Abstract
| Mary O'Meara was interviewed by Clement C. GrawOzburn on July 2, 2003, for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League oral history collection. Mary was born in Minster, Ohio, a small town near Dayton. An AAGPBL talent scout spotted Froning when she was playing an afternoon softball game. He saw that she had speed and a strong throwing arm and invited her to a tryout. At age 16, she was recruited by the South Bend Blue Sox of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She signed with the Blue Sox in 1951 and played with them through 1954 when the league disbanded. Mary spent the 1952 season with the Battle Creek Belles. Once the league disbanded in 1954, Mary Froning was one the players selected by former Fort Wayne Daisies manager Bill Allington to play in the national touring team known as the All-Americans. The Allington All-Stars played 100 games between 1954 and 1958, each booked in a different town, against male teams, while traveling over 10,000 miles in the manager's station wagon. In 1988, Mary became part of Women in Baseball, a permanent display based at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. In 2003, Mary was honored by having her name added to the Wall of Honor at the Brewers Stadium in MIlwaukee Wisconsin. Never losing her love of baseball, Mary coached in Madison, WI, until 1998, where she lives with her husband, Tom. O'Meara discusses the following topics: Early life in Minster, Ohio, parents Sylvester and Florence (Rutschilling) Froning, three siblings: twin sister Martha, brothers John and Jim Froning, home birth via midwife—Demographics of Minster, Ohio, role of Catholic church (likely St. Augustine's Catholic Church, 48 N. Hanover St., Minster, Ohio), cheerleading as a “women’s sport,” baseball and basketball as “boys’ sports,” story about hitchhiking three miles to swimming pool at age eight—Played shortstop on 5th grade All-Girls softball team sponsored by CYO (Catholic Youth Organization, est. 1930), sister Martha played 2nd base, competed with nearby towns of Chickasaw, Russia, New Bremen, and Fort Loramie, Ohio, German ancestry of local communities, CYO league only played and practiced on Sundays, self-taught softball skills—Scouted in 1951 for South Bend Blue Sox (team in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, AAGPBL, 1943-1954), bus ride to tryouts in South Bend, Indiana, first time playing baseball, three week tryout with approximately one hundred women competing for four open spots on roster, South Bend Blue Sox were reigning league champions during tryout period, changed position to playing outfield since Blue Sox already had a shortstop, Gertrude “Gertie” Dunn (1933-2004, South Bend Blue Sox player from 1951-1954)—Joining South Bend Blue Sox (team in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, AAGPBL, 1943-1954), did not play often in the first year, Karl Winsch (1915-2001) coached and managed South Bend Blue Sox, spent first year learning differences between baseball and softball, excelled at bunting and stealing bases—Parents’ support, 1951 summer exhibition games against Fort Wayne Daisies, rival team in All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954), exhibition games played in Elkhart, Indiana and Toledo, Ohio, played baseball wearing skirts, chaperones and living conditions, played games every night and double headers on Sunday, aged sixteen during AAGPBL tryouts—Family and friends’ reaction to women playing baseball, Minster, Ohio community not aware of All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954), Catherine “Horsey” Horstman (b. 1935, Fort Wayne Daisies and Kenosha Comets player, AAGPBL, 1951-1954) from Minster, Ohio, Wally Post (1929-1982, Major League Baseball player from 1949-1963) from Wendelin, Ohio, media coverage of the AAGPBL—Players lived with host families in South Bend, Indiana, lived with Lois Youngen (b. 1933, Fort Wayne Daisies, Kenosha Comets and South Bend Blue Sox player, AAGPBL, 1951-1954), experience living in South Bend, Indiana—Daily schedule as South Bend Blue Sox team member (All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, 1943-1954), strict bedtime, curfew for players when traveling, parents’ feelings about daughter living away from home—Dress code for attending fans, crowd supported women playing baseball, attitudes towards professional athletes in 1950s versus 2000s—Players made $50.00 per week and had all expenses paid when traveling, enjoyed playing with teammates including other rookies, limited fights between teammates, no memories of hazing in All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954) —Workouts and practice routines in All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954), throwing