Women in Baseball Week 2023 is coming! Join in July 23-29, 2023 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 #WIBW2023 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.
About
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.
This year’s theme – Community Champions – celebrates those pioneers who seek to level the playing field in their own communities. From grassroots efforts through the creation of national and international programs, honor the champions of your community by sharing their stories and learning from their example.
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
- Spotlight your organization’s materials that document women in baseball
- Share your local history of women in baseball
- Grab a t-shirt from our friends at Bonfire
Share your events and experiences online! Add #WomeninBaseballWeek and #CommunityChampion to share your chapter to the story.
2024 Events
Here are a few of the events scheduled for this year’s celebration!
Events throughout the year will be posted here. If you have a Women in Baseball event to share, contact us at info@womeninbaseballweek.org
2024
City of Greeley Museums: ¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues (Greeley, CO, USA) March 16 – October 6, 2024
Developed in collaboration with the National Museum of American History, the ¡Pleibol! exhibit examines how generations of Latinos/as have helped make the game what it is today. From youth and community teams to the Major League, the exhibition reveals how baseball brings people together regardless of race, class, or gender. These inspirational baseball stories reflect larger themes in American history that connect us all, on and off the diamond. For details, visit Pleibol.
Sports Legends of Delaware County Museum: Gertrude “Gertie” Dunn Statue Unveiling (Wayne, PA, USA) March 25, 2024
Starting March 25, 2024, the public is invited to view the statue at the Sports Legends of Delaware County Museum 301 Iven Avenue Wayne, Pa. Hours are Monday through Friday 9am to 3pm.
Gertrude “Gertie” Dunn, one of Delaware County’s greatest athletes of all time, graduated from Sharon Hill High School in 1952. Later Gertie attended West Chester University and graduated with the class of 1960. The Sports Legends of Delaware County Museum has commissioned sculptor Jennifer Frudakis Petry to create a twenty-four-inch bronze sculpture of Gertie playing for the South Bend Blue Sox of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, made famous by the 1992 film A League of Their Own.
For more information on Gertie’s athletic achievements, visit www.
The Upper Deck: Women in Baseball: Past, Present, and Future (Online) March 27, 2024
Join The Upper Deck with special guests Dr. Kat Williams and Dr. Leslie Heaphy of the International Women’s Baseball Center for this Women’s History Month Special Event. *This event has passed, but watch this whole episode at Pinstripe Chronicles.
CBS Kiwanis Minor Baseball: Female Day 2024 (Conception Bay South, NL, Canada) April 13, 2024
Calling all girls! CBS Minor Baseball is proud to announce that we are co-hosting our second annual Female Baseball Day on April 13, 2024 with Newfoundland and Labrador Girls Baseball and we want you to join the fun! Girls of all ages and skill levels are welcome to come out and try baseball in a fun, inclusive environment. Our experienced coaches will be providing instruction and running drills tailored for every ability. Best of all, it’s completely free to attend and there will be prizes and giveaways! This is a great opportunity to pick up a new sport or, if you already play, to share your passion for baseball with other girls in the community. Register today at our Event Page.
Tampa Baseball Museum: Women in Baseball Exhibit (Tampa, FL, USA) April 1 – 19, 2024
Small exhibit honoring women’s baseball history on view, including the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League and Colorado Silver Bullets. For more information, visit Tampa Baseball Museum.
Dubuque Museum of Art: Picturing America’s Pastime (Dubuque, IA, USA) February 17 – June 16, 2024
Baseball and photography grew up together, each becoming more refined and gaining in popularity during the mid-19th century. As the repository of our national pastime’s long history, it is only fitting that the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum should tour an exhibit highlighting its expansive photographic archives. Visit DuMA for hours and admission information.
Onalaska Area Historical Society: Dolly Ozburn, Player in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League (Onalaska, WI, USA) April 16, 2024
Dolly Ozburn, a player in All American Girls Professional Baseball League, will relate stories of playing for the Fort Wayne Daises and the South Bend Blue Sox. 6pm at the Onalaska Public Library. Details at Onalaska Area Historical Society.
