Mary Nesbitt Wisham
Encyclopedia
Mary Nesbitt [Choo-Choo] is a former pitcher
and first basewoman who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
. Listed at 5' 8", 155 lb., Nesbitt batted and threw left handed. She was born Marie Crews Nesbitt in Greenville, South Carolina
. After being married in 1946, she played under the name of Mary Nesbitt Wisham.
, knuckleball
left-handed, she was one of the most dominant pitchers in the early years of the circuit. The unpredictable movement of her pitches made it almost impossible to hit, until a severe injury suffered in a regular game shortened her promising career. She posted a 65-49 record with a 2.44 earned run average
in 120 pitching appearances. After that she switched to first base, to become a dangerous and productive hitter through the rest of her career, ranking among the top 10 AAGPBL players for five out of her six seasons. Her accomplishments also included appearing in the first ever AAGPBL All-Star Game and by collecting a .422 on-base percentage and a .393 of slugging, while her .282 batting average
ranks her sixth in the all-time list of hitters who had a minimum of 1000 at bat
appearances.
and Florida
, as well as for a men's team in Chattanooga, Tennessee
, where baseball scout
Jimmy Hamilton was impressed with her talent. He decided to inviting the young pitcher to an All-American Girls Professional Baseball League tryout. The AAGPBL was a circuit that began to operate in 1943 in cities located on or near Lake Michigan
. The main promoter was Philip K. Wrigley
, owner of the Chicago Cubs
, who worried about the viability of male professional baseball
players during World War II
decided to establish an alternate attraction. By sending out scouts and setting up try-outs in dozens of major cities, Wrigley attracted hundreds of women from all over United States
and Canada
who were eager to play in the new professional league. Of these, only 280 were invited to the final try-outs at Wrigley Field
in Chicago, where 60 were chosen to become the first women to ever play professional baseball. The girls were placed on the rosters of four fifteen-player teams: Kenosha Comets
, Racine Belles
, Rockford Peaches
and South Bend Blue Sox
. Mary Nesbitt was one of them. Her tryout in Chicago was a success, and she was allocated to the Belles at the age of 18. The average full-time worker made $1,299 a year in the 1940s, according to one estimate, or about $25 a week. Players in the AAGBBL made between $50 and $125 a week during a three-month, 108-game season. At the time, clubs of girls (never called women) seemed like a way to fill ballparks, according to an article in Smithsonian magazine
in 1989, but the league lasted twelve successful seasons before folding in 1954. It was a neglected chapter of sports history, at least until filmmaker Penny Marshall
premiered her 1992
A League of Their Own
, which was a fiction
alized account of activities in the AAGPBL. Starring Geena Davis
, Tom Hanks
, Madonna
, Lori Petty
and Rosie O'Donnell
, this film brought a rejuvenated interest to the extinct league.
at the helm, won both the first half of the season and AAGPBL championship behind a strong effort by Nesbitt, who led the pitching staff with a 26-13 record for a .667 winning percentage
(fifth-best of the league), including 308 innings of work in 47 appearances. She also hit .280, scored 34 runs
, and drove in
29 more in 73 games.
At a time of the season, Nesbitt put together a 11-game winning streak. On July 1, 1943 took effect the first All-Star Game of the league, which coincidentally was the first night game ever played at Wrigley Field. The game was played under temporary lights between two teams composed of Blue Sox and Peaches players against Comets and Belles players.
Besides Nesbitt, the Belles also counted with Joanne Winter
, who posted a 11-11 record, to give the team a strong one-two pitching staff, while Margaret Danhauser
, Maddy English
, Edythe Perlick
and Claire Schillace
could be counted on for their bats and solid defense. The attack was led by slugging right fielder
Eleanor Dapkus
, who hit a league-lead 10 home run
s, while the speedy Sophie Kurys
stole
44 bases and scored 60 runs. Irene Hickson
, who shared the atcher]|catching] duties with Dorothy Maguire
,was known as an opportune hitter with runners in scoring position during the late innings. Most importantly, Hickson was a solid fielding catcher with a strong throwing arm, and had a reputation as a good handler of pitchers. Early in the season, Nesbitt and Hickson were referred as
the ″Belles Chattanooga Battery″, because both were scouted by Jimmy Hamilton in there.
The first AAGPBL Championship Series pitted first-half winner Racine against Kenosha Comets, second-half champ. In the best-of-five series, Racine swept Kenosha to clinch the first championship in the league's history. Nesbitt claimed complete-game victories in Games 1 and 3, and saved
Game 2 after starter Winter ran into trouble in the eight inning. Meanwhile, Hickson led all-hitters with a .417 average and five RBI in the three games.
