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Abstract
| Ruth Ries Zillmer was interviewed by Charles Lee on January 18, 2004, for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League oral history collection. Ruth was raised on a farm in Wisconsin, one of seven girls. She had an unknown number of brothers who were older . At age six she began to play baseball with her brothers . All the girls learned to play the game and joined in with the boys regularly. Ruth was a right-handed pitcher for the Rockford Peaches in 1952, and this was the only team she ever played for in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Ruth went by the nickname "Boots". She went on to coach softball and baseball teams for many years, in Walworth, Wis., her place of residence until her death in 2010. Zillmer discusses the following topics: Parents’ family, paternal grandparents’ immigration from Luxembourg, maternal grandparents’ German and Prussian ancestry, paternal grandfather’s job as beekeeper, mother’s family, siblings, society’s preference for male children—Move from West Chicago to Walworth, Wisconsin, ca. 1945, education in Walworth, Wisconsin, playing catch with brother, playing baseball against other rural schools, women’s baseball league in high school, organization of high school girl’s baseball team, prevalence of girls playing baseball, sisters playing baseball, ca. 1939, parents’ opinion on her playing baseball, sister’s death from polio, other children’s opinion on her playing baseball—Introduction to All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954), high school baseball coach Dale McRenolds (1922-2007), trying out for Rockford Peaches, ca. 1951, family’s reaction to joining league, family attending her baseball games, desire to attend college, family finances, intentions to study nursing or math, comparison between her skills and other players’ at try outs, sister Joan Lazzeroni (1934-1994)—Other players’ education, 1951-1952 dress code in All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954), community involvement with AAGPBL—Staying with elderly couple in Rockford, Illinois, hazing of new players, manager William Allington (1903-1966), throwing sidearm, pitching, ca. 1951-1952—Community support of high school team, support of Francis Toynton (1910-1992) and Wally Schultz, high school team and All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954) uniforms, first impressions of AAGPBL uniforms, sliding practice, femininity of uniforms—Comparing girls growing up in the 1940s and the 1950s, impact of World War Two (1939-1945) on coming of age, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954) and gender norms, Title IX (law prohibiting gender discrimination in education, 1972), girls’ high school athletics before Title IX, girls’ basketball rules, ca. 1945-1950, opinion about end of AAGPBL—Working on farm as child, ca. 1940s, Walworth, Wisconsin, helping sister on her farm—Leaving All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954), downsizing of AAGPBL, 1952, Allington’s All-Americans (traveling women’s all-star team), 1992 film premiere for A League of Their Own, Rockford, Illinois, 1988 reunion and induction into National Baseball Hall of Fame (est. 1936, Cooperstown, New York)—Life after leaving All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954), playing baseball with nephew, nickname “Boots,” playing baseball with husband’s coworkers, coaching daughter’s softball team, ca. 1976-1980, attending reunion in Fort Wayne, Indiana with granddaughters, 1986, baseballs used in AAGPBL, AAGPBL reunions, getting to know other former players—Personality type for players in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954), opinion on being a pioneer of women’s sports, salary in AAGPBL, thoughts on playing in AAGPBL. |
| Content | 00:00:52—Parents’ family, paternal grandparents’ immigration from Luxembourg, maternal grandparents’ German and Prussian ancestry, paternal grandfather’s job as beekeeper, mother’s family, siblings, society’s preference for male children |
00:03:34—Move from West Chicago to Walworth, Wisconsin, ca. 1945, education in Walworth, Wisconsin, playing catch with brother, playing baseball against other rural schools, women’s baseball league in high school, organization of high school girl’s baseball team, prevalence of girls playing baseball, sisters playing baseball, ca. 1939, parents’ opinion on her playing baseball, sister’s death from polio, other children’s opinion on her playing baseball |
00:09:47—Introduction to All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954), high school baseball coach Dale McRenolds (1922-2007), trying out for Rockford Peaches, ca. 1951, family’s reaction to joining league, family attending her baseball games, desire to attend college, family finances, intentions to study nursing or math, comparison between her skills and other players’ at try outs, sister Joan Lazzeroni (1934-1994) |
00:14:27—Other players’ education, 1951-1952 dress code in All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954), community involvement with AAGPBL |
00:16:43—Staying with elderly couple in Rockford, Illinois, hazing of new players, manager William Allington (1903-1966), throwing sidearm, pitching, ca. 1951-1952 |
00:20:41—Community support of high school team, support of Francis Toynton (1910-1992) and Wally Schultz, high school team and All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954) uniforms, first impressions of AAGPBL uniforms, sliding practice, femininity of uniforms |
00:24:10—Comparing girls growing up in the 1940s and the 1950s, impact of World War Two (1939-1945) on coming of age, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954) and gender norms, Title IX (law prohibiting gender discrimination in education, 1972), girls’ high school athletics before Title IX, girls’ basketball rules, ca. 1945-1950, opinion about end of AAGPBL |
00:31:25—Working on farm as child, ca. 1940s, Walworth, Wisconsin, helping sister on her farm |
00:33:36—Leaving All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954), downsizing of AAGPBL, 1952, Allington’s All-Americans (traveling women’s all-star team), 1992 film premiere for A League of Their Own, Rockford, Illinois, 1988 reunion and induction into National Baseball Hall of Fame (est. 1936, Cooperstown, New York) |
00:37:38—Life after leaving All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954), playing baseball with nephew, nickname “Boots,” playing baseball with husband’s coworkers, coaching daughter’s softball team, ca. 1976-1980, attending reunion in Fort Wayne, Indiana with granddaughters, 1986, baseballs used in AAGPBL, AAGPBL reunions, getting to know other former players |
00:48:58—Personality type for players in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL, 1943-1954), opinion on being a pioneer of women’s sports, salary in AAGPBL, thoughts on playing in AAGPBL |
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