Dorothy Ferguson
Encyclopedia
Dorothy B. Ferguson Key [Dottie] (February 17, 1923 - May 8, 2003) was an infielder
and outfielder
who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
. Listed at 5' 6", 125 lb., she batted and threw right handed.
, Ferguson was one of the fifty seven girls from Canada
who played in the AAGPBL during its 12 year history. Athletically inclined from a young age, she began skating
and was soon involved in softball
. In 1939 she was named the North American women's speed skating
champion. Only the coming of World War II
prevented her from competing for Canada in the Olympics. Due to the conflict, the Games of 1940 to be held in Tokyo
temporarily relocated to Helsinki
, upon the outbreak of war were canceled.
, playing for them 10 years until the league folded in 1954. A proven performer, speedy Ferguson averaged over 46 stolen base
s per season and collected a personal-best 91 steals in 1951. Though mainly a singles
hitter, she was a productive force at the plate
, connecting 645 hits
while walking
455 times in 3216 at-bats. A versatile infielder who played mainly at second base and third
, she gained respect amongst fellow players after switching to center field.
The Rockford Peaches were the most successful team in the history of the AAGPBL, winning the title in their inaugural season (1945) and three in a row at one point (1951–1953). Ferguson was used sparingly in her rookie year, mostly at third base, batting only a .131 average
in the regular season and 0-for-3 in the playoffs. She started 1946 with the Peoria Redwings
but rejoined the Peaches in the midseason, hitting a combined .183 with a .307 on-base percentage in 80 games. Rockford defeated the Fort Wayne Daisies
in the final series, four to one games, but she did not play in the series. In 1947 she became the spark plug of the team, stealing 71 bases to tie with Faye Dancer
for fifth in the league, while batting .153 with a .283 OBP. Rockford ended sixth in the eight-team league, out of contention.
In 1948, Ferguson became the regular center fielder for the Peaches. She stole 73 bases, scored 73 runs
, and drew 76 walks while hitting just .153, but she ended eight in stolen bases and fifth in runs. In the semi-finals, the Peaches swept the South Bend Blue Sox
in three games. Ferguson swipe seven bases and went 9-for-40 in the postseason, going 3-for-3 with two runs batted in in Game 2, as Rockford defeated Fort Wayne, four to one games, to clinch the AAGPBL title. Other contributions came from star pitcher
Helen Nicol
(2-0) and shortstop
Dorothy Harrell
(7-for-17, .412, three RBI).
In 1949 Ferguson married Donald Key, a member of Canada's Olympic track and field
team, and then played under the name of Dottie Key. She hit .179 with a .299 OBP and 56 steals in the regular season. Rockford disposed of the Grand Rapids Chicks
in the first round, three to one games, and swept South Bend in the best-of-seven series. She drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 4 against the Blue Sox, and the Peaches captured the third championship in franchise history. Outfielder Eleanor Callow
batted .375 in the final series (6-for-16).
Dottie raised her average to .234 in 1950, including a .314 OBP, while hitting 10-for-35 (.286) with seven runs in seven games against Fort Wayne, to help Rockford win a third consecutive title and fourth overall. Some bright spots for the Peaches included pitcher Nicol, who collected three victories, and first sacker Dorothy Kamenshek
, who hit .440 (11-for-25) with nine runs and three RBI.
In 1951 Dottie hit .216, stole 91 bases and scored 91 times. She also belted her first career home run
, and finished second to South Bend's Charlene Pryer
in runs (106) and stolen bases (128). In the postseason, she went 3-for-20 (.150). Rockford beat Grand Rapids (2-0) in the first round but lost to South Bend (3-2) in the finals. South Bend came away a surprise winner to clinch the club's first AAGPBL title in the league, by combining deep pitching with an opportune hitting. Jean Faut
won two games, including decisive Game 5.
Dottie raised her average to .243 in 1952, but dropped to 46 steals and 54 runs scored. She still finished fifth in the league in stolen bases and hit .310 (9-for-29) with four steals in the postseason. For the second year in a row, Rockford advanced to the finals after defeating Fort Wayne (2-1) in the first round, only to be beaten again by Faut and the Blue Sox in the best-of-five series. As in the previous season, Faut was the winning pitcher in the decisive Game 5, hitting two triples
and driving in two runs while turning in a 6–3 complete game performance.
