Women's baseball
Encyclopedia
Women's baseball is currently played in several countries. The strongest and most organized women's 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...

 leagues are in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...

, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

, 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...

. Those countries have national governing bodies that support girls' and women's baseball programs. Other countries/regions that currently have organized women's baseball are the Netherlands, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...

, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...

, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...

, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...

, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

, the Dominican Republic, and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

. There also are a handful of women playing baseball in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...

 currently on the Fishanu team at Ha Noi University and on the Hanoi Baseball Club.

Women's Baseball Timeline

Please note that this isn't a complete history of women's baseball. Rather, it's a timeline that points out important events and milestones in women's baseball. A lot more has happened, a lot of which relates to what is mentioned on the timeline, that isn't included.

1867 — The African American Dolly Vardens
Dolly Vardens (baseball team)
Dolly Vardens was the first known women’s African American baseball team. It was formed in Philadelphia in 1867....

 of Philadelphia became the first paid baseball team on any level — two years before the first men’s professional baseball club, the Cincinnati Red Stockings
Cincinnati Red Stockings
The Cincinnati Red Stockings of were baseball's first fully professional team, with ten salaried players. The Cincinnati Base Ball Club formed in 1866 and fielded competitive teams in the National Association of Base Ball Players 1867–1870, a time of a transition that ambitious Cincinnati,...

.

1875 — The first women’s baseball game for which fans were charged and women players were paid was played between the Blondes and the Brunettes in Springfield, Illinois on September 11

1876 — The Resolutes, modeled after the Vassar College
Vassar College
Vassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...

 team, developed their own version of uniforms which included: long sleeved shirts with frilled high neckline, embroidered belts, wide floor length skirts, high button shoes and broad striped caps

1880 — A Smith College
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...

 team was disbanded after disproving mothers complained about the children playing the sport, saying it was not appropriate for women to play

1898Lizzie Arlington
Lizzie Arlington
Elizabeth Stroud was a woman who played Minor league baseball and Women's baseball. She played professionally under the name Lizzie Arlington....

 became the first woman to sign a professional baseball contract, while pitching for the Reading Coal Heavers
Reading Phillies
The Reading Phillies are a minor league baseball team based in Reading, Pennsylvania, playing in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League. Since the 1967 season, they have been the AA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies....

 of the Atlantic League.

1890s to 1935 — Women’s “Bloomer Girls” clubs barnstormed U.S. and played men’s town, semi-pro, and minor league teams; Bloomer teams had an average of 3 males on them; Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby, Sr. , nicknamed "The Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball . He played for the St. Louis Cardinals , New York Giants , Boston Braves , Chicago Cubs , and St. Louis Browns...

 and Smokey Joe Wood
Smokey Joe Wood
Howard Ellsworth "Smoky Joe" Wood was a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox and an outfielder for the Cleveland Indians during the early part of the 20th century...

 got their starts with Bloomer Girls teams, dressed as women

1900s — Bloomer Girls introduced night baseball games

1904 — Amanda Clement was the first woman to be paid to umpire a baseball game; she umpired professionally for 6 years after that

1908 — Maude Nelson was the starting pitcher for the men’s Cherokee Indian Base Ball Club

1908 — The U.S. baseball national anthem, “Take me out to the ball game
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a 1908 Tin Pan Alley song by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer which has become the unofficial anthem of baseball, although neither of its authors had attended a game prior to writing the song. The song is traditionally sung during the seventh-inning stretch of...

,” was inspired by and written about a young girl’s love of the game

1911–16St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...

 were owned by Helene Britton

1920s — Philadelphia had factory teams for women, women’s leagues, and the Philadelphia Bobbies for non-working women

1920s — Mary O’Gara took Philadelphia Bobbies to Japan to play men’s teams

1928 — Lizzie Murphy became the first woman to play for a major league team in an exhibition game
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...

; she also became the first person, of either gender, to play for both the American League and National League in All-Star games

1928 — Mary Gisolo joined the nationwide American Legion Junior Baseball Program and she helped to lead Blanford Cubs to the Indiana state title

1930s — The “Bold Years” for women’s baseball; women baseball players toured internationally, played junior baseball, and signed minor league contracts

1934 — Olympic hero Babe Didrikson pitched exhibition games for the Athletics, Cardinals, and Indians

1943–54 — 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:...

