Alma Ziegler
Encyclopedia
Alma Ziegler was an infielder
and pitcher
who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
. Listed at 5' 3", 125 lb., Ziegler batted and threw right-handed.
Alma Ziegler was one of the best all-around players in the early years of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Noted for her enthusiastic, high-spirited personality and great knowledge of the game, Ziegler excelled at second base, where her range and acrobatic plays impressed baseball fanatics and experts. In addition, she later developed as a leading overhand pitcher. A member of three championship teams and three all-star squads, she spent 11 years in the circuit, being named to the Player of the Year and Pitching Champion awards in the same season. Regarded as a disciplined hitter and a daring base runner, she posted a career 2.57 walk-to-strikeout ratio
(641-to-249) and utilized her stunning speed to snatch 387 stolen base
s. As a pitcher, she had a 42-21 record for a .667 percentage
and collected a solid 1.32 earned run average
.
A native of Chicago, Illinois, the diminutive Ziegler was the daughter of Frank Siegler and Mae (née Connal) Ziegler. At a very early age, she played baseball
in Chicago. In 1933 her family had to relocate to the Los Angeles, California
, due to the economic depression
. Her father had been a linotype operator
in Chicago, but went into different work after moving to California, while her mother was a housewife and an avid bridge player. Ziegler had a brother, Frank, who was three years older than she. At that time in California girls were not allowed to participate in interscholastic sports, except tennis
. As expected, Ziegler expressed disappointment over very little organized women's school sport in her new home, but she recalled that various girls athletic associations in the Los Angeles area provided compensation, as her hectic later teenage years involved memberships on several softball
, basketball
and speedball
teams. In the late 1930s, she joined the Goodrich Silvertown, a prestigious softball club sponsored by B. F. Goodrich Company
, one of the largest tire and rubber manufacturers in the world. In 1939 she helped her team win another Southern California Championship.
By 1944 the AAGPBL added two teams, the Milwaukee Chicks
and the Minneapolis Millerettes
. Ziegler attended a tryout for the AAGPBL arranged by scout
Bill Allington
, who would join the league for the upcoming season as manager
of the Rockford team. Ziegler was one of six girls from Los Angeles who traveled to Peru, Indiana
for the tryout. The girls passed the test and were rewarded with a contract to play in the league. Ziegler joined the Chicks, along with Thelma Eisen
, while Faye Dancer
, Annabelle Lee
, Lavonne Paire
and Dorothy Wiltse
were allocated to the Millerettes.
In 1944 Ziegler played second base for the debuting Milwaukee Chicks, a well balanced squad managed by Max Carey
that counted with talented players as Josephine Kabick
, Merle Keagle
and Connie Wisniewski
. Ziegler hit a modest .191 average in 115 games, including 51 runs and 25 RBI, but she established as a flashy defender who made outstandings plays routinely. The Chicks led the league in runs scored
(492), batting average
(.207), stolen bases (739) and tied for first in home run
s (12). The best offensive support came from Keagle, who hit .264 with 47 runs batted in, and led the AAGPBL hitters with seven home run
s and 145 total bases
. The one-two pitching staff was led by Kabick, who posted a 26-19 record for a .578 winning percentage
and topped the league in wins and innings pitched
(366), while Wisniewski went 23-10 (.697) with a 2.23 earned run average
.
The Chicks went 30-26 in the first half of the year, but dominated the second half (40-19) and had the best overall record (70-45). They then went on to win the Championship Title, beating the Kenosha Comets in the postseason. During the seven-game series Wisniewski went 4-1 with a 0.40 ERA in five complete games, including two shutout
s, two one-run games and one two-run game, winning three of four matchups with Kenosha's Helen Nicol
, who finished with a 17-11 mark (.607) and had led the league with a minuscule 0.93 ERA. Although the Chicks won the championship, they had no local financial backing and could not compete with the American Association
Milwaukee Brewers
. In fact, the Chicks were forced to play all seven games of the series at Kenosha's Lake Front Stadium because the Brewers were using the Borchert Field
in Milwaukee. In addition, the high ticket prices charged for AAGPBL games failed to encourage significant fan support. Due to lack of community support and skepticism of journalists, the Chicks moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan
prior to the 1945 season.
