Betty Wagoner

Who was Betty Wagoner?

Betty Ann Wagoner was a right fielder and pitcher who played from 1948 through 1954 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5 ft 2 in, 110 lb., she batted and threw left-handed.

An All-Star and a member of two championship teams, Betty Wagoner played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the final seven years of its existence. For most of her career Wagoner hit for batting average, moving along baserunners as an occasional slugger and often appeared among the league’s top twenty hitters. A smart and alert runner, she moved aggressively in the right situations to take the extra base. Armed with a strong, accurate throwing arm, she had good range at right field, catching almost everything that came her way and always knew what to do with the ball. Eventually, she played at center field or first base, serving also as an occasional starting pitcher. She posted an 8–20 record in 32 pitching appearances, while her .271 batting average ranks her eleventh in the AAGPBL all-time list.

In 1942, chewing gum magnate and Chicago Cubs owner Philip K. Wrigley decided to start a women's professional softball league fearing that World War II would force a cancellation of the 1943 Major League Baseball season. Wrigley had scouts all over the United States, Canada and even Cuba signing girls for tryouts. The circuit was initially called the All-American Girls Softball League, though early in the first season the name was changed to All American Girl's Baseball League. In its twelve years of history the AAGPBL evolved through many stages progressing far enough to become a regulation baseball game. These differences varied from the beginning of the league in 1943, progressively changing the pitching style, extending the length of the base paths and pitching distance and decreasing the size of the ball until the final season of play in 1954.