Chris Ballingall (born May 17, 1932) is a former

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professiona ...

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 catcher ...

who played 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 ...

(AAGPBL) in 1953 and 1954. Listed at and , she batted left-handed and threw right-handed. A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Ballingall learned to play baseball while catching for her twin brother. She had originally been offered a contract at the age of 15 to play in the AAGPBL, but her father did not want her to play then. She had to wait six years before being signed in 1953. She entered the league with the Muskegon Belles, and was traded to the

Kalamazoo Lassies The Kalamazoo Lassies were a team who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The team represented Kalamazoo, Michigan. Home games were initially played at Lindstrom Field, but later games were played at the ...

during the midseason. She also appeared in a few games at first base and

outfield The outfield, in cricket, baseball and softball is the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield. In association football, the outfield players are positioned outside the goal area. In cricket, baseball a ...

. In 1954, Ballingall posted a .242

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average i ...

with 17

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run is ...

s and 40

runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the ba ...

in 90 games. In the playoffs, she hit .444 with eight RBI and two home runs, including one grand slam, to help the Lassies clinch the AAGPBL last championship title. She and her teammate

Carol Habben Carol Habben (May 15, 1933 – January 11, 1997) was a center fielder and backup catcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 135 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.

, who hit a total of 16 homers (one in postseason), were dubbed the "Home Run Twins" by terrorizing opponents with their bats all the way through the lineup. Ballingall is currently living in

Mattawan, Michigan Mattawan is a village in Antwerp Township, Van Buren County of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,997 at the 2010 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , of which is land ...

Statistics

Regular season

Batting Fielding

Postseason

Batting Fielding

References

Sources

*''Encyclopedia of women and baseball'' - Leslie A. Heaphy, Mel Anthony May. Publisher: McFarland & Co., 2006. Format: Paperback, 438 pp. Language: English. *''The Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League: A biographical dictionary'' - W. C. Madden. Publisher: McFarland & Co., 1997. Format: Paperback, 295 pp. Language: English. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ballingall, Chris 1932 births Living people All-American Girls Professional Baseball League players Baseball players from Ann Arbor, Michigan People from Mattawan, Michigan Muskegon Belles players Kalamazoo Lassies players Baseball catchers 21st-century American women