In 1944, when the league added the Milwaukee Chicks
and the Minneapolis Millerettes
, the Belles missed the playoffs, producing losing records of 28-32 and 26-31 while ranking fourth of the six teams in both halves of the season. Nesbitt posted the team's only winning record, 23-17, with a career-high 106 strikeouts in 45 games, while the other pitchers of Racine suffered off years. Winter slipped to a 15-23 ledger, and the rest of the staff combined for a 16-23 mark. Nesbitt also provided some help with her bat, hitting .220 with 14 runs and 23 RBI in 74 games.
Nesbitt stayed on the mound until she fractured her collarbone in 1945. She finished with a 16-19 record in 37 appearances, while hitting a league-best .319 in 66 games, but she had fewer than the required number of at bats or plate appearances for the batting title. Helen Callaghan
of the Fort Wayne Daisies
batted .299 to lead all hitters, while the league average was a measly .198 that year. Incidentally, the relatively low batting average
s in the early years reflect mainly the high quality of AAGPBL pitchers, rather than a lack of skills by the hitters.
Nesbitt did not play in 1946. She got married to Vester Wisham, who worked for the Racine team. They were working a farm in Georgia
when a scout was sent out to find her and see about coming back to play in the league again. The scout paid her a $500 bonus for sign up, and she opened 1947 with the Peoria Redwings. That season the AAGPBL moved its spring training camp to Havana, Cuba. Two hundred girls made the trip to Havana, and for many the flight was their first airplane trip. The girls stayed at the Seville-Biltmore Hotel and played their games at the Gran Stadium
. All the teams were filmed for Fox News
going down the steps at the University of Havana
. After the injury, she had less command of her array of pitches, especially her hard knuckleball, and she was given the chance to play on a regular basis at first base. She responded with a .261 average in 110 games, including 47 runs, 58 RBI, and a grand slam
. Her most productive season came in 1948, when she paced the league with 24 doubles
and posted career numbers in average (.292), runs (69), RBI (58), at-bats (399), hits (128) and games played (126), ranking between the top ten in these offensive categories. She helped Peoria reach a 71-55 record, for the first and only winning season in team's history. It also was the first and only time the Redwings made the playoffs, only to be swept by the Racine Belles in three straight games.
In 1950, she posted a significant average of .340 with 25 runs and 22 RBI in just only 49 games. She quit baseball again, while she was pregnant with the first of her four children. Fanatics gave her a baby shower
on the field. The family moved later to Hollister
in Putnam County, Florida
, after learning there were six acres and a house for sale.
. A recreation complex park in West Putnam has been named in her honor.
In November 1988, Mary Nesbitt Wisham along with her former teammates and opponents, received their long overdue recognition when the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York
dedicated a permanent display to the All American Girls Professional Baseball League. She is currently living in Hollister, Florida
.
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...
and first basewoman 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' 8", 155 lb., Nesbitt batted and threw left handed. She was born Marie Crews Nesbitt in Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville, South Carolina
-Law and government:The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.-History:The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families...
. After being married in 1946, she played under the name of Mary Nesbitt Wisham.
Brief profile
Nesbitt enjoyed many firsts in her fruitful All-American Girls Professional Baseball League career. She is recognized as one of the sixty original founding members of the league. An ideal fastpitchFastpitch softball
Fast-pitch softball is a form of softball played commonly by women and men, though coed fast-pitch leagues also exist. The International Softball Federation is the international governing body of softball...
, knuckleball
Knuckleball
A knuckleball is a baseball pitch with an erratic, unpredictable motion. The pitch is thrown so as to minimize the spin of the ball in flight. This causes vortices over the stitched seams of the baseball during its trajectory, which in turn can cause the pitch to change direction—and even...
left-handed, she was one of the most dominant pitchers in the early years of the circuit. The unpredictable movement of her pitches made it almost impossible to hit, until a severe injury suffered in a regular game shortened her promising career. She posted a 65-49 record with a 2.44 earned run average
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...
in 120 pitching appearances. After that she switched to first base, to become a dangerous and productive hitter through the rest of her career, ranking among the top 10 AAGPBL players for five out of her six seasons. Her accomplishments also included appearing in the first ever AAGPBL All-Star Game and by collecting a .422 on-base percentage and a .393 of slugging, while her .282 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 :...
ranks her sixth in the all-time list of hitters who had a minimum of 1000 at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
appearances.
