All-American Girl

In 1948 the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was in its sixth year and looked as though it would continue to draw crowds long into the future. The war that had conceived the girls league in 1943 had ended, but the league continued to draw huge crowds to their games. The AAGPBL was doing well enough that it easily supported ten teams.

The Rockford Peaches had a new player that year whose name was Riian, and she was destined to be the star of the team. Early in the year she had a batting average of .324 with only Audrey Wagner anywhere near her in the standings. In runs batted in only Dorothy Shroeder was near Riian’s numbers that year. She and Alice Haylett were the top pitchers of the league, both with almost perfect records and earned run averages under one. Everyone, from the bum on the street to the Wall Street executives, agreed that Riian was the best player in all the AAGPBL.

Even though Riian was excelling, the Rockford Peaches were struggling. Early in the season, with only ten wins and a disheartening sixteen losses, they had fallen to the lowest ranks of the league (well behind the Springfield Sallies) and Coach Allington didn’t know what was to be done. Riian was a clear stand out, but the other girls struggled in hitting, pitching and fielding, so it became very difficult to win games when Riian wasn’t on the mound.

Riian loved being the best at what she did. She worked very hard in batting practice so that she could not only hit the ball well, but also gain a lot of control over where the ball would go when she hit it. She’d spent years working on her pitching, so that now it felt like she just had to think and the ball would do what she wanted. Knowing that she had become the best player in the league gave her a wonderful feeling, but she was also very frustrated that her team kept struggling to win games.

It was in the 22nd game of the Rockford Peaches’ season that Riian began to watch the other girls on her team to see if she could determine ways they might be able to improve as a team. After all, these girls were all good ball players; it didn’t make sense that their team would lose so consistently. They were playing the Peoria Redwings on a warm and humid day in the early part of June. Riian watched as the other girls batted, and she noted that her teammate Jenna “Dottie” Kamenshek was doing well, and just needed to swing a little more level and she’d be able to start batting with much more power, accuracy and consistency. Riian got very excited and after the game (which, unfortunately, they lost) she told Jenna what she had seen.

“Could you help me level out my swing?” Jenna asked after Riian had explained her observation, “I would love to start hitting better!”

“Definitely,” Riian promised, and at the very next practice Riian helped Jenna learn the different techniques that would help. Soon, some of the other girls came over and Riian was able to watch each of them and help them improve their batting as well. The whole team became very excited at what they were learning, and Riian found she was really enjoying helping her teammates improve.

The Rockford Peaches won the next five games.

The team was ecstatic! They still struggled when Riian wasn’t pitching, but they were now much better as a team when it came to batting averages and runs batted in. Everyone was thrilled.

Everyone, that is, except Riian. She had been happy to help the other girls get better and winning the games was great, but Jenna had just passed her batting average and RBIs for the season. For the first time that year Riian wasn’t the best batter on the team. In the next few games Riian’s frustration grew as she fell into a slump and didn’t get on base for several games, games which her team lost.

During this time, Riian began to watch some of the other pitchers on the team, and she noticed that Carly “Eleanor” Callow looked very adept at hurling. All she needed was to improve her balance during her windup and perhaps try throwing a couple of new pitches, and Carly could easily be the best pitcher on the team. After the Peaches fourth loss in a row, Riian approached Carly and explained her thoughts in regards to Carly’s pitching.

“Can you show me how to do that?” Carly questioned after Riian had expounded, “I really want to become a better pitcher.”

At the Rockford Peaches’ next practice Riian and Carly began working on pitching techniques, including how to throw curveballs and knuckleballs. Soon the other pitchers on the team were asking Riian to help them as well, and they were all improving.

Once again, the efforts had a tremendous effect on the team’s performance, and they started winning a lot of their games. Throughout the season, their games became some of the most interesting to watch, and members of the crowd were often heard to call the Rockford Peaches the “most talented team in the entire All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.” They did so well, in fact, that they ended the season with the third-best record in the league, having won seventy-four games and lost forty-nine.

Riian, again, was happy but frustrated. She loved that her team was doing so well, but the end of the season had come and she was no longer the best at batting and pitching on her team. Jenna had ended the season with a batting average of .311 and 98 RBIs while Riian had come in second with an average of .310 and with 92 RBIs. Carly had finished the season with a win-loss record of 23-7 and an earned run average of .81, whereas Riian had struggled at the end of the season and had ended with a record of 22-8 and an earned run average of .85. With the playoffs approaching, Riian resolved that she would do everything she could to improve her batting and pitching so that she could have statistics that were better than those of Carly and Jenna.

Riian worked hard. In the post season games, she batted and pitched better than she ever had before. Jenna and Carly watched her improve and sought to improve along with her. The Rockford Peaches dominated the post season as these teammates competed with each other and helped each other refine their skills. They rallied against the Grand Rapids Chicks in the final games and won the league championship!

After the game, Coach Allington helped lead a celebration in honor of the girls’ achievements. Near the end of the festivities, it became time to announce the team’s Most Valuable Player.

“The recipient of this award has been difficult to single out, since we have had several top performers this season.” Coach Allington began.

Riian’s hopes began to rise. She felt certain that she had done the best she possibly could in the post season, and she desperately hoped it would be enough for the award.

“First we considered Carly, who ends the year as our number one pitcher!” At this the girls erupted in applause and cheering. The coach continued, “Her contribution was a major part of our ability to earn this championship, but she is not the one who earns our MVP award tonight!”

The cheers were replaced by a soft, interested whisper among the teammates. Riian, whose heart had sunk slightly at the news that Carly had finished as the top hurler, glanced at Carly and was surprised to see that Carly was looking at her and smiling warmly.

“Next, we considered our best batter of the season, Jenna!” Again the girls applauded joyfully. “But once again she was not the one who we chose.”

The murmur from the girls was much louder this time. Riian was a mix of joy and sorrow now, being happy that Jenna had done so well, but having realized that she was not going to be the best at anything this season. Looking up at Jenna with a fleeting tear of disappointment in her eye, Riian noticed that Jenna, too, was smiling at her. Her eyes widened as her hope rose again. The coach continued.

“Our MVP, however, did much more than have the best stats for our team. Our MVP recognized that she could help her teammates become better, and then dedicated herself to finding ways for them to improve. Our MVP also became one of the very best pitchers and hitters in the league, and without her we would never have reached this championship. Because of her, we are this year’s champions. Our MVP is…”

Coach Allington paused for effect, and the girls were unable to contain their cheers. All eyes were on Riian now, and Riian’s eyes filled with a few more tears that helped clear away their disappointed predecessors.

“RIIAN!”

The cheers were deafening now. Jenna and Carly came over to give Riian a big hug. “I knew he was going to pick you,” confided Jenna, “I just knew it!” “Me, too,” agreed Carly, “I can’t think of anyone who deserves it more than you.”

…

Riian stayed on with the Rockford Peaches for two more incredible seasons before giving up the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League before the 1951 season to raise a family in her hometown. She later taught math and coached the girls’ softball team at the local high school for thirty-one years, and helped lead them to nineteen championship games, of which they won twelve.

Her family always remembers her as being very helpful, and very happy.

The End