Muskegon Lassies

                        1946 Muskegon Lassies
Front row, L-R: Alva Jo Fischer, Dorothy Maguire, Elizabeth Wicken, Charlene Pryer, Miss Hack, Erma Bergmann. Second row, L-R: Eunice Kessler (chaperone), Sara Reeser, Pauline Martin, Donna Cook, Arleene Johnson, Dorothy Montgomery, Josephine Lenard, Buzz Boyle (manager). Back row, L-R: Lavina Keough, Mary Rini, Amy Applegren, Joanne Overleese, Margaret Wenzell.

The Muskegon Lassies were a professional baseball team based in Muskegon, Michigan that competed in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). The Lassies were formed as one of two expansions teams in the 1946 season. The team played their home games at Marsh Field from 1946 to 1950. The team was the regular season champion in 1947; noteworthy players included Doris Sams, who won the league Player of the Year Award twice with the team. In 1950, the team relocated midway through the season to Kalamazoo.

The league, its teams, and its story were later depicted in A League of Their Own.

History

The 1946 Muskegon Lassies posted a 46–66 record in their first year, and placed sixth in the eight–team league. They improved to 69–43 in 1947, to win a close pennant race with the Grand Rapids Chicks. Muskegon was led by OF/P Doris Sams, who ranked in several offensive categories and also collected 11 victories, including a perfect game, good enough to win the Most Valuable Player Award. Notably, the team counted with three of the top four pitchers in earned run average, Sams (0.98), Amy Irene Applegren (1.06) and Nancy Warren (1.13), but lost to the Racine Belles in the best-of-five, first-round matchup 3–1.

Muskegon went 66–57 in 1948 to gain a playoff berth, but lost to the Fort Wayne Daisies in the first round, three to zero games.

The team dropped to 46–66 in 1949 but was able to reach the playoffs for the third consecutive year. Muskegon disposed of the Kenosha Comets in the first round, 3–1, being swept by the South Bend Blue Sox in the semifinals, 3–0.

1950 became a nightmare for Muskegon, after registering the worst record in the league (36–73) and a relocation during the midseason to Kalamazoo, Michigan, where the team was renamed the Kalamazoo Lassies.

All-time roster

Bold denotes members of the inaugural roster

Managers

* Buzz Boyle1946
* Bill Wambsganss  1947
1948
* Carson Bigbee1949
1950 [first half]

References

  1. 1 2 "Historic Marsh Field". Historic Marsh Field. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  2. ↑ Opfermann, Mark (July 10, 2012). "Former Muskegon Lassies standout dies at 85". mlive. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Kalamazoo Lassies". Kalamazoo Public Library. Retrieved May 12, 2023.

Sources