Ziegler spent from 1945 to 1954 with the Grand Rapids Chicks. Although originally nicknamed Gabby by her teammates, she eventually was called Ziggy by the Grand Rapids crowds. Her leadership was indisputable since other Chicks players considered her playing style somewhat inspirational, which led her to be named captain of the team. In 1945 the Chicks finished in third place (60-50) and lost the first round of the playoff to Rockford, three to one games. The Chicks improved to second in 1946 (71-41), but were defeated again by Rockford in the first round, this time in five games. Eventually, Grand Rapids fanatics honored Ziegler in an event named A Night for Ziggy.
The big adventure of 1947, recalled fondly by many players, was a spring training
trip to Cuba
. The AAGPBL flew 150 young women from eight clubs to Havana
, where they trained, played eight days of exhibitions, and were cheered by more than 75,000 fans. The Chicks, now managed by Johnny Rawlings
, ended in second place (65-47) and secured their return to the playoffs. In the first round, Grand Rapids disposed of South Bend in five games and later won the championship title, with Mildred Earp
throwing a 1–0 shutout against Racine in decisive game seven. Interestingly, in the 1947 Grand Rapids Chicks yearbook Ziegler is described as the spark plug of the team.
In 1948 Ziegler posted career-numbers in games played (126), runs scored
(61), hits
(77), and runs batted in (33). In addition, she led second baggers in fielding percentage
, led the league in walks (62), and compiled a 9-6 pitching record, helping Grand Rapids clinch the Eastern Division with a 77-47 mark. The Chicks beat South Bend in the first round of the playoffs, three to two games, but were swept in three games by the expansion Fort Wayne Daisies
in the semifinal series.
Ziegler played strongly in 1949, winning the fielding title for the second consecutive year while hitting .181 with 67 hits and scoring 58 runs. The Chicks finished in third place (57-54), beat Fort Wayne in the first round three to two games, but lost the semifinals to Rockford three to one games. Once more, the leadership qualities of Ziegler were recognized by her Chicks teammates. But her most productive season came in 1950, considering that most pitchers were still adjusting to the new 10-inch ball introduced the previous year. That season she posted a pitching record of 19-7 with a solid 1.38 ERA, leading all pitchers in winning percentage (.732). She also tossed 43 straight shutout
innings, and finished second in ERA behind the stellar South Bend hurler Jean Faut
(1.12), who won the Pitcher of the Year Award after going 21-9 (.700 W%). The Chicks finished fourth with a 59-53 record and advanced to the playoffs, but lost to Fort Wayne in the first round, three to two games. For her heroics, Ziegler was named AAGPBL Player of the Year and joined the All-Star Team.
In 1951 Ziegler continued her torrid pitching, ending with a 14-8 (.636) record and topping the league with a 1.26 ERA. She narrowly surpassed Faut, who finished 15-7 (.682) with a 1.33 ERA. As an added bonus, Ziegler hit .191 with 51 runs and a career-high 35 RBI in 115 games and served as the interim manager for the Chicks late in the season. Her team won the first half (40-13) and finished fourth in the second half (31-22), to collect the second-best overall record (71-35) and a ticket to the playoffs, but was swept by South Bend during the first round in just two games.
For the next two years Ziegler was plagued by nagging injuries, which slowed her production and development. In 1952, she hit .197 with 20 runs and 16 RBI in a career-low 85 games, and earned her second All-Star berth. The Chicks finished fourth (50-60) and lost to South Bend in the first round of the playoffs in only two games.
The Chicks clinched the AAGPBL title in 1953, led by the strong pitching of Eleanor Moore
, who won 17 games to tie Faut for the league lead. Ziegler, who moved to shortstop
, contributed with a .168 average in 96 games and made the All-Star Team again. Grand Rapids, with Woody English
at the helm, finished second in the regular season (62-44) and faced Rockford in the first round of the playoffs in a best-of-three series.
In Game 1 of the playoffs, Rockford scored early and defeated the visiting Chicks, 9–2. The Peaches lined 13 hits off pitchers Eleanor Moore and Mary Lou Studnicka
.
The action shifted to Grand Rapids home ballpark for Game 2, and Earlene Risinger
silenced the Peaches' bats to just two measly hits en route to a complete game, 2–0 shutout. Her clutch performance was backed by timely hitting by Ziegler, who hit a RBI single in the seventh inning to give her a 1–0 lead, and Dolores Moore
, who drove in the game's final run with a sacrifice fly
in the eight.