Early life
Nesbitt played ball ever since elementary school. At age 12 she hurled in a fast-pitch softball league in her hometown, and later played for some championship teams in IllinoisIllinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, as well as for a men's team in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
, where baseball scout
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
Jimmy Hamilton was impressed with her talent. He decided to inviting the young pitcher to an All-American Girls Professional Baseball League tryout. The AAGPBL was a circuit that began to operate in 1943 in cities located on or near Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
. The main promoter was 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...
, owner of 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...
, who worried about the viability of male professional 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...
players 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...
decided to establish an alternate attraction. By sending out scouts and setting up try-outs in dozens of major cities, Wrigley attracted hundreds of women from all over United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
who were eager to play in the new professional league. Of these, only 280 were invited to the final try-outs 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...
in Chicago, where 60 were chosen to become the first women to ever play professional baseball. The girls were placed on the rosters of four fifteen-player 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...
. Mary Nesbitt was one of them. Her tryout in Chicago was a success, and she was allocated to the Belles at the age of 18. The average full-time worker made $1,299 a year in the 1940s, according to one estimate, or about $25 a week. Players in the AAGBBL made between $50 and $125 a week during a three-month, 108-game season. At the time, clubs of girls (never called women) seemed like a way to fill ballparks, according to an article in Smithsonian magazine
Smithsonian (magazine)
Smithsonian is the official journal published by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The first issue was published in 1970.-History:...
in 1989, but the league lasted twelve successful seasons before folding in 1954. It was a neglected chapter of sports history, at least until filmmaker Penny Marshall
Penny Marshall
Penny Marshall is an American actress, producer and director.After playing several small roles for television, she was cast as Laverne DeFazio in the sitcom Laverne and Shirley...
premiered her 1992
1992 in film
The year 1992 in film involved many significant films. -Top grossing films:-Awards:Academy AwardsGolden Globe AwardsNational Film Awards...
A League of Their Own
A League of Their Own
A League of Their Own is a 1992 American comedy-drama film that tells a fictionalized account of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League . Directed by Penny Marshall, the film stars Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Tom Hanks, Madonna, and Rosie O'Donnell...
, which was a fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
alized account of activities in the AAGPBL. Starring Geena Davis
Geena Davis
Virginia Elizabeth "Geena" Davis is an American actress, film producer, writer, former fashion model, and a women's Olympics archery team semi-finalist...
, Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, Lori Petty
Lori Petty
Lori Petty is an American film and television actress best known for playing "Tyler Endicott" in Point Break in 1991, "Kit Keller" in A League of Their Own in 1992, and the title role in Tank Girl in 1995.-Early life:...
and Rosie O'Donnell
Rosie O'Donnell
Roseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, author and television personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...
, this film brought a rejuvenated interest to the extinct league.
AAGPBL career
During her first three seasons Nesbitt played first base when she was not pitching. In 1943, the Racine Belles, with Johnny GottseligJohnny Gottselig
John Gottselig was a professional ice hockey left winger who played 17 seasons for the Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League between 1928 and 1946. He was the second player born in the Russian Empire to play in the NHL, as well as the first European-born head coach in the league's...
at the helm, won both the first half of the season and AAGPBL championship behind a strong effort by Nesbitt, who led the pitching staff with a 26-13 record for a .667 winning percentage
Winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win...
(fifth-best of the league), including 308 innings of work in 47 appearances. She also hit .280, scored 34 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...
, and drove 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...
29 more in 73 games.
At a time of the season, Nesbitt put together a 11-game winning streak. On July 1, 1943 took effect the first All-Star Game of the league, which coincidentally was the first night game ever played at Wrigley Field. The game was played under temporary lights between two teams composed of Blue Sox and Peaches players against Comets and Belles players.
Besides Nesbitt, the Belles also counted with Joanne Winter
Joanne Winter
Joanne Emily Winter [Jo] was a pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 8", 138 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.-Overview profile:...
, who posted a 11-11 record, to give the team a strong one-two pitching staff, while Margaret Danhauser
Margaret Danhauser
Margaret L. Danhauser [Marnie] was a first basewoman who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She batted and threw right-handed.-Career:...
, Maddy English
Maddy English
Madeline Catherine English [Maddy] was a third basewoman who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 4", 130 lb., English batted and threw right-handed...
