A Whole New Ball Game

An "articulate, authoritative" account of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (Kirkus Reviews).

"Sue Macy's book is an invaluable trove of amazing stories and fascinating information on the AAGPBL. We couldn't have made our show without this book or her!" —Will Graham and Abbi Johnson, creators, A League of Their Own, Amazon Prime Video

"Play ball!" yelled the umpires as the teams of the AAGPBL took the field in the tense, war-torn days of 1943. Like all professional baseball players, these athletes scrambled to their positions, tossed balls across diamonds, and filled the air with chatter. But there was something different about them—they all wore skirts, went to charm school, and continually had to answer one question: "What is a woman doing playing baseball?"

What were they doing? Having a great time, playing top-notch ball, and showing that a woman's place was at home only when she was at bat, behind the plate, or scoring a run. For twelve seasons, from 1943 to 1954, some of America's best female athletes earned their livings by playing baseball. This is their story in their own words, a tale of no-hitters and chaperones, stolen bases and practical jokes, home runs and run-ins with fans.

Author Sue Macy spent eleven years tracking down the women of the AAGPBL, interviewing them, and looking through their scrapbooks. Balancing the voices of the women of the league with a lively, insightful overview of the changing patterns of American life, A Whole New Ball Game is a sports story full of telling insights about who we expect to be at home and how women can get back to first base.

"Captures the spirit of the women who played in the league. . . . As much as we were pioneers in women's baseball, Sue Macy is a pioneer in telling our story." —Sister Toni Ann Palermo, PhD, AAGPBL player, 1949-1950