In Game 3, Grand Rapids starter Dorothy Mueller
pitched well enough to beat Rockford, 4–3, and the Chicks advanced to the Championship Series to face the Kalamazoo Lassies
, managed by Mitch Skupien
, who have eliminated Fort Wayne in the other playoff contention.
In the final series, Grand Rapids swept Kalamazoo in the best of three game set, by the scores of 5–2 and 4–1. In Game 1, Studnicka started for Grand Rapids and allowed only two runs in eight innings of work. With the score tied 2–2 going into the fourth inning, the Chicks scored three runs off Lassies’ pitcher Gloria Cordes
. With the bases loaded, Ziegler drove home one run with a sacrifice fly to put the score in favor of Grand Rapids, 3–2. Another sacrifice fly by Inez Voyce
and a RBI single by Joyce Ricketts
extended the lead to 5–2. When the Lassies first two batters reached base in the final inning, manager English brought Eleanor Moore to the rescue. She promptly retired the next three batters in order, striking out Isabel Alvarez
, retiring Dorothy Schroeder
with a pop fly to shortstop Ziegler, and inducing June Peppas
on a sharp grounder to the mound throwing to Voyce at first base for the final out of the game.
In Kalamazoo, with cold weather around 40 degrees and windy, both teams’ managers agreed to play the Game 2 in just seven innings. Risinger started for the Chicks and pitched one of the best games of her career. Grand Rapids gave her a one-run lead in the second inning, and wrapped up the scoring by producing three runs in the sixth, keyed by a two-run double off the bat of Ricketts. Risinger gave up a RBI single to Jean Lovell
, and yielded only one extra-base hit, a solo home run by Doris Sams
during Kalamazoo's two-run rally in the sixth inning. In the bottom of the seventh, the Lassies tried to rally again. Fern Shollenberger
opened with a single, but Risinger retired the next two batters. Nevertheless, she lost her control temporarily and issued back-to-back walks to Schroeder and Peppas. With the bases loaded, Woody English was on the verge of yanking Risinger, but he instead sent Ziegler to the pitching mound. Pulling off her glove, the 5' 3" Ziegler looked up at the tall Risinger. Okay, Beansie, can you get her out? she asked. Blowing on her hand to keep her fingers warm against the fast-chilling night, the pitcher replied, I don't know Ziggy. Snapping the brim of her cap in place, the diminutive Ziegler energetically ordered, Well do it! As a result, Risinger faced the dangerous Sams and struck out her on three straight fastballs. She fanned nine Lassies batters and walked four in completing her pitching gem.
Ziegler and the Chicks returned in 1954 for what turned out to be the league's final season. She raised her average to .200 (43-for-215) and scored 33 runs with 21 RBI in 86 games. For the fourth time she was selected at second base for the All-Star Team. The Chicks finished in third place (46-45) and advanced to the playoffs to face regular-season champ Fort Wayne (54-40). But a dispute erupted before the two teams had played the opening game at Grand Rapids ballpark. Due to an injury to Fort Wayne’s regular catcher, the league voted to allow the Daisies to add Rockford All-Star Ruth Richard
to the roster. The Chicks, claiming that using a new player was unfair, played the first game under protest, which won by a 8–7 score. Attempting to resolve the matter the next game in Fort Wayne, Chicks manager English and Daisies pilot Allington ended up fighting at home plate. After tempers calmed, the entire Fort Wayne team voted not to play, so the Chicks forfeited, allowing Fort Wayne to advance to the championship round. In the end, the Kalamazoo Lassies won the last AAGPBL Championship Series by defeating the Daisies three to two games.
First in Milwaukee, and later in Grand Rapids, the Chicks made the playoffs every year of their existence. Ziegler was the only player to be on the team during its eleven-year history.
Following her baseball career, Ziegler went back to California and worked as a court reporter
. Ziegler, who never married, had two nieces and two great-nieces. After retiring she became an avid golf
er, was devoted to her family and her cats, and helped out the elderly as an active participant in the Meals on Wheels
program.
Alma Ziegler was a long time resident of Los Osos, California
, where she died at the age of 87.
Pitching
Fielding
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
and pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was a women's professional baseball league founded by Philip K. Wrigley which existed from 1943 to 1954. During the league's history, over 600 women played ball.-History:...
. Listed at 5' 3", 125 lb., Ziegler batted and threw right-handed.
