Constance Wisniewski ( Wiśniewski) (February 18, 1922 – May 4, 1995) was a

starting pitcher In baseball (hardball or softball), a starting pitcher or starter is the first pitcher in the game for each team. A pitcher is credited with a game started if they throw the first pitch to the opponent's first batter of a game. Starting pit ...

and

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...

who played from through 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' 8", 147 lb., she batted

left-handed In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to and causing it to be stronger, faster or more dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dextrous or simply l ...

and threw

right-handed In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to and causing it to be stronger, faster or more Fine motor skill, dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dext ...

Overview profile

Connie Wisniewski has been considered by many historians as the best underhand pitcher of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. A model of consistency, in 1946 she completed all 40 of her starts and was named to the first of her four All-Star Teams. She averaged 26 wins in each of her first four seasons, including two with more of 30. In addition, she posted a 107-48 career record to become one of only seven pitchers to collect 100 or more victories in AAGPBL history, ranking behind

Helen Nicol Helen Nicol (later Fox; May 9, 1920 – July 25, 2021) was a Canadian-American baseball pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). Listed at , , Nicol batted and threw right-handed. She w ...

(163),

Jean Faut Jean Anna Faut ''Winsch/Eastman(January 17, 1925 – February 28, 2023) was an American starting pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 137 lb., she batted and threw right-hande ...

(140),

Joanne Winter Joanne Emily Winter '' o' (November 24, 1924 – September 22, 1996) was a pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 138 lb., she batted and threw right-handed. Early life A nativ ...

(133),

Dorothy Collins Dorothy Collins (born Marjorie Chandler;
''

Maxine Kline (116) and Nancy Warren (114). Wisniewski also holds the league's all-time record for best

winning percentage In sports, a winning percentage or Copeland score is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the to ...

(.690) and the best single-season record for

innings pitched In baseball, the statistic innings pitched (IP) is the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of Batter (baseball), batters and baserunners that have been put out while the pitcher is on the Baseball field#Pitcher's mou ...

(391). Wisniewski later switched to playing at outfield in 1948, in time to lead all 10 teams in

total bases In baseball statistics, total bases is the number of bases a player gains with hit (baseball), hits. It is a weighted sum with values of 1 for a single (baseball), single, 2 for a double (baseball), double, 3 for a triple (baseball), triple and 4 ...

and in

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...

s, while finishing second in

runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) 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 th ...

and third in

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 is ...

. As a hitter, she ranks fifth in the all-time list with a .290 average, behind

Joanne Weaver Joanne "Joltin' Jo" Weaver (December 19, 1935 – March 19, 2000) was a right fielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 142 lb., she batted and threw right-handed. Overview profile ...

(.359), Betty Foss (.342), Jean Geissinger (.306) and Dorothy Kamenshek (.292). A much coveted player, she made $250 weekly and was even given a chauffeur to games. At the time, the league's salaries ranged from $55 to $125 and most of their players did not enjoy many privileges.

Early life

A native of

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

, Wisniewski was one of six children born to Stanley Wisniewski and Frances Wisniewski. At the age of eleven she started to play softball in her home town. She later attended Detroit schools, graduating from the High School of Commerce. By then Wisniewski developed the basic skills necessary to compete at a high level. She began playing against the greatest

semi-professional Semi-professional sports are sports in which athletes are not participating on a full-time basis, but still receive some payment. Semi-professionals are not amateur because they receive regular payment from their team, but generally at a cons ...

softball players of Detroit in the late 1930s, and led the Hudson Motors team to the city championship. Although primarily an

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field, between first base and third base. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns pla ...

Wisniewski became a pitcher in 1941. She quickly learned fundamentals of the position, acquiring good mechanics, location and speed, the only way to pitch consistently with the minimum effort. She later developed an array of pitches, using a deceptive delivery and great movement with her pitches to keep opposing hitters off-balance and guessing at the batting's box. By the time Wisniewski was nineteen years old she was pitching for the Detroit Keller Girls, a team who gained attention during the early days of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, which earned her a solid prestige and consideration in national softball circles. Wisniewski possessed a blazing

fastball The fastball is the most common type of pitch (baseball), pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. Its distinctive feature is its high speed. "Power pitchers," such as former major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, relied on the ...

thrown with a windmill-like underhand pitching motion and speeds in the 90 miles per hour range. Then, an advancing

scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement ** Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom ** Scouts BSA, sect ...

of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League grabbed her up as soon as he saw her pitching. She was invited to a try out and later was allocated to the

Milwaukee Chicks The Milwaukee Chicks were a women's professional baseball team which played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the season. They were managed by Max Carey, former star player for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Brooklyn Rob ...

