Wilma Briggs
Encyclopedia
Wilma Briggs [Briggsie] is a former female left fielder
who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
. Listed at 5' 4", 138 lb., she batted left-handed
and threw right-handed.
Baseball historians rank Briggs among the most stellar hitters in AAGPBL history. She led the league in home runs during the 1953 season, ranks second in the all-time home runs list (43) behind Eleanor Callow
(55) and over Dorothy Schroeder
(42) and Jean Geissinger
(41), and was one of only 14 players to collect 300 or more career runs batted in, yet she was never selected to the All-Star team.
, Briggs is one of eleven children into the family of Fred Briggs, a dairy farmer, and Edythe (née Hathaway) Briggs, a housewife. She grew up in a family farm in East Greenwich where baseball was considered of vital importance, as her father was a semi-professional pitcher
, catcher
and coach
, while one of her six brothers played in the Chicago Cubs
minor league system
.
At early age, Briggs was interested in participing in baseball, thanks to her older two brothers, and she was never too young to follow in their footsteps. After milking the cows, her father used to hit ground balls in their back yard to Vilma and her brothers, and they would field the ball and pitch it back to him. No matter how poorly the pitch was, he would hit it back. Mr. Briggs managed his own team that came to be known as the Frenchtown Farmers, and by the time Vilma was 13, her father would put she in the Farmers' games, along with her six brothers, though she never had a starting position. But he would always put her in the game and made sure she took at least a turn at bat
. After turning 16, she played on her high school boys squad in a summer league.
because she was graduating from high school on the same day, so her parents drove her from Rhode Island to Fort Wayne, Indiana
for a final tryout.
Briggs entered the league in 1948 with the Fort Wayne Daisies
, playing for them six years before joining the South Bend Blue Sox
in 1954. She started at right field for the Daisies during her rookie season and stayed there until the left fielder
broke an ankle while sliding into second base. Then was moved to left field for the rest of her career, with the exception of two weeks at first base in the 1952 season.
During her first two professional baseball seasons, Briggs hit only two home runs, but she increased her output to a league-leading nine in 1953. She ranked second with 25 homers in 1954, in the AAGPBL's last ever season.
Of the many highlights of her career, Briggs hit the only home run at Indiana's Playland Park
during the 1949 season, a walk-off
blast in the ninth inning to defeat the Blue Sox.
In 1954 she hit a grand slam
when her parents were there to see the game, and in 1951 she was voted the best defensive outfielder with a .987 fielding average. One of her best defensive plays came in a playoff game, when she crashed through the left-field fence to rob Connie Wisniewski
of a potential home run.
Briggs helped Fort Wayne win pennants in both 1952 and 1953, and spent her final season in 1954 as a lonely star for South Bend.
with a Bachelor's degree in elementary education and taught for 23 years at Wickford Elementary School
in North Kingstown
until 1992. She played softball
until age 62, and also enjoys playing bowling
and golf
. In her spare time she likes reading poetry
anthologies, especially Robert Burns
, and creative nonfiction
genre.
Briggs has won all kinds of honors. The AAGPBL folded in 1954, but there is now a permanent display at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at Cooperstown, New York
since November 5, that honors those who were part of this unique experience. Briggs, along with the rest of the league's girls, is now enshrined in the Hall.
In 1990 Briggs became the first woman inducted into East Greenwich's Athletic Hall of Fame and was elected to the first AAGPBL Players Association Board of Directors. In 1991, she received the first annual Game of Legends Award for her 38 years of contributing to women's softball in Rhode Island.
Briggs never married and did not have children. But, she imparted wisdom and ethics upon the many children she taught. During the spring time, she could be found on the school ball field at recess. There she would organize and play ball with the school children. She is currently living in Wakefield, Rhode Island
.
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
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:...
. Listed at 5' 4", 138 lb., she batted left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
and threw right-handed.
Baseball historians rank Briggs among the most stellar hitters in AAGPBL history. She led the league in home runs during the 1953 season, ranks second in the all-time home runs list (43) behind Eleanor Callow
Eleanor Callow
Eleanor Callow Squirt is a former Canadian female left fielder who played from through for three different teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Callow was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed...
(55) and over Dorothy Schroeder
Dorothy Schroeder
Dorothy Schroeder [″Dottie″] was a shortstop who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 7", 150 lb., Schroeder batted and threw right-handed...
