# 1951 All-American Girls Professional Baseball League season

The 1951 All-American Girls Professional Baseball League season marked the ninth season of the circuit. The teams Battle Creek Belles, Fort Wayne Daisies, Grand Rapids Chicks, Kalamazoo Lassies, Kenosha Comets, Peoria Redwings, Rockford Peaches and South Bend Blue Sox competed through a 112-game schedule, while the Shaugnessy playoffs featured the top four teams from each half of the regular season.
In 1951, many things changed in relation to the previous season, when attendance began to decline dramatically. The Racine Belles franchise was moved to Battle Creek, Michigan, while the Chicago Colleens and Springfield Sallies traveling teams were disbanded. Betty Foss of Fort Wayne led all hitters for the second year in a row with a .368 batting average, breaking her own single-season record of .346 set in her rookie season. Foss also topped the league with 34 doubles, setting an all-time single-season record that would never be surpassed. Nine pitchers recorded an earned run average below 2.00, while Rose Gacioch of Rockford was the only one to gain 20 victories during the year. The Player of the Year Award was given to South Bend pitcher Jean Faut, who posted a 15–7 record with a 1.33 ERA and a league-leading 135 strikeouts, including a perfect game against Rockford on July 21 of that season.
During the best-of-three series, first-place South Bend defeated third-place Fort Wayne, two games to one, while second-place Grand Rapids swept fourth-place Rockford in two games. South Bend pitching star Jean Faut drove in a run and held Fort Wayne to a run in Game 1, and later struck out nine batters and allowed one run in Game 3 to advance to the finals. In the other series, Rockford's Helen Nicol gave up six hits and shut out Grand Rapids in the first contest, while Marie Mansfield hurled a 7–6, 11-inning victory to defeat the Chicks.
The final series took all five games to decide the champion team. Rockford held a 2–0 advantage in the series and looked to take it all, but South Bend rebounded and won the last three games to clinch the title. In Game 3, Faut stopped the Peaches in their tracks, pitching a six-hit, 3–2 victory, and picked up the win in a seven-inning relief effort in Game 5 to continue her winning ways. South Bend batted a collective .275 average in the finals, with Jane Stoll leading the offense with a .333 average (6-for-18) and six RBI, while Senaida Wirth batted .412 (7-for-17) and scored four runs, and Betty Wagoner hit .389 (7-for-18) with five runs.
In 1951, the AAGPBL attendance declined for the third straight year. As revenues fell, individual teams' funds were limited to advertise nationally as a way of recruiting scattered baseball talent. With no centralized control of publicity, promotion, rookie training teams, and equalization of player talent, the League began to break down. The Kenosha and Peoria franchises withdrew at the end of the year, leaving the league with six teams for the next season.

## Teams

1951 All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Teams :
| Team | City | Stadium |
| Battle Creek Belles | Battle Creek, Michigan | Bailey Park |
| Fort Wayne Daisies | Fort Wayne, Indiana | Memorial Park |
| Grand Rapids Chicks | Grand Rapids, Michigan | Bigelow Field |
| Kalamazoo Lassies | Kalamazoo, Michigan | Lindstrom Field |
| Kenosha Comets | Kenosha, Wisconsin | Simmons Field |
| Peoria Redwings | Peoria, Illinois | Peoria Stadium |
| Rockford Peaches | Rockford, Illinois | Beyer Stadium |
| South Bend Blue Sox | South Bend, Indiana | Playland Park |

## Standings
### First half

| Rank | Team | W | L | W-L% | GB |
| 1 | Grand Rapids Chicks | 40 | 13 | .755 | — |
| 2 | Fort Wayne Daisies | 34 | 17 | .667 | 5 |
| 3 | South Bend Blue Sox | 38 | 22 | .633 | 5½ |
| 4 | Rockford Peaches | 31 | 26 | .544 | 11 |
| 5 | Peoria Redwings | 28 | 25 | .528 | 12 |
| 6 | Kenosha Comets | 21 | 36 | .368 | 21 |
| 7 | Kalamazoo Lassies | 19 | 38 | .333 | 23 |
| 8 | Battle Creek Belles | 11 | 45 | .196 | 30½ |

### Second half

| Rank | Team | W | L | W-L% | GB |
| 1 | South Bend Blue Sox | 38 | 14 | .731 | — |
| 2 | Rockford Peaches | 34 | 15 | .694 | 2½ |
| 3 | Fort Wayne Daisies | 34 | 18 | .654 | 4 |
| 4 | Grand Rapids Chicks | 31 | 22 | .585 | 7½ |
| 5 | Peoria Redwings | 21 | 31 | .404 | 17 |
| 6 | Battle Creek Belles | 19 | 35 | .352 | 20 |
| 7 | Kenosha Comets | 15 | 35 | .333 | 22 |
| 8 | Kalamazoo Lassies | 15 | 37 | .288 | 23 |