and running contests in Fort Wayne, Indiana—Two weeks as a substitute player with the Battle Creek Belles (Michigan team in All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, 1943-1954), Guy Bush (1909-1985, Battle Creek Belles manager), AAGPBL managers sending players to other teams to substitute for injured players, AAGPBL allowed players to be traded and substituted to keep the league balanced, rule changes to match Major League Baseball during final years of AAGPBL ca. 1953—Softball uniform ca. 1951, baseball uniform for All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954) included one-piece skirt and sliding shorts, compares AAGPBL skirt length in 1943 versus 1951—End of All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954), story about 1955 letter informing interviewee that league was shutting down after running out of money, transition from baseball career to working as airline stewardess, unhappy about AAGPBL ending, only other person from Minster, Ohip to play professional baseball was Catherine “Horsey” Horstman (b. 1935, Fort Wayne Daisies and Kenosha Comets player, AAGPBL, 1951-1954) —Doubts All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954) or other all-women baseball league could be successful today, fourteen-year-old AAGPBL player Dolly ‘Lippy’ (Vanderlip) Ozburn (b. 1937, Fort Wayne Daisies and South Bend Blue Sox, 1952-1954) —Letter from Earle McCammon (League Commissioner, 1952-1954) about end of All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954), shutdown of Muskegon Belles (AAGPBL team, 1943-1954), story about 1954 letter indicating players’ salaries updated to $200 per month —Personal opinion on being pioneer in women’s sports, surprised women were recognized for playing baseball—Story about team bus hitting cow while traveling to Rockford, Illinois, story about South Bend Blue Sox manager and coach Karl Winsch (1915-2001) agitating opposing crowds, long bus rides before practice and games, sneaking out after curfew and punishments—1988 induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame (est. 1936, Cooperstown, New York), ceremony attendees included estimated 150-200 former players from All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954), donating items to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, film “A League of Their Own” (1992) directed by Penny Marshall (1943-2018), opening ceremony most memorable part of Hall of Fame induction—No personal challenges regarding gender and sports, tennis in Minster, Ohio, coaching baseball in Madison, WI, raising children as athletes, playing sports at an older age—Met husband (Thomas O'Meara, b. 1931) at a single’s dance, husband worked at Beyer Stadium, Rockford, Illinois for the Rockford Peaches (team in All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, AAGPBL, 1943-1953), baseball prepared interviewee for career as airline stewardess, worked for United Airlines. |
Content | 00:00:58—Early life in Minster, Ohio, parents Sylvester and Florence (Rutschilling) Froning, three siblings: twin sister Martha, brothers John and Jim Froning, home birth via midwife |
00:02:25—Demographics of Minster, Ohio, role of Catholic church (likely St. Augustine's Catholic Church, 48 N. Hanover St., Minster, Ohio), cheerleading as a “women’s sport,” baseball and basketball as “boys’ sports,” story about hitchhiking three miles to swimming pool at age eight |
00:04:15—Played shortstop on 5th grade All-Girls softball team sponsored by CYO (Catholic Youth Organization, est. 1930), sister Martha played 2nd base, competed with nearby towns of Chickasaw, Russia, New Bremen, and Fort Loramie, Ohio, German ancestry of local communities, CYO league only played and practiced on Sundays, self-taught softball skills |
00:06:55—Scouted in 1951 for South Bend Blue Sox (team in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, AAGPBL, 1943-1954), bus ride to tryouts in South Bend, Indiana, first time playing baseball, three week tryout with approximately one hundred women competing for four open spots on roster, South Bend Blue Sox were reigning league champions during tryout period, changed position to playing outfield since Blue Sox already had a shortstop, Gertrude “Gertie” Dunn (1933-2004, South Bend Blue Sox player from 1951-1954) |
00:09:50—Joining South Bend Blue Sox (team in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, AAGPBL, 1943-1954), did not play often in the first year, Karl Winsch (1915-2001) coached and managed South Bend Blue Sox, spent first year learning differences between baseball and softball, excelled at bunting and stealing bases |
