Helen Smith

Who is Helen Smith?

Helen "Gig" Smith is a former utility infielder who played briefly in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She batted and threw right-handed.

Smith was born and grew up in Richmond, Virginia. An all-around athlete in college, both in basketball and softball, she served in the Army during World War II before joining the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She entered the AAGPBL in 1947 with the Kenosha Comets, and also played for the Grand Rapids Chicks during the 1948 season.

Following her baseball career, Smith attended and graduated from Pratt Art Institute in New York City. She later taught art in the Richmond area where, as of 2012, she is living in retirement.

The AAGPBL folded in 1954, but there is now a permanent display at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at Cooperstown, New York since November 5, 1988 that honors those who were part of this unique experience. Smith, along with the rest of the league's girls, is now enshrined in the Hall.