Worcester Red Sox: UniBank Women in Sports Day (Worcester, MA, USA) April 20, 2024
Our third annual “UniBank Women in Sports Day” panel is set for Saturday, April 20, at 1 p.m., in Polar Park’s DCU Club! The free panel features pioneering baseball executive, Wendy Selig-Prieb; the 97-year-old inspiration for “A League of Their Own,” Maybelle Blair; the first woman to coach for a major league team, Justine Siegal; the President of the Worcester Railers, Stephanie Ramey; and the winningest field hockey coach in Assumption history, Annie Lahey.First pitch between the WooSox and Durham Bulls is at 4:05 p.m. To purchase tickets to the game, visit WooSox.com, the Polar Park Ticket Office, or call (508) 500-8888.
Movie Night with Ernie’s Midtown Pub: A League of Their Own (Rockford, IL, USA) April 26, 2024
We are throwing a monthly movie night benefiting the Rockford Public Library at the J.R Sullivan Theatre in the RPL Nordlof Center. Admission is $7, doors open at 6 PM, movie starts at 7:15 PM. There will be a full bar and food provided by Ernie’s Midtown Pub. For more information, visit ALOTO with Ernie’s.
Ontario Women’s Baseball League: Girls Day of Baseball (Toronto, ON, Canada) April 27, 2024
OWBL’s Toronto Fusion is hosting their annual Girls’ Day of Baseball Free Clinic! The event is once again generously sponsored by the Royal York Baseball League and Ontario Women’s Baseball League. Details at Royal York Baseball League.
International Women’s Baseball Center: Author Talk with Lincoln A. Mitchell (Online) April 28, 2024
The IWBC Author Talk series resumes on April 28th at 3:00pm Eastern with guest Lincoln A. Mitchell discussing his new book, The One Hundred Most Important Players in Baseball History. Register here to receive the Zoom link in email. To purchase this book, visit IWBC’s Bookshop affiliate page or search WorldCat to find a copy in a library near you.
Philly Girls Baseball: Girls Baseball Clinic (Philadelphia, PA, USA) April 28, 2024
FREE Girls Baseball Clinic at Dick Allen Field in FDR Park. Sunday April 28, 2024, 3:00 – 5:00 pm, ages 8-18.
Free and open to any girl who plays baseball regardless of team affiliation. This event is run by the Phillies Urban Youth Academy.
Parents/Guardians are not permitted on the fields. Drop off or view the event from the stands. Please remember to avoid any coaching from the sidelines so that all players benefit from the experienced instructors at this event. Visit Philly Girls Baseball for details.
Midway Village Museum: Rockford Peaches Playdate (Rockford, IL, USA) May 11, 2024
Game Location: Midway Village Museum, 6799 Guilford Road, Rockford, IL
Bring your family to Midway Village on Saturday, May 11. Gates open at Noon. Admission includes entrance to the Victorian Village and the Museum Center, where you can also see the Rockford Peaches exhibit. Families are encouraged to dress up like the 1940’s too! Light concessions will be available, as well as Peaches merchandise. We have bleachers, but lawn chairs are welcome! More information at Peaches Playdate.
Baseball New South Wales: Little League Girls Championship (Lismore, NSW, Australia) May 8-12, 2024
This year, Little League Girls teams from across the country will be given the opportunity to participate in an inaugural Australian Little League Girls Championship from May 8-12. The event is targeted at female baseball players League age 10-12. The Girls Championship will run independently of the Little League National Championships. Visit Baseball New South Wales for more information.
Baseball Australia: 2024 Australian Women’s Baseball Showcase (Lismore, NSW, Australia) May 9-12, 2024
From May 9-12 in Lismore, the Adelaide Giants, Brisbane Bandits and Victorian Aces will play a four-day professional tournament thanks to support from NSW Government. Emeralds stars, emerging Australian talent, and World Cup players from Canada, Japan and the United States will partake in the four-day tournament. Visit Australian Baseball League for more.
BC Girls Baseball: Amanda Asay Memorial Jamboree (Burnaby, BC, Canada) May 11, 2024
Join Baseball BC and BC Girls Baseball as we celebrate the love of the game and honor the legacy of our dear friend Amanda at the Amanda Asay Jamboree!
This jamboree is all about fostering the passion for baseball girls while creating a supportive environment for them to thrive. Whether you’re swinging for the fences or mastering your pitching game, there’s a spot for you!
