Female sluggers are no longer in a league of their own

Members of the Canada team watch their WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup group stage game against South Korea at Rivets Stadium in Loves Park, Illinois, on July 23. | The New York Times

Sep 28, 2026

Rockford, Illinois – More than 70 years ago, the women who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in cities across the Midwest were known as the Girls of Summer, and when the league folded in 1954 after a dozen seasons, they were promptly forgotten.

But ever since the movie “A League of Their Own” reintroduced the women players to America in 1992, their story has resonated widely. Some of the players still appear at card shows, baseball games and reunions that have provided them with a measure of fame, and even money, that eluded them during their playing days.

One of their latest appearances took place in Rockford, Illinois, this summer. On a sunny morning at Beyer Peaches Stadium, seven alumnae of the all-women’s league sat near home plate wearing pink, pistachio green and light blue jerseys of the teams they played for.

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