Saturday, April 3, 2010

The Half-National Pastime

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This from the Oklahoma Women's Network Blog (emphasis mine):
On April 2, 1931, 17-year-old Jackie Mitchell, the second woman to play baseball in the all-male minor leagues, pitches an exhibition game against NY Yankees and strikes out both Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. The next day, the Baseball Commissioner voided her contract, claiming baseball was too strenuous for women. The ban was not overturned until 1992.

My gently snowflakes, I never wanted to play professional baseball (heck, I was barely good enough for the local summer leagues). But the kind of action related above is what makes women mad. We are told, repeatedly and still (though not in baseball), that we may not participate. We may not try. We may not try-out. Even if we are good enough, we may not. Makes a body angry.
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3 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday! Hope you have a big fun celebration planned for this important day.

    Thanks for sharing Becky with all of us on Twitter. She sure is a sharp and nice young lady, and I'm sure takes after her Mom

    MissDazey42 on Twitter.

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  2. Wow, what a story! Something to think about as baseball season opens (and my own three-year old daughter enters the world of sports - watch out, she's good!)

    Happy Birthday - it's easy to see where Becky get her smarts and sass :)

    ~Michelle
    mriggen on Twitter

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  3. Thank you, Missdazey and Michelle, for the birthday wishes. Also, I certainly appreciate the kind words about Becky. I think she is special so it is nice to know others do too.

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