Rosemary Stevenson (June 2, 1936 – January 3, 2017) 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 ...
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 ...
in
its final season of operation (1954). She batted left handed and threw right handed.
Early life
She was born June 2, 1936, in
Stalwart, Michigan.
Baseball career
She played softball starting at age 11. As a 17-year-old student at
Pickford High School, located in
Pickford Township, Michigan, she heard about the AAGPBL and tried out. In 1954, she was assigned to 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 ...
, based in
Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...
, Michigan, playing her first game the day after her high school graduation. She played in 54 games, until the league folded later that year. She went on to play and coach softball.
In her later years Rosemary wrote an autobiography titled "Don't Die on Third".
She died January 3, 2017, in
Nunica, Michigan
Nunica is an Unincorporated area#United States, unincorporated community in the U.S. state of Michigan. The community is located near the center of Crockery Township, Michigan, Crockery Township in Ottawa County, Michigan, Ottawa County, close to ...
.
Career statistics
See also
*
List of All-American Girls Professional Baseball League players
The following is a list of players who formed part of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during its twelve years of existence, from its inception in 1943 All-American Girls Professional Baseball League season, 1943 through the 195 ...
*
List of people from Grand Rapids, Michigan
The following is a list of notable people associated with Grand Rapids, Michigan. These people were born or lived in Grand Rapids.
Artists and artisans
* Mathias Alten — impressionist painter
* Jeffrey Brown (cartoonist), Jeffrey Brown — c ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stevenson, Rosemary
1936 births
2017 deaths
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League players
Baseball players from Grand Rapids, Michigan
Baseball outfielders
People from Chippewa County, Michigan
Writers from Michigan
21st-century American women