, an expansion team managed by former big leaguer

Max Carey Maximillian George Carnarius (January 11, 1890 – May 30, 1976), also known as Max George Carey, was an American professional baseball center fielder and manager. Carey played in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1910 throug ...

AAGPBL career

* 1944 season
In 1944 Wisniewski joined the Milwaukee Chicks, a well-balanced squad that counted with talented players as

Thelma Eisen Thelma "Tiby" Eisen (May 11, 1922 – May 11, 2014) was an outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 4", 130 lb., she batted and threw right-handed. Thelma Eisen was among the t ...

, Merle Keagle, Betty Whiting and Alma Ziegler. The debuting Chicks led the league in

runs scored In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted bal ...

(492), batting average (.207), and

stolen bases In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base unaided by other actions and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or out a ...

(739) and tied for first in home runs (12). The best offensive support came from Keagle, who hit .264 with 47 RBI, led the league with 145 total bases, and set a new single-season record with seven home runs. In her

rookie A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience, a rookie is typically considered needing more tra ...

season Wisniewski posted a 23-10 record for a .697 winning percentage and collected a 2.23 earned run average (7th in the league), while

striking out ''Striking Out'' is an Television in the Republic of Ireland, Irish television legal drama television series, broadcast on RTÉ, that first aired on 1 January 2017, based on ''The Good Wife'' by Robert King (writer), Robert and Michelle King. Prod ...

49 batters and

walking Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined as an " inverted pendulum" gait in which the body vaults o ...

47 in 36 pitching appearances. The Chicks went 30-26 in the first half of the year, but dominated the second half (40-19) and had the best overall record (70-45). They then went on to win the Championship Title, beating the

Kenosha Comets The Kenosha Comets were a women's professional baseball team based in Kenosha, Wisconsin that played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The team played their home games at Kenosha's Lake Front Stadium, but l ...

in the postseason. During the seven-game series Wisniewski went 4-1 with a 0.40 ERA in five complete games, including two

shutout In team sports, a shutout (North American English, US) or clean sheet (Commonwealth English, UK) is a game in which the losing team fails to score. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketba ...

s, two one-run games and one two-run game, winning three of four matchups with Kenosha's

, who finished with a 17-11 mark (.607) and had led the league with a 0.93 ERA. Wisniewski lost Game 1 to Nicol and Kenosha, but rebounded in Game 3 to shut out the Comets and later won Game 4 against Nicol and the Comets by a 7–1 score. She started Game 6 with her team against the wall, 3 games to 2, and defeated Nicol in a 13-inning pitching-duel, 2–1, helping the Chicks to tie the series. In the decisive Game 7 Wisniewski shut out the Comets, 3–0, and beat Nicol again. Wisniewski set an all-time postseason record with four wins. Although the Chicks won the championship, they had no local financial backing and could not compete with the American Association

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...

. In fact, the Chicks were forced to play all seven games of the series at Kenosha's Lake Front Stadium because the Brewers were using the

Borchert Field Borchert Field was a baseball park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. The home field for several professional baseball clubs from 1888 through 1952, it became obsolete after the construction of County Stadium in 1953 and was demolished l ...

in Milwaukee. In addition, the high ticket prices charged for AAGPBL games failed to encourage significant fan support. Due to lack of community support and skepticism of journalists, the Chicks moved to

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...

prior to the 1945 season. * 1945 season
In 1945 Wisniewski became known as the ''Polish Rifle'', in part due to her ethnic origins, and ''Iron Woman'' by her hard throwing pitches and endurance at the mound. She would fare even better in that season, helping the renamed

Grand Rapids Chicks The Grand Rapids Chicks were a women's professional baseball team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1945 to 1954, winning championships in 1947 and 1953. History The franchis ...

to reach the playoffs, setting league season-records for

(391) and ERA (0.81), and went 32-11 in 46 games to lead the league in victories. The rest of the Grand Rapids staff finished with a 28-39 record. She also struck out 82 batters and walked 61, and her 32 victories represented a single-season record. Wisniewski pitched and won both ends of a doubleheader against the

Racine Belles The Racine Belles were one of the original teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League playing from through out of Racine, Wisconsin. The Belles won the league's first championship. The team played its home games at Horlick F ...

, but when she was not pitching she played and helped with the bat, hitting a .289 average with 70 runs and 66 RBI in 124 games. Then, in the first round of the playoffs she hurled one shutout against the

Rockford Peaches The Rockford Peaches were a women's professional baseball team who played from 1943 to 1954 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. A founding member, the team represented Rockford, Illinois. The Peaches were one of 2 teams to p ...

but lost two pitching duels with

Carolyn Morris Carolyn E. Morris (September 28, 1925 – February 20, 1996) was a female pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 157 lb., Morris batted and threw right-handed. She was nicknamed ' ...