 (AAGPBL) was started by Philip Wrigley, owner of 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...

 and Wrigley's Chewing Gum

1944 — Dottie Wiltse pitched for the AAGPBL up until she was 6 months pregnant

1946 — Edith Houghton became the first woman to scout for the major leagues

1946Sophie 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:...

 set the stolen base record for the AAGPBL with 201 stolen bases in 203 attempts; this record continues to be unequalled in baseball history, as Ricky Henderson is second in stolen bases with 130 (1982)

1947 — The 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:...

 of the AAGPBL started the Junior Belles baseball program; 100 girls tried out and 60 were selected to play on 4 teams; the Grays, Greens, Reds, and Golds

1948 — The Junior Belles became more popular, as more girls tried out for the teams; other AAGPBL teams, such as the Lassies and the Comets, began to sponsor girls’ junior baseball teams

1948 — After 5 years of playing, the AAGBL (also known as the AAGPBL) starts throwing pitches overhand instead of underhand

1950 — Racine Belles and Junior Belles folded due to lack of money

1950sToni Stone
Toni Stone
Toni Stone , also known by her married name Marcenia Lyle Alberga, was the first of three women to play Negro league baseball....

, Connie Morgan
Connie Morgan
Constance "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...

, and Mamie “Peanuts” Johnson
Mamie Johnson
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...

 played on men’s professional teams in the Negro Leagues; they weren’t allowed to play in the AAGPBL because they were African American

1952George Trautman
George Trautman
George M. "Red" Trautman was an American baseball executive and college men's basketball coach.-Ohio State:...

 voided Eleanor Engle’s minor league contract with AA Harrisburg Senators
Harrisburg Senators
The Harrisburg Senators are a minor league baseball team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals....



1952 — June 23, organized baseball banned women from the minor leagues; the ban remains in effect today

1955 — Bill Allington formed two women’s teams called Allington’s All-Stars which barnstormed the U.S. playing men’s town and semi-pro teams, like the Bloomer Girls did; lasted until 1957

1969Bernice Gera
Bernice Gera
Bernice Shiner Gera was the first female umpire in professional baseball.Born in Ernest, Pennsylvania, Gera loved baseball as a child, but never considered a career in baseball until she was already in her mid thirties, married, and working as a secretary...

 became the first woman to sign a professional umpire contract

1971 — Gloria Jean “Jackie” Jackson tried out for Pittsfield Senators
Pittsfield Senators
The Pittsfield Senators were a minor league baseball team that played from 1970 to 1975 in the Washington Senators minor league system. In 1972 when the Senators moved to Texas and became the Texas Rangers, Pittsfield changed its name to the Pittsfield Rangers .They were located in Pittsfield,...

; she received an offer from the Raleigh Durham Triangles, but the offer was revoked one day later

1974 — Women won the right to play baseball in Little League Baseball through Title IX
Title IX
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a United States law, enacted on June 23, 1972, that amended Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 2002 it was renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, in honor of its principal author Congresswoman Mink, but is most...



1976 — Christine Wren umpired in Class A Northwest League (minor leagues)

1977–83Pam Postema
Pam Postema
Pam Postema is a baseball umpire most notable for being the first female to ever officiate a Major League Baseball spring training game...

 umpires at each level of minor league baseball, beginning in the Rookie Gulf Coast League and moving up to the Triple A Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...

 in 1983.

1984Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...

 founded the Sun Sox, a Class A minor league all-women’s team and tried to enter the team into the Class A Florida State League; however, the league did not award Hope the franchise

1988–89 — Pam Postema was invited by baseball commissioner Bart Giamatti to umpire 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...

 games and the Hall of Fame game

1988 — American Women’s Baseball Association (AWBA) founded in Chicago; first organized women’s league since AAGPBL (1943–1954)

1988Julie Croteau
Julie Croteau
Julie Croteau is recognized as the first woman to play men’s NCAA baseball, as well as the first woman to coach men’s NCAA Division I baseball. She is one of two women to ever play in an Major League Baseball-sanctioned winter league, and her baseball glove and photo are on permanent display at the...

 played semi-pro baseball for the Fredericksburg Giants of the Virginia Baseball League

1989 — Following the death of Bart Giamatti, Pam Postema was released from umpiring in the minor leagues, concluding a 13-year career in the minors

1989 — Julie Croteau became the first woman to play collegiate men’s varsity baseball at St. Mary’s College (NCAA Division III)

1990s — American Women’s Baseball League (AWBL; also known as American Women’s Baseball, AWB) was founded by Jim Glennie in an effort to unite women’s baseball teams and leagues around the country and to provide support to them

1992 — “A League of Their Own” movie about the AAGPBL was produced by 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...