00:12:03—Parents’ support, 1951 summer exhibition games against Fort Wayne Daisies, rival team in All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954), exhibition games played in Elkhart, Indiana and Toledo, Ohio, played baseball wearing skirts, chaperones |
and living conditions, played games every night and double headers on Sunday, aged sixteen during AAGPBL tryouts |
00:13:57—Family and friends’ reaction to women playing baseball, Minster, Ohio community not aware of All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954), Catherine “Horsey” Horstman (b. 1935, Fort Wayne Daisies and Kenosha Comets player, AAGPBL, 1951-1954) from Minster, Ohio, Wally Post (1929-1982, Major League Baseball player from 1949-1963) from Wendelin, Ohio, media coverage of the AAGPBL |
00:16:45—Players lived with host families in South Bend, Indiana, lived with Lois Youngen (b. 1933, Fort Wayne Daisies, Kenosha Comets and South Bend Blue Sox player, AAGPBL, 1951-1954), experience living in South Bend, Indiana |
00:18:17—Daily schedule as South Bend Blue Sox team member (All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, 1943-1954), strict bedtime, curfew for players when traveling, parents’ feelings about daughter living away from home |
00:21:20—Dress code for attending fans, crowd supported women playing baseball, attitudes towards professional athletes in 1950s versus 2000s |
00:23:00—Players made $50.00 per week and had all expenses paid when traveling, enjoyed playing with teammates including other rookies, limited fights between teammates, no memories of hazing in All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954) |
00:26:33—Workouts and practice routines in All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954), throwing and running contests in Fort Wayne, Indiana |
00:29:15—Two weeks as a substitute player with the Battle Creek Belles (Michigan team in All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, 1943-1954), Guy Bush (1909-1985, Battle Creek Belles manager), AAGPBL managers sending players to other teams to substitute for injured players, AAGPBL allowed players to be traded and substituted to keep the league balanced, rule changes to match Major League Baseball during final years of AAGPBL ca. 1953 |
00:32:38—Softball uniform ca. 1951, baseball uniform for All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954) included one-piece skirt and sliding shorts, compares AAGPBL skirt length in 1943 versus 1951 |
00:35:50—End of All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954), story about 1955 letter informing interviewee that league was shutting down after running out of money, transition from baseball career to working as airline stewardess, unhappy about AAGPBL ending, only other person from Minster, Ohip to play professional baseball was Catherine “Horsey” Horstman (b. 1935, Fort Wayne Daisies and Kenosha Comets player, AAGPBL, 1951-1954) |
00:39:17—Doubts All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954) or other all-women baseball league could be successful today, fourteen-year-old AAGPBL player Dolly ‘Lippy’ (Vanderlip) Ozburn (b. 1937, Fort Wayne Daisies and South Bend Blue Sox, 1952-1954) |
00:40:56—Letter from Earle McCammon (League Commissioner, 1952-1954) about end of All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954), shutdown of Muskegon Belles (AAGPBL team, 1943-1954), story about 1954 letter indicating players’ salaries updated to $200 per month |
00:46:15—Personal opinion on being pioneer in women’s sports, surprised women were recognized for playing baseball |
00:47:08—Story about team bus hitting cow while traveling to Rockford, Illinois, story about South Bend Blue Sox manager and coach Karl Winsch (1915-2001) agitating opposing crowds, long bus rides before practice and games, sneaking out after curfew and punishments |
00:52:32—1988 induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame (est. 1936, Cooperstown, New York), ceremony attendees included estimated 150-200 former players from All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954), donating items to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, film “A League of Their Own” (1992) directed by Penny Marshall (1943-2018), opening ceremony most memorable part of Hall of Fame induction |
00:55:46—No personal challenges regarding gender and sports, tennis in Minster, Ohio, coaching baseball in Madison, WI, raising children as athletes, playing sports at an older age 00:58:48—Met husband (Thomas O'Meara, b. 1931) at a single’s dance, husband worked at Beyer Stadium, Rockford, Illinois for the Rockford Peaches (team in All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, AAGPBL, 1943-1953), baseball prepared interviewee for career as airline stewardess, worked for United Airlines |