Women in Baseball Week

Women in Baseball Week 2021 is here! Join in July 25-31, 2021 wherever you are, anytime during the week. How? That’s up to you! If you are involved with baseball yourself, post on your favorite social media site using #WomeninBaseballWeek and tagging @IWBC4me in your posts. If you are part of a team, museum, library, historical society, or other group that have local women who have left their mark on baseball in your region, share their contributions with the world. Again, be sure to use #WomeninBaseballWeek and tag @IWBC4me so we can highlight your stories here.

Women in Baseball Week is an annual, worldwide event recognizing the value, diversity, and cultural significance of women in baseball. Women play a vital role in all aspects of the sport north, south, east and west–-help us celebrate each one! Tournaments, teams, libraries, museums, and individuals will join the International Women’s Baseball Center to recognize women’s contributions to baseball around the globe.

Breaking Barriers: Women in Baseball Around the World is this year’s Women in Baseball Week theme. While recent years have seen more women on the field, behind the plate, and in the broadcast booth, this momentum can only be sustained with everyone’s investment in working together, all around the world. By joining forces and supporting those with similar goals, we create more opportunities, expand youth participation, and encourage a culture that places women at the center of the world’s best sport. This is the week to celebrate those efforts! Share your story and join those worldwide who step up to the sport for a stronger tomorrow.

How you can participate:

• Promote your team and playing opportunities
• Highlight your participation in baseball with a photo or story
• Learn about the history of women in baseball
• Show your support with a new Women in Baseball Week t-shirt
• Spotlight your organization’s materials that document women in baseball
• Share your local history of women in baseball

Share your events and experiences online! Add #WomeninBaseballWeek and tag @IWBC4me to add your chapter to the story.

Here are a few of the events scheduled for this year’s celebration!

Events throughout the summer will be posted here. If you have a Women in Baseball event to share, contact us at info@womeninbaseballweek.org

Virtual Voices of the Game:  Perry Barber (Virtual Event) – March 18, 2021

Longtime umpire Perry Barber will join the National Baseball Hall of Fame to discuss her baseball career. Barber has been a professional umpire since 1981, umpiring more than 6,300 games in her career. Barber has umpired at all levels of the game, including major league spring training, and has also worked games in numerous other locations, including Japan and the Caribbean. A friend of the museum, Barber has taken part in the Annual Cooperstown Symposium on Baseball and American Culture as well as our Annual Film Festival with Perry Barber: The Lady is an Ump!

Watch the replay of this event at Virtual Voices of the Game.

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Today: Maybelle Blair – April 1, 2021

 

 

Maybelle Blair talks with Today‘s Dylan Dreyer about playing ball and being one of our fiercest advocates!

 

Read the article and watch the interview:
https://www.today.com/news/meet-former-pitcher-94-trying-make-women-s-baseball-museum-t212988

 

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Milwaukee County Historical Society:  Women’s Baseball in Milwaukee and the Midwest (Virtual Event) – April 22, 2021

Women have been playing baseball from its earliest days. Join us as baseball historian Mary Shea as explores the history of women in baseball, from the Bloomer Girls of the late 1800’s to the championship team of the 1944 Milwaukee Chicks, and how women continue to play today. Mary Shea is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research and the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League – Players Association, and is also hoping to return as a tour guide for the Milwaukee Brewers, pandemic permitting. Visit Women’s Baseball in Milwaukee to view this presentation.

 

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Australian Baseball League:  Australian Women’s Baseball Showcase (Adelaide, SA, Australia) – May 1-2, 2021

Baseball Australia presented the Australian Women’s Baseball Showcase, May 1-2 in Adelaide as the Federation plans to roll out a new professional league in the discipline. The event was originally scheduled for January, but had to be postponed because of COVID-19 restrictions. 

 

The Adelaide Giants and the Brisbane Bandits of the Australian Baseball League (ABL) have formed two women’s teams that competed in a weekend series of double-headers. View replays of each game at the links below: 

Game 1     Game 2     Game 3     Game 4

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Midway Village Museum: Peaches Play Date (Rockford, IL, USA) May 2, 2021

The Rockford Peaches Baseball Living History League will play an exhibition game against the Bickford Senior Living staff team, Mary B’s. The game is played in the Commons Area in the 13-acre Victorian Village (Midway Village Museum, 6799 Guilford Road, Rockford). Spectators are very welcome! See the flyer or Facebook event for complete event details and admission. Watch highlights at 13 WREX. 

 

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Step Up to the Sport: Missy Coombes (Online Event) May 10, 2021

Pitcher and Colorado Silver Bullets alum Missy Coombes sits down with the IWBC to discuss her career in baseball. Watch the full interview on the IWBC Archive YouTube channel. 

