Marion Watson Stanton (2 July 1923, Chatham, Ontario, Canada – 15 July 1997) was a

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, ...

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 ...

. She threw

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 batted

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 ...

Early baseball career

Before she went pro, Watson played baseball for local teams in

Southwestern Ontario Southwestern Ontario (census population 2,796,367 in 2021) is a secondary region of Southern Ontario in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. It occupies most of the Ontario Peninsula, bounded by Lake Huron (includ ...

, such as the Chatham Ladies Silverwoods team and the Maple City Laundry team. When the latter team won the Ontario Championship, it was Marion who led them in hitting, boasting a .153 average. In 1945 she played with the Windsor Dairy team and it was during that time – while participating in a game in the

Michigan–Ontario League Michigan–Ontario League was the name of an American professional baseball league. It operated seven full seasons and part of an eighth from 1919 to 1926. In 1926, the Michigan–Ontario League merged with the Central League to form the Michig ...

– that she was scouted to play professionally.

Professional baseball career

During her professional baseball career, Marion played for two teams: 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 ...

(eight games in 1946) and the

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 ...

(in 1947). She has been called a tall southpaw. She took home $55 a week and all expenses paid during her professional career. Quite shortly after she signed a contract with the Lassies, during spring training in

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

, she broke her leg while sliding into

home plate A baseball field, also called a ball field or baseball diamond, is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. The term can also be used as a metonym for a baseball park. The term sandlot is sometimes used, although this usually refers ...

. A year later she broke her leg again in a motorbike accident. It was those two injuries, in 1949, that culminated in the premature demise of her professional baseball career. In 1988 Marion was recognized by the

National Baseball Hall of Fame 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 St ...

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 ...

. In 1998 – together with all AAGPBL Canadian members – she was inducted into the

Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum () is a museum located in St. Marys, Ontario, Canada. The museum commemorates the great players, teams, and events from Canadian baseball history. History The museum was founded in November 1982 in ...

in St. Mary's, as an Honorary Member. In the same year, a plaque was erected in her honor in Tecumseh Park which was the location where she began her career. Plus, the Marion Watson Stanton Memorial Trophy is presented annually to the most sportsmanlike pitcher in Chatham Ladies Softball League.

Retirement

Although by 1949 she had retired from playing at the professional level, Marion remained active locally. She played

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...

twice a week at the Ridgetown Golf Club and in 1984 even won the championship. She loved to bowl, playing with the Branch 28 Legion team in the Maple City Bowling League, with an average of more than 200.

Career statistics

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Marion 1923 births 1997 deaths Baseball people from Ontario Canadian baseball players Sportspeople from Chatham-Kent All-American Girls Professional Baseball League players Canadian expatriates in the United States