Audrey Wagner
Encyclopedia
Genevieve Wagner [Audrey] (December 27, 1927 - August 31, 1984) was an outfielder
who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
. Listed at 5' 7", 145 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.
s while her 55 triples
rank second all-time to Eleanor Callow
(60). Wagner earned Player of the Year honors in 1948, and also led several offensive categories over her seven year career in the league. She later became an All Star outfielder in each of her four seasons in the competing National Girls Baseball League of Chicago
. Following her baseball career, she graduated as Doctor of Medicine.
, and began to play sandlot ball
with the boys of her neighborhood when she was a little girl. At age 15, she attended Bensenville Community High School, where she heard about Philip K. Wrigley
and his remarkable experiment in creating a women professional baseball league during World War II
. Wrigley, who was in charge both of the Wrigley Company
and the Chicago Cubs
Major League Baseball
club, decided to found the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League as a promotional sideline to maintain interest in baseball. By then, the military draft was depleting Major League rosters of first-line players and attendance declined at ballparks around the country. The league started its first season in 1943 with the teams Kenosha Comets
, Racine Belles
, Rockford Peaches
and South Bend Blue Sox
, and each team was made up of fifteen girls. Wagner was allocated to the Kenosha Comets, where she played her entire career in the circuit.
, but Comets manager
Josh Billings promptly moved her to the outfield because of her hitting abilities. She moved around center and right field.
In 1943 Wagner hit .230 in 73 games, scoring 30 runs
while driving in
27 more. She tied for second in triples (10) and tied for third in home run
s (4). She also appeared in the league's first All-Star Game during the midseason, which was played under temporary lights at Wrigley Field
, between two teams composed of Blue Sox and Peaches players versus Comets and Belles players. It was also the first night game ever played in the venerable ballpark (July 1, 1943). The Comets had the third-best record at 56-52, but had won the second-half title, earning them a berth in the playoffs, only to be swept in three games by Racine. Helen Nicol
, who led the AAGPBL pitchers in wins (31), strikeout
s (220), ERA
(1.81) and shutout
s (eight), inexplicably failed in the playoffs after going 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA.
Wagner dropped to .189 with 26 RBI in 1944, but still managing to score 30 runs in 90 games. It was the only time in her AAGPBL career in which she failed to hit a home run. The Comets again placed third (62-54) and made the playoffs after win the first half. They took a 3-2 lead over the expansion Milwaukee Chicks
in the Championship Series, but Nicol lost an 11-inning pitching duel with Connie Wisniewski
in Game 7.
Wagner rebounded slightly in 1945, batting .198 with 26 runs and 26 RBI, but she led the league with nine triples and tied for second in home runs (two) in a dominant pitching league. After becoming a full-time player in 1946, she improved her offensive statistics by hitting a .281 average and leading the league with nine home runs and a .413 slugging average. She also led in total bases
(162) and tied for the doubles
lead (15), ending fourth in hits (110) and eighth in RBI (53), while her average ranked fifth. The Comets were out of contention in both years.
In 1947 the AAGPBL moved its spring training
camp to Havana, Cuba, and Wagner was one of the two hundred girls who made the trip. That season she batted a solid .305 of average and again led the circuit in home runs (7), doubles (25), total bases (183) and slugging (.469). She also topped all hitters in RBI (53) and hits (119) and ended second in triples (9). Wagner, who lost the batting crown by a single point to Dorothy Kamenshek
, was named to the All-Star Team, while Kenosha did not classified for the playoffs this time.
Wagner's hitting stayed about the same in 1948, which was good enough to win the batting title win a .312 average and by leading all-hitters with 130 hits, all career-highs. Besides this, Wagner led all outfielders with a perfect 1.000 fielding average. She also posted career-numbers in games played (117), runs (70), RBI (56), on-base percentage (.393), walks
(56) and triples (14, one behind Eleanor Callow
), and was the only girl to hit over .300 in that season, ending 23 points ahead of runner-up Connie Wisniewski
. In addition, Wagner tied for fourth in homers (4) and tied for eight in RBI, while hitting a hefty .446 of slugging. She earned the Player of the Year Award
and again made the All-Star Team. The other two All-Star outfielders were Racine's Edythe Perlick
, who averaged .243 with two home runs and 51 RBI, and Grand Rapids' Wisniewski, who hit .289 with seven homers and 66 RBI. Meanwhile, the Comets advanced to the playoffs but were beaten by Rockford in the first round.
