Kirjahaku

The hit 1992 film A League of Their Own ?made the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League famous. But the players' stories remain largely untold. The 600 women who played for the AAGPBL through the 1940s and 1950s enjoyed a rare opportunity to lead independent lives as well-paid professional athletes. Their experiences in the league led many to education and careers they never imagined. As teachers, coaches and role models, they strove to broaden the horizons of girls and young women. Many continued to be involved in athletics, supporting the efforts leading to Title IX and the women's sports revolution. Today, they are dedicated to preserving the history of women in baseball and creating opportunities for girls to play.

A very good read. It is not only about a baseball player in the AAGPBL, but also about a young Latino woman who makes good in America.-Lance Smith, Guy Who Reviews Sports BooksKat D. Williams traces Isabel “Lefty” Alvarez’s life from her childhood in Cuba, where she played baseball with the boys on the streets of El Cerro, to her reinvention as a professional baseball player and American citizen. Isabel “Lefty” Alvarez gives the reader a look into Alvarez’s young life in Cuba during the turbulent years leading up to Castro’s revolution, as political differences tore families apart. Alvarez came to the United States at fifteen, speaking no English, and experienced the challenge of immigration as her mother pushed her to become a professional athlete in her newly adopted country. Through all the changes and upheaval, Alvarez found acceptance and success as a player in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, where she was called “the Rascal of El Cerro.” After the league ended, Alvarez struggled with an undiagnosed learning disability that limited her options. She persevered and reinvented herself as a factory worker but later battled alcoholism and depression until baseball returned to her life and she was able to reconnect with her former teammates and become part of the active community of former players. Alvarez’s life story illustrates the struggle and strength of a young Latina immigrant and the importance of sport to her transition to her new country and her enduring identity.

The inspiring biography of former women’s professional baseball player Maybelle BlairMaybelle Blair’s entire life has been about baseball—women’s baseball. About playing it, preserving its history, and making it accessible to everyone. A former player for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League that inspired the movie A League of Their Own, Maybelle broke down barriers for women in the sport, continues to be a mentor for young girls who seek opportunities to play, and is an inspiration for the LGBTQ+ community. In All the Way: The Life of Baseball Trailblazer Maybelle Blair, Kat D. Williams tells Maybelle’s incredible story. She recounts how, as a young girl in the 1930s, Maybelle and her family built a field where they could all play. In elementary school, Maybelle convinced a teacher that they should have a girls softball team alongside the boys. As her talent grew, so did her opportunities to play at higher and higher levels, culminating with the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. When her playing days were over, Maybelle became the first female director of transportation for Northrop Aircraft, was an advisor for A League of Their Own, helped found the non-profit International Women’s Baseball Center, and, at 94 years old, came out to the world. Featuring extensive insight from interviews with Maybelle, All the Way brings to life the struggles and triumphs of female ballplayers in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, as well as the struggles they continue to face today. It also provides an honest look at the dangers mid-20th century lesbians faced and how coming out, even at 94, can be empowering.