Dorothy Kamenshek
Encyclopedia
Dorothy "Dottie" Kamenshek (December 21, 1925 – May 17, 2010) was an All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
player. She batted and threw left-handed.
A native of Cincinnati, Ohio
, Kamenshek played outfield for a local softball
league, and at the age of 17 she was spotted by a scout from the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. After tryouts at Wrigley Field
in Chicago
, she joined the Rockford Peaches
as an outfield
er when the league began in 1943, but was soon playing first base. She and short stop Snooky Harrell
formed the league's best double-play combination.
Kamenshek played in the AAGPBL for 10 seasons, and was selected as an All-Star
all seven times the league established such a team. In 1946 she was the league's top batter with an average
of .316 (a single point ahead of Audrey Wagner
), and won the distinction again in 1947 with an average of .306. She struck out
only 81 times in 3,736 at-bat appearances.
Considered one of the best athletes of her time, southpaw Kamenshek was even recruited for men's baseball by a team from Fort Lauderdale, Florida
. She believed the team only wanted her for publicity
and turned down the offer. Former New York Yankee
Wally Pipp
was so impressed with her, that he stated she was the most accomplished player he had ever seen among men or women.
In the off‑seasons, Kamenshek studied physical education
and health education
at the University of Cincinnati
. In 1951 she was forced to reduce her playing due to back injuries, and after the 1952 season she retired permanently from the game with a career average of .292.
In 1958, Kamenshek received a degree
in physical therapy
from Marquette University
in Milwaukee. She returned to Ohio to serve as a physical therapist in Hamilton County
and later moved to Los Angeles to perform the same work at the Los Angeles Crippled Children's Services Department. In 1964, she was promoted to supervisor of physical and occupational therapy
for Los Angeles County Children's Services, and later to chief of therapy services, the position she held when she retired in 1980.
After her retirement, Kamenshek was honored by Los Angeles County with the Outstanding Management Award (1980). She is part of the AAGPBL permanent display at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at Cooperstown, New York
opened in 1988, which is dedicated to the entire league rather than any individual player.
The 1992 film A League of Their Own
introduced a new generation to the history of women's baseball. Geena Davis
played Dottie Hinson, the best ballplayer in the league, a character loosely based on Kamenshek.
In 1999, Sports Illustrated for Women
selected Kamenshek as the 100th greatest female athlete of the 20th century.
Kamenshek died on Monday, May 17, 2010 at the age of 84.
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:...
player. She batted and threw left-handed.
A native of Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, Kamenshek played outfield for a local 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...
league, and at the age of 17 she was spotted by a scout from the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. After tryouts at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
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...
, she joined 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....
as an outfield
Outfield
The outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...
er when the league began in 1943, but was soon playing first base. She and short stop Snooky 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...
formed the league's best double-play combination.
Kamenshek played in the AAGPBL for 10 seasons, and was selected as an All-Star
All-star
All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...
all seven times the league established such a team. In 1946 she was the league's top batter with an 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 :...
of .316 (a single point ahead of Audrey Wagner
Audrey Wagner
Genevieve Wagner [Audrey] was an outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 7", 145 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.-Brief profile:...
), and won the distinction again in 1947 with an average of .306. She struck out
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....
only 81 times in 3,736 at-bat appearances.
Considered one of the best athletes of her time, southpaw Kamenshek was even recruited for men's baseball by a team from Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
. She believed the team only wanted her for publicity
Publicity
Publicity is the deliberate attempt to manage the public's perception of a subject. The subjects of publicity include people , goods and services, organizations of all kinds, and works of art or entertainment.From a marketing perspective, publicity is one component of promotion which is one...
and turned down the offer. Former New York Yankee
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
Wally Pipp
Wally Pipp
Walter Clement Pipp was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball, now best remembered as the man who lost his starting role to Lou Gehrig at the beginning of Gehrig's streak of 2,130 consecutive games....
was so impressed with her, that he stated she was the most accomplished player he had ever seen among men or women.
In the off‑seasons, Kamenshek studied physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
and health education
Health education
Health education is the profession of educating people about health. Areas within this profession encompass environmental health, physical health, social health, emotional health, intellectual health, and spiritual health...
at the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
. In 1951 she was forced to reduce her playing due to back injuries, and after the 1952 season she retired permanently from the game with a career average of .292.
In 1958, Kamenshek received a degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
in physical therapy
Physical therapy
Physical therapy , often abbreviated PT, is a health care profession. Physical therapy is concerned with identifying and maximizing quality of life and movement potential within the spheres of promotion, prevention, diagnosis, treatment/intervention,and rehabilitation...
from Marquette University
Marquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
in Milwaukee. She returned to Ohio to serve as a physical therapist in Hamilton County
Hamilton County, Ohio
As of 2000, there were 845,303 people, 346,790 households, and 212,582 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,075 people per square mile . There were 373,393 housing units at an average density of 917 per square mile...
and later moved to Los Angeles to perform the same work at the Los Angeles Crippled Children's Services Department. In 1964, she was promoted to supervisor of physical and occupational therapy
Occupational therapy
Occupational therapy is a discipline that aims to promote health by enabling people to perform meaningful and purposeful activities. Occupational therapists work with individuals who suffer from a mentally, physically, developmentally, and/or emotionally disabling condition by utilizing treatments...
for Los Angeles County Children's Services, and later to chief of therapy services, the position she held when she retired in 1980.
After her retirement, Kamenshek was honored by Los Angeles County with the Outstanding Management Award (1980). She is 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 1988, which is dedicated to the entire league rather than any individual player.
The 1992 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...
introduced a new generation to the history of women's baseball. Geena Davis
Geena Davis
Virginia Elizabeth "Geena" Davis is an American actress, film producer, writer, former fashion model, and a women's Olympics archery team semi-finalist...
played Dottie Hinson, the best ballplayer in the league, a character loosely based on Kamenshek.
In 1999, Sports Illustrated for Women
Sports Illustrated for Women
Sports Illustrated Women and also known as SI Women, was a bimonthly sports magazine covering "the sports that women play and what they want to follow, from basketball to tennis, soccer to volleyball, field hockey to ice hockey and figure skating and more...
selected Kamenshek as the 100th greatest female athlete of the 20th century.
Kamenshek died on Monday, May 17, 2010 at the age of 84.
Sources
- A Whole New Ball Game: The Story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, by Sue Macy
- "Dorothy Kamenshek" Encyclopædia Britannica