Alma Ziegler was one of the best all-around players in the early years of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Noted for her enthusiastic, high-spirited personality and great knowledge of the game, Ziegler excelled at second base, where her range and acrobatic plays impressed baseball fanatics and experts. In addition, she later developed as a leading overhand pitcher. A member of three championship teams and three all-star squads, she spent 11 years in the circuit, being named to the Player of the Year and Pitching Champion awards in the same season. Regarded as a disciplined hitter and a daring base runner, she posted a career 2.57 walk-to-strikeout ratio
Walk-to-strikeout ratio
In baseball statistics, walk-to-strikeout ratio is a measure of a hitter's plate discipline and knowledge of the strike zone. Generally, a hitter with a good walk-to-strikeout ratio must exhibit enough patience at the plate to refrain from swinging at bad pitches and take a base on balls, but he...
(641-to-249) and utilized her stunning speed to snatch 387 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s. As a pitcher, she had a 42-21 record for a .667 percentage
Winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win...
and collected a solid 1.32 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
.
A native of Chicago, Illinois, the diminutive Ziegler was the daughter of Frank Siegler and Mae (née Connal) Ziegler. At a very early age, she played baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
in Chicago. In 1933 her family had to relocate to the Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, due to the economic depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Her father had been a linotype operator
Linotype machine
The Linotype typesetting machine is a "line casting" machine used in printing. The name of the machine comes from the fact that it produces an entire line of metal type at once, hence a line-o'-type, a significant improvement over manual typesetting....
in Chicago, but went into different work after moving to California, while her mother was a housewife and an avid bridge player. Ziegler had a brother, Frank, who was three years older than she. At that time in California girls were not allowed to participate in interscholastic sports, except tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
. As expected, Ziegler expressed disappointment over very little organized women's school sport in her new home, but she recalled that various girls athletic associations in the Los Angeles area provided compensation, as her hectic later teenage years involved memberships on several softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and speedball
Speedball
Speedball is one of the two distinct game variants in the sport of paintball, the other being woodsball. It is a general term for a game in which the playing field is composed of bunkers, of the same location and number on each side of the field, that provide an equal playing field for each team...
teams. In the late 1930s, she joined the Goodrich Silvertown, a prestigious softball club sponsored by B. F. Goodrich Company
Goodrich Corporation
The Goodrich Corporation , formerly the B.F. Goodrich Company, is an American aerospace manufacturing company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Founded in Akron, Ohio in 1870 as Goodrich, Tew & Co. by Dr. Benjamin Franklin Goodrich. The company name was changed to the "B.F...
, one of the largest tire and rubber manufacturers in the world. In 1939 she helped her team win another Southern California Championship.
By 1944 the AAGPBL added two teams, the Milwaukee Chicks
Milwaukee Chicks
The Milwaukee Chicks were a women's professional baseball team which played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the season. They were managed by Max Carey, former star player for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Brooklyn Robins and a future Hall of Famer.-History:By 1944 the...
and the Minneapolis Millerettes
Minneapolis Millerettes
The Minneapolis Millerettes were an expansion All-American Girls Professional Baseball League team that played for one season in 1944. They played their home games in Nicollet Park, home of the men's minor league team the Minneapolis Millers...
. Ziegler attended a tryout for the AAGPBL arranged by scout
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
Bill Allington
Bill Allington
William Baird Allington was an American Minor league baseball player and manager. Listed at 5' 9" , 160 lb., Allington batted and threw right-handed. He was born in St. Clair County, Michigan....
, who would join the league for the upcoming season as manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
of the Rockford team. Ziegler was one of six girls from Los Angeles who traveled to Peru, Indiana
Peru, Indiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 12,994 people, 5,410 households, and 3,397 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,815.5 people per square mile . There were 5,943 housing units at an average density of 1,287.7 per square mile...
for the tryout. The girls passed the test and were rewarded with a contract to play in the league. Ziegler joined the Chicks, along with Thelma Eisen
Thelma Eisen
Thelma Eisen [Tiby] is a former outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 4", 130 lb., she batted and threw right-handed....
, while Faye Dancer
Faye Dancer
Faye Katherine Dancer was a center fielder who played from through for three different teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
, Annabelle Lee
Annabelle Lee
Annabelle Lee Harmon was a female pitcher who played from through with four different teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 2", 120 lb, Lee was a switch-hitter and threw left-handed...
