseball
Women's baseball
Women's baseball is currently played in several countries. The strongest and most organized women's baseball leagues are in the United States, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, Cuba, Hong Kong, and Canada. Those countries have national governing bodies that support girls' and women's baseball programs...
exhibit that opened in 2005.
See also
- Jackie MitchellJackie Mitchell (baseball)Virne Beatrice "Jackie" Mitchell Gilbert was one of the first female pitchers in professional baseball history...
– pitched for the Chattanooga LookoutsChattanooga LookoutsThe Chattanooga Lookouts are a minor league baseball team based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. They are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team, which plays in the Southern League, has been a Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club since the 2009 season. The Lookouts...
briefly in 1931, then later with the House of David - Mamie JohnsonMamie JohnsonMamie “Peanut” Johnson was one of three women, and the first female pitcher, to play in the Negro Leagues. She was born in Ridgeway, South Carolina in 1935...
– pitched for the Indianapolis ClownsIndianapolis ClownsThe Indianapolis Clowns were a professional baseball team in the Negro American League.- Founding :They began operation in Cincinnati in , and operated between Cincinnati and Indianapolis in 1944 and 1945 before officially moving in...
in the 1953–1955 seasons - Ila BordersIla BordersIla Borders , is a former left-handed pitcher in college and independent professional baseball player.-Biography:Borders was the first woman pitcher to start a men's NCAA or NAIA college baseball game, playing for Southern California College in the 1994-96 seasons and Whittier College in the 1997...
– pitched for the St. Paul SaintsSt. Paul SaintsThe St. Paul Saints are a professional baseball team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in the United States. The Saints are a member of the North Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
starting in 1997 then several other teams and retired from minor league baseball in 2000 - Eri YoshidaEri Yoshidais a high-school student at Kawasaki-kita Senior High School in Kawasaki, who at the age of 16 became the first female drafted by a Japanese professional baseball team, Kobe 9 Cruise of Kansai Independent Baseball League, to play alongside male teammates....
– pitched for the Kobe 9 Cruise of the Kansai Independent Baseball LeagueKansai Independent Baseball LeagueThe is a professional baseball league in Japan. Its debut season was in .The league's activities became public in 2008. Plans to form the league were announced at a press conference on March 6. On July 30, the names of the four teams were released....
starting in the 2009 season and the Chico OutlawsChico OutlawsThe Chico Outlaws are a professional baseball team based in Chico, California, in the United States. The Outlaws are a member of the Western Division of the independent North American League, which is not affiliated with either Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball...
in the 2010 season