, 1–0 and 2–0, and Rockford disposed of the Chicks three games to one. For her heroics she was named AAGPBL Player of the Year at the end of the season. * 1946 season
Wisniewski was honored by the publication ''Major League Baseball'' in 1946 after being selected by league managers as Player of the Year the previous season. She responded with a 33-9 record and a 0.96 ERA in 48 pitching appearances, striking out 79 batters while walking 59. She earned an All-Star Team selection and was selected Pitcher of the Year after leading the circuit in

complete game In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...

s (40), winning percentage (.786) and lowest ERA, though Racine's

Sophie Kurys Sophie Kurys (May 14, 1925 – February 17, 2013) was a former second basewoman who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , , Kurys batted and threw right-handed. Career A native of Flint, Michig ...

beat her out for Player of the Year honors. Kurys, who hit .286 with league-leads in

on-base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batting (baseball), batter reaches base (baseball), base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA ...

(.434) and bases reached (215), also set all-time, single-season records with 201

stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base unaided by other actions and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or out ...

s, 117 runs, 93 walks, and for fielding percentage at

second base In baseball and softball, second baseman, abbreviated 2B, is a fielding position in the infield, between second and first base. The second baseman often possesses quick hands and feet, needs the ability to get rid of the ball quickly, and must ...

(.973). Wisniewski also broke her own all-time mark of victories, sharing the league lead with

(33-10), to set a record of 33 single-season wins that never would be matched again by any pitcher. Grand Rapids finished in second place with a 71-41 record, took revenge on Rockford three games to two in the first round of the playoffs, but lost the final round to the Belles, four to two. For once Wisniewski struggled in the playoffs, going 1-2 with a 1.73 ERA and earning one save. For the first time she was named to the All-Star Team. * 1947 season
In 1947, according to new regulations, the AAGPBL pitchers were forced to switch from underhand to sidearm. Such change adversely affected the performance of underhand pitchers, including Wisniewski. She made the transition, with no small effort, and went 16-14 (.533) with a 2.15 ERA in 32 games. She began to appear more regularly at

right field A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In t ...

, because Grand Rapids manager

Johnny Rawlings John William Rawlings '' ed' (August 17, 1892 – October 16, 1972) was an American second baseman and shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for six different teams between the and seasons. Listed at , 158 lb., he batted and threw ...

decided to take advantage of her strong throwing arm and not waste her talent as a hitter. She responded with a .291 average, ending third in the league behind Rockford's Dorothy Kamenshek (.306) and Kenosha's

Audrey Wagner Genevieve "Audrey" Wagner (December 27, 1927 – August 31, 1984) was an outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 145 lb., she batted and threw right-handed. Brief profile Audre ...

, who lost the batting crown by a single point to Kamenshek. After a 65-47 record and another second-place finish, the Chicks defeated 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 the first round of the playoffs, three to two games, and clinched the Championship Title over Racine through seven contests.

Mildred Earp Mildred Kathryn Earp (October 7, 1925 – June 27, 2017), nicknamed Mid or Millie, was an American female pitcher who played from to in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 135 lb, she batted and threw right-hand ...

, who posted a 20-8 record with 192 strikeouts and a 0.68 ERA in the regular season, hurled a four-hit, 1–0 shutout in decisive Game 7 en route for the title. Wisniewski posted a 2-1 mark in the twelve postseason games and led her team with a .405 average (15-for-22). * 1948 season
The AAGPBL set a rule for a strictly overhand pitching in 1948. As an underhand pitcher, Wisniewski was unable to make the adjustment and thought she would have to leave the game. But her Grand Rapids manager

suggested she switch to outfield, and Wisniewski agreed. In her final year as a pitcher, she posted a 3-4 record with a 2.47 ERA in eight appearances, striking out 12 batters while walking 29. Then, she emerged as a top-notch hitter in the league after collect a .289 average, ending second behind the previous year's runner-up Wagner, who became the only girl to hit over .300 (.312). Wisniewski also led the circuit with seven home runs, posted a .385

with a .392 of

slugging Slugging, also known as casual carpooling and flexible carpooling, is the practice of forming ad hoc, informal carpools for purposes of commuting, essentially a variation of hitchhiking. A driver picks up these non-paying passengers (known as " ...

in 124 games, while ending second in runs batted in (66) and in doubles (20); third in total bases (172); fourth in

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * '' H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014, a British compilation album s ...