, Lavonne Paire
Pepper Paire
Lavonne Paire Davis [″Pepper″] is a former catcher and infielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 4", 138 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.-Overview profile:...
and Dorothy Wiltse
Dottie Wiltse Collins
Dorothy Wiltse Collins [Dottie] was an American pitcher in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which was in existence from 1943–54....
were allocated to the Millerettes.
In 1944 Ziegler played second base for the debuting Milwaukee Chicks, a well balanced squad managed by Max Carey
Max Carey
Max George Carey was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball who starred for the Pittsburgh Pirates and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1961...
that counted with talented players as Josephine Kabick
Josephine Kabick
Josephine Kabick [Jo] was a female pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 7", 142 lb., Kabick batted and threw right-handed...
, Merle Keagle
Merle Keagle
Merle Patricia Keagle was a center fielder who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League between the and seasons. Listed at 5' 2", 144 lb., she batted and threw right-handed....
and Connie Wisniewski
Connie Wisniewski
Constance Wisniewski was a starting pitcher and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
. Ziegler hit a modest .191 average in 115 games, including 51 runs and 25 RBI, but she established as a flashy defender who made outstandings plays routinely. The Chicks led the league in runs scored
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
(492), batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
(.207), stolen bases (739) and tied for first in home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s (12). The best offensive support came from Keagle, who hit .264 with 47 runs batted in, and led the AAGPBL hitters with seven home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 145 total bases
Total bases
In baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i.e., the sum of his hits weighted by 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run.Only bases attained from hits count toward this total....
. The one-two pitching staff was led by Kabick, who posted a 26-19 record for a .578 winning percentage
Winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win...
and topped the league in wins and innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
(366), while Wisniewski went 23-10 (.697) with a 2.23 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
.
The Chicks went 30-26 in the first half of the year, but dominated the second half (40-19) and had the best overall record (70-45). They then went on to win the Championship Title, beating the Kenosha Comets in the postseason. During the seven-game series Wisniewski went 4-1 with a 0.40 ERA in five complete games, including two shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
s, two one-run games and one two-run game, winning three of four matchups with Kenosha's Helen Nicol
Helen Nicol
Helen Nicol is a Canadian former baseball pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League . Listed at 5' 3", 120 lb., Nicol batted and threw right-handed...
, who finished with a 17-11 mark (.607) and had led the league with a minuscule 0.93 ERA. Although the Chicks won the championship, they had no local financial backing and could not compete with the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers (minor league baseball team)
The Milwaukee Brewers were a Minor League Baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They played in the American Association from 1902 through 1952.-A Milwaukee Tradition:...
. In fact, the Chicks were forced to play all seven games of the series at Kenosha's Lake Front Stadium because the Brewers were using the Borchert Field
Borchert Field
Borchert Field was a baseball park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was the home field for several professional baseball clubs for most of the years from 1888 through 1952....
in Milwaukee. In addition, the high ticket prices charged for AAGPBL games failed to encourage significant fan support. Due to lack of community support and skepticism of journalists, the Chicks moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
prior to the 1945 season.
Ziegler spent from 1945 to 1954 with the Grand Rapids Chicks. Although originally nicknamed Gabby by her teammates, she eventually was called Ziggy by the Grand Rapids crowds. Her leadership was indisputable since other Chicks players considered her playing style somewhat inspirational, which led her to be named captain of the team. In 1945 the Chicks finished in third place (60-50) and lost the first round of the playoff to Rockford, three to one games. The Chicks improved to second in 1946 (71-41), but were defeated again by Rockford in the first round, this time in five games. Eventually, Grand Rapids fanatics honored Ziegler in an event named A Night for Ziggy.
The big adventure of 1947, recalled fondly by many players, was a spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
trip to Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. The AAGPBL flew 150 young women from eight clubs to Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, where they trained, played eight days of exhibitions, and were cheered by more than 75,000 fans. The Chicks, now managed by Johnny Rawlings
Johnny Rawlings
John William Rawlings [Red] was a second baseman and shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for six different teams between the and seasons. Listed at 5'8", 158 lb., he batted and threw right-handed....
, ended in second place (65-47) and secured their return to the playoffs. In the first round, Grand Rapids disposed of South Bend in five games and later won the championship title, with Mildred Earp
Mildred Earp
Mildred Earp [Mid or Millie] is a former female pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 6", 135 lb., she batted and threw right handed....
throwing a 1–0 shutout against Racine in decisive game seven. Interestingly, in the 1947 Grand Rapids Chicks yearbook Ziegler is described as the spark plug of the team.
