Dorothy B. "Dottie" Ferguson Key (February 17, 1923 – May 8, 2003) was a Canadian

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 ...

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' 6", 125 lb., she batted and threw right handed.''The Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League: A Biographical Dictionary'' – W. C. Madden. Publisher: McFarland & Company, 2005. Format: Paperback, 295 pp. Language: English. Dorothy Key – Biography / Obituary
. ''

''. Retrieved 2019-04-12.

Early life

A native of

Virden, Manitoba Virden is a town in southwestern Manitoba, Canada. Oil was first discovered in 1951, and Virden has since come to be known as the "Oil Capital of Manitoba". History Virden has its roots as a farming community known as Gopher Creek. However, it ...

, Ferguson was one of the sixty-eight girls from Canada who played in the AAGPBL during its 12-year history. Athletically inclined from a young age, she began skating and was soon involved in

softball Softball is a Variations of baseball, variation of baseball, the difference being that it is played with a larger ball, on a smaller field, and with only underhand pitches (where the ball is released while the hand is primarily below the ball) ...

. In 1939, she was named the North American women's

speed skating Speed skating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in travelling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long-track speed skating, short-track speed skating, and marathon speed skat ...

champion. Only the coming 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 ...

prevented her from competing for Canada in the

Olympics The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of competit ...

. Due to the conflict, the Games of 1940 to be held in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

temporarily relocated to

Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...

, and upon the outbreak of war were canceled.

Professional career

Ferguson entered the AAGPBL in 1945 with 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 ...

, playing for them 10 years until the league folded in 1954. A proven performer, speedy Ferguson averaged over 46

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 per season and collected a personal-best 91 steals in 1951. Though mainly a

singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...

hitter, she was a productive force at the plate, connecting 645

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 ...

while

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 ...

455 times in 3216

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 ...

s. A versatile infielder who played mainly 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 ...

and

third Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', i.e., the third in a series of fractional parts in a sexagesimal number system Places * 3rd Street (di ...

, she gained respect amongst fellow players after switching to

center field 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 cen ...

. The Rockford Peaches were the most successful team in the history of the AAGPBL, winning the title in her first season (1945) and three in a row at one point (1948–1950). Ferguson was used sparingly in her rookie year, mostly at third base, batting only a .131

average In colloquial, ordinary language, an average is a single number or value that best represents a set of data. The type of average taken as most typically representative of a list of numbers is the arithmetic mean the sum of the numbers divided by ...

in the regular season and 0-for-3 in the playoffs. She started 1946 with the

Peoria Redwings The Peoria Redwings was a women's professional baseball team who joined the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in the 1946 season and remained in the league through 1951. The team represented Peoria, Illinois, playing home games at ...

but rejoined the Peaches in the midseason, hitting a combined .183 with a .307

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 ...

in 80 games. Rockford defeated 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 final series, four to one games, but she did not play in the series. In 1947 she became a ''spark plug'' on the team, stealing 71 bases to tie with

Faye Dancer Faye Katherine Dancer (April 24, 1925 – May 22, 2002) was a center fielder who played from through for three teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 145 lb., she batted and threw right-handed. Women in ...

for fifth in the league, while batting .153 with a .283 OBP. Rockford ended sixth in the eight-team league, out of contention.All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Record Book In 1948, Ferguson became the regular center fielder for the Peaches. She stole 73 bases, scored 73 runs, and drew 76 walks while hitting just .153, but she ended eighth in stolen bases and fifth in runs. In the semi-finals, the Peaches swept 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 three games. Ferguson swiped seven bases and went 9-for-40 in the postseason, going 3-for-3 with two

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 ...

in Game 2, as Rockford defeated Fort Wayne, four to one games, to clinch the AAGPBL title.

Eleanor Callow Eleanor 'Squirt' Callow (August 8, 1927 – October 28, 1974) was a left fielder who played from through for three teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Callow was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed. She was born in ...

led the team with 10 RBIs in 11 playoff games and drove in the winning run in three consecuctive games. Other significant contributions came from star

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, ...

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 ...

(2-0) 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 ...

Dorothy Harrell Dorothy Harrell (February 4, 1924 – September 15, 2011) was a shortstop who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5 4", 127 lb., Harrell batted and threw right-handed. After being married she played under ...

