Alva Jo Fischer
Encyclopedia
Alva Jo Fischer [Stevens] (August 26, 1926 – August 13, 1973) was a pitcher
and shortstop
who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
. Listed at 5' 9", 135 lb., she batted and threw right handed.
Fischer was born in San Antonio, Texas
, and played for the all-state team at first base in 1938. She entered the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in 1945 with the Rockford Peaches
, playing for them one year before joining the Muskegon Lassies
for the rest of her five-year career. Nicknamed ״Tex״ by her teammates, Fischer was used primarily as a pitcher, but later became a highly competent shortstop as well.
In her rookie season, Fischer posted a 4-7 record with a 3.77 earned run average
and 98 innings of work
in 16 pitching appearances. The Peaches, managed
by Bill Allington
, won the regular season title with a 67-43 mark. They increased their dominance during the postseason, when defeated the Grand Rapids Chicks
in the best-of-five first round, three to one games, and claimed the championship by winning the Fort Wayne Daisies
in the best-of-seven series, four to one games. In the final series, Fischer hurled three shutout
innings of relief
.
When Fischer joined the expansion Lassies in 1946, the team's manager Buzz Boyle
experimented with her at shortstop, where she was able to use her great throwing arm while sharing duties with Dorothy Stolze
. She also contributed with a 11-16 pitching record and a 2.77 ERA in 29 games.
Fischer became the everyday shortstop for Muskegon in 1947. While adapting to her new role, Fischer did not pitch during the season. She committed 58 errors
in 586 chances
for a poor .901 fielding average
, and batted only .202 in 112 games. Muskegon clinched the championship with two days remaining on the regular schedule and advanced to the postseason, only to be defeated in the best-of-five first round by Racine, three games to one.
In 1948 Fischer improved at shortstop, showing excellent range and lowering her error rate (36) compared to the previous year, raising her fielding average to .917. She also returned to pitch and went 9-7 with a 1.47 ERA in 21 appearances, while hitting .252 with 31 runs
and 36 runs batted in in 107 games. In addition, her ERA was the ninth best in the league. Muskegon was upset by Fort Wayne in the best-of-five first round, three to two games. Fischer was charged with one of the losses, after allowing one run and five hits in six innings of work.
Fischer enjoyed a career year in 1949, her last season, when she became the best shortstop in the league with a .972 average and only 23 errors in 481 fielding chances while turning in 48 double play
s. She batted only .198 in 109 games, but posted a 10-7 record with a 1.78 ERA and a career-high 86 strikeout
s in 25 games pitched, ending eight for the most strikeouts. Muskegon swept Kenosha in the first round, two to zero games, but lost the second round to Grand Rapids, three to zero games. Fischer shutout
Kenosha with a four-hit, 3–0 victory in Game 1 of the best-of-three series. She then labored through 13 innings to Grand Rapids in the next step, allowing twelve hits and four earned runs, but did not have a decision.
In a five-year career, Fischer posted a 34-37 record and a 2.40 ERA in 91 pitching appearances, while hitting a .223 average with 91 runs and 131 RBI in 345 games. As a fielder, she commited only 117 errors in 1,500 chances for a solid .922 average. In seven postseason games, she went 1-1 with a 1.20 ERA and hit .125 (6-for-48) in 13 games.
Fischer died of leukemia
in San Antonio, Texas, at the age of 47. Fifteen years after her death, she became part of Women in Baseball, a permanent display at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at Cooperstown, New York
, which was unveiled in 1988 to honor the entire All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The Alva Jo Fischer Softball Complex in San Antonio was named after her in 1975. The San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame added her in 1998, and the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame followed suit in 2006.
Batting
Fielding
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...
and 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...
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' 9", 135 lb., she batted and threw right handed.
Fischer was born in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, and played for the all-state team at first base in 1938. She entered the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in 1945 with the Rockford Peaches
Rockford Peaches
The Rockford Peaches were a team in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League playing out of Rockford, Illinois for the entire existence of the league from 1943 to 1954....
, playing for them one year before joining the Muskegon Lassies
Muskegon Lassies
The Muskegon Lassies were one of the expansion teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in , representing Muskegon, Michigan. The team played their home games at Marsh Field....
for the rest of her five-year career. Nicknamed ״Tex״ by her teammates, Fischer was used primarily as a pitcher, but later became a highly competent shortstop as well.
