Ernestine Petras

Who is Ernestine Petras?

Ernestine Petras [״Tenny״] is a former infielder who played from 1944 through 1952 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5 ft 5 in, 125 lb., Petras batted and threw right-handed. She was born in Haskell, New Jersey.

Ernestine Petras played for five different teams during his AAGPBL career which spanned nine years, being considered one of the best defensive shortstops in league history, yet she never made the All-Star team. Her light hitting probably prevented her to be selected.

A flashy infielder with a strong and secure throwing arm, Petras posted the highest fielding average at her position in four of those years: 1945, 1946, 1947 and 1950, when her .957 average ranked as the third best for a single season in the league's record books. She also set a league season record for the most double plays in 1948, and after moving to third base in 1952, she was the best fielder at her new position. As a fielder, she committed only 249 errors in 2411 total chances for a solid .943 career fielding average.