Here’s what you can expect:
Tailored games for all skill levels Guaranteed two 1-hour games per team Individual registration options availableFor more information and to register, click here: http://tinyurl.com/mwajaruf
Let’s make this Jamboree a day to remember in honor of Amanda’s love for the game!
Grand Rapids Public Library: For the Love of the Game (Grand Rapids, MI, USA) May 23 – September 30, 2024
Join us for the launch of a new exhibit featuring archival images of the Detroit Tigers, Grand Rapids Chicks, and Grand Rapids Black Sox. The exhibit highlights Robinson Studio images from the library’s archives, with up-close views of baseball players in the 1940s and 1950s.
Exhibit curator William M. Anderson will share his knowledge, memories, and personal connections in a presentation during the opening night event. Light refreshments will be served.
Exhibition Opening | For the Love of the Game
Thursday, May 23, 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Main Library – 111 Library St NE
Eastern Women’s Baseball Conference: Diamond Classic (Grand Rapids, MI, USA) May 25 – 27, 2024
As the nation’s longest running women’s baseball tournament, the Diamond Classic has come to represent all that athletics should-skill, dedication, sportsmanship, and fun.
This year’s tournament’s highlights:
May 25th – May 27th 2024
Purcellville, Virginia
Fireman’s Field & Franklin Park Fields
We invite anyone to come check out some of the best women’s baseball in the country. Schedule coming soon. Visit EWBC for updates.
Pawtucket Slaterettes: Slaterettes Classic (Pawtucket, RI, USA) June 15-16, 2024
Come celebrate over 50 years of the oldest all girls and women’s baseball league in the U.S. – the Pawtucket Slaterettes. This New England summer tournament is being held in the beautiful state of Rhode Island. Visit Slaterettes for details and registration.
Jackson Rockabillys: A Game of Our Own (Jackson, TN, USA) June 18, 2024
The Rockabillys will host and present a re-enactment of a big game between the Rockford Peaches and the Racine Belles, a tribute from the highly succesful movie, “A League of Their Own”. Interested in suiting up as a player, visit Rockabillys for more details.
Rockford Rivets: Rockford Peaches Night (Rockford, IL, USA) June 29, 2024
Enjoy a night at Rivets Stadium as the Rivets rebrand to the Rockford Peaches, honoring the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League team and Rockford sports history. Join members of Lil Peaches Baseball in Sections 105 and 107, designated for group members and their families. Find tickets here. The IWBC and SPoRT Apparel & Collectibles will also be there.
SABR / IWBC Women in Baseball Conference: Call for Papers Deadline (Online) July 1, 2024
The IWBC / SABR Women in Baseball Conference will be held virtually September 20-22, 2024. The call for papers is now open, with this year’s theme: Traveling Baseball.
Topics can focus on ideas such as: traveling teams, barnstorming, tournaments, international baseball, umpires, journalists and writers, college baseball and more. All topics and time periods related to women’s baseball are welcome. Submit abstracts to Dr. Leslie Heaphy at lheaphy@kent.edu – 200 words, plus contact information and short bio. Abstracts accepted for posters and/or oral presentations.
Dubois County Bombers: Meet Marla Hooch Night (Huntingburg, IN, USA) July 5, 2024
Actress Megan Cavanagh (Marla) will be available for a limited and exclusive VIP Meet & Greet before the gates open. Get your picture taken, get an autograph, and share in some stories and memories from her time filming here in Dubois County. She’ll also be throwing out the first pitch and hanging out to watch the Bombers play. For game tickets and more information, visit DC Bombers.
Baseball For All: Nationals Tournament (Elizabethtown, KY, USA) July 7 – 12, 2024
Baseball For All again partners with Ripken Baseball to host the 9th annual BFA Nationals, the largest girls’ baseball tournament in the United States, at The Ripken Experience® Elizabethtown in Kentucky. Stay updated on details at Baseball For All.
WBSC: IX Women’s Baseball World Cup (ThunderBay, ON, Canada) July 28 – August 3, 2024
The Women’s Baseball World Cup is an international tournament in which national women’s baseball teams from around the world compete. The 2024 finals return to Canada for a third time. For updated information, scores, and more, visit WBSC.
Rockford Rivets: Rockford Peaches Night (Rockford, IL, USA) August 3, 2024
Enjoy a night at Rivets Stadium as the Rivets rebrand to the Rockford Peaches, honoring the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League team and Rockford sports history. Find tickets here. The IWBC and SPoRT Apparel & Collectibles will also be there.