In 1949 Wagner slipped to .233 with 28 runs and 40 RBI in 97 games, but she hit three homers to tie Thelma Eisen
and Inez Voyce
for the league lead, giving her three home run titles. For the second consecutive year the Comets gained a playoff berth and were defeated in the start, this time by the expansion Muskegon Lassies
.
From 1950 through 1953 Wagner continued to be a solid hitter and outfielder. She helped her team to clinch the Championship Title in 1950 and made the All-Star Team in each of her four seasons in the NGBL. Her most productive season came in 1952, when she led the circuit in doubles, triples, home runs and total bases, ending second in the batting crown race with a .364 average.
where she received her bachelor's degree
in pre-medicine
. She then went on to the University of Illinois where she earned her Doctor of Medicine
degree. Following her graduation, she worked as a practicing obstetrician
and gynecologist in the California
area. Some of her hobbies included earning her private pilot license
, photography
, and serving on the Crescent City Council
in California. She was also a professional auction
eer and enjoyed scuba diving
.
Audrey Wagner died in a small plane accident
near Rock Springs, Wyoming
, at the age of 56. She is part of the AAGPBL permanent display at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at Cooperstown, New York
opened in 1988, which is dedicated to the entire league rather than any individual player. She was inducted posthumously in the Elmhurst's Bluejay Backer Hall of Fame (Class of 1950) in 2003 and in the Fenton High School Alumni Wall of Fame (Class of 1945) in 2005.
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was a women's professional baseball league founded by Philip K. Wrigley which existed from 1943 to 1954. During the league's history, over 600 women played ball.-History:...
. Listed at 5' 7", 145 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.
Brief profile
Audrey Wagner was one of the sixty original founding members of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. A two-time member of the All-Star Team, she ranks eight in the all-time list with 29 career home runHome run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s while her 55 triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
rank second all-time to Eleanor Callow
Eleanor Callow
Eleanor Callow Squirt is a former Canadian female left fielder who played from through for three different teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Callow was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed...
(60). Wagner earned Player of the Year honors in 1948, and also led several offensive categories over her seven year career in the league. She later became an All Star outfielder in each of her four seasons in the competing National Girls Baseball League of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. Following her baseball career, she graduated as Doctor of Medicine.
Early life
Wagner was born and grew up in Bensenville, IllinoisBensenville, Illinois
Bensenville is a village located primarily in DuPage County, Illinois, with a small section near O'Hare International Airport in Cook County, Illinois, overlapping into the city of Chicago. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 20,703. Bensenville is home to the Edge Ice Arena, home of...
, and began to play sandlot ball
Sandlot ball
Sandlot ball is a North American adolescent game that generally follows the basic rules of baseball. More specific rules can be set for games and may vary each time the game is played. These rules are usually agreed upon before the game begins by teams of young boys or girls usually from the same...
with the boys of her neighborhood when she was a little girl. At age 15, she attended Bensenville Community High School, where she heard about Philip K. Wrigley
Philip K. Wrigley
Philip Knight Wrigley , sometimes also called P.K. or Phil. Born in Chicago, he was an American chewing gum manufacturer and executive in Major League Baseball, inheriting both those roles as the quiet son of his much more flamboyant father, William Wrigley Jr. After his father died in 1932, Philip...
and his remarkable experiment in creating a women professional baseball league during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Wrigley, who was in charge both of the Wrigley Company
Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company
The William Wrigley Jr. Company is a company headquartered in the Wrigley Building in Near North Side, Chicago, Illinois. The company was founded on April 1, 1891, originally selling products such as soap and baking powder. In 1892, William Wrigley, Jr., the company's founder, began packaging...
and the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
club, decided to found the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League as a promotional sideline to maintain interest in baseball. By then, the military draft was depleting Major League rosters of first-line players and attendance declined at ballparks around the country. The league started its first season in 1943 with the teams Kenosha Comets
Kenosha Comets
Based in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the Kenosha Comets were a women's professional baseball team that played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The team played their home games at Kenosha's Lake Front Stadium, but later moved to Simmons Field.The Kenosha Comets were one...
, Racine Belles
Racine Belles
The Racine Belles were one of the original teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League playing from through out of Racine, Wisconsin. The team played its home games at Horlick Field.-History:...
