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 franchise originated in 1944 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as the Milwaukee Chicks. Although the Chicks won the 1944 AAGPBL championship, they could not compete with the minor league Milwaukee Brewers for ticket sales, and the franchise moved to Grand Rapids. They enjoyed continued success following the move, making the playoffs every year until the league folded following the 1954 season.Grand Rapids had its share of league stars including Players of the Year Connie Wisniewski in 1945 and Alma Ziegler in 1950. League pitching titles were won by Chicks pitchers in 1944 and 1945 by Wisniewski, Mildred Earp in 1947, Alice Haylett in 1948, and Ziegler in 1950. Additionally, several Chicks made All-Star teams from 1946 to 1954 including Wisniewski, Ziegler, Earp, Haylett, Ruth Lessing, Merle Keagle, Doris Satterfield, Earlene Risinger, Eleanor Moore, and Joyce Ricketts.
The Chicks played their home games at South High School in Grand Rapids, with the exception of 1950-1952 when games were played at Bigelow Field in Wyoming Township. After a fire destroyed Bigelow Field, the Chicks returned to South High School through 1954.
All-time players roster
- Evelyn Adams
- Isabel Alvarez
- Lois Barker
- Charlene Barnett
- Edith Barney
- Betty Bays
- Mary Lou BeschornerJaynne BittnerKay Blumetta
- Mary Butcher
- Thelma Childress
- Louise Clapp
- Donna Cook
- Patricia Courtney
- Jeanie Descombes
- Mildred EarpThelma Eisen
- Lorraine Fisher
- Anita Foss
- Rose Gacioch
- Eileen Gascon
- Barbara Gates
- Jean GeissingerPhilomena Gianfrancisco
- Annie Gosbee
- Thelma Grambo
- Audrey Haine
- Julia Hardin
- Josephine Hasham
- Alice Haylett
- Katherine HerringJoyce Hill
- Joan Holderness
- Margaret HolgersonDorothy Hunter
- Frances Janssen
- Joan JaykoskiMarilyn JenkinsJosephine Kabick
- Merle Keagle
- Phyllis Koehn
- Jaynie Krick
- Karen Kunkel
- Beverly Leach
- Annabelle Lee
- Joan LeQuia
- Ruth Lessing
- Kay LionikasDorothy Maguire
- Ruth Mason
- Joyce Messinger
- Dorothy Montgomery
- Dolores Moore
- Eleanor Moore
- Dorothy Mueller
- Doris Neal
- Dolly Niemiec
- Mary E. Norckauer
- Marilyn Olinger
- Lavonne Paire
- Shirley Palesh
- Marguerite Pearson
- Katherine PechulisErnestine Petras
- Betty Petryna
- Magdalen Redman
- Dorice Reid
- Ruth Richard
- Joyce Ricketts
- Earlene Risinger
- Mary Rountree
- Doris Satterfield
- Gloria SchweigerdtTwila Shively
- Frances Sloan
- Colleen Smith
- Helen Smith
- Jean Smith
- Marjean Smith
- Barbara Sowers
- Rosemary Stevenson
- Jane Stoll
- Dorothy Stolze
- Ruby Stoykovich
- Mary Lou Studnicka
- Shirley Sutherland
- Mary Lou Swanagon
- Yolande Teillet
- Barbara TetroDoris TetzlaffViola Thompson
- Ina Dell Towers
- Betty Tucker
- Joan Tysver
- Karen Violetta
- Inez Voyce
- Betty Wanless
- Marie WegmanMargaret Wenzell
- Vera WhitemanBetty WhitingElizabeth Wicken
- Elsie WingroveConnie WisniewskiSylvia Wronski
- Renae Youngberg
- Marie Zeigler
- '''Alma Ziegler'''
Season-by-season records
- 1945: 60-50
- 1946: 71-41
- 1947: 65-47 *
- 1948: 77-47
- 1949: 57-54
- 1950: 59-53
- 1951: 71-35
- 1952: 50-60
- 1953: 62-44 *
- 1954: 46-45