(7-for-17, .412, three RBI). In 1949 Ferguson married Donald Key, a member of Canada's Olympic

track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

team, and then played under the name of Dottie Key. She hit .179 with a .299 OBP and 56 steals in the regular season. Rockford disposed 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 ...

in the final round, three to one games, and swept South Bend in the best-of-seven semifinal series. She drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 4 against the Blue Sox, and the Peaches captured the third championship in franchise history. Outfielder

batted .375 in the final series (6-for-16).Encyclopedia of Women and Baseball Dottie raised her average to .234 in 1950, including a .314 OBP, while hitting 10-for-35 (.286) with seven runs in seven games against Fort Wayne, to help Rockford win a third consecutive title and fourth overall. Some bright spots for the Peaches included pitcher Nicol, who collected three victories, and first sacker

Dorothy Kamenshek Dorothy Kamenshek, nicknamed "Dottie" and "Kammie" (December 21, 1925 – May 17, 2010) was an American All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player. She batted and threw left-handed. Early life A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Kamenshek ...

, who hit .440 (11-for-25) with nine runs and three RBI. In 1951 Dottie hit .216, stole 91 bases and scored 91 times. She also belted her first career

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 ( ...

, and finished second to South Bend's Charlene Pryer in runs (106) and stolen bases (128). In the postseason, she went 3-for-20 (.150). Rockford beat Grand Rapids (2-0) in the first round but lost to South Bend (3-2) in the finals. South Bend came away a surprise winner to clinch the club's first AAGPBL title in the league, by combining deep pitching with an opportune hitting game.

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 ...

won two games, including decisive Game 5. Dottie raised her average to .243 in 1952, but dropped to 46 steals and 54 runs scored. She still finished fifth in the league in stolen bases and hit .310 (9-for-29) with four steals in the postseason. For the second year in a row, Rockford advanced to the finals after defeating Fort Wayne (2-1) in the first round, only to be beaten again by Faut and the Blue Sox in the best-of-five series. As in the previous season, Faut was the winning pitcher in the decisive Game 5, hitting two

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 ...

and driving in two runs while turning in a 6–3 complete game performance. In 1953, she hit .208 in the regular season and .364 (4-for-11) in the playoffs, while Rockford was beaten by Grand Rapids in the first round (2-1). In 1954, she hit a career-high .253 average but swiped only 14 bases. The Peaches finished last out of six teams, during what turned out to be the AAGPBL final season. She played for

managers 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 administr ...

Bill Allington William Baird Allington (October 26, 1903 – August 17, 1966) was an American minor league baseball player and manager. Listed at 5' 9" and 160 pounds, Allington batted and threw right-handed. He was born in St. Clair County, Michigan. ...

(1945-'46), 1948-'52), Eddie Ainsmith (1947) and

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 ...

(1953-'54). A .201 career hitter, she scored 520 runs and stole 461 bases in 950 games.

Honors and awards

Since 1988, Dottie and the other women who represented Canada in the AAGPBL formed part of the 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 ...

, which is dedicated to the entire league rather than any individual player. She also gained inductions into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (1998), the Manitoba Softball Hall of Fame (1998) and the National Women's Baseball Hall of Fame (2003), and was honored with the YWCA Janet Lynn Sports Award (1993). Her road uniform with the No. 12 is part of the ''Women in Baseball'' exhibit in Cooperstown. She was a longtime resident of

Rockford, Illinois Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, Winnebago and Ogle County, Illinois, Ogle counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. Located in far northern Illinois on the banks of the Rock River (Mississippi River tributary), Rock River, Rockfor ...

, where she died from

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

at the age of 80. She was inducted into Th
National Women's Baseball Hall of Fame
in 2003.
, thedeadballera.com; accessed July 3, 2020.

Career statistics

Batting Fielding ''All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Record Book'' – W. C. Madden. Publisher: McFarland & Company, 2008. Format: Paperback, 302pp. Language: English.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferguson, Dorothy All-American Girls Professional Baseball League players Rockford Peaches players Peoria Redwings players Canadian baseball players Baseball players from Rockford, Illinois People from Virden, Manitoba Deaths from cancer in Illinois 1923 births 2003 deaths 20th-century American sportswomen 21st-century American women