Olive Little
Encyclopedia
Olive Bend Little [Ollie] (May 17, 1917 - February 2, 1987) was a female pitcher
who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
between the and seasons. Listed at 5' 3", 135 lb., Little batted and threw right-handed. She was born in Poplar Point, Manitoba
, Canada
.
Little was renowned for her strong fastball
and for pitching four no-hitter
games.
As a founding member, Little entered the AAGPBL with the Rockford Peaches
in 1943. She won 21 games and pitched the league's first no hitter on June 10 of that year in a nine inning game, even though she was tagged for two runs on that game. She also made the All Star team with 151 strikeout
s to her credit. Little was out in 1944 to have a baby, but returned in 1945 to win 22 games. She went 14-17 in 1946, her last season.
In a three-season career, Little posted a 57-57 record with 381 srikeouts and a 2.23 ERA
in 112 pitching appearances.
Little is a member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
, and gained induction into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
in 1985. She died at the age of 69.
Since 1998, the Olive Little Memorial Award is presented to The Manitoba Softball Association's Top Senior Female Player.
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 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:...
between the and seasons. Listed at 5' 3", 135 lb., Little batted and threw right-handed. She was born in Poplar Point, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, 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...
.
Little was renowned for her strong fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
and for pitching four no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
games.
As a founding member, Little entered the AAGPBL with 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....
in 1943. She won 21 games and pitched the league's first no hitter on June 10 of that year in a nine inning game, even though she was tagged for two runs on that game. She also made the All Star team with 151 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 to her credit. Little was out in 1944 to have a baby, but returned in 1945 to win 22 games. She went 14-17 in 1946, her last season.
In a three-season career, Little posted a 57-57 record with 381 srikeouts and a 2.23 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...
in 112 pitching appearances.
Little is a member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum is a museum located in St. Marys, Ontario, Canada. The museums commemorates great players, teams, and accomplishments of baseball in Canada.-History:...
, and gained induction into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
The Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, dedicated to the history of sport in Manitoba and honouring the best in sport. The organization began in 1980 and in 1993, a museum was opened in The Forks...
in 1985. She died at the age of 69.
Since 1998, the Olive Little Memorial Award is presented to The Manitoba Softball Association's Top Senior Female Player.
Sources
- All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Record Book – W. C. Madden. Publisher: McFarland & Company, 2000. Format: Paperback, 294pp. Language: English. ISBN 0786437472. ISBN 9780786437474
- 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. ISBN 9780786422630*Biographical Dictionary of American Sports. Vol. 3: Baseball, Q-Z - David L. Porter. Publisher: Greenwood Pub Group, 1987. Language: English. ISBN 0313311765. ISBN 9780313311765
- Olive Little Memorial Award
External links
- 1943 Rockford Peaches
- BR Bullpen
- Olive Little’s biography at Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
- Famous Canadians