In 1953, Dottie hit .208 in the regular season and .364 (4-for-11) in the playoffs, while Rockford was beaten by Grand Rapids in the first round (2-1). In 1954, she hit a career-high .253 average but swipe only 14 bases. The Peaches finished last out of six teams, during what turned out to be the AAGPBL final season.
She played for managers
Bill Allington
(1945-'46), 1948-'52), Eddie Ainsmith
(1947) and Johnny Rawlings
(1953-'54). A .201 career hitter, she scored 520 runs and stole 461 bases in 950 games. In addition, she holds the AAGPBL all-time record for the most hits (46) during the postseason.
, which is dedicated to the entire league rather than any individual player. She also gained inductions into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (1998), the Manitoba Softball Hall of Fame (1998) and the National Women's Baseball Hall of Fame (2003), and was honored with the YWCA Janet Lynn Sports Award (1993). Her road uniform with the No. 12 is part of the Women in Baseball exhibit in Cooperstown. She was a long time resident of Rockford, Illinois
, where she died from cancer
at the age of 80.
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 outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
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", 125 lb., she batted and threw right handed.
Early life
A native of Virden, ManitobaVirden, Manitoba
Virden, Manitoba is a town in southwestern Manitoba. Oil was first discovered in 1951, and Virden has since come to be known as the "Oil Capital of Manitoba"....
, Ferguson was one of the fifty seven girls from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
who played in the AAGPBL during its 12 year history. Athletically inclined from a young age, she began skating
Roller skating
Roller skating is the traveling on smooth surfaces with roller skates. It is a form of recreation as well as a sport, and can also be a form of transportation. Skates generally come in two basic varieties: quad roller skates and inline skates or blades, though some have experimented with a...
and was soon involved in 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...
. In 1939 she was named the North American women's speed skating
Speed skating
Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
champion. Only the coming of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
prevented her from competing for Canada in the Olympics. Due to the conflict, the Games of 1940 to be held in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
temporarily relocated to Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, upon the outbreak of war were canceled.
Professional career
Ferguson entered the AAGPBL in 1945 with the Rockford PeachesRockford 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 10 years until the league folded in 1954. A proven performer, speedy Ferguson averaged over 46 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 per season and collected a personal-best 91 steals in 1951. Though mainly a singles
Single (baseball)
In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
hitter, she was a productive force at the 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...
, connecting 645 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....
while walking
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...
455 times in 3216 at-bats. A versatile infielder who played mainly at second base and third
Third Base
is a 1978 Japanese film directed by Yōichi Higashi.-External links:...
, she gained respect amongst fellow players after switching to center field.
The Rockford Peaches were the most successful team in the history of the AAGPBL, winning the title in their inaugural season (1945) and three in a row at one point (1951–1953). Ferguson was used sparingly in her rookie year, mostly at third base, batting only a .131 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 :...
in the regular season and 0-for-3 in the playoffs. She started 1946 with the Peoria Redwings
Peoria Redwings
The Peoria Redwings were a women's professional baseball team who joined the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in the season. The team represented Peoria, Illinois....
but rejoined the Peaches in the midseason, hitting a combined .183 with a .307 on-base percentage in 80 games. Rockford 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 final series, four to one games, but she did not play in the series. In 1947 she became the spark plug of the team, stealing 71 bases to tie with 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...
for fifth in the league, while batting .153 with a .283 OBP. Rockford ended sixth in the eight-team league, out of contention.
In 1948, Ferguson became the regular center fielder for the Peaches. She stole 73 bases, scored 73 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 drew 76 walks while hitting just .153, but she ended eight in stolen bases and fifth in runs. In the semi-finals, the Peaches swept 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...
in three games. Ferguson swipe seven bases and went 9-for-40 in the postseason, going 3-for-3 with two runs batted in in Game 2, as Rockford defeated Fort Wayne, four to one games, to clinch the AAGPBL title. Other contributions came from star 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...
