Dolores Lee
Encyclopedia
Dolores Margaret Lee is a former female pitcher
who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
. Listed at 5' 6", 130 lb., she batted and threw right handed.
Dolores Lee pitched in the last three years of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She was gifted with a very strong pitching arm and also was a solid defender at second base. Her accomplishments included winning the Rookie of the Year Award and playing in the All-American touring team organized and piloted by Bill Allington
. A colorful and funny figure with her teammates and other players, Lee was commonly named Pickles — a substitute name she picked up back home because some men could not remember her name, as she recalled in an interview. In addition, she would amaze fanatics by pitching two balls
simultaneously to two different catcher
s.
, Lee grew up in the Garfield region of New Jersey, where she accustomed to play baseball
with her brothers and the other boys in the streets of her neighborhood. Like many youths of her generation, she also played stickball
and basketball
with the boys before playing competitively at age 12 for the Santora's Village Boys ballclub. She was discovered while still attending St. Dominic Academy in Jersey City. Though her school had no sports for girls, the local area provided a wide range of opportunities through the Catholic Youth Organization
leagues. Lee played from 1948 to 1952 for the St. Paul's basketball team, and also spent five years with the Garfield Flashettes, a team managed
by Slim Berger, father of AAGPBL player Joan Berger
. Manager Berger, who also scouted
for the AAGPBL, recommended Lee to the league's tryouts when she turned 16. She tried out, received a contract offer, but went back home to finish high school. Finally, Lee entered the league in 1952 after graduating from high school. She was allocated to the Racine Belles
, a team managed by the aforementioned Bill Allington.
What's My Line?
. The Peaches finished in third place with a 55-54 mark, being swept in two games by the Fort Wayne Daisies
during the first round of the playoffs.
In 1953 Lee posted career-numbers in wins
(12), percentage
(.545) and games pitched
(26), while Rockford, now with Johnny Rawlings
at the helm, ended in fourth place (51-55) and advanced to the playoffs. The Peaches lost in first round to the Grand Rapids Chicks
, two to one games.
Lee went 10-10 with a career-high 94 strikeout
s in 1954, during what turned out to be the league's final season. Rockford finished last in the five-team circuit with a 37-55 record. Despite the disappointing result, the Peaches were the most successful team in the AAGPBL during its twelve years history, winning their first championship title in 1945 and three consecutive titles from 1948 to 1950. The Peaches also were one of just two teams to be active in every season the league existed. The South Bend Blue Sox
were the other.
. The Allington All-Stars played 100 games between 1955 and 1958, each booked in a different town, against male teams, while traveling over 10,000 miles in the manager's station wagon
and a Ford Country Sedan
. The girls played exhibition games with men's teams but sometimes exchanged pitchers and catchers so that men batted against men and the girls against girls. Before each game, the girls put on a 20 to 30 minute minute exhibition. The baseball fanatics, even skeptics who were not were ready to admit that women could be athletes, were greatly impressed by the ball-handling skills displayed by the girls during infield practice.
Dolores Lee, who divided her playing time between pitching and third base
, startled the public with a stunning throwing demonstration. She would position two catchers at home plate
, one in each batter's box, and wind up and thrown two balls simultaneously, nearly always hurling perfect strikes
. On some occasions, Lee would stand at the plate and throw two balls toward second base, one to be caught by the second base defender and the other by the shortstop
.
While playing third base in a game in Minneapolis, I threw the ball to first base the way I pitched, right over the top... Just then, Eddie Stanky
came running out onto the field and shook my hand. He said, ‘I sure wish ... you were a guy, Lee explained. It happened in 1956, at Nicollet Park
, when Stanky managed the Minneapolis Millers
minor league
team.
But the girls were always coming up with new gimmicks. The speedy Joanne Weaver
raced a horse from left field to home plate on numerous occasions, just with only a modest head start. We were young, Lee said when asked about the life on the road. We did not know any better. We were having fun playing ball. We certainly were not doing it for the money, she added. The Allington All-Stars would frequently travel several hundreds miles between games and slept five of six girls to a motel room. By today's standards, it was a rough schedule. Besides this, they shared receipts after paying expenses and Pascale's and Allington's shares. For most games, the girls were paid $10 or less. Their most significant performance came on July 17 of 1957, when they played before 5,719 fans in a three-inning exhibition against the St. Paul Saints before a regular American Association
game at Midway Stadium
. Besides Lee and Weaver, the Allington All-Stars included players as Joan Berger
, Gloria Cordes
, Jeanie Descombes
, Gertrude Dunn
, Betty Foss
, Jean Geissinger
, Katie Horstman
, Maxine Kline
, Magdalen Redman
, Ruth Richard
, Dorothy Schroeder
and Jean Smith
, between others.
In 1995 Lee was inducted in the Hudson County Athletic Hall of Fame for her achievements in baseball. She also became part of the AAGPBL permanent display at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at Cooperstown, New York
, opened in , which is dedicated to the entire league rather than any individual player. She currently lives in Deming, New Mexico
.
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' 6", 130 lb., she batted and threw right handed.
