Josephine Hasham [״Jo״] is a former 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...

 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:...

. Hasham batted right handed and threw left handed.

A native of Waltham, Massachusetts

Waltham, Massachusetts

Waltham is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, was an early center for the labor movement, and major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, the city was a prototype for 19th century industrial city planning,...

, Jo Hasham spent seven years in the AAGPBL, pitching in 179 games while collecting a 3.15 career 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...

. She never once played for a pennant-winning team, which is one reason for her losing record of 58-88. Eventually, she played at 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...

 and was used in pinch-hitting duties to take advantage of her sturdy bat.

Hasham debuted in 1948, but did not win a game while dividing her playing time between 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....

 and 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....

. She posted a solid 2.14 ERA in 63 innings pitched

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...

, though she finished with a 0-6 record in ten games.

Hassam joined 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 1949, when she enjoyed her best career season. She earned the respect of Blue Sox manager

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...

 Dave Bancroft

Dave Bancroft

David James "Beauty" Bancroft was an American baseball player who played Major League Baseball from 1915 to 1930. He is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame....

, who included her in a pitching staff headed by 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....

, Ruth Williams

Ruth Williams

Ruth Williams [Heverly] was a pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 4", 139 lb., she batted and threw right handed....

, Lillian Faralla

Lillian Faralla

Lillian Faralla [Lil] is a former female pitcher and utility who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She batted and threw right-handed.-A brief history:...

 and Louise Arnold

Louise Arnold (baseball)

Louise Veronica Arnold [Lou] was a female pitcher who played during four seasons for the South Bend Blue Sox of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 5", 145 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was a circuit...

. Hassam collected a 12-8 record and a 2.02 ERA in 23 decisions, probably inspired by her pitching teammates and a strong offensive support from Elizabeth Mahon

Elizabeth Mahon

Elizabeth B. Mahon [″Lib″] was a female outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 7", 135 lb., Mahon batted and threw right-handed. She was born in Greenville, South Carolina.-Early life:Lib Mahon was one of six children of David...

, Betty Whiting

Betty Whiting

Elizabeth Jane Whiting was a utility who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5'6", 147 lb., Whiting batted and threw right handed...

, Senaida Wirth

Senaida Wirth

Senaida Wirth [Shoo-Shoo] was a shortstop who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 0", 114 lb., Wirth batted and threw right-handed. She was born in Tampa, Florida....

, Betty Wagoner

Betty Wagoner

Betty Ann Wagoner was a right fielder and pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...

 and Rita Briggs

Rita Briggs

Rita Briggs [Maud] was a female catcher who played from through for seven different teams in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 3", 120 lb., Briggs batted left-handed and threw right-handed...

. South Bend tied 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 first place with a record of 75-36. Both teams played later a best-of-seven-series, which Rockford Swept.

But Hasham experimented a nightmare career after she came back to Peoria. In 1950 she went 8-19 with a 3.38 ERA while leading the league in losses. She improved in 1951, after going 13-15 with a 3.10 ERA. She pitched much better for the helpless Battle Creek Belles

Battle Creek Belles

The Battle Creek Belles were a women's professional baseball team that played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...

 in 1952, leading her team with a 12-14 mark and a 2.51 ERA, while ranking third in the league for the most innings pitched (222) behind 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:...

' Rose Gacioch

Rose Gacioch

Rose M. Gacioch [gay'-sotch] was a right fielder and pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 6", 160 lb., Gacioch batted and threw right-handed...

 (259) and 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...

' 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...

 (238). She also contributed as a hitter, going 35-for-158 for a .222 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 81 games, driving in

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...

 21 runs and scoring

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...

 six times. Meanwhile, the Belles finished last with a 43-67 record, 24 games behind first place Fort Wayne.

In 1953, Hasham had a 8-19 record with a .371 ERA for the last-place Muskegon Belles

Muskegon Belles

The Muskegon Belles were a women's professional baseball team that played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the season....

, who ended with a 39-70 mark, 39½ games out of contention. For the second time she led the league in losses, but helped herself with the bat by hitting a .241 average (27-for-62) with one 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 13 RBI in 62 games.

Hasham was used sparingly by 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 1954, during what turned out to be the AAGPBL final season. She played mainly as an outfielder, even though she often pitched in 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 needed. As a hitter, she posted a .349 average (15-for-43) with three homers and nine RBI in 37 games, and also had a 5-7 record with a 7.05 ERA while pitching in 20 games.

Jo Hasham, along with her former teammates and opponents, received their long overdue recognition when the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum dedicated a permanent display to the All American Girls Professional Baseball League in 1988. After retiring, she moved to Miami, Florida

Miami, Florida

Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...

.

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....
179	58	88	.397	3.15	1164	1126	575	407	440	270

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
331	629	29	133	12	0	4	67	3	51	42	.214	.271	.250

Fielding

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...	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...
82	357	28	467	.940

Sources