1993 — Sal Coats became the first woman to play in the MSBL World Series (Men’s Senior Baseball League)

1994 — Bob Hope formed and Coors Brewing Company sponsored the Colorado Silver Bullets
Colorado Silver Bullets
The Colorado Silver Bullets was an all-female professional baseball team that played in the United States in the mid-1990s. The Bullets were the first such team since the folding of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in 1954.- History :...

 women’s baseball team which played men’s college and minor league teams; the team existed for 4 years

1994 — Women's National Adult Baseball Association (WNABA) formed; 16 women's teams played in a women's world series in Phoenix in 1994

1995 — WNABA had 100 affiliated women's baseball teams in 16 states in the U.S.

1995Ila Borders
Ila Borders
Ila 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...

 became the first woman to pitch and win a complete collegiate baseball game; Ila also was the first woman to win a collegiate baseball scholarship

1998 — Ila Borders became the first woman to win a men’s pro game while pitching for the Duluth Dukes independent minor league team

1997Ladies League Baseball
Ladies League Baseball
After the movie "A League of Their Own", a fictional movie based on the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, several women's baseball leagues were attempted. The Ladies League Baseball started in 1997 and consisted of four teams. The first four teams in the league were The San Jose...

 was formed by San Diego businessperson Mike Ribant; it became the first professional women’s baseball league since 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:...



1998 — After beginning its second season, the Ladies League Baseball expanded to 6 teams and went nationwide, but folds shortly after “due to lack of attendance”

2000 — The American Women’s Baseball League (AWBL) took women’s baseball team to Japan to play Team Energen, the Japanese women’s national team

2001 — The first Women’s World Series (WWS) was played at the SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; countries that participated included the United States of America, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, 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...

, and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 — the U.S. won the gold medal

2003 — Pawtucket Slaterettes all-girls' baseball league celebrated its 30th season of all-girls' baseball

2003 — Women’s baseball became an official sport (39th) of the AAU; this marked the first time in United States history that a U.S. national organization began sanctioning and supporting women’s baseball

2003 — The American Eagles of American Women’s Baseball Federation (AWBF) became the first women’s baseball team to be sanctioned by USA Baseball
USA Baseball
USA Baseball was founded in , and is the governing body for amateur baseball in the United States of America. It is a member of the United States Olympic Committee and organizes the United States national baseball team...



2004 — The first-ever Women’s Baseball World Cup was played in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; the event was sanctioned by the International Baseball Association and Federation (IBAF) and was hosted by Baseball Canada
Baseball Canada
Baseball Canada is the governing body for Baseball in Canada. Incorporated in 1964 as the Canadian Federation of Amateur Baseball, it is made up of 10 provincial associations which represent players, coaches, and umpires across Canada...



2004 — USA Baseball sanctioned the first official national women’s baseball team; the team competed in the 2004 WWS (in Japan) and in the 2004 Women’s World Cup of Baseball

2004 — John Kovach, manager of the South Bend Blue Sox Women’s Baseball Club, director of the Great Lakes Women’s Baseball League, and AAU Women’s Baseball Youth Baseball Chair, worked out a proposal with Little League, Inc. to use the Michiana Girls’ Baseball League as a model league to develop girls’ Little League baseball programs around the country; Although Little League started a boy’s softball program in 2000 because 500 boys were playing in Little League softball leagues around the U.S., the organization has not started a girls’ baseball program despite the thousands of girls playing baseball in Little League baseball leagues across the United States.

2007 — Chicago Pioneers girls' baseball team became the first-ever U.S. Girls' Baseball National Champions after defeating the Pawtucket Slaterettes during the 2007 Women's Baseball National Championship/Girls' Baseball National Championship in Ft. Myers, Florida

2008Eri Yoshida
Eri Yoshida
is 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....

, at 16 years old, becomes Japan's first professional female baseball player to play in a men's league by signing a professional contract with the Kobe 9 Cruise of a new Japanese independent league. In April 2010, she signed a contract with the Chico Outlaws and became the first ever to play professionally in two countries.

2009 — Justine Siegal became the first female coach of a men's professional baseball team. In 2011, she was the first woman to throw batting practice to a MLB team, the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...

 at 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...

. She also threw BP to the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....

, Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...

, St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...

, Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...

 and New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...

.

2010Tiffany Brooks
Tiffany Brooks
Tiffany Brooks is a Right-Handed Pitcher and First Baseman in Independent Minor League BaseballTiffany Brooks became the first female baseball Pitcher in the 21st century to sign a contract with a professional American men's baseball team when she signed with the Big Bend Cowboys of the...

 signs a professional baseball contract with the Big Bend Cowboys of the Continental Baseball League
Continental Baseball League
The Continental Baseball League, based in Addison, Texas, was an independent minor league professional baseball league that operated for four seasons, from 2007-2010. The league conceived as a professional, independent baseball organization operating in the U.S...

