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Girls of Summer: In Their Own League
Girls of Summer: In Their Own League by Lois Browne is a colorful chronicle of a forgotten women's professional baseball league, as recalled by the very women and men who were a part of it all.
The idea for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League came from Philip K. Wrigley, the great chewing-gum mogul and owner of the Chicago Cubs, who feared the effect of WWII on the major leagues, many of whose players weren't waiting to be drafted before joining up.
Women answered the recruiters' call from all over the U.S. and Canada.
They were drawn by the lure of bankable money and an escape from dead-end jobs and small towns.
- Mary "Bonnie" Baker - the well-groomed stylish player from Regina, Saskatchewan who embodied the virtues of the All-American girl
- Alma "Gabby" Ziegler - the great morale booster and captain of the Grand Rapids Chicks
- Dorothy "Kammie" Kamenshek - rated the best all-round player in the League
- Dorothy Schroeder - she lied about her age to join in the league's first year and played every year until the league ended 12 years later
They were all superb athletes, but they also had to be perfect ladies.
Chaperones directed their every move. Feminine uniforms included a knee-length skirt, and Charm School to teach them everything they needed to know about how to dress and act like a lady.
Through all this, the All-American was a magnificent success.
In its heyday, stadiums packed in fans and players were shipped off to spring training in Cuba and Florida. The All-American League teams played their first game in 1943 and their last game in 1954.
The idea for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League came from Philip K. Wrigley, the great chewing-gum mogul and owner of the Chicago Cubs, who feared the effect of WWII on the major leagues, many of whose players weren't waiting to be drafted before joining up.
Women answered the recruiters' call from all over the U.S. and Canada.
They were drawn by the lure of bankable money and an escape from dead-end jobs and small towns.
- Mary "Bonnie" Baker - the well-groomed stylish player from Regina, Saskatchewan who embodied the virtues of the All-American girl
- Alma "Gabby" Ziegler - the great morale booster and captain of the Grand Rapids Chicks
- Dorothy "Kammie" Kamenshek - rated the best all-round player in the League
- Dorothy Schroeder - she lied about her age to join in the league's first year and played every year until the league ended 12 years later
They were all superb athletes, but they also had to be perfect ladies.
Chaperones directed their every move. Feminine uniforms included a knee-length skirt, and Charm School to teach them everything they needed to know about how to dress and act like a lady.
Through all this, the All-American was a magnificent success.
In its heyday, stadiums packed in fans and players were shipped off to spring training in Cuba and Florida. The All-American League teams played their first game in 1943 and their last game in 1954.
ebook
First published January 1, 1992
About the author
Lois Browne
5 books9 followersI've been writing all my life, first in journalism and then in corporate communications.
Death on a Dig is my first fiction. It's a mystery story set around the disappearance of a young woman from an archaeological dig in Mexico. Gwen Madden goes looking for her on behalf of the girl's distraught mother -- and discovers a kidnapping, a tale about a trove of stolen artifacts and -- oh, yes -- a dead body, in fact, more than one.
I've travelled in the UK, continental Europe, India, Mexico and Central America. Before apartheid was defeated in South Africa, I spent five years in Mozambique as an international volunteer, and I recently volunteered again for six months to work with a small social agency in northern India.
Girls of Summer, my first published book, resulted from my work as a researcher with CTV's national public affairs program W5.
I retired a couple of years ago and am focusing on writing and epublishing mystery fiction.
Death on a Dig is my first fiction. It's a mystery story set around the disappearance of a young woman from an archaeological dig in Mexico. Gwen Madden goes looking for her on behalf of the girl's distraught mother -- and discovers a kidnapping, a tale about a trove of stolen artifacts and -- oh, yes -- a dead body, in fact, more than one.
I've travelled in the UK, continental Europe, India, Mexico and Central America. Before apartheid was defeated in South Africa, I spent five years in Mozambique as an international volunteer, and I recently volunteered again for six months to work with a small social agency in northern India.
Girls of Summer, my first published book, resulted from my work as a researcher with CTV's national public affairs program W5.
I retired a couple of years ago and am focusing on writing and epublishing mystery fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 31, 2017
After reading “ A Whole New Ball Game” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), a short young adult book about the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League – a subject that has fascinated me since I was a child – I was hungry for more. While the book had been very interesting, it was obviously aimed at a younger readership and did not deep-dive into many aspects of the AAGPBL’s history. I scoured a few used bookstores and finally found something to sink my teeth into: “Girls of Summer”.
This book went where I wished “A Whole New Ball Game” had gone a little further. Browne takes us into the business mind of Philip K. Wrigley, the eccentric Chicago Cubs owner and chewing gum magnate who first came up with the idea of an all-women baseball league. She also explores the more social side of life in the League: the strict rules of conduct the women had to live by, the taboo possibility of (gasp!) lesbianism within the teams, the charm school regimen. She gives us more personal details about the players, their personalities and where they were from. Some of it is hysterical (one player wanted to avoid being caught breaking curfew, so she had to climb through a window back into the team’s hotel) and some is deeply touching (like the story of that catcher who heard just before the game started that her husband had died in service and made sure the fact wasn’t know until after she played that night’s game), and all of it is inspiring.
