The Muskegon Belles were a women's professional baseball team that 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 1953 season. The Belles were based in

Muskegon, Michigan 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' ...

History

The Muskegon Belles played in 1953, with their home games played at Marsh Field. This made Muskegon the only city in AAGPBL history to host multiple teams. Previously, 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 ...

had played there from through . The new Belles team was also the third edition of a franchise. One of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League's four charter franchises, the original club was founded in

Racine, Wisconsin Racine ( ) is a city in Racine County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Root River (Wisconsin), Root River, south of Milwaukee and north of Chicago. It is the List ...

for the 1943 inaugural. Then 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 ...

, the team moved to

Battle Creek, Michigan Battle Creek is a city in northwestern Calhoun County, Michigan, United States, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo River, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek River, Battle Creek rivers. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a tota ...

1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the Uni ...

, was renamed the Battle Creek Belles and played for two years, before being replaced by the Muskegon Belles. The 1953 Belles were the worst in the league. The team finished with a 39–70 record and folded after the end of the season, leaving the AAGPBL with just five teams for its final season in 1954.

All-time roster

All-American Girls Professional Baseball League official website – 1953 Muskegon Belles
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History

All-time roster

References

Further reading