Martha Rommelaere ''Manning(August 30, 1922 – May 28, 2011) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

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 c ...

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 ...

during the season. Listed at 5'4", 120 lb., she batted and threw right handed. Born in

Deloraine, Manitoba Deloraine is an unincorporated urban community in the Municipality of Deloraine – Winchester within the Canadian province of Manitoba that held town status prior to January 1, 2015. It is situated near the Turtle Mountains in the southwester ...

, Martha Rommelaere was one of the 57 players born in Canada to join the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in its twelve years history. However, her career in the circuit was cut short due to a severe back injury.All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Players Roster
/ref> Rommelaere grew up on a farm near LaFleche, and moved to

Moose Jaw Moose Jaw is the fourth largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. Lying on the Moose Jaw River in the south-central part of the province, it is situated on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Regina. Residents of Moose Jaw are known as Moose Javians ...

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a province in western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North ...

at seventeen. She began to play

sandlot ball Sandlot ball or sandlot baseball is a competitive and athletic sports game that follows the basic rules and procedures of baseball. It is often less organized and structured, as the name alludes to a makeshift field or an empty lot. History an ...

with the boys of her neighborhood when she was a little girl, and became a

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

star in high school who could outrun any girl in Saskatchewan. ''I could run like a deer'', she explained in an interview.The Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League

Softball

At age 22, Rommelaere joined the Moose Jaw Royals

softball Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...

team. She was missed by

scouts Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpack ...

of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during her first years in softball. Then she gained the Most Valuable Player award while playing for the

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city anc ...

team, where she won a trip to

South Bend, Indiana South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total of 103,453 residents and is the fourt ...

to try out for the league.

Baseball

Rommelaere entered the league in 1950, playing for 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 game ...

and

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 played ...

traveling teams before being promoted to the

Kenosha Comets Based in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the Kenosha Comets were a women's professional baseball team 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 ...

halfway through the season. Basically an

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...

in Canada, she was converted to the outfield because of her flashy speed. She hurt her back while playing and had problem with it during her AAGPBL career. ''It was the sitting on the bus that killed me'', she said.

After baseball

At the end of the season, she married John Manning and decided to quit baseball because of her back ailment, which required five surgeries to correct the problem. The couple raised three children, and she worked as a

dressmaker A dressmaker, also known as a seamstress, is a person who makes custom clothing for women, such as dresses, blouses, and evening gowns. Dressmakers were historically known as mantua-makers, and are also known as a modiste or fabrician. Notab ...

until her retirement in 1983. Martha Rommelaere Manning was a longtime resident of

Regina, Saskatchewan Regina () is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province, after Saskatoon, and is a commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. As of the 2021 census, Regina had a city population ...

, where she died, aged 88.

Recognition

In 1998, she gained honorary induction into the

Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (french: Temple de la renommée du baseball canadien) is a museum located in St. Marys, Ontario, Canada. The museum commemorates great players, teams, and accomplishments of baseball in Canada. His ...

. In addition, she received a Certificate of Merit from the Government of Canada for her contribution to sports and fitness. She 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 private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball- ...

Cooperstown, New York Cooperstown is a village in and 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 the ...

, opened in 1988, which is dedicated to the entire league rather than any individual personality. Batting statistics

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rommelaere, Martha 1922 births 2011 deaths All-American Girls Professional Baseball League players Canadian baseball players People from Deloraine, Manitoba Sportspeople from Manitoba Canadian expatriates in the United States 21st-century American women Canadian women baseball players 20th-century Canadian sportswomen