When the United States entered World War II in 1941, thousands of young men were sent overseas, and major changes had to be made at home to support the war effort. With over 9% of the population either abroad or occupied with the war effort, labor shortages sprung up across the board (1). Since there were few young men at home, women were left responsible for filling these shortages. The war effort created various opportunities for women to enter the workforce. Some women found work in factories where they assembled war materials to send to the troops abroad. Others grew “Victory Gardens” in their homes to provide extra food for the home front and the troops. However, a handful of women seized an opportunity that had never been available to them in the history of the United States: the opportunity to play professional baseball.
As male baseball players left to serve in World War II, Major League Baseball seemed to be on the verge of collapse (2). The League simply couldn't continue to run if players continued leaving at such a rapid rate. It seemed like an unsolvable problem until Philip K. Wrigley, an avid baseball fan and the owner of the Wrigley chewing gum empire, stepped in. Wrigley proposed a revolutionary idea: create professional women’s baseball teams to tide the league over until the men returned from war. This league would be called the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, or the AAGPBL for short. The AAGPBL gave the best female ballplayers a chance to shine, and the league forever changed the face of female athletics in the United States.
As male baseball players left to serve in World War II, Major League Baseball seemed to be on the verge of collapse (2). The League simply couldn't continue to run if players continued leaving at such a rapid rate. It seemed like an unsolvable problem until Philip K. Wrigley, an avid baseball fan and the owner of the Wrigley chewing gum empire, stepped in. Wrigley proposed a revolutionary idea: create professional women’s baseball teams to tide the league over until the men returned from war. This league would be called the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, or the AAGPBL for short. The AAGPBL gave the best female ballplayers a chance to shine, and the league forever changed the face of female athletics in the United States.
1. HistoryNet, "What Percentage of the Population Served in WW2?," http://www.historynet.com/what-percentage-of-the-population-served-in-ww2.htm (May 17, 2016).
2. All American Girls Professional Baseball League Players Association, Inc., "League History," http://www.aagpbl.org/index.cfm/pages/league/12/league-history (May 17, 2016).
2. All American Girls Professional Baseball League Players Association, Inc., "League History," http://www.aagpbl.org/index.cfm/pages/league/12/league-history (May 17, 2016).