Doris Jane Sams (February 2, 1927 – June 28, 2012), nicknamed "Sammye", was an American

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 ...

and

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

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 , 145 lbs., she batted and threw right-handed.

Early life

A native of

Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...

, Doris was the only daughter of Robert and Pauline Sams. She grew up in a home where baseball was considered of vital importance. Her grandfather was a semi-professional hurler who taught her how to pitch, while her father was a semi-professional

center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the ...

who taught her how to catch and field. Athletically inclined, she started playing sports at an early age with the assistance of her brothers Paul and Robert Jr. She started playing softball with older girls in 1938 when she was 11, helping her softball team win the state championship in seven of the next eight years, and representing Tennessee in a national tournament in 1941. She later played for the Nelson's Cafe club, until the

Pepsi Cola Company PepsiCo, Inc. is an American multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation headquartered in Harrison, New York, in the hamlet of Purchase. PepsiCo's business encompasses all aspects of the food and beverage market. It oversees the manuf ...

bought it. She stayed with the Pepsi Cola team until 1946, winning three championships with them before starting her career in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

AAGPBL career

At age 19, Sams entered the AAGPBL in

1946 1946 (Roman numerals, MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1946th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 946th year of the 2nd millennium, the 46th year of the 20th centur ...

with the expansion

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 ...

. She had an auspicious debut, hitting a .276

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 ...

with 15 runs scored and nine runs driven home in 42 games. As an underhand pitcher, she posted an 8–9 record with a 3.78

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

in 25 pitching appearances, while her average was seventh best in the league for players with 100 or more

at-bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens upon completion of his turn at bat, b ...

(she went 29-for-106). Muskegon, with

Buzz Boyle Ralph Francis "Buzz" Boyle (February 9, 1908 – November 12, 1978) was an American professional baseball player who played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball from 1929 through 1935. He played for the Boston Braves and Brooklyn Dodgers. In ...

at the helm, placed sixth in the eight-team league with a 46–66 record. The first AAGPBL

spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

outside the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

was held in

1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country i ...

Havana, Cuba Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.managed by legendary

Bill Wambsganss Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak P ...

. The team included talented players as

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 ...

Dorothy Stolze Dorothy Stolze 'Dottie''(May 1, 1923 – July 19, 2003) was a second basewoman who played from through for four teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 129 lb., she batted and threw right-handed. Career ...

and pitchers

Amy Applegren Amy Irene "Lefty" Applegren (November 16, 1926April 3, 2011) was an American baseball pitcher and infielder who played from 1944 through 1953 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5'4, 125 lb., she batted and threw ...

and Nancy Warren, between others. That season the league made the transition from underhand to full side-arm pitching. Sams exploded in her sophomore season, to become one of the leading all-around players in the circuit. She finished with a .280 average, the third-highest among regulars, and collected nine doubles, five

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 ...

, 41 RBI and 31 runs in 107 games. She also pitched 19 games, going 11–4 with a low 0.93 ERA and a significant .733

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 ...

, allowing 26 runs (15 earned) 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 ...

34 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 ...

28. She was second only to

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 ...

of the

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 ...

, who posted a 20–8 record (.714) and a 0.68 ERA in 35 games. In addition, Sams ended 7th 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 ...

(116), tied for 9th in hits (97), and tied for 7th in RBI. But her great highlight came on August 18 of the 1947 season, when she collected her eleventh victory by pitching a

perfect game Perfect game may refer to: Sports * Perfect game (baseball), a complete-game win by a pitcher allowing no baserunners * Perfect game (bowling), a 300 game, 12 consecutive strikes in the same game * Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, New Yo ...

, defeating the strong

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 ...

, 2–0. Sams earned the

Player of the Year Award Several sports leagues honour their best player with an award called Player of the Year. In the United States, this type of award is usually called a Most Valuable Player award. Association football In association football, this award is held on b ...

and made her first All-Star Team as an outfielder and pitcher that year, becoming the only player in AAGPBL history to be so honored. Muskegon went on to win the regular season title with a 69–43 record, but failed to 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 ...

in the first round. In

1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The current Constitutions of Constitution of Italy, Italy and of Constitution of New Jersey, New Jersey (both later subject to amendment) ...

the AAGPBL expanded to a historical peak of ten teams divided into Eastern and Western Divisions, and made the switch from side-arm to overhand pitching. On July 12, Sams opened the year by hurling a 3–0

no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter or no-hit game is a game in which a team does not record a hit (baseball), hit through conventional methods. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in ...

against the

Springfield Sallies The Springfield Sallies were a women's professional baseball team who were members of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in the 1948 season and became a development team. The Sallies were based in Springfield, Illinois and playe ...

, one of the league's two new clubs, along with the

Chicago Colleens The Chicago Colleens were a women's professional baseball team who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1948 to 1951, evolving into a development team. The team was based Chicago, Illinois and played their home gam ...

. One evening later, she helped beat the Sallies 6–5, going 3-for-4, including a two-run homer, a single and an RBI triple. Then, the next day she pitched a one-hitter, 3–1 victory against South Bend, and contributed with two hits and one RBI. But Sams never really made the adjustment to the new style pitching, finishing with an 18–10 mark and a 1.54 ERA. Nevertheless, she enjoyed a productive season as a hitter, collecting a .257 average (9th in the league) after going 105-for-409. She also scored 105 runs, slugged six doubles, seven triples and three

home runs 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 ...

