Donna Cook

Who was Donna Cook?

Donna Jean Cook [״Cookie״] was a pitcher and outfielder who played from 1946 through 1954 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5 ft 2 in, 121 lb., she batted right-handed and threw left-handed.

Donna Cook played for eight different teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in a span of nine years. She moved around for a while, as the league usually shifted players as needed to help some teams stay afloat.

Born in Muskegon, Michigan, Donna was one of twelve children into the family of Sidney and Daisy Cook. She played five years of organized softball before joining the league with her hometown team, just days after graduating from Muskegon Heights High School.

In 1946 Cook opened at right field for the Muskegon Lassies. She hit a .156 average in 78 games. The next year she was switched to pitcher and became a proven starter, turning in a 14–8 record with a sparkling 1.42 earned run average, as the Lassies posted a 69‑43 record en route to win the regular season championship in a close pennant race.