, 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:...
and Claire Schillace
Claire Schillace
Claire Joan Schillace was a center fielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
could be counted on for their bats and solid defense. The attack was led by slugging right fielder
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
Eleanor Dapkus
Eleanor Dapkus
Eleanor Dapkus [Wolf] was a center fielder and pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 6", 160 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.-Women in baseball:...
, who hit a league-lead 10 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, while the speedy Sophie Kurys
Sophie Kurys
Sophie Kurys is a former second basewoman who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 5", 115 lb., Kurys batted and threw right-handed.-Career:...
stole
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
44 bases and scored 60 runs. Irene Hickson
Irene Hickson
Irene Hickson was a catcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 2", 116 lb., she batted and threw right-handed....
, who shared the atcher]|catching] duties with Dorothy Maguire
Dorothy Maguire
Dorothy Maguire was a catcher and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Maguire batted and threw right-handed...
,was known as an opportune hitter with runners in scoring position during the late innings. Most importantly, Hickson was a solid fielding catcher with a strong throwing arm, and had a reputation as a good handler of pitchers. Early in the season, Nesbitt and Hickson were referred as
the ″Belles Chattanooga Battery″, because both were scouted by Jimmy Hamilton in there.
The first AAGPBL Championship Series pitted first-half winner Racine against Kenosha Comets, second-half champ. In the best-of-five series, Racine swept Kenosha to clinch the first championship in the league's history. Nesbitt claimed complete-game victories in Games 1 and 3, and saved
Save (sport)
In baseball, a save is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. The number of saves, or percentage of save opportunities successfully converted, is an oft-cited statistic of relief pitchers...
Game 2 after starter Winter ran into trouble in the eight inning. Meanwhile, Hickson led all-hitters with a .417 average and five RBI in the three games.
In 1944, when the league added the 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...
and the Minneapolis Millerettes
Minneapolis Millerettes
The Minneapolis Millerettes were an expansion All-American Girls Professional Baseball League team that played for one season in 1944. They played their home games in Nicollet Park, home of the men's minor league team the Minneapolis Millers...
, the Belles missed the playoffs, producing losing records of 28-32 and 26-31 while ranking fourth of the six teams in both halves of the season. Nesbitt posted the team's only winning record, 23-17, with a career-high 106 strikeouts in 45 games, while the other pitchers of Racine suffered off years. Winter slipped to a 15-23 ledger, and the rest of the staff combined for a 16-23 mark. Nesbitt also provided some help with her bat, hitting .220 with 14 runs and 23 RBI in 74 games.
Nesbitt stayed on the mound until she fractured her collarbone in 1945. She finished with a 16-19 record in 37 appearances, while hitting a league-best .319 in 66 games, but she had fewer than the required number of at bats or plate appearances for the batting title. Helen Callaghan
Helen Callaghan
Helen Callaghan Candaele St. Aubin was a left-handed center fielder who appeared in five seasons in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League , playing under the name Helen Callaghan.As a rookie with the Minneapolis Millerettes Callaghan hit a .287 average in 111...
of the Fort Wayne Daisies
Fort Wayne Daisies
The Fort Wayne Daisies were a women's professional baseball team that played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
batted .299 to lead all hitters, while the league average was a measly .198 that year. Incidentally, the relatively low 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 :...
s in the early years reflect mainly the high quality of AAGPBL pitchers, rather than a lack of skills by the hitters.
Nesbitt did not play in 1946. She got married to Vester Wisham, who worked for the Racine team. They were working a farm in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
when a scout was sent out to find her and see about coming back to play in the league again. The scout paid her a $500 bonus for sign up, and she opened 1947 with the Peoria Redwings. That season the AAGPBL moved its spring training camp to Havana, Cuba. Two hundred girls made the trip to Havana, and for many the flight was their first airplane trip. The girls stayed at the Seville-Biltmore Hotel and played their games at the Gran Stadium
Estadio Latinoamericano
The Estadio Latinoamericano is a stadium in Havana, Cuba. It is primarily used for baseball. Gran Stadium, a spacious pitchers' park with prevailing winds blowing in and boasting a playing surface and lighting system of major-league quality, was built in 1946 as the top baseball park in Latin...
. All the teams were filmed for Fox News
Movietone News
Movietone News is a newsreel that ran from 1928 to 1963 in the United States, and from 1929 to 1979 in the United Kingdom.-History:It is known in the U.S. as Fox Movietone News, produced cinema, sound newsreels from 1928 to 1963 in the U.S., from 1929 to 1979 in the UK , and from 1929 to 1975 in...
going down the steps at the University of Havana
University of Havana
The University of Havana or UH is a university located in the Vedado district of Havana, Cuba. Founded in 1728, the University of Havana is the oldest university in Cuba, and one of the first to be founded in the Americas...