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Women’s Baseball – The Inside Pitch: Amanda ‘Doris’ Hocking (Online Event) May 18, 2021

For episode three of women’s baseball the inside pitch, we travel to Cornwall, a town located on England’s most southwestern tip to catch up with Amanda, Doris, Hocking. Over the last few years, Amanda founded Women’s Baseball UK (WB-UK), was named first General Manager of the GB Women’s Team and has overseen the development of the Women’s Baseball UK League which begins May 22! Listen to the full interview at Inside Pitch. 

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WBSC: Women’s Baseball Live Q&A (Virtual Event) May 20, 2021

 

 

Five players who performed on the international stage will share their experiences through videos on the WBSC YouTube. Shae Lillywhite (Australia), Katherine Psota (Canada), Famke Gildemacher (Netherlands), Veronica Alvarez (USA) and Lelys Gomez (Venezuela) will be available for a live Q&A session on 20 May.

 

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Women’s Baseball – The Inside Pitch: Daphnee Gelinas (Online Event) June 1, 2021

Bienvenue to episode four of Women’s Baseball, The Inside Pitch which features Canadian National Women’s Team member Daphnee Gelinas! Listen to the full interview at Inside Pitch. 

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Step Up to the Sport: Erin Corrales-Diaz (Online Event) June 14, 2021

Leslie Heaphy hosts Erin Corrales-Diaz, the Assistant Curator of American Art at the Worcester Art Museum, who currently has The Iconic Jersey: Baseball x Fashion on exhibit. Watch the entire conversation at Step Up to the Sport.

For more on The Iconic Jersey exhibit, visit Worcester Art Museum. 

Women’s Baseball – The Inside Pitch: Risa Nakashima (Online Event) June 16, 2021

We chat with five-time World Cup rep Risa Nakashima who started her Team Japan playing career in 2002 before going on to win four world titles between 2008 and 2014.! Listen to the full interview at Inside Pitch. 

Good Seats Still Available: The National Girls Baseball League with Adam Chu (Online Event) June 21, 2021

Documentary filmmaker Adam Chu (“Their Turn At Bat”) joins the pod to discuss the fascinating story of the National Girls Baseball League (1944-54) – formed out of the city’s amateur softball talent-loaded Metropolitan League in 1944 – from which the AAGPBL had recruited many of its initial players a year earlier. Co-founded by area roofing company owner Emery Parichy, Chicago Cardinals NFL football team owner Charles Bidwell and city politician/softball enthusiast Ed Kolski, the NGBL consisted of six heavily sponsored teams (originally the Bloomer Girls, Bluebirds, Chicks, Queens, Cardinals, and Music Maids) – playing in neighborhood baseball parks across Chicago and its nearby suburbs, including Parichy’s purpose-built showcase Memorial Stadium in Forest Park. Listen to the full episode at Good Seats Still Available.

Carrie Carpool Cinema: America’s Pastime (Pittsburgh, PA, USA) June 25, 2021

Step up to the plate and slide into summer for a weekend of baseball films!

Friday, June 25, 2021 – A League of Their Own
Saturday, June 26, 2021 – The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit Carrie Carpool Cinema. 

SABR & IWBC Women in Baseball Conference: Call for Papers March 1, 2021 – July 5, 2021

The International Women’s baseball Center is once again partnering with the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) in sponsoring the 3rd Annual Women in Baseball Conference. This year’s conference theme is “Breaking Barriers: Women in Baseball Around the World.” All topics related to women’s baseball are welcome for individual oral and poster presentations.

Please submit abstracts of approximately 200 words, along with contact information and a short biography, by July 5, 2021, to Leslie Heaphy at Lheaphy@kent.edu. 

Twins Training Camps: Twins Girls Baseball Camp (St. Paul, MN, USA) July 7-9, 2021

In partnership with the Twins Triple-A Affiliate, the St. Paul Saints, and Her Next Play, we are proud to offer the Twins Girls Baseball Camp for girls ages 7-14! Twins Clinicians will lead athletes in fun-filled baseball instruction, drills and scrimmages! Her Next Play will provide an important session about positive self-talk, taking risks, and growing in confidence. Twins mascot T.C. and Saints mascot Mudonna are sure to join the fun! All baseball/softball skill levels are welcome, while some experience is preferrable. To register or for more information, visit Twins Girls Baseball Camp.

Date: Wednesday, July 7 – Friday, July 9, 2021
Time: 8:30am – 12:00pm each day (Gates open at 8:15am daily)
Location: CHS Field
Cost: $45.00
Ages: 7-14

Kalamazoo Growlers:  A League of Their Own Night (Kalamazoo, MI, USA) – July 16, 2021

A League of Their Own night will take place on Friday, July 16th at Homer-Stryker Field. The Growlers will rest their usual home jerseys and wear special Kalamazoo Lassie’s jerseys. After the game is played, the jerseys will be auctioned off to fans interested in owning a remake of the classic Lassie’s jersey.