. This makes her the first female baseball player to play in an American men's professional baseball league since Ila Borders, and the first in the 21st Century.

2011 — The first ever members clubs are announced for Southern Ontario's Woman's Baseball League. Those clubs being located in London, Guelph, St Catharines and Niagara Falls Ontario, Canada. This is the first ever professional league for women, aged 18 and over, in Ontario and will start playing in 2012..

International competition

Organized international competition in women's baseball began with the 2001 Women's World Series played in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

's Skydome. Women's World Series events were held in 2002 (St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...

), in 2003 (Gold Coast, Australia), and in 2004 (Uozu-city, Japan). These Women's World Series events were organized by the American Women's Baseball Federation and the Women's Baseball Association of Japan. They paved the way for official International Baseball Federation sanctioned Women's World Cup competitions.

In 2004 five countries competed in the 2004 Women's World Cup in Edmonton. They were the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and Taiwan. In 2006 seven countries competed in the 2006 Women's World Cup in Taiwan. Those countries were Australia, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Cuba, Hong Kong, Japan and the United States. The United States won the Gold Medal in both events. In 2008 the Women's World Cup was played in Matsuyama, Japan, and featured eight teams from Australia, Canada, Chinese Taipei, South Korea, Hong Kong, India, Japan and the United States. Japan won its first Gold Medal.

Additional elite/world-class level international competitions include the Hong Kong, China,Phoenix Cup International Women's Baseball Tournament. Begun in 2008, the annual event held in Kowloon, Hong Kong, China has seen six international teams competing for gold in each of the last two years. The competing country's elite club teams (composed primarily of National Team players) in 2008 were: North Stars (North America), Far East Bloomers (Japan), Vanguard (Taiwan), Sunrise (Korea), Allies (Hong Kong), and Aussie Hearts (Australia). In 2008, Japan faced North America in the Championship Game, with Japan eventually taking Gold and the North American team earning Silver. 2009 saw the return of the Far East Bloomers, Aussie Hearts and the Allies, with new teams competing from North America (Liberty Belles), Taiwan (Kapok Flowers), and Korea (TOP). In the end, it was North America facing Japan again for the Championship, with the Far East Bloomers again emerging with Gold and North America with Silver. Taiwan defeated Korea for the Bronze.

Additional international women's tournaments are being developed for 2010 in Montréal, Québec, Canada and in Phoenix, Arizona, USA.

The first Pan American Women's Baseball Championship (I Campeonato Panamericano del Béisbol Femenino) was played in Valencia, Venezuela from November 13–20, 2009. Teams that competed were Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...

, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...

, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...

, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...

, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

, and the Dominican Republic. The tournament's program can be found at http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B4N0Po1bOYfCMGJlMjkzMWQtNjVkNS00M2JlLTk3M2QtNmZlODJlZmIyZDhm&hl=en

Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

 has had a national women's baseball championship annually since 2005. The 2009 championship was played from December 15–17, 2009 at Kinnaird College, Lahore, Pakistan – under the auspices of Pakistan Federation Baseball

The 2010 Women's Baseball World Cup
2010 Women's Baseball World Cup
The 2010 Women's Baseball World Cup was an international baseball competition that was held in Venezuela from August 12 to August 22, 2010. Japan successfully defended their title from 2008, defeating Australia 13–3 in the final.-Teams:...

 was an international baseball competition that was held in Venezuela from August 12 to August 22, 2010

See also

There are many organizations around the world that are helping to build baseball opportunities for women. A few within the U.S. are:
  • 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:...

    , created during World War II
  • North American Women's Baseball League
    North American Women's Baseball League
    The North American Women's Baseball League is an amateur league based around Boston, Massachusetts. The NAWBL plays games scheduled for seven innings, using NCAA rules, including base-stealing and taking leads off bases...

  • American Women's Baseball Federation
    American Women's Baseball Federation
    American Women's Baseball Federation is a 501 tax-exempt nonprofit Amateur Sports Organization formed to organize and promote baseball as a mainstream and lifetime opportunity for women....

  • Women's Baseball League ,
  • United States Women's Baseball , and
  • USA Baseball
    USA Baseball
    USA Baseball was founded in , and is the governing body for amateur baseball in the United States of America. It is a member of the United States Olympic Committee and organizes the United States national baseball team...

  • California Women's Baseball League
  • Arizona cactus Wrens Women's Baseball Club
  • Central Ontario Girls' Baseball League

External links

Lists of and links to teams and leagues can be found on these and other sites:
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