Dolores Lee pitched in the last three years of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She was gifted with a very strong pitching arm and also was a solid defender at second base. Her accomplishments included winning the Rookie of the Year Award and playing in the All-American touring team organized and piloted 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....
. A colorful and funny figure with her teammates and other players, Lee was commonly named Pickles — a substitute name she picked up back home because some men could not remember her name, as she recalled in an interview. In addition, she would amaze fanatics by pitching two balls
Two-ball
Two-ball is a game often played by baseball teams, designed to improve quickness, hand–eye coordination, and sharpen focus. It can be played with any number of players. The basic idea is that everyone stands in a circle. Two baseballs are tossed between the players. Each player gets three outs....
simultaneously to two different catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
s.
Early life
A native of Jersey City, New JerseyJersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
, Lee grew up in the Garfield region of New Jersey, where she accustomed to play 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...
with her brothers and the other boys in the streets of her neighborhood. Like many youths of her generation, she also played stickball
Stickball
Stickball is a street game related to baseball, usually formed as a pick-up game, played in large cities in the Northeastern United States, especially New York City. The equipment consists of a broom handle and a rubber ball, typically a spaldeen, pensie pinkie, high bouncer or tennis ball. The...
and 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...
with the boys before playing competitively at age 12 for the Santora's Village Boys ballclub. She was discovered while still attending St. Dominic Academy in Jersey City. Though her school had no sports for girls, the local area provided a wide range of opportunities through the Catholic Youth Organization
Catholic Youth Organization
A Catholic Youth Organization is an organization for young Catholics. Usually each group uses the church for meeting and gathering, although some have their own premises. It was initiated by Bishop Bernard J...
leagues. Lee played from 1948 to 1952 for the St. Paul's basketball team, and also spent five years with the Garfield Flashettes, a team 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 Slim Berger, father of AAGPBL player Joan Berger
Joan Berger
Joan Berger [Knebl] is a former female infielder and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 4", 132 lb., Berger batted and threw right handed...
. Manager Berger, who also scouted
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...
for the AAGPBL, recommended Lee to the league's tryouts when she turned 16. She tried out, received a contract offer, but went back home to finish high school. Finally, Lee entered the league in 1952 after graduating from high school. She was allocated to the Racine Belles
Racine Belles
The Racine Belles were one of the original teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League playing from through out of Racine, Wisconsin. The team played its home games at Horlick Field.-History:...
, a team managed by the aforementioned Bill Allington.
AAGPBL career
Lee posted a 1-2 record in five games for Rockford in 1952 and was named Rookie of the Year. Because of that honor, she was invited to the television programTelevision program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
What's My Line?
What's My Line?
What's My Line? is a panel game show which originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, with several international versions and subsequent U.S. revivals. The game tasked celebrity panelists with questioning contestants in order to determine their occupations....
. The Peaches finished in third place with a 55-54 mark, being swept in two games by 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...
during the first round of the playoffs.
In 1953 Lee posted career-numbers in wins
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
(12), 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...
(.545) and games pitched
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...
(26), while Rockford, now with 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....
at the helm, ended in fourth place (51-55) and advanced to the playoffs. The Peaches lost in first round 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....
, two to one games.
Lee went 10-10 with a career-high 94 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 1954, during what turned out to be the league's final season. Rockford finished last in the five-team circuit with a 37-55 record. Despite the disappointing result, the Peaches were the most successful team in the AAGPBL during its twelve years history, winning their first championship title in 1945 and three consecutive titles from 1948 to 1950. The Peaches also were one of just two teams to be active in every season the league existed. The South Bend Blue Sox
South Bend Blue Sox
The South Bend Blue Sox were a women's professional baseball team who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
were the other.
Bill Allington All-Stars
Following her AAGPBL career, Lee joined several other players on Bill Allington's All-American team, a barnstorming remnant of the league. Allington formed the squad and worked with agent Matt Pascale of Omaha, NebraskaOmaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
. The Allington All-Stars played 100 games between 1955 and 1958, each booked in a different town, against male teams, while traveling over 10,000 miles in the manager's station wagon
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
and a Ford Country Sedan
Ford Country Sedan
The Ford Country Sedan was a full-size station wagon built by the Ford Motor Company from 1952 until 1974.It was based on the Ford full-size car line available in each year. The Country Sedan was the mid-trim station wagon in the Ford range. Unlike the Country Squire, the Country Sedan featured...
. The girls played exhibition games with men's teams but sometimes exchanged pitchers and catchers so that men batted against men and the girls against girls. Before each game, the girls put on a 20 to 30 minute minute exhibition. The baseball fanatics, even skeptics who were not were ready to admit that women could be athletes, were greatly impressed by the ball-handling skills displayed by the girls during infield practice.
Dolores Lee, who divided her playing time between pitching and third base
Third Base
is a 1978 Japanese film directed by Yōichi Higashi.-External links:...
, startled the public with a stunning throwing demonstration. She would position two catchers at home plate
Home Plate
Home Plate is the fifth album by Bonnie Raitt, released in 1975 .-Track listing:#"What Do You Want the Boy to Do?" – 3:19#"Good Enough" – 2:56#"Run Like a Thief" – 3:02...