### Overall

| Rank | Team | W | L | W-L% | GB |
| 1 | South Bend Blue Sox | 76 | 36 | .679 | — |
| 2 | Grand Rapids Chicks | 71 | 35 | .670 | 2 |
| 3 | Fort Wayne Daisies | 68 | 35 | .660 | 3½ |
| 4 | Rockford Peaches | 65 | 41 | .613 | 8 |
| 5 | Peoria Redwings | 49 | 56 | .467 | 23½ |
| 6 | Kenosha Comets | 36 | 71 | .336 | 37½ |
| 7 | Kalamazoo Lassies | 34 | 75 | .312 | 40½ |
| 8 | Battle Creek Belles | 30 | 80 | .273 | 45 |

## Postseason

| First round Best of three series | First round Best of three series | First round Best of three series | Second round Best of five series | Second round Best of five series | Second round Best of five series |
| 1 | South Bend Blue Sox | 2 | | | |
| 3 | Fort Wayne Daisies | 1 | | | |
| 3 | Fort Wayne Daisies | 1 | 1 | South Bend Blue Sox | 3 |
| | | | 4 | Rockford Peaches | 2 |
| 2 | Grand Rapids Chicks | 0 | 4 | Rockford Peaches | 2 |
| 4 | Rockford Peaches | 2 | | | |

## Batting statistics

| Statistic | Player | Record |
| Batting average | Betty Foss (FW)  Dorothy Kamenshek (ROC)  Eleanor Callow Connie Wisniewski (GR) Charlene Pryer (SB) Doris Sams (KAL) Alice Pollitt (ROC) June Peppas (BC/KAL) Inez Voyce (GR) Doris Satterfield (GR) Ruth Richard (ROC) Evelyn Wawryshyn (FW) Joanne Weaver (FW) Wilma Briggs (FW) Senaida Wirth (SB) Delores Brumfield (KEN) Betty Wagoner (SB) | .368 .345 .326 .326 .312 .306 .299 .285 .285 .279 .277 .277 .276 .275 .274 .273 .274 |
| Runs scored | Charlene Pryer (SB) Dorothy Harrell (ROC) Dorothy Kamenshek (ROC) Thelma Eisen (FW) Alice Pollitt (ROC) Marilyn Olinger (GR) Connie Wisniewski (GR) Betty Foss (FW) Senaida Wirth (SB) Betty Wagoner (SB) Eleanor Callow Wilma Briggs (FW) Doris Satterfield (GR) Evelyn Wawryshyn (FW) | 106 91 90 88 88 82 78 77 77 77 66 64 64 60 |
| Hits | Charlene Pryer (SB) Betty Foss (FW) Connie Wisniewski (GR) Eleanor Callow (ROC) Alice Pollitt (ROC) Dorothy Kamenshek (ROC) Doris Satterfield (GR) June Peppas (BC/KAL) Doris Sams (109) Evelyn Wawryshyn (FW) Wilma Briggs (FW) Inez Voyce (GR) Betty Wagoner (SB) | 133 126 126 124 121 117 112 109 109 108 106 106 102 |
| Doubles | Betty Foss (FW) Shirley Stovroff (SB) Thelma Eisen (FW) Eleanor Callow (ROC) Marjorie Pieper (PEO/BC) Doris Sams (KAL) Jane Stoll (SB) Connie Wisniewski (GR) Delores Brumfield (KEN) Inez Voyce (GR) Wilma Briggs (FW) Dorothy Kamenshek (ROC) Doris Satterfield (GR) June Peppas (BC/KAL) | 34 19 17 16 16 16 15 15 14 14 12 12 12 11 |
| Triples | Eleanor Callow (ROC) Dorothy Kamenshek (ROC) Alice Pollitt (ROC) Doris Satterfield (GR) Connie Wisniewski (GR) Margaret Wenzell (KAL/BC) Jacquelyn Kelley (ROC) Elizabeth Mahon (SB) Marguerite Pearson (BC/KAL) Barbara Payne (KAL/BC/ROC) Inez Voyce (GR) | 10 9 9 9 9 7 6 5 5 5 5 |
| Home runs | Eleanor Callow (ROC) Betty Foss (FW) Alice Pollitt (ROC) Dorothy Schroeder (FW) Jean Lovell (KEN/KAL) Doris Sams (KAL) Doris Satterfield (GR) Jean Faut (SB) Jean Geissinger (FW) Jacquelyn Kelley (ROC) Margaret Russo (PEO) Doris Sams (KAL) Inez Voyce (GR) Joanne Weaver (FW) | 4 4 4 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 |
| Runs batted in | Eleanor Callow (ROC) Elizabeth Mahon (SB) Doris Satterfield (GR) Ruth Richard (ROC) Betty Foss (FW) Lavonne Paire (GR) Shirley Stovroff (SB) Evelyn Wawryshyn (FW) Senaida Wirth (SB) Margaret Russo (PEO) Joyce Hill (PEO) Inez Voyce (GR) Jane Stoll (SB) Alice Pollitt (ROC) Dorothy Schroeder (FW) Rita Briggs (PEO) | 84 68 62 60 58 56 54 54 54 51 50 49 47 45 45 44 |
| Stolen bases | Charlene Pryer (SB) Dorothy Harrell (ROC) Thelma Eisen (FW) Senaida Wirth (SB) Dorothy Kamenshek Alice Pollitt (ROC) Betty Foss (FW) Elizabeth Mahon (SB) Betty Wagoner (SB) Evelyn Wawryshyn (FW) Margaret Russo (PEO) | 129 91 88 69 63 61 60 53 50 50 45 |
| Total bases | Betty Foss (FW) Eleanor Callow (ROC) Connie Wisniewski (GR) Alice Pollitt (ROC) Doris Satterfield (GR) Dorothy Kamenshek Charlene Pryer (SB) Inez Voyce (GR) Doris Sams (KAL) June Peppas (BC/KAL) Elizabeth Mahon (SB) Margaret Russo (PEO) Jacquelyn Kelley (ROC) Evelyn Wawryshyn (FW) Jane Stoll (SB) Margaret Wenzell (KAL/BC) | 176 172 159 158 148 147 147 136 135 131 125 124 117 116 112 105 |

