MILWAUKEE – Thursday morning, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled officially licensed, limited-edition Grand Rapids Chicks and Kalamazoo Lassies All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Champions Bobbleheads. In honor of the 80th anniversary of the AAGPBL, the bobbleheads commemorate the championships won during the 12-year history of the league from 1943-54. The Grand Rapids Chicks captured championships in 1947 and 1953 while the Kalamazoo Lassies captured the league’s final championship in 1954.
The AAGPBL Champions Series also includes the four-time champion Rockford Peaches (1945, 1948, 1949, 1950), two-time champion Racine Belles (1943, 1946) and South Bend Blue Sox (1951 and 1952) and one-time champion Milwaukee Chicks (1944). The bobbleheads are being produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in conjunction with the AAGPBL.
Standing on a circular logo base with the team’s logo and name, the smiling bobbleheads are holding a bat while wearing the team cap and uniform – a one-piece short-skirted flared tunic with a team patch in the center of the chest – with the distinctive team colors. The bobbleheads are surrounded by replicas of the championship trophies with the year of the championship on each trophy. Each bobblehead has a backing which includes the team and league logos and the years of the team’s championship seasons.
Each bobblehead is individually numbered to 1,943 for the year the AAGPBL was founded, and they are only available through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. The bobbleheads, which just arrived and ship now, are $40 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order. A complete set of six is available for $225.
One of two new teams added to the AAGPBL in 1945, the Chicks relocated from Milwaukee and were warmly received by the city of Grand Rapids and its fans. In the team’s third season, the Chicks finished 65-47 in the regular season. After defeating the South Bend Blue Sox in the first round of the playoffs, Grand Rapids beat the Racine Belles in the championship series to claim the 1947 title. Mildred Earp, the AAGPBL Pitcher of the Year, won three games during the playoffs, including a 1-0 shutout in a decisive Game 7 against Racine. In 1953, Grand Rapids finished 62-44 in the regular season. After beating the Rockford Peaches in a best-of-3 first-round playoff series, the Chicks swept the Kalamazoo Lassies in the best-of-3 championship series. All-Star Earlene Risinger pitched the win in the clinching game.
With the league losing money and fans in 1950, the city of Kalamazoo, Michigan, got an AAGPBL team when the Muskegon Lassies relocated. Kalamazoo remained in the league until its demise and won the title in the final year of play, becoming the last league champions. In the 1954 season, the Lassies posted a 48-49-1 record in the regular season and finished fourth of five teams, earning the right to go to the playoffs. After beating the South Bend Blue Sox in three games in the first round, the Lassies took care of the regular-season champion Fort Wayne Daisies in a best-of-5 championship series. In the decisive Game 5, the Lassies scored an 8-5 victory in the AAGPBL’s last game. Mary Taylor went 5-for-5 and Chris Balingall drove in the go-ahead run with her third hit in the bottom of the eighth inning. June Peppas batted .450 in the series and was the winning pitcher in the league’s final game.
Founded by Philip K. Wrigley, the AAGPBL existed from 1943 to 1954 and was the forerunner of women’s professional league sports in the United States. Over 600 women played in the league, which consisted of teams in the Midwest. The 1992 fictional movie, “A League of Their Own,” told the story of the AAGPBL’s founding and play and brought renewed interest in the AAGPBL and the women who played professional baseball. The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., has a section dedicated to the AAGPBL and women in baseball.
“We’re excited to release bobbleheads of the six teams to claim championships in the 12-year history of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, including the Grand Rapids Chicks and Kalamazoo Lassies,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “The women who played in the AAGPBL were role models that paved the way for women in professional sports and beyond, and we think these new bobbleheads are the perfect tribute.”
Other previously released AAGPBL bobbleheads include the AAGPBL Vintage collection featuring all 15 teams, the AAGPBL All-Star collection featuring 13 players, the Rockford Peaches Wall Catch bobblehead, and the Terry Donahue and Pat Henschel bobbleheads. Donahue and Henschel were featured in the Netflix documentary “A Secret Love,” which chronicled their 72-year relationship. The two met when Donahue was playing for the Peoria Redwings in the AAGPBL in 1947.
About the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum:The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, which is located at 170 S. 1st St. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, opened to the public on February 1st, 2019. The HOF and Museum also produces high quality, customized bobbleheads for retail sale as well as organizations, individuals, and teams across the country. Visit us online and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About the AAGPBL:Today, the AAGPBL Players Association is an active, nonprofit organization that promotes social activities and opportunities for its members. Its purposes are to research, collect, document, and preserve the history of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, and to disseminate educational information regarding the history of the League and its personnel. More information about the AAGPBL can be found at AAGPBL.org.
