Mamie Johnson
Encyclopedia
Mamie “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. She was signed by the Indianapolis Clowns
in 1953, played with the team from 1953 to 1955, had a 33-8 won-loss record and a batting average
of .273.
Johnson was known as "Peanut" during her career due to her height - 5 feet, 3 inches. She is the subject of the book A Strong Right Arm, describing her life growing up and the obstacles to her becoming a professional Negro League baseball player.
On June 5, 2008, Johnson and other living players from the Negro League Era were drafted by major league franchises prior to the 2008 MLB First year Draft. Johnson was selected by the Washington Nationals
.
Negro league baseball
The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams predominantly made up of African Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be used narrowly for the seven relatively successful leagues beginning in...
. She was born in Ridgeway, South Carolina
Ridgeway, South Carolina
Ridgeway is a town in Fairfield County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 328 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Columbia, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Ridgeway is located at ....
in 1935. She was signed by the Indianapolis Clowns
Indianapolis Clowns
The 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 1953, played with the team from 1953 to 1955, had a 33-8 won-loss record and a batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of .273.
Johnson was known as "Peanut" during her career due to her height - 5 feet, 3 inches. She is the subject of the book A Strong Right Arm, describing her life growing up and the obstacles to her becoming a professional Negro League baseball player.
On June 5, 2008, Johnson and other living players from the Negro League Era were drafted by major league franchises prior to the 2008 MLB First year Draft. Johnson was selected by the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
.
See also
- 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...
- Jackie MitchellJackie Mitchell (baseball)Virne Beatrice "Jackie" Mitchell Gilbert was one of the first female pitchers in professional baseball history...
- Connie MorganConnie MorganConstance "Connie" Enola Morgan was the third woman to play professional baseball in the Negro league.Morgan replaced second-base player and the first woman in the league Toni Stone in the Indianapolis Clowns in 1954. Morgan played with the team for two years...
- Toni StoneToni StoneToni Stone , also known by her married name Marcenia Lyle Alberga, was the first of three women to play Negro league baseball....
- Alta WeissAlta WeissAlta 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...
- 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....
External links
- Mamie "Peanut" Johnson's oral history video excerpts at The National Visionary Leadership Project