In 1948 Ziegler posted career-numbers in games played (126), runs scored
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
(61), hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
(77), and runs batted in (33). In addition, she led second baggers in fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
, led the league in walks (62), and compiled a 9-6 pitching record, helping Grand Rapids clinch the Eastern Division with a 77-47 mark. The Chicks beat South Bend in the first round of the playoffs, three to two games, but were swept in three games by the expansion Fort Wayne Daisies
Fort Wayne Daisies
The Fort Wayne Daisies were a women's professional baseball team that played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
in the semifinal series.
Ziegler played strongly in 1949, winning the fielding title for the second consecutive year while hitting .181 with 67 hits and scoring 58 runs. The Chicks finished in third place (57-54), beat Fort Wayne in the first round three to two games, but lost the semifinals to Rockford three to one games. Once more, the leadership qualities of Ziegler were recognized by her Chicks teammates. But her most productive season came in 1950, considering that most pitchers were still adjusting to the new 10-inch ball introduced the previous year. That season she posted a pitching record of 19-7 with a solid 1.38 ERA, leading all pitchers in winning percentage (.732). She also tossed 43 straight shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
innings, and finished second in ERA behind the stellar South Bend hurler Jean Faut
Jean Faut
Jean Anna Faut [Winsch/Eastman] is a former female starting pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 4", 137 lb., she batted and threw right handed....
(1.12), who won the Pitcher of the Year Award after going 21-9 (.700 W%). The Chicks finished fourth with a 59-53 record and advanced to the playoffs, but lost to Fort Wayne in the first round, three to two games. For her heroics, Ziegler was named AAGPBL Player of the Year and joined the All-Star Team.
In 1951 Ziegler continued her torrid pitching, ending with a 14-8 (.636) record and topping the league with a 1.26 ERA. She narrowly surpassed Faut, who finished 15-7 (.682) with a 1.33 ERA. As an added bonus, Ziegler hit .191 with 51 runs and a career-high 35 RBI in 115 games and served as the interim manager for the Chicks late in the season. Her team won the first half (40-13) and finished fourth in the second half (31-22), to collect the second-best overall record (71-35) and a ticket to the playoffs, but was swept by South Bend during the first round in just two games.
For the next two years Ziegler was plagued by nagging injuries, which slowed her production and development. In 1952, she hit .197 with 20 runs and 16 RBI in a career-low 85 games, and earned her second All-Star berth. The Chicks finished fourth (50-60) and lost to South Bend in the first round of the playoffs in only two games.
The Chicks clinched the AAGPBL title in 1953, led by the strong pitching of Eleanor Moore
Eleanor Moore
Eleanor Moore [Warner] is a former pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 10", Moore batted and threw right-handed...
, who won 17 games to tie Faut for the league lead. Ziegler, who moved to shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
, contributed with a .168 average in 96 games and made the All-Star Team again. Grand Rapids, with Woody English
Woody English
Elwood George "Woody" English was an American shortstop who played in Major League Baseball for twelve seasons with the Chicago Cubs and the Brooklyn Dodgers.- Early life :...
at the helm, finished second in the regular season (62-44) and faced Rockford in the first round of the playoffs in a best-of-three series.
In Game 1 of the playoffs, Rockford scored early and defeated the visiting Chicks, 9–2. The Peaches lined 13 hits off pitchers Eleanor Moore and Mary Lou Studnicka
Mary Lou Studnicka
Mary Lou Studnicka [Brazauskas, Caden] is a former overhand pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Studnicka batted and threw right-handed. She was affectively nicknamed ML....
.
The action shifted to Grand Rapids home ballpark for Game 2, and Earlene Risinger
Earlene Risinger
Helen Earlene Risinger was a pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 6' 2", 137 lb., she batted and threw right-handed....
silenced the Peaches' bats to just two measly hits en route to a complete game, 2–0 shutout. Her clutch performance was backed by timely hitting by Ziegler, who hit a RBI single in the seventh inning to give her a 1–0 lead, and Dolores Moore
Dolores Moore
Dolores Moore [″Dee″] was an infielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 7", 153 lb., she batted and threw right handed....
, who drove in the game's final run with a sacrifice fly
Sacrifice fly
In baseball, a sacrifice fly is a batted ball that satisfies four criteria:* There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit.* The ball is hit to the outfield....
in the eight.
