Hide Article Text (OCR)
Experiment This Year With Professional Girls Softball; Plan Major League in 1944By DAVE HOFFChicago—(JP)—Professional girls softball, with a $100,000 bankroll and the brain* of two top-notch baseball organization* behind it, hopes after spending this summer In an experimental hothouse to bloB-som forth next year in the nation’s big cities—right alongside its big brother, major league baseball.When Philip K. Wrigley, the Chicago CubB' owner, and Branch Rickey, the Brooklyn Dodgers’ vice president and general manager, formed the all-American girls’ softball league, they weren’t just doing it to throw away excess cash. They visualize a day when fans will jam the big city ball parks to watch young lady name” players perform.Operational SetupThis year the all-American girls’ softball league will operate on a minimum scale, in four smaller cities in the Chicago area. But the operational setup is the same that will be used if their dream of a couple of major softball leagues and a flock of minors some day comes true.Everything possible is being done to keep the girls’ league from resembling the men’s game. The girls will wear three-quarter length skirts —no slacks, no shorts. Boyish haircuts are out. And the salaries being offered are good enough to assure the finest and fairest of talent.For instance the lowest salary called for in a current contract is 545 a week, more than the average stenographer or factory girl gets, and far above the pay of the average Class D minor leaguer.The best salary is $85 a week, comparing favorably with the pay received by players in the top minor leagues.And in usual baseball style the girls get all their expenses paid while they’re on the road.League Signs GirlsInstead of being under contract to the respective clubs, the girls were signed by the league which distributed the talent as equally as possible among the four teams. The first games are listed for May 30 with upwards of 100 contests carded for each club. Thus this is a full-time job for each of the players.There are a few changes made in the standard softball playing rules. The pitcher is 40 feet instead of 35 from home plate. There are only nine players on each team, with the traditional short fielder eliminated. Base runners may take a leadoff. The pitcher may use a glove to facilitate deception in delivery.The four member cities—Kenosha and Racine in Wisconsin, South Bend, Ind., and Rockford, 111.—have been chosen because of the large number of industrial plants near by.If the attendance is good and theThe girls drill on Wrigley field, Chicago.stars develop among the original players, another year or two may find the girls invading the major league ball fields, playing at home when the local baseball team is on the road, traveling when the major leaguers are home.Neihoff Big FavoriteOfficials of the All-American Girls’ softball league didn’t realize when they hired Bert Neihoff as one of their four team managers that he’d be the cause of the circuit’s first player dissention. It’s all because Bert’s such a popular guy. Everybody wants to play for him. As it wound up, Bert and 15 of the youthful girl players were assigned today to South Bend, Ind., and the other 45 players gnashed their teeth in mock anguish as they departed variously for Racine and Kenosha, Wis., and Rockford, 111., for the opening of play May 30.Girls Call Him “Chum”The “trouble” started when Neihoff, former highly successful minor league baseball executive, began coaching the girls during last week’s tryouts at Wrigley field. The girls took to the 53-year-old, patemal-ap-pearing gent, and soon were calling him “Chum.”“We don’t care what town we're sent to,” one miss declared, just as long as Bert is our manager.” League President Ken Sells said Neihoff was chosen as a manager because “he’s one of the best men in the sport as far as having ability in teaching and being a gentleman is concerned. We all got a kick out of seeing how well the girls liked Bert, but don’t kid yourself. The girls going to Racine, Wis., are just as crazy about their manager, Johnny Gottselig, and so are the Rockford, III., girls about Eddie Stumpf and the Kenosha, Wis., players under Josh Billings. We signed an all-star managerial staff.”Playing under Neihoff at South Bend will be two of the best regarded young players, whom league offi-Catcher Clara Schillacesome of the stars of the game if the league moves into major league towns at some future date. They arc 15-year-old Lois Florreieh of St Louis, Mo., whom Neihoff call: “Jitterbug,” and 16-year-old Dor othy Shrceder of Sadorus, 111. Formerly Played With Phillies This is Neihoff’s first crack al softbali. An ex-star second baseman of the Philadelphia Phillies, he won three pennants in each of these top-grade minor leagues—the Southern association, the International league, and the Texas league. His teams also won three Dixie “world series” crowns. He was with Knox-»;i1a
Newspaper Details
Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune
Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, US
Thu, May 27, 1943
Page 8
Full Page
Clipped by
Anna S.
NA, 31 Jul 2023
Other Publications Near Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin
Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune
