Margaret Danhauser
Encyclopedia
Margaret L. Danhauser [Marnie] (June 9, 1921 - January 6, 1987) was a first basewoman who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
. She batted and threw right-handed.
, Danhauser became the first hometown girl to join the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Basically a line-drive hitter, she was an accomplished defender at first base during eight seasons and a member of two Championship teams.
The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was a circuit that began to operate in 1943 in cities located on or near Lake Michigan
. The main promoter was Philip K. Wrigley
, owner of the Chicago Cubs
, who worried about the viability of Major League Baseball
players during World War II
decided to establish an alternate attraction. The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was a circuit that began to operate in 1943 in cities located on or near Lake Michigan
. Play in 1943 was a weird hybrid of softball
and baseball
, and the circuit was initially called the All-American Girls Softball League, though early in the first season the name was changed to All American Girl's Baseball League. The new league started with four teams, the Kenosha Comets
, Racine Belles
, Rockford Peaches
and South Bend Blue Sox
. Danhauser was invited to a tryout at Wrigley Field
in Chicago
, and immediately was assigned to the Belles.
In addition to baseball and softball, Danhauser had played basketball
, bowling
and golf
as a youth near Racine. She attended St. Joseph School and St. Catherine High School, and played with the local Pugh Coal girls softball team for three years, winning the Wisconsin State Championship in 1936 and 1937. She also worked for Western Printing and Lithographing as a book binder before joining the AAGPBL in its inaugural season.
In 1943 the Belles won both the first half of the season and AAGPBL championship. In the best-of-five Series, Racine defeated the Kenosha Comets, winners of the second half, 3 games to 0. The attack was led by slugging right fielder
Eleanor Dapkus
, who hit a league-lead 10 home run
s, while Sophie Kurys
, well known for her stunning speed, stole
44 bases and scored 60 runs. The pitching staff was led by Mary Nesbitt
(26-11) and Joanne Winter
(11-11), while Danhauser, Maddy English
, Edythe Perlick
and Claire Schillace
could be counted on for their bats and solid defense.
In 1946, Winter earned 33 victories for only nine losses while pitching 17 shutout
s with 183 strikeout
s in 46 appearances. The Belles finished first place with a league-best 74-38 record, won the semifinal round of playoffs by defeating the South Bend Blue Sox in four games, and clinched the AAGPBL crown by defeating the 1945 champions, the Rockford Peaches, four games to two. Throughout the playoffs, Kurys led all players in average
, stolen bases and runs. On the other hand, Winter collected four wins in the playoffs, including a 14-inning, 1–0 shutout victory over the Peaches in decisive Game Six. The winning run was scored by Kurys on an RBI-single by Betty Trezza
, while Danhauser handled 22 chances
flawlessly. During the season, the Belles again showed a great defense, notably by Danhauser at first, Kurys at second, English at third and Trezza at shortstop, while Irene Hickson
caught
and Perlick (LF), Schillace (CF) and Dapkus (RF) patrolled the outfield
. And moreover, fielding ability and speed on the bases were immensely more crucial and challenging in a dominant pitching league.
In 1947 Racine defeated the Muskegon Lassies
in the playoffs, three games to one, but lost to the Grand Rapids Chicks
in the final Series four games to three. In the 1948 season the team lost the semifinal playoff to the Rockford Peaches, the eventually Championship Team.
But after eight successful seasons the Belles lacked the financial resources to keep the club playing in Racine and decided to move to Battle Creek, Michigan
for the 1951 season. Then Danhauser, along with Dapkus, English, Hickson, Kurys, Perlick, Schillace and Winter, founding team members, were disappointment with the new location and would not make the move. During eight years, the eight girls were a close-knit unit, always like a family away from home, as they thought that all would be different.
Danhauser was a .144 hitter in 728 games. At first base, she committed only 179 errors
in 7794 chances for an outstanding .982 fielding average.
Following her playing retirement, Danhauser returned to her home town of Kenosha and married, changing her name to Margaret Danhauser Brown. She died at the age of 65.
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.
Career
A native of Racine, WisconsinRacine, Wisconsin
Racine is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city had a population of 82,196...