. After the injury, she had less command of her array of pitches, especially her hard knuckleball, and she was given the chance to play on a regular basis at first base. She responded with a .261 average in 110 games, including 47 runs, 58 RBI, and a grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
. Her most productive season came in 1948, when she paced the league with 24 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....
and posted career numbers in average (.292), runs (69), RBI (58), at-bats (399), hits (128) and games played (126), ranking between the top ten in these offensive categories. She helped Peoria reach a 71-55 record, for the first and only winning season in team's history. It also was the first and only time the Redwings made the playoffs, only to be swept by the Racine Belles in three straight games.
In 1950, she posted a significant average of .340 with 25 runs and 22 RBI in just only 49 games. She quit baseball again, while she was pregnant with the first of her four children. Fanatics gave her a baby shower
Baby shower
In some countries, a baby shower is a way to celebrate the pending or recent birth of a child by presenting gifts to the parents at a party. The term "shower" is often assumed to mean that the expectant mother is "showered" with gifts.-Description:...
on the field. The family moved later to Hollister
Hollister, Florida
Hollister is unincorporated community in Putnam County, Florida, United States. It is located off State Road 20, between Interlachen and Palatka.-Geography:Hollister is located at ....
in Putnam County, Florida
Putnam County, Florida
Putnam County is a county located in the state of Florida. The entire county makes up the Palatka Micropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2000, the population was 70,423. The U.S. Census Bureau 2009 estimate for the county was 72,893 . Its county seat is Palatka, Florida. The county is centrally...
, after learning there were six acres and a house for sale.
Life after baseball
Mary did return to play for three months for a team in Miami, but it never caught on as it had in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball. She and her husband were married for 52 years, until his death in 1998. For more than 20 years she drove a school bus in Putnam County, but she did not give up playing ball, joining in with local women's leagues. Her daughter, Mary Elizabeth, joined her, and they were part of the team that won the state championships for fast-pitch softball in 1975. They finished ninth at the national championship. Nesbitt Wisham was 65 old when she played in that championship tournament held at Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. A recreation complex park in West Putnam has been named in her honor.
In November 1988, Mary Nesbitt Wisham along with her former teammates and opponents, received their long overdue recognition when the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum 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...
dedicated a permanent display to the All American Girls Professional Baseball League. She is currently living in Hollister, Florida
Hollister, Florida
Hollister is unincorporated community in Putnam County, Florida, United States. It is located off State Road 20, between Interlachen and Palatka.-Geography:Hollister is located at ....
.
Batting
| GP Games played Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,... | AB At bat In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance... | R 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... | H Hit (baseball) In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice.... | 2B 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.... | 3B 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.... | HR 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... | RBI 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... | SB Stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate... | BB 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... | SO 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.... | TB 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.... | BA 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 :... | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 498 | 1488 | 209 | 419 | 55 | 36 | 13 | 186 | 161 | 209 | 117 | 585 | .282 | .422 | .393 |
Fielding
| PO | A Assist (baseball) In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional... | E Error (baseball) In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ... | TC Total chances In baseball statistics, total chances , also called chances offered, represents the number of plays in which a defensive player has participated. It is calculated as follows: Total Chances = assists + putouts + errors. Chances accepted refers to the total of putouts and assists only. Fielding... | DP Double play In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two".... | FA Fielding percentage In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3092 | 522 | 88 | 3702 | 234 | .976 |
Pitching
| GP Games pitched In baseball statistics, games pitched is the number of games in which a player appears as a pitcher; a player who is announced as the pitcher must face at least one batter, although exceptions are made if the pitcher announced in the starting lineup is injured before facing a batter, perhaps while... | W | L | W-L% | 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... | IP Innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two... | H Hit (baseball) In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice.... | R 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... | ER 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... | BB 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... | SO 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.... | WHIP Walks plus hits per inning pitched In baseball statistics, walks plus hits per inning pitched is a sabermetric measurement of the number of baserunners a pitcher has allowed per inning pitched. It is a measure of a pitcher's ability to prevent batters from reaching base... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 | 65 | 49 | .570 | 2.44 | 935 | 633 | 380 | 253 | 388 | 249 | 1.091 |