, recording career-best numbers with 59 RBI and 117 games played. Thanks in part to her timely hitting, Muskegon finished second in the Eastern Division with a record of 66–57 and advanced to the playoffs, only to be beaten by the

in the first round. Unfortunately, Sams was overlooked for the All-Star Team, being surpassed by

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 ...

center fielder and Player of the Year

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 won the batting title with a .312 average, and belted four homers with 70 runs and 56 RBI. Wagner was the only girl to hit over .300 in that season, ending 23 points ahead of runner-up

Connie Wisniewski Constance Wisniewski ( Wiśniewski) (February 18, 1922 – May 4, 1995) was a starting pitcher and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 8", 147 lb., she batted left-handed a ...

. As hurlers adapted to the new pitching style, batting averages declined even more during the 1949 season. Sams won the batting crown with a .279 mark, as she repeated as Player of the Year to become the first player in the league to twice win player of the year honors. She won the batting title race by a single point over Wisniewski and led the circuit with 114 hits (one more hit than Wisniewski), but was not among the leaders in any other offensive category. As a pitcher, Sams had a 15–10 mark with a 1.58 ERA and finished 8th in ERA, tied for 7th in wins and tied for 8th in

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. On July 14 of that season, she hurled a one-hitter, 3–1 victory against South Bend and helped herself with two hits and one RBI. Then, on August 19 she defeated again South Bend on a three-hit shutout, 2–0, while hitting a single with a run scored. All pitchers were led by

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 ...

of 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 ...

, who went 24–8 with 120 strikeouts a 1.58 ERA, and

Lois Florreich Kathleen Lois "Flash" Florreich (April 29, 1927 – September 11, 1991) was a pitcher and utility player who played from through for three different teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 140 lb., Florreic ...

of 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 ...

, who posted a 22–7 record with 210 strikeouts (a league high) and a minuscule 0.67 ERA, to set an all-time season record for lowest ERA in the league's history. Sams made the All-Star Team for a second time while Muskegon, managed by

Carson Bigbee Carson Lee "Skeeter" Bigbee (March 31, 1895 – October 17, 1964) was an American outfielder in Major League Baseball who played his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was born in Lebanon, Oregon, and attended the University of Oregon ...

, had a fifth-best record of 46–66 and advanced to the playoffs. The Belles took the first round from Kenosha but were swept in the semi-finals by South Bend. The AAGPBL used a livelier ball in 1950. As a result, offensive levels augmented significantly in all cases with more hits, scoring more runs and hitting four times as many home runs as they did in previous seasons. That year, Sams began a string of four consecutive seasons with a batting average over .300. She finished 5th in the batting race with a .301 average, was 3rd in slugging (.419), and tied for 5th in home runs (4). It was the last season she pitched on a regular basis, going 12–13 with a 2.60 ERA, as she made her third All-Star Team. During the midseason, poor attendance in

Muskegon Muskegon ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Muskegon County, Michigan, United States. Situated around a harbor of Lake Michigan, Muskegon is known for fishing, sailing regattas, and boating. It is the most populous city along Lake Michigan' ...

forced the movement of the struggling Lassies to

Kalamazoo, Michigan Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 73,598. It is the principal city of the Kalamazoo–Portage metropolitan are ...

. The change of scenery did not help, as the now

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 ...

finished in the cellar with the worst record of the league (36-73-2). Bonnie Baker,

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 ...

for South Bend early in the season, joined the Kalamazoo team as player-manager in a short stint for her, because the following year the league passed a rule banning female managers. In 1951, Sams allowed 13 hits and 11 runs in her final three innings of work on the mound, though her offensive production remained consistent. She ranked 6th in average (.306) and 9th in total bases (135), tying for 4th in doubles (16) and for 8th in hits (109). She added two homers, 40 runs and 33 RBI in 97 games, and also earned a fourth selection to the All-Star Team. The Lassies posted a measly record of 34–75 and finished in 7th place (out of 8th in the league). Sams enjoyed a career-season in 1952, when she led the circuit with 12 home runs and finished third in average (.314) in 109 games. She also was second in hits (128), doubles (25) and total bases (195), and ended third in RBI (57) in her last year as an All-Star Team, while Kalamazoo finished 5th of six teams with a 49–60 record. During a double-header sweep of Grand Rapids in June, she homered in both games, including a two-run blast in a four-hit, 3–0 shutout by Ruth Williams in game one, and a solo homer in a seven-hit, 2–1 victory of

Gloria Cordes Gloria Cordes Elliott (September 21, 1931 – March 13, 2018) was an American starting pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 8", 138 lb., she batted and threw right-handed. Ov ...

in the nightcap. With her 12 dingers, Sams broke the league's all-time home run record of 10 set in 1943 by Racine's

Eleanor Dapkus Eleanor V. Wolf (née Eleanore Dapkus; December 5, 1923 – June 6, 2011) was a center fielder and pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Early years Dapkus was born to Lithuanian parents, Fr ...

. That mark would be eclipsed in 1954 by Fort Wayne's

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 ...

, when she hit 29 home runs during what turned out to be the league's final season. In 1953 Sams played her last season in the AAGPBL. She appeared in 46 games and hit .312 (54-for-173), including 23 runs, seven extrabases and 22 RBI. In an eight-year career, Sams was a .290 hitter in 271 games and posted a 64–47 record with a 2.16 ERA as a pitcher.

Batting statistics

Life after baseball

Following her baseball career, Sams returned home and accepted a good job offer as computer operator for the Knoxville Utility Board, where she worked for 25 years, retiring in 1979. Sams, who never married, was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1970 and the Knoxville Hall of Fame in 1982. She also 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 1988, which is dedicated to the entire league rather than any individual player. Sams died on June 28, 2012, aged 85. She was inducted into
National Women's Baseball Hall of Fame
in 2012.

AAGPBL perfect games

''All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Record Book'' – W. C. Madden

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sams, Doris All-American Girls Professional Baseball League players Baseball players from Knoxville, Tennessee 1927 births 2012 deaths 21st-century American women Pitchers who have pitched a perfect game