She puts a lot of emphasis on what was unique about the way the League worked: the importance of the local, almost grass-root support that kept the teams thriving within the communities in which they lived during seasons. The League had been founded in the spirit of fostering pride, strengthening communities and promoting a wholesome for of entertainment and the players were expected to become role models and active parts of their fans lives.
Browne also doesn’t shy away from discussing the League’s problems: the often erratic distribution of players in the different teams, the constantly changing game rules (size of the balls, distance between the pitcher's mount and home base, etc.), the feminine but highly impractical uniform, the accent the publicists put on the personal accomplishment ("she brews amazing coffee and is a proud mother of two!") of the players instead of truly focusing on their athletic performance, the hard and ungrateful role of chaperone...
She also doesn't over-simplify the many factors that contributed to the League folding in 1954: the end of the war and the return of more traditional views on women's occupation and roles certainly influenced the outcome, but so did a lot of ill-advised business decisions taken over the years by the board in charge of running things.
Browne’s book is very well-written, and definitely deeper than “A Whole New Ball Game”, but again, this is really about target readers, and not the quality of the material. Books like these put the wonderful movie “A League of Their Own” into a brand new perspective, and they only made my admiration for the women of the AAGPBL even greater.
This book went where I wished “A Whole New Ball Game” had gone a little further. Browne takes us into the business mind of Philip K. Wrigley, the eccentric Chicago Cubs owner and chewing gum magnate who first came up with the idea of an all-women baseball league. She also explores the more social side of life in the League: the strict rules of conduct the women had to live by, the taboo possibility of (gasp!) lesbianism within the teams, the charm school regimen. She gives us more personal details about the players, their personalities and where they were from. Some of it is hysterical (one player wanted to avoid being caught breaking curfew, so she had to climb through a window back into the team’s hotel) and some is deeply touching (like the story of that catcher who heard just before the game started that her husband had died in service and made sure the fact wasn’t know until after she played that night’s game), and all of it is inspiring.
She puts a lot of emphasis on what was unique about the way the League worked: the importance of the local, almost grass-root support that kept the teams thriving within the communities in which they lived during seasons. The League had been founded in the spirit of fostering pride, strengthening communities and promoting a wholesome for of entertainment and the players were expected to become role models and active parts of their fans lives.
Browne also doesn’t shy away from discussing the League’s problems: the often erratic distribution of players in the different teams, the constantly changing game rules (size of the balls, distance between the pitcher's mount and home base, etc.), the feminine but highly impractical uniform, the accent the publicists put on the personal accomplishment ("she brews amazing coffee and is a proud mother of two!") of the players instead of truly focusing on their athletic performance, the hard and ungrateful role of chaperone...
She also doesn't over-simplify the many factors that contributed to the League folding in 1954: the end of the war and the return of more traditional views on women's occupation and roles certainly influenced the outcome, but so did a lot of ill-advised business decisions taken over the years by the board in charge of running things.
Browne’s book is very well-written, and definitely deeper than “A Whole New Ball Game”, but again, this is really about target readers, and not the quality of the material. Books like these put the wonderful movie “A League of Their Own” into a brand new perspective, and they only made my admiration for the women of the AAGPBL even greater.
April 25, 2013
I don't review my own books. Please see community reviews below.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2024
As a softball-loving lesbian living fairly close Wrigley Field, what a cool book this was to read. It’s incredible to learn about the history of the AAGBL that had its roots just a few blocks away, all thanks to founder Phillip Wrigley himself. I had no idea how this pioneering, professional women sports league first began under the guise of “softball” and only over the course of years did it transition to what we better recognize as “baseball”. This transition (starting in 1943, going through the league’s demise in 1954) was both a blessing and a curse. For example, while it more readily destroyed players’ arm health, it allowed more talented infield/outfielders to become pitchers, which the league increasingly & desperately needed; while it made the recruitable talent pool smaller (as young girls were playing softball, not baseball, while growing up before going pro), it also appealed more greatly to the fans.
This book does a wonderful job spelling out what went right and what went wrong with the league. It does not shy away from spelling out the short-falls. I wonder what the AAGBL could have accomplished had there not been so much head-butting with the Chicago League, another true(r) softball league that could offer higher salaries to the players (but played dirtier). I also wonder what could have become of the AAGBL had financial books been better kept and the founders were less keen on growing so large into unprofitable cities.
