WASHINGTON, D.C. – Milwaukee native Yaz Rodriguez grew up watching her brothers playing baseball while her father tossed her a ball in friendly games of catch. “When I was able to play in middle school,” she said, “I did softball until my freshman year of college.”
Baseball had always been her passion, but playing it simply wasn’t in the cards for many young girls.
Last month,Rodriguez joined dozens of other players who were trying out for the Women’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL),set to begin its first season in May as only the second women’s professional baseball league in the United States.It follows in the footsteps of the historic All-American Girls Professional Baseball League of the 1940s and ’50s. Its founder, Philip K. Wrigley, previously the owner of the Chicago Cubs, intended to keep baseball fields active while many American men were fighting in World War II, so he put women to play. His solution gained a strong following, which held on until the league’s final year in 1954.
The Women’s Professional Baseball League is reimagining the legacy of Wrigley’s all-American girls with a more inclusive mission. ## A Pro League of Their Own: Women’s Baseball Gains Momentum
As players entered the first round of in-person tryouts at the National Youth Baseball Academy in Washington, D.C., last month, they were met with a sign that showcased a quote from legendary tennis player Billie Jean King: “I couldn’t grow up to be a baseball player. It crushed me. Every girl deserves the dream to play professional baseball.”
As the founder of the largest girls’ baseball organization in the United States, Baseball for All, Justine Siegal has empowered women and girls never to take no for an answer when it comes to playing the game they love.Now, as co-founder of the Women’s Professional Baseball League, Siegal is banking on giving women and girls the prospect to pursue baseball as an athletic career.
“It’s fantastic that we’re going to be able to give an opportunity to showcase the best of women’s baseball. Also, the trickle-down effect of being able to get more girls playing baseball, more acceptance of girls and women playing baseball and how that will create exposure for more girls’ and women’s teams to form around the world,” Siegal said.
A New League, A new Hope: Inside the Women’s Premier Baseball League Tryouts
By Karen Workman
For decades, women have fought for the opportunity to play baseball at a professional level. now, a new league is offering a pathway to that dream. The Women’s Premier Baseball League (WPBL) held its first open tryouts in early September at Big League Dreams in Henderson, Nevada, attracting over 150 players from across the country and around the world.
The energy was palpable as players warmed up, showcasing their skills in drills and scrimmages. Many have spent years honing their craft in college, autonomous leagues, or on national teams, all while facing limited opportunities for advancement.
“It’s just really exciting to see so many women out here who love the game,” said kylie Lahners, a seven-year veteran of the Women’s National Team, as she warmed up for the tryouts. “It’s something I’ve been waiting for my whole life.”
The WPBL, set to launch in spring 2024, aims to provide a sustainable and competitive environment for female baseball players. The league plans to feature four teams, with a schedule of approximately 50 games per team. Organizers hope the WPBL will not only offer players a platform to compete but also inspire the next generation of female baseball enthusiasts.
Softball became the choice for at least some athletes at last month’s tryouts.But softball is not the same as baseball. Softball uses a larger ball and smaller fields, and it employs an underhand pitching technique rather than baseball’s overhand pitch.
“Growing up I started playing baseball but back then we didn’t have that big dream to become a pro baseball player so at the age of 15 I had to transition to softball … and then I heard the great news,” said Claudia Santana, 27, from Dominican Republic.