In her rookie season, Fischer posted a 4-7 record with a 3.77 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...
and 98 innings of work
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...
in 16 pitching appearances. The Peaches, managed
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...
by 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....
, won the regular season title with a 67-43 mark. They increased their dominance during the postseason, when defeated the Grand Rapids Chicks
Grand Rapids Chicks
The Grand Rapids Chicks were a women's professional baseball team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1945 to 1954, winning championships in 1947 and 1953....
in the best-of-five first round, three to one games, and claimed the championship by winning the 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 best-of-seven series, four to one games. In the final series, Fischer hurled three 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 of relief
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
.
When Fischer joined the expansion Lassies in 1946, the team's manager Buzz Boyle
Buzz Boyle
Ralph Francis Boyle , was an outfielder in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Boston Braves and Brooklyn Dodgers . Listed at 5' 11", 170 lb., Boyle batted and threw left handed...
experimented with her at shortstop, where she was able to use her great throwing arm while sharing duties with Dorothy Stolze
Dorothy Stolze
Dorothy Stolze [Dottie] was a second basewoman who played from through for four different teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
. She also contributed with a 11-16 pitching record and a 2.77 ERA in 29 games.
Fischer became the everyday shortstop for Muskegon in 1947. While adapting to her new role, Fischer did not pitch during the season. She committed 58 errors
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 ...
in 586 chances
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...
for a poor .901 fielding average
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...
, and batted only .202 in 112 games. Muskegon clinched the championship with two days remaining on the regular schedule and advanced to the postseason, only to be defeated in the best-of-five first round by Racine, three games to one.
In 1948 Fischer improved at shortstop, showing excellent range and lowering her error rate (36) compared to the previous year, raising her fielding average to .917. She also returned to pitch and went 9-7 with a 1.47 ERA in 21 appearances, while hitting .252 with 31 runs
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...
and 36 runs batted in in 107 games. In addition, her ERA was the ninth best in the league. Muskegon was upset by Fort Wayne in the best-of-five first round, three to two games. Fischer was charged with one of the losses, after allowing one run and five hits in six innings of work.
Fischer enjoyed a career year in 1949, her last season, when she became the best shortstop in the league with a .972 average and only 23 errors in 481 fielding chances while turning in 48 double play
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"....
s. She batted only .198 in 109 games, but posted a 10-7 record with a 1.78 ERA and a career-high 86 strikeout
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....
s in 25 games pitched, ending eight for the most strikeouts. Muskegon swept Kenosha in the first round, two to zero games, but lost the second round to Grand Rapids, three to zero games. Fischer 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....
Kenosha with a four-hit, 3–0 victory in Game 1 of the best-of-three series. She then labored through 13 innings to Grand Rapids in the next step, allowing twelve hits and four earned runs, but did not have a decision.
In a five-year career, Fischer posted a 34-37 record and a 2.40 ERA in 91 pitching appearances, while hitting a .223 average with 91 runs and 131 RBI in 345 games. As a fielder, she commited only 117 errors in 1,500 chances for a solid .922 average. In seven postseason games, she went 1-1 with a 1.20 ERA and hit .125 (6-for-48) in 13 games.
Fischer died of leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
in San Antonio, Texas, at the age of 47. Fifteen years after her death, she became part of Women in Baseball, a permanent display at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at Cooperstown, New York
Cooperstown, New York
Cooperstown is a village in Otsego County, New York, USA. It is located in the Town of Otsego. The population was estimated to be 1,852 at the 2010 census.The Village of Cooperstown is the county seat of Otsego County, New York...
, which was unveiled in 1988 to honor the entire All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The Alva Jo Fischer Softball Complex in San Antonio was named after her in 1975. The San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame added her in 1998, and the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame followed suit in 2006.
Career statistics
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... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91 | 34 | 37 | .479 | 2.40 | 608 | 419 | 239 | 162 | 296 | 228 | 1.18 |
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... | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 345 | 1131 | 80 | 244 | 19 | 5 | 0 | 120 | 64 | 96 | 82 | .216 | .277 | .241 |
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... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 292 | 569 | 814 | 117 | 1500 | 48 | .922 |