For more information, visit Kalamazoo Growlers.

“A Mile in Her Spikes” Virtual Fundraiser (Online event) – July 17-26, 2021

Sign up for this year’s IWBC Virtual Fundraiser A Mile in Her Spikes, a virtual race starting on July 17th and ending July 26th. Participants will walk, run or bike a mile each day for nine days for a total of nine miles, each mile representing an inning of a baseball game. Each year the chosen theme will honor a different woman in baseball. This year’s honoree is Toni Stone. All registrants will receive information about Stone and women’s baseball, distributed each day of the event (July 17-26th), as well as interactive trivia questions for a chance to win an IWBC T-shirt! Registration fees go towards helping the IWBC reach its goals of building a center in Rockford, IL.

Register by June 30 with the early bird price of $9.99. Register after that and receive the regular admission price of $19.99! Just remember to register before July 17 or else you will not be able to sign up for the event. The first 50 to register will be receiving this year’s promotional patch! All registrants will be entered for a chance to win a Toni Stone Bobble head.

Also available: official A Mile in Her Spikes t-shirts ! Check our Bonfire store for all styles and colors.

We look forward to seeing you all on day 1 of the race (July 17th), where we will be announcing LIVE the winner of the first bobble head to kick things off!

 

Game time is 12:00 Club Match with the Muffins at the Ohio History Center Ohio Village 800 East 17th Avenue; Columbus OH 43211. The Diamonds are a group of women who play 1860’s base ball. We wear 1860’s period dresses, use wooden bats, and wear no gloves. For more information visit Ohio Village Diamonds. 

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Rochester Red Wings: Movies in the Park: A League of Their Own (Rochester, NY, USA) July 22, 2021

The Rochester Red Wings have partnered with Monroe County to host two of their Movies In The Park series at Frontier Field on Thursday, July 15 (The Sandlot) and Thursday, July 22 (A League Of Their Own).

These are FREE events and no ticket is required to enter the ballpark. Guests will be able to sit in the outfield grass or in the seating bowl. No chairs of any kind or any outside food/drink will be allowed in the ballpark. A limited number of concession stands will be open featuring hot dogs, hamburgers, plates, trash cans, chicken fingers, popcorn, ice cream, soda and beer. Visit Movies in the Park for more information.

The Frontier Field gates will open at 7:30, with the movie starting at 8:30.

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Baseball For All: Nationals (Aberdeen, MD, USA) July 18-22, 2021

Since 2015, we’ve welcomed girls from all over the U.S., Canada, Australia, France, and South Korea to compete in this one-of-a-kind tournament—a unique opportunity for girls in baseball to be surrounded by hundreds of others who love the game just as much as they do. In 2021, we’ll be joining forces with the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation and The Ripken Experience, and are proud to provide our players both with state of the facilities and experiences are unique to the BFA Nationals. For more information, visit Baseball For All. 

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The Journey of My Mother’s Son: Maybelle Blair & Shirley Burkovich (Podcast: Aberdeen, MD, USA) – July 23, 2021

 

 

Host Dan Clouser originally met Maybelle and Shirley in 2016, when partnering with the International Women’s Baseball Center (IWBC) to conduct the Ruth Hartman Memorial Girl’s Baseball Festival. They were able to reconnect at the Ripken Experience in Aberdeen, MD for the 6th Annual Baseball for All National Tournament. The tournament, which took place from July 18-22, 2021, featured 42 girl’s baseball teams from all across the United States and Canada. Read more and listen to the full interview at The Journey of My Mother’s Son. 

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Lil Peaches Summer Schedule (Rockford, IL, USA) – June 2, 2021 – July 27, 2021

 

Summer Schedule for the Jr RBI Lil Peaches. Games played at Flodin Park unless otherwise stated at the Lawn Drive location. Follow the Lil Peaches on Facebook. 

 

Women on the Diamond Art Competition March 1, 2021 – July 30, 2021

Sponsored by International Women’s Baseball Center and Women in Baseball Committee of Society for American Baseball Research.

Two categories for entries: Professional and Amateur categories for entries.  Winning entry in each category plus runner-up may have their art displayed during an IWBC/SABR event in 2021. The winning entry in the professional and amateur category will receive a $100 prize. The Decision of the jurors is final. Photos of winning entries and runners up will also be included in an upcoming issue of the Women in Baseball Newsletter for SABR as well as their weekly email newsletter TWIS and in the IWBC newsletter.