, Danhauser became the first hometown girl to join the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Basically a line-drive hitter, she was an accomplished defender at first base during eight seasons and a member of two Championship teams.
The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was a circuit that began to operate in 1943 in cities located on or near Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
. The main promoter was Philip K. Wrigley
Philip K. Wrigley
Philip Knight Wrigley , sometimes also called P.K. or Phil. Born in Chicago, he was an American chewing gum manufacturer and executive in Major League Baseball, inheriting both those roles as the quiet son of his much more flamboyant father, William Wrigley Jr. After his father died in 1932, Philip...
, owner of the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, who worried about the viability of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
players during 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...
decided to establish an alternate attraction. The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was a circuit that began to operate in 1943 in cities located on or near Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
. Play in 1943 was a weird hybrid of 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...
and 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...
, and the circuit was initially called the All-American Girls Softball League, though early in the first season the name was changed to All American Girl's Baseball League. The new league started with 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...
. Danhauser was invited to a tryout 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...
, and immediately was assigned to the Belles.
In addition to baseball and softball, Danhauser had played 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...
, bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
and golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
as a youth near Racine. She attended St. Joseph School and St. Catherine High School, and played with the local Pugh Coal girls softball team for three years, winning the Wisconsin State Championship in 1936 and 1937. She also worked for Western Printing and Lithographing as a book binder before joining the AAGPBL in its inaugural season.
In 1943 the Belles won both the first half of the season and AAGPBL championship. In the best-of-five Series, Racine defeated the Kenosha Comets, winners of the second half, 3 games to 0. The attack was led by slugging right fielder
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
Eleanor Dapkus
Eleanor Dapkus
Eleanor Dapkus [Wolf] was a center fielder and pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 6", 160 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.-Women in baseball:...
, who hit a league-lead 10 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...
s, while Sophie Kurys
Sophie Kurys
Sophie Kurys is a former second basewoman who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 5", 115 lb., Kurys batted and threw right-handed.-Career:...
, well known for her stunning speed, stole
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...
44 bases and scored 60 runs. The pitching staff was led by Mary Nesbitt
Mary Nesbitt Wisham
Mary Nesbitt [Choo-Choo] is a former pitcher and first basewoman who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 8", 155 lb., Nesbitt batted and threw left handed. She was born Marie Crews Nesbitt in Greenville, South Carolina...
(26-11) and Joanne Winter
Joanne Winter
Joanne Emily Winter [Jo] was a pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 8", 138 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.-Overview profile:...
(11-11), while Danhauser, Maddy English
Maddy English
Madeline Catherine English [Maddy] was a third basewoman who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 4", 130 lb., English batted and threw right-handed...
, Edythe Perlick
Edythe Perlick
Edythe Perlick [Edie] was a left fielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 3", 128 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.-Overview profile:...
and Claire Schillace
Claire Schillace
Claire Joan Schillace was a center fielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
could be counted on for their bats and solid defense.
In 1946, Winter earned 33 victories for only nine losses while pitching 17 shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
s with 183 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 46 appearances. The Belles finished first place with a league-best 74-38 record, won the semifinal round of playoffs by defeating the South Bend Blue Sox in four games, and clinched the AAGPBL crown by defeating the 1945 champions, the Rockford Peaches, four games to two. Throughout the playoffs, Kurys led all players in 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 :...
, stolen bases and runs. On the other hand, Winter collected four wins in the playoffs, including a 14-inning, 1–0 shutout victory over the Peaches in decisive Game Six. The winning run was scored by Kurys on an RBI-single by Betty Trezza
Betty Trezza
Betty Trezza [″Moe″] was an American professional baseball player. An infield and outfield utility, she played from through for four different teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League....
, while Danhauser handled 22 chances
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...
flawlessly. During the season, the Belles again showed a great defense, notably by Danhauser at first, Kurys at second, English at third and Trezza at shortstop, while Irene Hickson
Irene Hickson
Irene Hickson was a catcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 2", 116 lb., she batted and threw right-handed....
caught
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...
and Perlick (LF), Schillace (CF) and Dapkus (RF) patrolled the 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 moreover, fielding ability and speed on the bases were immensely more crucial and challenging in a dominant pitching league.
