South Bend Blue Sox

1944 South Bend Blue Sox
Back, L-R: Bert Niehoff (manager), Betsy Jochum, Johanna Hageman, Charlotte Armstrong, Loretta Dowjack, Helen Moore (chaperone). Middle, L-R: Margaret Stefani, Lois Florreich, Doris Barr, Dorothy Schroeder, Bonnie Baker, Rose Gacioch. Front, L-R: Margaret Berger, Mary Lou Lester, Catherine Bennett, Lee Surkowski.

The South Bend Blue Sox were a women's professional baseball team who played from 1943 through 1954 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. A founding member, the team represented South Bend, Indiana and played their home games at Bendix Field (1943–1945) and Playland Park (1946–1954).

The Blue Sox were one of two teams to play in every AAGPBL season, the other being the Rockford Peaches. Often a second-division team, they appeared in six playoff series and won two league titles.

In 1943, The Blue Sox finished in third place with a 51-40 mark, only .001 percentage point behind second place Kenosha Comets. Together, pitchers Margaret Berger and Doris Barr threw 79 of the 91 games played by the Sox. Berger was credited with 25 wins and Barr with 15, while Berger posted her greatest triumph in a 13-inning match, which she won 1-0.

The next three years, South Bend finished 64-55 (1944), 49-60 (1945), 70-42 (1946), 57-54 (1947) and 57-59 (1948). After falling in their playoff intents, the team posted the best record in 1949 with a 75-36 mark. That year they were swept in the playoffs, 4-to-0, by Rockford, after getting a first-round bye along with them. The South Bend club went on to win their next four playoffs in claiming back-to-back league titles in 1951 and 1952. After that, the Blue Sox finished in last place both in the 1953 and 1954 seasons.

Apart of the aforementioned Barr and Berger, the South Bend included talented players as Bonnie Baker (C), Jean Faut (P) Betsy Jochum (OF/1B), Elizabeth Mahon (OF), Betty Whiting (IF), and Dottie Schroeder (SS), who played with four different teams to become the only girl to play through the 12 years of existence of the circuit.

All-time roster

Fredda Acker Ellen Ahrndt Amy Irene Applegren Charlotte Armstrong Louise Arnold Bonnie Baker Phyllis Baker Doris Barr Mary Baumgartner Catherine Bennett Margaret Berger Nalda Bird Jaynne Bittner Audrey Bleiler Ruth Born Rita Briggs Wilma Briggs Delores Brumfield Arlene Buszka Marge Callaghan Mary Carey Virginia Carver Betty Carveth Bea Chester Dorothy Christ Louise Clapp

Muriel Coben Donna Cook Doris Cook Peggy Cramer Idona Crigler Josephine D'Angelo Mona Denton Nancy DeShone Maxine Drinkwater Gertrude Dunn Loretta Dwojak Lillian Faralla Jean Faut Peggy Fenton Helen Filarski Lois Florreich Betty Francis Mary Froning Rose Gacioch Barbara Galdonik Luisa Gallegos Gertrude Ganote Ann Garman Mary Lou Graham Johanna Hageman Josephine Hasham

Esther Hershey Joyce Hill Barbara Hoffman Mary Holda Mabel Holle Marjorie Hood Marion Hosbein Betsy Jochum Daisy Junor Jackie Kelley Beatrice Kemmerer Evelyn Keppel Glenna Sue Kidd Shirley Kleinhams Dolores Klosowski Phyllis Koehn Jaynie Krick Marie Kruckel Anna Kunkel Margie Lang Josephine Lenard Mary Lou Lester Lillian Luckey Betty Luna Esther Lyman Lucella MacLean

Elizabeth Mahon Marie Mahoney Lenora Mandella Theda Marshall Betty Jean McFadden Bernice Metesch Norma Metrolis Alice Meyer Darlene Mickelsen Dolores Mueller Dorothy Mueller Dorothy Naum Helen Nordquist Joanne Ogden Vickie Panos Marguerite Pearson Pauline Pirok Charlene Pryer Jenny Romatowski Elaine Roth Janet Rumsey Dorothy Sawyer Violet Schmidt Dorothy Schroeder Geraldine Shafranis Kay Sopkovic

Margaret Stefani Ruby Stephens Jane Stoll Lucille Stone Shirley Stovroff Anne Surkowski Lee Surkowski Viola Thompson Betty Trezza Ellen Tronnier Dolly Vanderlip Georgette Vincent Inez Voyce Betty Wagoner Betty Wanless Margaret Wenzell Dorothy Whalen Betty Whiting Norma Whitney Janet Wiley Ruth Williams Senaida Wirth Renae Youngberg Lois Youngen

Managers

1943 South Bend Blue Sox
Back, L-R: Bert Niehoff (manager), Muriel Coben, Ellen Tronnier, Johanna Hageman, Geraldine Shafranis, Betty McFadden, Rose Virginia Way (chaperone). Middle, L-R: Lois Florreich, Betsy Jochum, Josephine D'Angelo, Margaret Berger, Dorothy Schroeder, Mary Holda. Front: Doris Barr, Mary Baker, Lucella MacLean, Margaret Stefani.

* Bert Niehoff	1943 1944
* Marty McManus	1945
* Chet Grant	1946 1947
* Marty McManus	1948
* Dave Bancroft	1948 1949 1950
* Karl Winsch	1951 1952 1953 1954

Sources

• All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Record Book – W. C. Madden. Publisher: McFarland & Company. Format: Paperback, 294pp. Language: English. ISBN 0786437472. ISBN 9780786437474

External links

• All-American Girls Professional Baseball League