Shirley Palesh (November 23, 1929 – March 1, 2017) was an American baseball player 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 ...

between 1949 and 1950. She both batted and threw

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 ...

. She earned herself two nicknames while playing for the league: Shirl and Butch.

Pre-baseball career

Before Shirley joined the league, she played softball. She played locally in the position of pitcher, outfielder and leading hitter. It was her strength in these positions for the local team, that helped them win in the Wisconsin regionals. She came from a family of sports lovers, with her brother and father being active baseball players, helping her hone her skills from a young age.

Professional baseball

Shirley played for three teams during her short time with the AAGPBL. She played for 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 ...

(in 1949)

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 1950), and 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 ...

(in 1950). While playing for the Belles, in spring training, Shirley was in the outfield as it was believed she would make a "solid all-around player."

Career statistics

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Palesh, Shirley 1929 births 2017 deaths Baseball players from Chicago Sportspeople from Wausau, Wisconsin Baseball players from Wisconsin 20th-century American sportsmen