, Rockford Peaches
Rockford Peaches
The Rockford Peaches were a team in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League playing out of Rockford, Illinois for the entire existence of the league from 1943 to 1954....
and South Bend Blue Sox
South Bend Blue Sox
The South Bend Blue Sox were a women's professional baseball team who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
, and each team was made up of fifteen girls. Wagner was allocated to the Kenosha Comets, where she played her entire career in the circuit.
AAGPBL career
Due to her studies at school, Wagner saw limited action until being graduated in 1946. Her father Leonard allowed her to play only after school finished for the year. She entered the AAGPBL as a pitcherPitcher
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...
, but Comets manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
Josh Billings promptly moved her to the outfield because of her hitting abilities. She moved around center and right field.
In 1943 Wagner hit .230 in 73 games, scoring 30 runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
while driving in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
27 more. She tied for second in triples (10) and tied for third in home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s (4). She also appeared in the league's first All-Star Game during the midseason, which was played under temporary lights at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
, between two teams composed of Blue Sox and Peaches players versus Comets and Belles players. It was also the first night game ever played in the venerable ballpark (July 1, 1943). The Comets had the third-best record at 56-52, but had won the second-half title, earning them a berth in the playoffs, only to be swept in three games by Racine. Helen Nicol
Helen Nicol
Helen Nicol is a Canadian former baseball pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League . Listed at 5' 3", 120 lb., Nicol batted and threw right-handed...
, who led the AAGPBL pitchers in wins (31), strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s (220), ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
(1.81) and shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
s (eight), inexplicably failed in the playoffs after going 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA.
Wagner dropped to .189 with 26 RBI in 1944, but still managing to score 30 runs in 90 games. It was the only time in her AAGPBL career in which she failed to hit a home run. The Comets again placed third (62-54) and made the playoffs after win the first half. They took a 3-2 lead over the expansion Milwaukee Chicks
Milwaukee Chicks
The Milwaukee Chicks were a women's professional baseball team which played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the season. They were managed by Max Carey, former star player for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Brooklyn Robins and a future Hall of Famer.-History:By 1944 the...
in the Championship Series, but Nicol lost an 11-inning pitching duel with Connie Wisniewski
Connie Wisniewski
Constance Wisniewski was a starting pitcher and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
in Game 7.
Wagner rebounded slightly in 1945, batting .198 with 26 runs and 26 RBI, but she led the league with nine triples and tied for second in home runs (two) in a dominant pitching league. After becoming a full-time player in 1946, she improved her offensive statistics by hitting a .281 average and leading the league with nine home runs and a .413 slugging average. She also led in total bases
Total bases
In baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i.e., the sum of his hits weighted by 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run.Only bases attained from hits count toward this total....
(162) and tied for the doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
lead (15), ending fourth in hits (110) and eighth in RBI (53), while her average ranked fifth. The Comets were out of contention in both years.
In 1947 the AAGPBL moved its spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
camp to Havana, Cuba, and Wagner was one of the two hundred girls who made the trip. That season she batted a solid .305 of average and again led the circuit in home runs (7), doubles (25), total bases (183) and slugging (.469). She also topped all hitters in RBI (53) and hits (119) and ended second in triples (9). Wagner, who lost the batting crown by a single point to Dorothy Kamenshek
Dorothy Kamenshek
Dorothy "Dottie" Kamenshek was an All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player. She batted and threw left-handed....
, was named to the All-Star Team, while Kenosha did not classified for the playoffs this time.
Wagner's hitting stayed about the same in 1948, which was good enough to win the batting title win a .312 average and by leading all-hitters with 130 hits, all career-highs. Besides this, Wagner led all outfielders with a perfect 1.000 fielding average. She also posted career-numbers in games played (117), runs (70), RBI (56), on-base percentage (.393), walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
(56) and triples (14, one behind Eleanor Callow
Eleanor Callow
Eleanor Callow Squirt is a former Canadian female left fielder who played from through for three different teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Callow was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed...
