Beatrice "Beatty" Kemmerer (February 23, 1930 – November 2, 2013) was an American backup

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catc ...

and

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball positions, baseball or softball fielding position between second base, second and third base, which is considered to be among the Defensive spectrum, most demanding defensive positions. Historically, the ...

who played from 1950 through 1951 in the

All-American Girls Professional Baseball League The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) was a professional women's baseball league founded by Philip K. Wrigley, which existed from 1943 to 1954. The AAGPBL is the forerunner of women's professional league sports in the Uni ...

. Listed at 5' 3", 145 lb., Kemmerer batted and threw right handed. She was dubbed ''Beatty''. A member of a championship team, Beatrice Kemmerer played in less than ten games in both of the two seasons she spent in the league, due to an injury suffered in a regular season game. Born in

Center Valley, Pennsylvania Center Valley is an unincorporated community located one mile north of Coopersburg, at the intersection of Pennsylvania State Routes 309 and 378 in Upper Saucon Township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Lehigh ...

, Kemmerer grew up playing

sandlot ball Sandlot ball or sandlot baseball is a competitive and athletic sports game that follows the basic rules and procedures of baseball. It is less organized and structured, as the name alludes to a makeshift field or an empty lot. In the 20th centu ...

with her siblings and the neighbor kids at an early age. Eventually, in 1950 she asked her parents' permission to try out for the league and later earned a spot as a catcher for the

Fort Wayne Daisies The Fort Wayne Daisies were a women's professional baseball team based in Fort Wayne, Indiana that played from through as members of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. History The Daisies represented Fort Wayne, Indiana, and ...

. After spending only two months with the team, an ankle injury sidelined her for most of the year. She came back late in the season and was assigned to the

South Bend Blue Sox The South Bend Blue Sox was a women's professional baseball team who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. A founding member, the team represented South Bend, Indiana, and played their home games at Bendix F ...

. In 1951, Kemmerer was used sparingly by South Bend

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...

Karl Winsch Karl Edgar Winsch (February 10, 1915 – December 21, 2001) was a pitcher and manager in Minor League Baseball. Listed at , 180 lb., Winsch batted and threw right-handed. A native of Allentown, Pennsylvania, Karl Winsch spent two decades in ...

, while catching and filling in at shortstop, helping the Blue Sox win their first pennant and championship title. Madden, W.C. All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Record Book.

McFarland & Company McFarland & Company, Inc., is an American independent book publisher based in Jefferson, North Carolina, that specializes in academic An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tert ...

(2000); After baseball, Kemmerer worked in an

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

factory for 40 years. She also umpired ballgames and helped with any social event she could, until become an active member of the AAGPBL Players Association. The association was largely responsible for the opening of ''Women in Baseball'', a permanent display based at the

Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by a private foundation. It serves as the central collection and gathering space for the history of baseball in the United S ...

Cooperstown, New York Cooperstown is a village in and the county seat of Otsego County, New York, United States. Most of the village lies within the town of Otsego, but some of the eastern part is in the town of Middlefield. Located at the foot of Otsego Lake in ...

, which was unveiled in 1988 to honor the entire All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Kemmerer died on November 2, 2013, in

South Bend, Indiana South Bend is a city in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. It lies along the St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan), St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. It is the List of cities in ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kemmerer, Beatrice All-American Girls Professional Baseball League players Fort Wayne Daisies players South Bend Blue Sox players Baseball players from Lehigh County, Pennsylvania 1930 births 2013 deaths 20th-century American sportswomen