Lucella MacLean
Encyclopedia
Lucella MacLean [Ross] is a former utility
who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
. She batted and threw right handed.
A native of Lloydminster
, MacLean was one of the fifty seven girls from Canada
who played in the AAGPBL during its 12 year history. She also was one of the sixty original players in the inaugural season of the league.
MacLean was the fourth of nine children born to Anna and John Angus MacLean. She graduated from Lloydminster High School in 1940. Interested in sports and athletically inclined from a young age, she began skating
at the age of four and was soon involved in field hockey
and softball
. Throughout school she won awards for her sporting excellence at basketball
and track and field
. Softball belonged to the town and city leagues, where MacLean played from 1935 to 1942. She started to play with the Lloydminster nationals' senior team, who won the Ester Trophy in Saskatoon
from 1937 to 1940. In that year, she joined the Saskatoon Pats and helped her team to the Provincial Hunking Trophy in 1941. When MacLean was not playing she worked as a telephone clerk until 1943.
The AAGPBL was introduced in the spring of 1943, featuring young women with both athletic ability and feminine appeal. Hundreds of girls were eager to play in the new league, and 280 were invited to final tryouts at Wrigley Field
in Chicago, Illinois. Of those, sixty were selected as the first women to play on the first four teams: the Kenosha Comets
, Racine Belles
, Rockford Peaches
and South Bend Blue Sox
. MacLean was located to the Blue Sox, playing for them two season as a backup for catcher
Bonnie Baker
. She also saw action at first base and right field, appearing in 101 games while hitting a .204 average
with 25 runs batted in. In addition, she started the first triple play
in AAGPBL history.
In 1945 MacLean returned to Canada to catch for the Army and Navy Pats of Edmonton
. She later spent seven years in the National Girls Baseball League, playing from 1946 to 1953 for the Admiral Music Maids, Chicago Chicks, Chicago Bluebirds, Parichy Bloomer Girls and Rockola Chicks.
MacLean stayed working in the United States until 1959 and then returned to Canada. She became married in 1951 to Jesse Moore. Widowed in 1957, she married to George Ross in 1960. In recognition of her athletic contribution, she was inducted into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame and is also in the Alberta Hall of Fame and the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. She also is part of Women in Baseball, a permanent display based at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York
. The exhibition was unveiled on November 5, , to honor the entire All-American Girls Professional Baseball League rather than individual baseball personalities.
Utility player
In sport, a utility player is one who can play several positions competently, a sort of jack of all trades. Sports in which the term is often used include association football , baseball, rugby, rugby league, water polo and softball....
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:...
. She batted and threw right handed.
A native of Lloydminster
Lloydminster
Lloydminster is a Canadian city which has the unusual geographic distinction of straddling the provincial border between Alberta and Saskatchewan...
, MacLean 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. She also was one of the sixty original players in the inaugural season of the league.
MacLean was the fourth of nine children born to Anna and John Angus MacLean. She graduated from Lloydminster High School in 1940. Interested in sports and athletically inclined from a young age, she began skating
Skating
Skating may refer to:*Freestyle slalom skating*Ice skating and various sub-forms:**Figure skating**Speed skating**Tour skating*Inline skating and sub-forms:**Aggressive inline skating**Inline speed skating*Road skating*Roller skating...
at the age of four and was soon involved in field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
and 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...
. Throughout school she won awards for her sporting excellence at 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...
and 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...
. Softball belonged to the town and city leagues, where MacLean played from 1935 to 1942. She started to play with the Lloydminster nationals' senior team, who won the Ester Trophy in Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
from 1937 to 1940. In that year, she joined the Saskatoon Pats and helped her team to the Provincial Hunking Trophy in 1941. When MacLean was not playing she worked as a telephone clerk until 1943.
The AAGPBL was introduced in the spring of 1943, featuring young women with both athletic ability and feminine appeal. Hundreds of girls were eager to play in the new league, and 280 were invited to final 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, Illinois. Of those, sixty were selected as the first women to play on the first four teams: the Kenosha Comets
Kenosha Comets
Based in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the Kenosha Comets were a women's professional baseball team that played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The team played their home games at Kenosha's Lake Front Stadium, but later moved to Simmons Field.The Kenosha Comets were one...
, 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:...
, 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....
and 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...
. MacLean was located to the Blue Sox, playing for them two season as a backup for 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...
Bonnie Baker
Bonnie Baker
Mary Geraldine Baker, née George was an all-star catcher in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1943 to 1952.-Career:...
. She also saw action at first base and right field, appearing in 101 games while hitting a .204 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 :...
with 25 runs batted in. In addition, she started the first triple play
Triple Play
A triple play is a baseball play in which three outs are made as a result of continuous action without any intervening errors between outs.Triple play may also refer to:...
in AAGPBL history.
In 1945 MacLean returned to Canada to catch for the Army and Navy Pats of Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
. She later spent seven years in the National Girls Baseball League, playing from 1946 to 1953 for the Admiral Music Maids, Chicago Chicks, Chicago Bluebirds, Parichy Bloomer Girls and Rockola Chicks.
MacLean stayed working in the United States until 1959 and then returned to Canada. She became married in 1951 to Jesse Moore. Widowed in 1957, she married to George Ross in 1960. In recognition of her athletic contribution, she was inducted into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame and is also in the Alberta Hall of Fame and the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. She also 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...
. The exhibition was unveiled on November 5, , to honor the entire All-American Girls Professional Baseball League rather than individual baseball personalities.