IWBC / SABR: Women in Baseball Conference (Online & Rockford, IL, USA) September 20 – 24, 2024
Mark your calendars for the 6th annual Women in Baseball Conference sponsored by IWBC and SABR and hosted by Rockford University. Stayed tuned for the Call for Papers and plan to join us September 20-22, 2024.
Community Champions
This year’s theme – Community Champions – celebrates those pioneers who seek to level the playing field in their own communities. From grassroots efforts through the creation of national and international programs, honor the champions of your community by sharing their stories and learning from their example.
Aurora B.
Aurora is a Community Champion. She loves baseball and loves sharing that with others. She always takes the time to help other female players feel more comfortable coming out to play. At the start of this season, while playing catch, she noticed a female opponent at the plate was so scared she was almost in tears. Aurora stopped the game to stand up, look that young lady right in the eye and tell her she deserves to play just like everyone else. She helped calm her opponent and got right back into the game. Aurora hasn’t had it easy without female players in our league to look up to but she has dedicated time to helping other younger females learn to play and stay.
Robbin M.
During a family picnic in the Spring of 1974, Robbin heard loud cheers and boos coming from across the park. As a curious 9-year-old, third-grader, Robbin ran over to observe a game of little league baseball being played. After watching the game for a few minutes, Robbin’s interest was piqued to learn how to baseball. The rest is history as Robbin’s first year of playing little league baseball is told as a memoir in her chapter book for girls.
Breaking Barriers: A Girl’s Dream to Play Baseball with Boys follows Robbin’s journey from a spectator to a team player. Through her struggles to fit in, gain respect, and prove her worth, Robbin learns the true meaning of hard work and dedication. With a strong supporting cast of characters, this book is a heartwarming tale of resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity during a time when societal expectations for girls were set in stone without question.
To learn more about Robbin’s story, read Breaking Barriers: A Girl’s Dream to Play Baseball with Boys.
Shirley Burkovich
Shirley Burkovich was a former AAGPBL player, who for decades, supported and advocated for girls and women in baseball at events like the Women’s Baseball World Cup, Baseball For All Nationals. or the Red Sox Women’s Fantasy Camp. She was a founding member of the International Women’s Baseball Center and was instrumental in bringing countless events and playing opportunities back to Rockford, where she played professionally in 1951. Everyone who knew her loved her and misses her.
Learn more about Shirley’s life and career in her own words in a 2017 interview with the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum: Shirley Burkovich – Sports Stories Baseball
Madalynne Dittmar
Madie grew up watching baseball. Then once in high school as a freshmen joined the baseball team as the first girl student manager. In the first year learned how to take care of the field to doing the players stats. While only entering sophomore year helped lead the boys to the first conference win which had not happened in over 5 years. With two more years left is studying so she can apply to manage a college baseball team while still over the summer helping manage a travel baseball team.
Bonnie Hoffman
Bonnie is a leader at every level for girls and women in baseball. She is the driving force behind the Eastern Women’s Baseball Conference and the Director of the Diamond Classic women’s baseball tournament every year in Virginia. Bonnie is also a Head Coach at DC Girls Baseball, running the 10u and 12u programs. Bonnie volunteers with Nationals Youth Academy and is active in the Aspen Institute for Sports and is a key participant in the Diversity initiative at the American Baseball Coaches Association. Bonnie is a one of a kind leader who has left her mark at all levels of baseball.
Sarah Langs
“She’s a super stats geek in a great way!” Langs grew up in New York, went to the University of Chicago, interned at the New York Daily News and CSN Chicago and then joined ESPN in 2015 as a sports content researcher. She was promoted to senior sports content researcher in 2018 and joined MLB the following year.
Bethany Morlan
Bethany goes above and beyond to bring baseball to the young girls in our community. Making an all girls team “Lil Peaches” who go head to head against boys at every game. Bethany teaches courage and confidence alongside the game. Letting the girls know they can do anything a boy can do! She gives them a team to feel comfortable on and be themselves. Without Bethany there wouldn’t be an all girls team available to my daughter and for that we are so thankful.