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...
(2-0) 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...
Dorothy Harrell
Dorothy Harrell
Dorothy Harrell was a shortstop who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5 4", 127 lb., Harrell batted and threw right-handed...
(7-for-17, .412, three RBI).
In 1949 Ferguson married Donald Key, a member of Canada's Olympic track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
team, and then played under the name of Dottie Key. She hit .179 with a .299 OBP and 56 steals in the regular season. Rockford disposed of 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 first round, three to one games, and swept South Bend in the best-of-seven series. She drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 4 against the Blue Sox, and the Peaches captured the third championship in franchise history. Outfielder Eleanor Callow
Eleanor Callow
Eleanor Callow Squirt is a former Canadian female left fielder who played from through for three different teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Callow was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed...
batted .375 in the final series (6-for-16).
Dottie raised her average to .234 in 1950, including a .314 OBP, while hitting 10-for-35 (.286) with seven runs in seven games against Fort Wayne, to help Rockford win a third consecutive title and fourth overall. Some bright spots for the Peaches included pitcher Nicol, who collected three victories, and first sacker Dorothy Kamenshek
Dorothy Kamenshek
Dorothy "Dottie" Kamenshek was an All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player. She batted and threw left-handed....
, who hit .440 (11-for-25) with nine runs and three RBI.
In 1951 Dottie hit .216, stole 91 bases and scored 91 times. She also belted her first career 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...
, and finished second to South Bend's Charlene Pryer
Charlene Pryer
Charlene Barbara Pryer [Mayer] was a female utility in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, playing mainly at second base and center field from through . Listed at 5' 1", 105 lb., Pryer batted and threw right-handed...
in runs (106) and stolen bases (128). In the postseason, she went 3-for-20 (.150). Rockford beat Grand Rapids (2-0) in the first round but lost to South Bend (3-2) in the finals. South Bend came away a surprise winner to clinch the club's first AAGPBL title in the league, by combining deep pitching with an opportune hitting. 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....
won two games, including decisive Game 5.
Dottie raised her average to .243 in 1952, but dropped to 46 steals and 54 runs scored. She still finished fifth in the league in stolen bases and hit .310 (9-for-29) with four steals in the postseason. For the second year in a row, Rockford advanced to the finals after defeating Fort Wayne (2-1) in the first round, only to be beaten again by Faut and the Blue Sox in the best-of-five series. As in the previous season, Faut was the winning pitcher in the decisive Game 5, hitting two triples
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....
and driving in two runs while turning in a 6–3 complete game performance.
In 1953, Dottie hit .208 in the regular season and .364 (4-for-11) in the playoffs, while Rockford was beaten by Grand Rapids in the first round (2-1). In 1954, she hit a career-high .253 average but swipe only 14 bases. The Peaches finished last out of six teams, during what turned out to be the AAGPBL final season.
She played for managers
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...
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....
(1945-'46), 1948-'52), Eddie Ainsmith
Eddie Ainsmith
Edward Wilbur Ainsmith , nicknamed "Dorf," was a catcher in Major League Baseball. He played fifteen seasons with the Washington Senators , Detroit Tigers , St. Louis Cardinals , Brooklyn Robins , and New York Giants . Born in Concord, MA, he batted and threw right-handed...
(1947) and 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....
(1953-'54). A .201 career hitter, she scored 520 runs and stole 461 bases in 950 games. In addition, she holds the AAGPBL all-time record for the most hits (46) during the postseason.
Honors and awards
Since 1988, Dottie Ferguson Key and the other girls that represented Canada in the AAGPBL form part of the permanent display at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at Cooperstown, New YorkCooperstown, 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 is dedicated to the entire league rather than any individual player. She also gained inductions into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (1998), the Manitoba Softball Hall of Fame (1998) and the National Women's Baseball Hall of Fame (2003), and was honored with the YWCA Janet Lynn Sports Award (1993). Her road uniform with the No. 12 is part of the Women in Baseball exhibit in Cooperstown. She was a long time resident of 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...
, where she died from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
at the age of 80.