(42) and Jean Geissinger
Jean Geissinger
Jean Louise Geissinger-Harding [″Dutch″] is a former infielder and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League for the Fort Wayne Daisies and Grand Rapids Chicks...
(41), and was one of only 14 players to collect 300 or more career runs batted in, yet she was never selected to the All-Star team.
Early life
A native of East Greenwich, Rhode IslandEast Greenwich, Rhode Island
East Greenwich is a town in and the county seat of Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 13,146 at the 2010 census. East Greenwich is the wealthiest municipality within the state of Rhode Island....
, Briggs is one of eleven children into the family of Fred Briggs, a dairy farmer, and Edythe (née Hathaway) Briggs, a housewife. She grew up in a family farm in East Greenwich where baseball was considered of vital importance, as her father was a semi-professional 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...
, 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...
and coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
, while one of her six brothers played in 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...
minor league system
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
.
At early age, Briggs was interested in participing in baseball, thanks to her older two brothers, and she was never too young to follow in their footsteps. After milking the cows, her father used to hit ground balls in their back yard to Vilma and her brothers, and they would field the ball and pitch it back to him. No matter how poorly the pitch was, he would hit it back. Mr. Briggs managed his own team that came to be known as the Frenchtown Farmers, and by the time Vilma was 13, her father would put she in the Farmers' games, along with her six brothers, though she never had a starting position. But he would always put her in the game and made sure she took at least a turn at bat
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...
. After turning 16, she played on her high school boys squad in a summer league.
Professional career
Briggs was invited to tryouts for the AAGPBL, but she missed an opportunity in nearby New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
because she was graduating from high school on the same day, so her parents drove her from Rhode Island to Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
for a final tryout.
Briggs entered the league in 1948 with the 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...
, playing for them six years before joining 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 1954. She started at right field for the Daisies during her rookie season and stayed there until the left fielder
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
broke an ankle while sliding into second base. Then was moved to left field for the rest of her career, with the exception of two weeks at first base in the 1952 season.
During her first two professional baseball seasons, Briggs hit only two home runs, but she increased her output to a league-leading nine in 1953. She ranked second with 25 homers in 1954, in the AAGPBL's last ever season.
Of the many highlights of her career, Briggs hit the only home run at Indiana's Playland Park
Playland Park (Indiana)
-History:Playland Park started as a trolley park in 1880, originally called Springbook Park. By 1912 it had a Casino, an exhibition hall and a large roller coaster.In 1916 a race track was added. In 1924 Pete Redden became manager of the park...
during the 1949 season, a walk-off
Walk-off home run
In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. It must be a home run that gives the home team the lead in the bottom of the final inning of the game—either the ninth inning, or any extra inning, or any other regularly scheduled final inning...
blast in the ninth inning to defeat the Blue Sox.
In 1954 she hit a grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
when her parents were there to see the game, and in 1951 she was voted the best defensive outfielder with a .987 fielding average. One of her best defensive plays came in a playoff game, when she crashed through the left-field fence to rob Connie Wisniewski
Connie Wisniewski
Constance Wisniewski was a starting pitcher and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
of a potential home run.
Briggs helped Fort Wayne win pennants in both 1952 and 1953, and spent her final season in 1954 as a lonely star for South Bend.
Out of the field
Subsequently, Briggs graduated from Barrington CollegeBarrington College
Barrington College was a four-year Christian liberal arts college located in Barrington, Rhode Island. It is no longer in operation.-History:...
with a Bachelor's degree in elementary education and taught for 23 years at Wickford Elementary School
North Kingstown School District
The North Kingstown School District is a school district in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It operates five elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school in North Kingstown:*Fishing Cove Elementary School...
in North Kingstown
North Kingstown, Rhode Island
North Kingstown is a town in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 26,486 at the 2010 census. The famous American portraitist Gilbert Stuart was born in the village of Saunderstown, located in the southern region of North Kingstown....
until 1992. She played 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...
until age 62, and also enjoys playing 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....
. In her spare time she likes reading poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
anthologies, especially Robert Burns
Robert Burns
Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
, and creative nonfiction
Creative nonfiction
Creative nonfiction is a genre of writing that uses literary styles and techniques to create factually accurate narratives. Creative nonfiction contrasts with other nonfiction, such as technical writing or journalism, which is also rooted in accurate fact, but is not primarily written in service...
genre.