In Game 3, Grand Rapids starter Dorothy Mueller
Dorothy Mueller
Dorothy Mueller [Bajda] was a pitcher who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League between the and seasons. Listed at 5' 11", 160 lb., Mueller batted and threw right handed...
pitched well enough to beat Rockford, 4–3, and the Chicks advanced to the Championship Series to face the Kalamazoo Lassies
Kalamazoo Lassies
The Kalamazoo Lassies were a team who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The team represented Kalamazoo, Michigan. Home games were initially played at Lindstrom Field, but later games were played at the Catholic Athletic Association Field, now the...
, managed by Mitch Skupien
Mitch Skupien
Mitch Skupien was a manager and executive in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.Very little is known about this man who worked hard for the AAGPBL during the final five years of its existence. Previously, Skupien had managed the Rayson Sporting Goods, a Chicago baseball team, and...
, who have eliminated Fort Wayne in the other playoff contention.
In the final series, Grand Rapids swept Kalamazoo in the best of three game set, by the scores of 5–2 and 4–1. In Game 1, Studnicka started for Grand Rapids and allowed only two runs in eight innings of work. With the score tied 2–2 going into the fourth inning, the Chicks scored three runs off Lassies’ pitcher Gloria Cordes
Gloria Cordes
Gloria Cordes [Elliott] is a former starting pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
. With the bases loaded, Ziegler drove home one run with a sacrifice fly to put the score in favor of Grand Rapids, 3–2. Another sacrifice fly by Inez Voyce
Inez Voyce
Inez Ferne Voyce [Lefty] is a former first basewoman who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
and a RBI single by Joyce Ricketts
Joyce Ricketts
Joyce Ricketts [״Rick״] was a right fielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She batted left handed and threw right handed....
extended the lead to 5–2. When the Lassies first two batters reached base in the final inning, manager English brought Eleanor Moore to the rescue. She promptly retired the next three batters in order, striking out Isabel Alvarez
Isabel Álvarez
Isabel Álvarez [Lefty] is a former female pitcher and outfielder who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League between the and seasons...
, retiring Dorothy Schroeder
Dorothy Schroeder
Dorothy Schroeder [″Dottie″] was a shortstop who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 7", 150 lb., Schroeder batted and threw right-handed...
with a pop fly to shortstop Ziegler, and inducing June Peppas
June Peppas
June Peppas is a former first basewoman and pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 5", 145 lb., she batted and threw left-handed.-Early life:...
on a sharp grounder to the mound throwing to Voyce at first base for the final out of the game.
In Kalamazoo, with cold weather around 40 degrees and windy, both teams’ managers agreed to play the Game 2 in just seven innings. Risinger started for the Chicks and pitched one of the best games of her career. Grand Rapids gave her a one-run lead in the second inning, and wrapped up the scoring by producing three runs in the sixth, keyed by a two-run double off the bat of Ricketts. Risinger gave up a RBI single to Jean Lovell
Jean Lovell
Jean Lovell [″Grumpy″] was a female catcher and pitcher who played for three different teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League between the and seasons. Lovell batted and threw right-handed...
, and yielded only one extra-base hit, a solo home run by Doris Sams
Doris Sams
Doris Jane Sams [Sammye] is a former female outfielder and pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 9", 145 lbs., she batted and threw right handed....
during Kalamazoo's two-run rally in the sixth inning. In the bottom of the seventh, the Lassies tried to rally again. Fern Shollenberger
Fern Shollenberger
Fern Shollenberger [Shelly] was a third basewoman who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 4", 125 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.-Brief profile:...
opened with a single, but Risinger retired the next two batters. Nevertheless, she lost her control temporarily and issued back-to-back walks to Schroeder and Peppas. With the bases loaded, Woody English was on the verge of yanking Risinger, but he instead sent Ziegler to the pitching mound. Pulling off her glove, the 5' 3" Ziegler looked up at the tall Risinger. Okay, Beansie, can you get her out? she asked. Blowing on her hand to keep her fingers warm against the fast-chilling night, the pitcher replied, I don't know Ziggy. Snapping the brim of her cap in place, the diminutive Ziegler energetically ordered, Well do it! As a result, Risinger faced the dangerous Sams and struck out her on three straight fastballs. She fanned nine Lassies batters and walked four in completing her pitching gem.
