Ange Armato
Encyclopedia
Ange Lou Armato is a former infielder
who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
.
Born in Rockford, Illinois
, Ange Armato was the seventh girl out of eight children from a large Italian family. In high school, her teacher encouraged her to go to college to come a physical education teacher, but her career dream was to be an artist, so her parents sent her to art school. During that period of time, Armato went to her first baseball game and she was hooked. She then practiced with the Rockford Peaches
for three years and went to school in Chicago
. In the process, Armato was signed a contract and joined the Peaches in 1949, but due to an injury, she was unable to complete the season.
In 1953 Armato returned to the league and was assigned to the Kalamazoo Lassies
. She only had two hits in 26 at-bats for a .077 average, but was a sure-handed fielder at second base. Kalamazoo ended the season in third place with a 56-50 record and defeated the Fort Wayne Daisies
in the first round, two to one games, but lost to the Grand Rapids Chicks
in the final series in just two games.
Armato did not play for the league's final season and returned home, where she worked for Barber Colman Company and became a pioneer for women draftsmen and later a technical illustrator. Learning all she could she decided to move into the advertising world, working now for local advertising agencies as a commercial artist and later as production manager. She ended her career as advertising manager for Rockford Advertising Agency.
Since 1988 Armato is part of Women in Baseball, a permanent display based at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York
, which was unveiled to honor the entire All-American Girls Professional Baseball League rather than individual baseball personalities.
In 1991, Armato appeared briefly in the film A League of Their Own
as part of the AAGPBL veterans reunited in Cooperstown during the shooting of the film, playing at shortstop
for the blue team.
Ange Armato currently lives in Lehigh Acres, Florida
, where she enjoys traveling, golf, bowling and watching baseball and basketball.
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...
who played 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:...
.
Born in Rockford, Illinois
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
, Ange Armato was the seventh girl out of eight children from a large Italian family. In high school, her teacher encouraged her to go to college to come a physical education teacher, but her career dream was to be an artist, so her parents sent her to art school. During that period of time, Armato went to her first baseball game and she was hooked. She then practiced 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....
for three years and went to school in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. In the process, Armato was signed a contract and joined the Peaches in 1949, but due to an injury, she was unable to complete the season.
In 1953 Armato returned to the league and was assigned to 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...
. She only had two hits in 26 at-bats for a .077 average, but was a sure-handed fielder at second base. Kalamazoo ended the season in third place with a 56-50 record and defeated 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 first round, two to one games, but lost to 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 final series in just two games.
Armato did not play for the league's final season and returned home, where she worked for Barber Colman Company and became a pioneer for women draftsmen and later a technical illustrator. Learning all she could she decided to move into the advertising world, working now for local advertising agencies as a commercial artist and later as production manager. She ended her career as advertising manager for Rockford Advertising Agency.
Since 1988 Armato is part of Women in Baseball, a permanent display based at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 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 to honor the entire All-American Girls Professional Baseball League rather than individual baseball personalities.
In 1991, Armato appeared briefly in the film A League of Their Own
A League of Their Own
A League of Their Own is a 1992 American comedy-drama film that tells a fictionalized account of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League . Directed by Penny Marshall, the film stars Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Tom Hanks, Madonna, and Rosie O'Donnell...
as part of the AAGPBL veterans reunited in Cooperstown during the shooting of the film, playing at 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...
for the blue team.
Ange Armato currently lives in Lehigh Acres, Florida
Lehigh Acres, Florida
Lehigh Acres is a census-designated place in Lee County, Florida, United States. The US Census Bureau estimates the CDP's population at 67,867 as of 2006...
, where she enjoys traveling, golf, bowling and watching baseball and basketball.