, one in each batter's box, and wind up and thrown two balls simultaneously, nearly always hurling perfect strikes
Strike zone
In baseball, the strike zone is a conceptual right pentagonal prism over home plate which defines the boundaries through which a pitch must pass in order to count as a strike when the batter does not swing.-Definition:...
. On some occasions, Lee would stand at the plate and throw two balls toward second base, one to be caught by the second base defender and the other by the 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...
.
While playing third base in a game in Minneapolis, I threw the ball to first base the way I pitched, right over the top... Just then, Eddie Stanky
Eddie Stanky
Edward Raymond Stanky , nicknamed "The Brat", was an American second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball. He played for the Chicago Cubs , Brooklyn Dodgers , Boston Braves , New York Giants , and St. Louis Cardinals...
came running out onto the field and shook my hand. He said, ‘I sure wish ... you were a guy, Lee explained. It happened in 1956, at Nicollet Park
Nicollet Park
Nicollet Park is a former baseball ground located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The ground was home to the minor league Minneapolis Millers of the Western League and later American Association from 1896 to 1955. During its first season it was officially known as Wright Field name for...
, when Stanky managed the Minneapolis Millers
Minneapolis Millers
The Minneapolis Millers were an American professional minor league baseball team that played in Minneapolis, Minnesota, until 1960. In the 19th century a different Minneapolis Millers were part of the Western League.The team played first in Athletic Park and later Nicollet Park.The name Minneapolis...
minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
team.
But the girls were always coming up with new gimmicks. The speedy Joanne Weaver
Joanne Weaver
Joanne Weaver [″Joltin' Jo″] was a right fielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
raced a horse from left field to home plate on numerous occasions, just with only a modest head start. We were young, Lee said when asked about the life on the road. We did not know any better. We were having fun playing ball. We certainly were not doing it for the money, she added. The Allington All-Stars would frequently travel several hundreds miles between games and slept five of six girls to a motel room. By today's standards, it was a rough schedule. Besides this, they shared receipts after paying expenses and Pascale's and Allington's shares. For most games, the girls were paid $10 or less. Their most significant performance came on July 17 of 1957, when they played before 5,719 fans in a three-inning exhibition against the St. Paul Saints before a regular 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...
game at Midway Stadium
Midway Stadium
Midway Stadium is the name of two different minor league baseball parks in Saint Paul, Minnesota, one now demolished and the other still in active use. The name derives from the location of the stadium in St. Paul's Midway area, so named because it's roughly halfway between the downtowns of...
. Besides Lee and Weaver, the Allington All-Stars included players as Joan Berger
Joan Berger
Joan Berger [Knebl] is a former female infielder and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 4", 132 lb., Berger batted and threw right handed...
, Gloria Cordes
Gloria Cordes
Gloria Cordes [Elliott] is a former starting pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
, Jeanie Descombes
Jeanie Descombes
Jeneane Descombes Lesko is a former pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 5", 135 lb., she batted and threw left-handed...
, Gertrude Dunn
Gertrude Dunn
Gertrude Dunn was an American baseball player with the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, the league made famous by the 1992 movie A League Of Their Own. She played shortstop on two teams, the Battle Creek Belles and the South Bend Blue Sox, and was named "Rookie of the Year" in . ...
, Betty Foss
Betty Foss
Betty Foss [Fossey] was a infielder and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 10", 180 lb., she was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed. She started her career as Betty Weaver but changed her last name to Foss after marrying...
, Jean Geissinger
Jean Geissinger
Jean Louise Geissinger-Harding [″Dutch″] is a former infielder and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League for the Fort Wayne Daisies and Grand Rapids Chicks...
, Katie Horstman
Katie Horstman
Catherine Horstman [″Horsey″] is a former female utility who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
, Maxine Kline
Maxine Kline
Maxine Kline [Randall] is a former female starting pitcher who played from through with the Fort Wayne Daisies of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
, Magdalen Redman
Magdalen Redman
Magdalen Redman [״Mamie״] is a former catcher and utility infielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
, 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....
, 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...
and Jean Smith
Jean Smith (baseball)
Jean Marie Smith was an outfielder and relief pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 6", 128...
, between others.
Life after baseball
Following her baseball career, Lee became the first female police officer in New Jersey when she joined the Jersey City police department in 1958. She married fellow officer Johannes Dries Jr. in 1963. They had one son, Johannes Dries III, and divorced in 1971.In 1995 Lee was inducted in the Hudson County Athletic Hall of Fame for her achievements in baseball. She also became part of the AAGPBL 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...
, opened in , which is dedicated to the entire league rather than any individual player. She currently lives in Deming, New Mexico
Deming, New Mexico
Deming is a city in Luna County, New Mexico, United States, located 60 miles west of Las Cruces. The population was 14,116 at the 2000 census. Deming is the county seat and principal town of Luna County.-History:...
.
Pitching statistics
| 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... | 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.... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53 | 23 | 22 | .511 | 3.01 | 352 | 177 | 124 | 168 | 130 |