## Pitching statistics

| Statistic | Player | Record |
| Wins | Rose Gacioch (ROC) Maxine Kline (FW) Helen Nicol (ROC) Mirtha Marrero (FW) Margaret Holgerson (GR) Marie Mansfield (ROC) Jean Faut (SB) Lillian Faralla (SB) Alice Hohlmayer (PEO) Pat Scott (FW) Mary Lou Studnicka (GR) Jaynne Bittner (GR) Alma Ziegler (GR) | 20 18 18 17 16 16 15 15 15 15 15 15 14 |
| Winning percentage | Louise Arnold (SB) Dorothy Mueller (SB) Maxine Kline (FW) Lillian Faralla (SB) Mary Lou Studnicka (GR) Rose Gacioch (ROC) Jaynne Bittner (GR) Helen Nicol (ROC) Jean Faut (SB) Pat Scott (FW) Mirtha Marrero (FW) | .833 .833 .818 .789 .750 .741 .727 .720 .682 .682 .680 |
| Earned run average | Dorothy Naum (KEN) Alma Ziegler (GR) Jean Faut (SB) Margaret Holgerson (GR) Dorothy Mueller (SB) Rose Gacioch (ROC) Lillian Faralla (SB) Maxine Kline (FW) Ruth Williams (KAL) Alice Hohlmayer (PEO) Pat Scott (FW) Earlene Risinger (GR) Nancy Warren (PEO) Mirtha Marrero (FW) | 1.14 1.26 1.33 1.53 1.56 1.68 1.85 1.95 1.96 2.02 2.13 2.14 2.20 2.24 |
| Strikeouts | Jean Faut (SB) Margaret Holgerson (GR) Marie Mansfield (ROC) Jean Marlowe (KEN) Georgette Vincent (SB) Barbara Rotvig (KEN) Mirtha Marrero (FW) Nancy Warren (PEO) Mary Lou Studnicka (GR) Gloria Cordes (BC/KAL) Maxine Kline (FW) Helen Nicol (ROC) Pat Scott (FW) Alma Ziegler (GR) Erma Bergmann (BC) Ruth Williams (KAL) | 135 123 121 116 113 93 87 79 72 70 69 67 62 62 59 59 |
| Complete games | Migdalia Pérez (BC) Rose Gacioch (ROC) Helen Nicol (ROC) Alice Hohlmayer (PEO) Alma Ziegler (GR) Margaret Holgerson (GR) Jean Marlowe (KEN) Erma Bergmann (BC) Jean Faut (SB) Maxine Kline (FW) Mirtha Marrero (FW) | 26 25 23 22 22 21 21 20 20 20 20 |
| Shutouts | Rose Gacioch (ROC) Alma Ziegler (GR) Jean Faut (SB) Alice Hohlmayer (PEO) Margaret Holgerson (GR) Maxine Kline (FW) Jaynne Bittner (GR) Lillian Faralla (SB) Mary Lou Studnicka (GR) Ruth Williams (KAL) | 9 8 7 6 5 5 4 4 4 4 |
| Games pitched | Migdalia Pérez (BC) Josephine Hasham (PEO) Marie Mansfield (ROC) Elaine Roth (KAL) Rose Gacioch (ROC) Alice Hohlmayer (PEO) Mirtha Marrero (FW) Eleanor Moore (FW) Jean Marlowe (KEN) Helen Nicol (ROC) Nancy Warren (FW/PEO) Gloria Cordes (BC/KAL) Frances Janssen (FW/PEO/BC//KAL) Pat Scott (FW) | 32 30 30 30 29 29 29 29 28 28 27 26 26 26 |
| Innings pitched | Migdalia Pérez (BC) Rose Gacioch (ROC) Josephine Hasham (PEO) Helen Nicol (ROC) Mirtha Marrero (FW) Jean Marlowe (KEN) Alice Hohlmayer (PEO) Marie Mansfield (ROC) Erma Bergmann (BC) Margaret Holgerson (GR) Maxine Kline (FW) Jean Faut (SB) Pat Scott (FW) Nancy Warren (FW/PEO) | 237 231 218 214 213 211 209 202 200 200 194 190 190 188 |