(127), and tied for sixth in

(70). She made her second All-Star Team, this time as an outfielder, completing one of the best individual seasons ever in AAGPBL history. The Chicks defeated South Bend in the first round of the playoffs in five games, but were swept by 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 ...

in the semi-finals after just three games. * 1949 season
Wisniewski continued to terrorize opposing pitchers throughout the 1949 season. She posted a solid .278 average, losing the batting crown to

Muskegon Lassies The Muskegon Lassies were one of the expansion teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in the 1946 season, representing Muskegon, Michigan. The team played their home games at Marsh Field. The league, its teams, and its story ...

' Doris Sams by one percentage point. Wisniewski also collected 113 hits, 64 runs, and 32 RBI, and amassed 140 total bases, even though she did not hit a home run. She was second in hits (one behind Sams), runs and total bases, ranking third in doubles (13) and tying for fifth in

triples TripleS (; ; stylized as tripleS) is a South Korean 24-member multinational girl group formed by Modhaus. They aim to be the world's first decentralized idol group, where the members will rotate between the full group, sub-units, and solo activi ...

(7). In addition, she was selected for the All-Star Team. During the playoffs, the Chicks beat Fort Wayne (2-1) in the first round and lost to Rockford (3-1) in the semi-finals. Nevertheless, Wisniewski wanted to pitch again and decided to jump to the rival

National Girls Baseball League The National Girls Baseball League (NGBL) was a professional women's baseball league which existed from 1944 to 1954, with teams based in Chicago, Illinois. The National Girls Baseball League started a year after the All-American Girls Professio ...

in the spring of 1950. Although it was billed as a baseball league, the NGBL featured underhand pitching and used a ball larger than that used in the AAGPBL. Wisniewski joined the Admiral Music Maids as a pitcher-outfielder, won 30 games during the regular season, but missed the AAGPBL. Eventually, she returned to the Chicks in time to start the 1951 AAGPBL season. * 1951 season
In 1951 Wisniewski entered her second stint with Grand Rapids and still putting up respectable numbers. In 105 games, she hit a .326 average with a .401 on-base percentage, slugged .412, and finished third in the batting race behind Betty Foss (.368) and Dorothy Kamenshek (.345). She also tied for second in hits (126) and triples (9), was third in total bases (159), and ended seventh in runs (78) and doubles (15), while driving in 42 runs. For the fourth (and last) time of her career she joined the All-Star Team. In the playoffs, the Chicks lost to Rockford in the first round (2-0). * 1952 season
Wisniewski played her last AAGPBL season in 1952. Recognizing that she was slowing down after suffering a litany of injuries that affected her play, she opted to retire at the end of the year. She hit .267 with a .364 OBP in 105 games, including 96 hits, and had 35

s while scoring 64 runs and driving in 25 more. Wisniewski made her last playoff appearance for the Chicks, who were swept by South Bend in the first round (2-0). The AAGPBL folded in 1954, yet it was not really a well known fact until the

1992 film The year 1992 in film involved many significant film releases. Highest-grossing films The top 10 films released in 1992 by worldwide gross are as follows: Events * August 24 – Production begins on ''Jurassic Park''. * October 29 – After ...

A League of Their Own ''A League of Their Own'' is a 1992 American sports comedy drama film directed by Penny Marshall that tells a fictionalized account of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). It stars Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Ma ...

'', directed by

Penny Marshall Carole Penny MarshallBorn Carole Penny Marshall in 1943, as per ''My Mother Was Nuts, a Memoir'', p. 10; . Copyright 2012 (October 15, 1943 – December 17, 2018) was an American actress, film director, and producer. She is best known for ...

, which brought many of the real AAGPBL players, began to earn a rebirth of celebrity with the first season of the circuit.

Life after baseball

Connie Wisniewski is part of the AAGPBL permanent display 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 ...

, opened in , which is dedicated to the entire league rather than any individual player. Besides this, Wisniewski is highly regarded by fanatics, readers, and baseball enthusiasts, as one of the best players in the 12-year history of the AAGPBL. She was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 1994. Following surgery, test showed that it had spread to other organs. A year later, she died in her home of

Seminole, Florida Seminole is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Tampa Bay area. The population was 19,364 at the 2020 census. History The first white settlement at Seminole was made in the 1840s. This community was named after ...

at the age of 73.''Women in Baseball: The Forgotten History'' – Gai Ingham Berlage, Charley Gerard. Publisher: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1994. Format: Hardcover, 224pp. Language: English.

Statistics

Pitching Batting

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wisniewski, Connie All-American Girls Professional Baseball League players Baseball players from Detroit American people of Polish-Jewish descent Deaths from cancer in Florida 1922 births 1995 deaths Jewish American baseball players National Girls Baseball League players 20th-century American sportswomen 20th-century American Jews American women baseball players Jews from Michigan