In 1947 Racine defeated 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....
in the playoffs, three games to one, but lost 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....
in the final Series four games to three. In the 1948 season the team lost the semifinal playoff to the Rockford Peaches, the eventually Championship Team.
But after eight successful seasons the Belles lacked the financial resources to keep the club playing in Racine and decided to move to Battle Creek, Michigan
Battle Creek, Michigan
Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek Rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Calhoun county...
for the 1951 season. Then Danhauser, along with Dapkus, English, Hickson, Kurys, Perlick, Schillace and Winter, founding team members, were disappointment with the new location and would not make the move. During eight years, the eight girls were a close-knit unit, always like a family away from home, as they thought that all would be different.
Danhauser was a .144 hitter in 728 games. At first base, she committed only 179 errors
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 ...
in 7794 chances for an outstanding .982 fielding average.
Following her playing retirement, Danhauser returned to her home town of Kenosha and married, changing her name to Margaret Danhauser Brown. She died at the age of 65.
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 :... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 728 | 2257 | 167 | 325 | 16 | 10 | 3 | 176 | 94 | 166 | 189 | .144 |
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... | DP Double play In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two".... | 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... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7409 | 243 | 142 | 7794 | 179 | .982 |
Facts
- The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League folded in 1954, but there is now a permanent display at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at Cooperstown, New YorkCooperstown, New YorkCooperstown 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...
since November 5, that honors those who were part of this unique experience. - A League of Their OwnA League of Their OwnA 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...
is a 1992 film about the first season of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, won by the Racine Belles. While the film does not use real names, filmmaker Penny MarshallPenny MarshallPenny Marshall is an American actress, producer and director.After playing several small roles for television, she was cast as Laverne DeFazio in the sitcom Laverne and Shirley...
seemed to be aiming for realism, as her film includes fake newsreel footage and pseudo-documentary present day scenes at the beginning and end of the fictitiousFictionFiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
story. Like many of her colleagues, Margaret Danhauser was relatively unknown until the Marshall's film was exhibited for the first time. - Through the eyes of a fictional young girl, the children's book Dirt on Their Skirts tells the experiences of watching the 1946 championship game of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League between Racine and Rockford as it goes into extra inningsExtra inningsExtra innings is the extension of a baseball or softball game in order to break a tie.Ordinarily, a baseball game consists of nine innings , each of which is divided into halves: the visiting team bats first, after which the home team takes its turn at bat...
.
Sources
- A League Of My Own: Memoir of a Pitcher for the All-American Girls – Patricia I. Brown. Publisher: Macfarland & Company, 2003. Format: Paperback, 216pp. Language: English. ISBN 9780786414741
- Biographical Dictionary of American Sports – David L. Porter. Publisher: Greenwood Press, 2000. Format: Hardcover, 2064pp. Language: English. ISBN 9780313298844
- Dirt on Their Skirts: The Story of the Young Women who Won the World Championship – Doreen Rappaport, Lyndall Callan, E. B. Lewis. Publisher: Penguin Group, 2000. Format: Hardcover, 32pp. Language: English. ISBN 9780803720428 *Encyclopedia of Women and Baseball – Leslie A. Heaphy, Mel Anthony May. Publisher: McFarland & Company, 2006. Format: Paperback, 438pp. Language: English. ISBN 0786421002
- Women in Baseball: The Forgotten History – Gai Ingham Berlage, Charley Gerard. Publisher: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1994. Format: Hardcover, 224pp. Language: English. ISBN 0275947351
- The Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League: A Biographical Dictionary – W. C. Madden. Publisher: McFarland & Company, 2005. Format: Paperback, 295 pp. Language: English. ISBN 0786437472
- When Women Played Hardball – Susan Johnson. Publisher: Seal Press, 1994. Format: Paperback, 320pp. Language: Language: English. ISBN 1878067435
- All-American Girls Professional Baseball League History
- Baseball Historian
- Star-Collector.net