Ziegler and the Chicks returned in 1954 for what turned out to be the league's final season. She raised her average to .200 (43-for-215) and scored 33 runs with 21 RBI in 86 games. For the fourth time she was selected at second base for the All-Star Team. The Chicks finished in third place (46-45) and advanced to the playoffs to face regular-season champ Fort Wayne (54-40). But a dispute erupted before the two teams had played the opening game at Grand Rapids ballpark. Due to an injury to Fort Wayne’s regular catcher, the league voted to allow the Daisies to add Rockford All-Star Ruth Richard
Ruth Richard
Ruth Richard [Richie] is a former female catcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 4", 134 lb., she batted left-handed and threw right-handed....
to the roster. The Chicks, claiming that using a new player was unfair, played the first game under protest, which won by a 8–7 score. Attempting to resolve the matter the next game in Fort Wayne, Chicks manager English and Daisies pilot Allington ended up fighting at home plate. After tempers calmed, the entire Fort Wayne team voted not to play, so the Chicks forfeited, allowing Fort Wayne to advance to the championship round. In the end, the Kalamazoo Lassies won the last AAGPBL Championship Series by defeating the Daisies three to two games.
First in Milwaukee, and later in Grand Rapids, the Chicks made the playoffs every year of their existence. Ziegler was the only player to be on the team during its eleven-year history.
Following her baseball career, Ziegler went back to California and worked as a court reporter
Court reporter
A court reporter, stenotype reporter, voice writing reporter, or transcriber is a person whose occupation is to transcribe spoken or recorded speech into written form, using machine shorthand or voice writing equipment to produce official transcripts of court hearings, depositions and other...
. Ziegler, who never married, had two nieces and two great-nieces. After retiring she became an avid golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er, was devoted to her family and her cats, and helped out the elderly as an active participant in the Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels are programs that deliver meals to individuals at home who are unable to purchase or prepare their own meals. The name is often used generically to refer to home-delivered meals programs, not all of which are actually named "Meals on Wheels"...
program.
Alma Ziegler was a long time resident of Los Osos, California
Los Osos, California
Los Osos is an unincorporated area and a census-designated place located along the Pacific coast of San Luis Obispo County, California. The community is part of the 93402 and 93412 ZIP Codes and area code 805. The population was 14,276 at the 2010 census....
, where she died at the age of 87.
Statistics
Batting| GP Games played Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,... | AB At bat In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance... | R Run (baseball) In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured... | H Hit (baseball) In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice.... | 2B Double (baseball) In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice.... | 3B Triple (baseball) In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice.... | HR Home run In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process... | RBI Run batted in Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI... | SB Stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate... | TB Total bases In baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i.e., the sum of his hits weighted by 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run.Only bases attained from hits count toward this total.... | BB Base on balls A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08... | SO Strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters.... | BA Batting average Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :... | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1154 | 3621 | 482 | 628 | 47 | 8 | 3 | 239 | 383 | 700 | 641 | 249 | .173 | .298 | .193 |
Pitching
| GP Games pitched In baseball statistics, games pitched is the number of games in which a player appears as a pitcher; a player who is announced as the pitcher must face at least one batter, although exceptions are made if the pitcher announced in the starting lineup is injured before facing a batter, perhaps while... | W | L | W-L% | ERA Earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine... | IP Innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two... | H Hit (baseball) In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice.... | RA Run (baseball) In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured... | ER Earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine... | BB Base on balls A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08... | SO Strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters.... | WHIP Walks plus hits per inning pitched In baseball statistics, walks plus hits per inning pitched is a sabermetric measurement of the number of baserunners a pitcher has allowed per inning pitched. It is a measure of a pitcher's ability to prevent batters from reaching base... | SO/BB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 126 | 60 | 34 | .638 | 1.94 | 839 | 677 | 250 | 181 | 203 | 250 | 1.05 | 1.23 |
Fielding
| GP Games played Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,... | PO | A Assist (baseball) In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional... | E Error (baseball) In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ... | TC Total chances In baseball statistics, total chances , also called chances offered, represents the number of plays in which a defensive player has participated. It is calculated as follows: Total Chances = assists + putouts + errors. Chances accepted refers to the total of putouts and assists only. Fielding... | DP Double play In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two".... | FA Fielding percentage In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 954 | 2731 | 1977 | 245 | 4953 | 306 | .927 |