Briggs has won all kinds of honors. The AAGPBL folded in 1954, but there is now a 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...
since November 5, that honors those who were part of this unique experience. Briggs, along with the rest of the league's girls, is now enshrined in the Hall.
In 1990 Briggs became the first woman inducted into East Greenwich's Athletic Hall of Fame and was elected to the first AAGPBL Players Association Board of Directors. In 1991, she received the first annual Game of Legends Award for her 38 years of contributing to women's softball in Rhode Island.
Briggs never married and did not have children. But, she imparted wisdom and ethics upon the many children she taught. During the spring time, she could be found on the school ball field at recess. There she would organize and play ball with the school children. She is currently living in Wakefield, Rhode Island
Wakefield, Rhode Island
Wakefield is a village in the town of South Kingstown, Rhode Island, and the commercial center of the town. Together with the village of Peace Dale, it is treated by the U.S. Census as a component of the census designated place identified as Wakefield-Peacedale, Rhode Island. South Kingston was...
.
Facts
- Briggs, who liked the kindness of Daisies manager Bill AllingtonBill AllingtonWilliam Baird Allington was an American Minor league baseball player and manager. Listed at 5' 9" , 160 lb., Allington batted and threw right-handed. He was born in St. Clair County, Michigan....
in the 1953-'54 seasons, remarked when the players had nothing but cotton jerseys to wear under their ill-suited uniforms, Mr. Allington immediately procured wool jerseys for all of them.
- Her baseball heroes included the legendary Jimmie FoxxJimmie FoxxJames Emory "Jimmie" Foxx , nicknamed "Double X" and "The Beast", was a right-handed American Major League Baseball first baseman and noted power hitter....
and her father. My father was a great pitcher and catcher, but his greatest quality was that, as a coach, he gave all of his players every opportunity to be successful, she commented. For her entire satisfaction, Foxx managed the Daisies in 1952.
- The AAGPBL Players Association helped to bring the league story to the public eye. The association was largely responsible for the opening of the aforementioned exhibition at Cooperstown. As it is said, all began with a newsletter published by former AAGPBL player June PeppasJune PeppasJune Peppas is a former first basewoman and pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 5", 145 lb., she batted and threw left-handed.-Early life:...
in 1980. Of the approximately 560 women who had played in the league, most had lost touch with the others; at least not until the first reunion held in Chicago two years later.
- 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. 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. A League of Their Own itself was inspired by the 1987 documentary of the same title, written and produced by Kelly Candaele, one of the five sons of Helen CallaghanHelen CallaghanHelen Callaghan Candaele St. Aubin was a left-handed center fielder who appeared in five seasons in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League , playing under the name Helen Callaghan.As a rookie with the Minneapolis Millerettes Callaghan hit a .287 average in 111...
, who in 1945 won the AAGPBL batting championship with a .299 average. Notably, the AAGPBL players were relatively unknown until the Marshall's film was exhibited for the first time.
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... | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 691 | 2456 | 375 | 633 | 64 | 24 | 43 | 301 | 128 | .258 | .317 | .356 |
Fielding
| PO Putout In baseball statistics, a putout is given to a defensive player who records an out by one of the following methods:* Tagging a runner with the ball when he is not touching a base... | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1092 | 65 | 44 | 1201 | 17 | .963 |
Sources
- Biographical Dictionary of American Sports – David L. Porter. Publisher: Greenwood Press, 2000. Format: Hardcover, 2064pp. Language: English. ISBN 9780313298844 W. C. Madden
- Encyclopedia of Women and Baseball – Leslie A. Heaphy, Laura Wulf, Mel Anthony May. Publisher: McFarland & Company, 2006. Format: Hardcover, 438pp. Language: English. ISBN 0786421002
- Girls of Summer: The Real Story of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League – Lois Browne. Publisher: HarperCollins, 1992. Format: Hardcover, 212 pp. Language: English. ISBN 0002158388
- Women in Baseball: The Forgotten History – Gai Ingham Berlage, Charley Gerard. Publisher: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1994. Format: Hardcover, 224pp. Language: English. ISBN 9780275947354
- Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League: A Biographical Dictionary - W. C. Madden. Publisher: McFarland and Company, 2005. Format: Paperback, 295 pp. Language: English. ISBN 0786437472