For more information on contest guidelines, visit Women on the Diamond Art Competition2021. 

 

Women’s Baseball – UK:  Women in Baseball Week Sale (Ferndown, UK) – July 31, 2021

 

 

WB-UK Women in Baseball Week Championship registration is open! The Bournemouth Bears will be this year’s co-host which will take place on Saturday 31st July during Women in Baseball Week!
Open to individual players of any skill level. £20 per player – Includes game t-shirt. Limited spaces available. Closing date 26th July 2021. All profits go towards the International Women’s Baseball Center and Women’s Baseball UK. Donations and sponsors welcome! Register here: https://forms.gle/rBWsFi6AzZKKCJnS9

The Journey of My Mother’s Son: Jeneane Lesko (Podcast: Aberdeen, MD, USA) – August 3, 2021

 

 

Another one of the amazing trailblazers attending the Baseball for All Nationals, Jeneane Lesko is truly an amazing individual. After her playing days in the AAGPBL, she went on to play in the LPGA as well. Listen to the full interview at The Journey of My Mother’s Son. 

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South Bend Cubs: All-American Girls Night at Four Winds Field (South Bend, IN, USA) August 5, 2021

 

 

Join The History Museum and the South Bend Cubs on Thursday, August 5th for All-American Girls Night at Four Winds Field! Celebrate the South Bend Blue Sox, an original team of the AAGPBL while the Cubs take on the Peoria Chiefs. More tickets and more information, visit South Bend Cubs. 

 

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The Ohio Village Diamonds (Baltimore, OH, USA) August 7, 2021

 

 

Game time is 3:00 vs Local club (dh with Muffins) at the Baltimore Festival (Johnson Park) Summer’s Choice Drive, Baltimore OH 43105. The Diamonds are a group of women who play 1860’s base ball. We wear 1860’s period dresses, use wooden bats, and wear no gloves. For more information visit Ohio Village Diamonds. 

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British Columbia Girls Baseball: Instructional Camps (Vancouver, BC, Canada) August 9-12, 2021

 

 

Join us this summer for a fun week (or two!) where you’ll learn new baseball skills, make new friends, and be coached by awesome female mentors. Week 1 led by Kristy Watson and Week 2 led by Emily and Stacy Fournier. 🤩
Register now at baseball.bc.ca/summercamps & check out baseball.bc.ca/girls to learn all about our program!

Youth Art Contest: “Women on the Diamond” March 1, 2021 – August 23, 2021

Sponsored by International Women’s Baseball Center and Women in Baseball Committee of Society for American Baseball Research, School Entries (under age 16). Winner will receive a set of art materials—for the individual student. All schools that enter students will have their name placed in a drawing and two winners will be chosen. The winning schools will each receive $150 worth of age appropriate books about Women’ baseball for their libraries. Photos of winning entries and runners up will also be included on the IWBC /SABR websites and other social media. There may also be an opportunity for art work to be displayed at events hosted by the IWBC and SABR.

For more information on contest guidelines, visit: Youth Art Contest 2021 IWBC SABR. 

Baseball Ontario: Home Grown Baseball: Clinics for GirlsIndoor City Market (Cambridge, St. Catharines, Whitby, Windsor, ON, CAN) August 15-28, 2021

Are you a girl between the ages of 8-16 looking for a baseball clinic designed for you? Baseball Ontario is pleased to present its inaugural season of dedicated girls clinics! Register today at Baseball Ontario. 

SPoRT Apparel and Collectibles: Indoor City Market (Rockford, IL, USA) Friday, July 30 – August 27, 2021

Enjoy 20% off of your favorite Rockford Peaches gear and all SPoRT Apparel and Collectibles at the Indoor City Market / lower level (3:30 – 8:30pm) every Friday from July 30 through August 27.  Visit Rockford City Market for directions and more information.

Women’s Baseball UK – Summer League Schedule (England & Scotland) May 26, 2021 – August 14, 2021

Supported by BaseballSoftballUK (BSUK) and the British Baseball Federation (BBF), the league features the following teams: Aberdeen Thistles, Bristol Bobcats, Sheffield Bruins, Belles Baseball, London Mets, Telford 26ers, Cambridge Valkyries, and WB-UK Nomads. If you are an independent player who is not in a team, please email info@wbuk.co.uk and we will assign you a team who is short even if it is for one game! If you are an umpire wishing to be part of this, please get in touch using the above email address. For more information, visit Women’s Baseball-UK.

Beginning in 2017, baseball fans around the globe have celebrated Women in Baseball Week in their own ways. Here are some of the people and organizations that participated.

Women in Baseball Week, developed by Ryan Woodward, is a project of the International Women’s Baseball Center. Contact Ryan at info@womeninbaseballweek.org.