), and was the only girl to hit over .300 in that season, ending 23 points ahead of runner-up Connie Wisniewski
Connie Wisniewski
Constance Wisniewski was a starting pitcher and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
. In addition, Wagner tied for fourth in homers (4) and tied for eight in RBI, while hitting a hefty .446 of slugging. She earned the Player of the Year Award
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Player of the Year Award
Starting on its third year of operation, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League honored with the Player of the Year Award the top performer in the circuit that year. The AAGPBL folded at the end of the 1954 season. This is the list of winners.-Winners:...
and again made the All-Star Team. The other two All-Star outfielders were Racine's Edythe Perlick
Edythe Perlick
Edythe Perlick [Edie] was a left fielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 3", 128 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.-Overview profile:...
, who averaged .243 with two home runs and 51 RBI, and Grand Rapids' Wisniewski, who hit .289 with seven homers and 66 RBI. Meanwhile, the Comets advanced to the playoffs but were beaten by Rockford in the first round.
In 1949 Wagner slipped to .233 with 28 runs and 40 RBI in 97 games, but she hit three homers to tie Thelma Eisen
Thelma Eisen
Thelma Eisen [Tiby] is a former outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 4", 130 lb., she batted and threw right-handed....
and Inez Voyce
Inez Voyce
Inez Ferne Voyce [Lefty] is a former first basewoman who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
for the league lead, giving her three home run titles. For the second consecutive year the Comets gained a playoff berth and were defeated in the start, this time by the expansion Muskegon Lassies
Muskegon Lassies
The Muskegon Lassies were one of the expansion teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in , representing Muskegon, Michigan. The team played their home games at Marsh Field....
.
NGBL career
Wagner moved to the Parichy Bloomer Girls of the National Girls Baseball League in 1950, because she was offered the same salary and no extensive travelling. The games were played in the Chicago area, so she would be home every night closer to school and her studies. Whereas the AAGPBL gradually evolved from softball to an almost standard hardball, with longer bases and sidearm or overhand pitching, the NGBL used a ball larger than that used in the AAGPBL, featured the traditional underhand pitching and base paths stayed shorter.From 1950 through 1953 Wagner continued to be a solid hitter and outfielder. She helped her team to clinch the Championship Title in 1950 and made the All-Star Team in each of her four seasons in the NGBL. Her most productive season came in 1952, when she led the circuit in doubles, triples, home runs and total bases, ending second in the batting crown race with a .364 average.
Life after baseball
While playing baseball, Wagner attended Elmhurst CollegeElmhurst College
Elmhurst College is a comprehensive private liberal arts college in Elmhurst, Illinois with a tradition of service-oriented learning. It has a rich affiliation with the United Church of Christ.- History :...
where she received her bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in pre-medicine
Pre-medical
Pre-medical is a term used to describe a track an undergraduate student in the United States pursues prior to becoming a medical student...
. She then went on to the University of Illinois where she earned her Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
degree. Following her graduation, she worked as a practicing obstetrician
Obstetrics
Obstetrics is the medical specialty dealing with the care of all women's reproductive tracts and their children during pregnancy , childbirth and the postnatal period...
and gynecologist in the California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
area. Some of her hobbies included earning her private pilot license
Private Pilot License
A Private Pilot License or, in the United States of America, a Private Pilot Certificate, is a license that permits the holder to act as the pilot of an aircraft privately . The requirements to obtain the license are determined by the International Civil Aviation Authority , but the actual...
, photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
, and serving on the Crescent City Council
Crescent City, California
Crescent City is the county seat and only incorporated city in Del Norte County, California. Named for the crescent-shaped stretch of sandy beach south of the city, Crescent City had a total population of 7,643 in the 2010 census, up from 4,006 in the 2000 census...
in California. She was also a professional auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
eer and enjoyed scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
.
Audrey Wagner died in a small plane accident
Aviation accidents and incidents
An aviation accident is defined in the Convention on International Civil Aviation Annex 13 as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft which takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight and all such persons have disembarked, in which a...
near Rock Springs, Wyoming
Rock Springs, Wyoming
Rock Springs is a city in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 18,708 at the 2000 census. Rock Springs is the principal city of the Rock Springs micropolitan statistical area, which has a population of 37,975....
, at the age of 56. She is part of the AAGPBL permanent display at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at 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...
opened in 1988, which is dedicated to the entire league rather than any individual player. She was inducted posthumously in the Elmhurst's Bluejay Backer Hall of Fame (Class of 1950) in 2003 and in the Fenton High School Alumni Wall of Fame (Class of 1945) in 2005.