Mary Dobkin
“Aunt” Mary Dobkin, a physically handicapped woman living in Baltimore in the 1940s. Dobkin was concerned that juvenile delinquency was destroying her neighborhood. She organized the “Dobkin Dynamiters,” a baseball team comprised of disadvantaged and minority children. A loving but strict coach, she was responsible for several firsts in the coaching industry: the first woman to coach little league in Baltimore, the first coach to integrate a baseball team (1950), and the first to put a girl on an all-boys team (1960).
Josephine Morhard
Josephine established the first boys’ baseball league in America. Her city—and the country—was watching. Beyond all expectations, the Cleveland Indians rallied behind her project. Indians legends Bob Feller, Jeff Heath, and Roy Weatherly helped hone the boys’ skills; renowned sports reporter Hal Lebovitz became an umpire; and they were given permission to play in historic League Park. All the while, as Josephine’s Little Indians graduated into the Junior American and Junior National Leagues, and finally a Little World Series, she instilled in her boys strong values, good sportsmanship, and an unprecedented sense of accomplishment. Some of them, like Ray Lindquist and Jack Heinen, would become Minor League players. Not one of Mrs. Morhard’s boys would ever forget her. Read more about Josephine’s extraordinary work in Mrs. Morhard and the Boys.
Toni Stone
Seeing the new play of Toni Stone and watching her character reflected in A League of Their Own’s Max Chapman gave me a whole new appreciation for what this woman accomplished and endured in her time. An American hero if there ever was one, I salute Toni Stone during Women in Baseball Week for embodying the true spirit of Community Champion and inspiring girls decades later.
Abbi Jacobson & Will Graham
A League of Their Own not only told a great baseball story, but did so in a more honest and historically accurate way. This led to the birth of a whole new community and family for me. I thank Will Graham and Abbi Jacobson for that.
Maybelle Blair
Maybelle Blair is such an inspiration. She means so much to so many of us. Probably more than she will ever realize. Dirt in the skirt, Maybelle!
Po Chun Liu
Po Chun Liu is a great example of a female pioneer in baseball. She deserves every award possible and every day changes the landscape for women athletes, particularly in baseball, ESPECIALLY for umpires, all around the world.
Cami Kidder Divine
She has been the main fuel behind my constant engagement in the game of baseball and most especially girl baseball in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana-Africa. I can confidently say am the only trainer in my country with a girls baseball players in schools and the communities and these girls can play very well. She has not given up in seeking opportunities to have some of the girls display their talent on the international platforms.
SARA ROSE THIBAUT
Being the only female on the field has always been a part of Sara Rose’s baseball journey. With 24 years in the game, she’s still trying to normalize and shatter the stereotypical vision many people still have of who wears a uniform and what they are contributing to the game. Sara Rose moved into an all men’s league after high school and quickly started her own team in that league with true coed goals for her team. Her 1st female recruit was Tamara Holmes, who still plays for her team and after 5 years, they now have 4 female players and a female GM. Sara Rose has also been a baseball Coach at the local high school for 3 years where she has been shaking up the game by being the winning coach for the entire freshman league. Her presence on the field has created the conversation among fans and coaches alike, all asking her questions about her career on the field and how excited they are to see her out there. Normalizing the vision of females on the field, shattering stereotypes and encouraging other females to follow their dreams is everyday business for Sara Rose THIBAUT, a true leader for females in the game.
Doris Hocking
Doris Hocking is the creator of Women’s Baseball-UK, which promotes more women into the sport across the United Kingdom. She is responsible for this organization growing into a multi-team league nationwide and the creation of Great Britain’s first women’s national team, which now competes in international tournaments. Overall, she is known worldwide for being a trailblazer and as someone who has given tirelessly of herself to make baseball more inclusive.
Philly Girls Baseball
Thank you for giving more opportunities to local girls to pursue any sport they want to play and encouraging them to be whatever they want to be. Learn more about this extraordinary program at Philly Girls Baseball.
Barbara Gregorich
Barbara’s books, particularly Women at Play: The Story of Women in Baseball, opened up a whole world to me. She is a gifted writer whose talent for researching and crafting historical narrative is both accessible and motivation to her readers. Ultimately, her writing has set me on a lifelong journey I never anticipated, but I am so grateful for it.
Contact
Women in Baseball Week, developed by Ryan Woodward, is a project of the International Women’s Baseball Center. Contact Ryan at info@womeninbaseballweek.org.