Unfortunately, this history seems vaguely similar to the professional softball environment of today, thinking about the former NPF butting heads during the USSSA Pride split off, which would then transition to Athletes Unlimited. Although women’s baseball is no longer, why can’t the women’s pro softball world learn from failed history? It’s a shame for the sport. But what a colorful history it makes.
This book does a wonderful job spelling out what went right and what went wrong with the league. It does not shy away from spelling out the short-falls. I wonder what the AAGBL could have accomplished had there not been so much head-butting with the Chicago League, another true(r) softball league that could offer higher salaries to the players (but played dirtier). I also wonder what could have become of the AAGBL had financial books been better kept and the founders were less keen on growing so large into unprofitable cities.
Unfortunately, this history seems vaguely similar to the professional softball environment of today, thinking about the former NPF butting heads during the USSSA Pride split off, which would then transition to Athletes Unlimited. Although women’s baseball is no longer, why can’t the women’s pro softball world learn from failed history? It’s a shame for the sport. But what a colorful history it makes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2022
The story is interesting, but this book gets a bit lost in the historical details without as much analysis of the baseball as I would like. It's the kind of baseball book that focuses on game-by-game results and year-to-year transactions and standings rather than big picture analysis. Who were the very best players based on their statistical performance? How did the various parks influence outcomes? What kinds of strategies were widely employed -- and which were not?
None of the economic data is normalized even to 1992 (the year of the book's publication) so it is difficult to gauge the salaries, per diems, and profits.
There's room for a better book about the professional women's baseball experience.
I read a chapter of this after finishing a book of fiction, so it took a few months. I would have read it all at once (as I did with the Aaron book last year), but if failed to hold my attention.
None of the economic data is normalized even to 1992 (the year of the book's publication) so it is difficult to gauge the salaries, per diems, and profits.
There's room for a better book about the professional women's baseball experience.
I read a chapter of this after finishing a book of fiction, so it took a few months. I would have read it all at once (as I did with the Aaron book last year), but if failed to hold my attention.
May 2, 2020
I like the topic but the book felt very disjointed because there wasn’t a focus. Maybe if the chapters were subject driven rather than year it would have been helpful. I got to know a few of the players but had a hard time remembering details about her outside of name recognition. Many times I felt we viewed the sausage of management devisions being made. Then game highlights were thrown in to a chapter seeming to cone from out of the blue. This came out the same year as the movie A League of Their Own.
March 20, 2023
I enjoyed this overview of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. I thought it did a good job of covering the league's existence, the players, the coaches and administrators, and the supporters, without getting lost in the details. I especially appreciated the fact that Lois Browne, a Canadian writer, did an excellent job conveying the contributions that Canadian women, especially those from Saskatchewan, made to the league. A very enjoyable read.
March 21, 2022
This book is fascinating!! I put a hold on it at my library after watching “A League of Their Own” for the 25,000 time last weekend. It’s exactly what I wanted, all the info from the league that couldn’t be smooshed into a feature film 😆 Definitely recommend! And it’s only 200 pages so a quick-paced read to boot 🙌
July 3, 2022
Some great inside stories that reveal a bit more of the underbelly of the League than other sources I've read.
I do wish there were citations as some things that are started are quite provocative, but seem speculative without documentation.
I do wish there were citations as some things that are started are quite provocative, but seem speculative without documentation.
June 19, 2024
Great book about the All American Baseball league depicted in League of their Own. Book came out in 1992 when many of the players were still alive. Very interesting to learn about the ins and outs of the league and the rules and what it was really like. I highly recommend.
January 25, 2021
A great book about women;s professional baseball during WW2
May 9, 2025
This is a wonderful book for anybody that loves baseball and "A League of Their Own" from back in the day.
Lois Browne is a journalist first, who reported well and in an entertaining way.
Lois Browne is a journalist first, who reported well and in an entertaining way.
May 2, 2020
I like the topic but the book felt very disjointed because there wasn’t a focus. Maybe if the chapters were subject driven rather than year it would have been helpful. I got to know a few of the players but had a hard time remembering details about her outside of name recognition. Many times I felt we viewed the sausage of management devisions being made. Then game highlights were thrown in to a chapter seeming to cone from out of the blue. This came out the same year as the movie A League of Their Own.
March 14, 2020
Excellent, if a little dry acount of the Girls All American Baseball league which ran from the 1940's through 1954. A good companion to the wonderful 'In a League of their Own' movie by Penny Marshall. While the movie was great, it seems in real life the All American League suffered through harder times throughout it's tenure. Still, a fascinating period of sports history and this is a great accounting of that time.
June 24, 2013
Any baseball fan or player, will enjoy this book for the baseball history and everyone will enjoy it for its great sense of history and well told tales. Between the baselines history rolls along during a time when the country as well as women's roll in society ebbed and flowed in a way that could ne er be repeated.
December 27, 2018
READ THIS
May 21, 2016
an interesting book. Good review of the league, it's success and downfall.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews