Women’s Professional Baseball League Debuts After Nearly Three Decades

Sarah Hodel and Rachel Koehler made an early start to witness a historic moment at Robin Roberts Stadium. Arriving four hours before the first game, Hodel took her time to capture memories along the concourse.

“Back in high school, I was on my speech team, and my informative speech was on women in baseball,” explained Hodel, an athletic trainer from Duluth, Minnesota, aged 43. “So as soon as I saw this happening a couple years ago, it was my goal to come.”

The awaited moment happened on Saturday night when Mo’ne Davis led the Los Angeles Queens to a 10-8 comeback win over Denae Benites and the New York Heights. It was a rainy debut for the first women’s professional baseball league in the U.S. since the 1990s.

“Growing up, I played softball,” said Koehler, 33, of St. Paul, Minnesota. “I wanted to play baseball because going professional was always like the dream, but there were no opportunities. Now that it’s possible, it’s amazing for girls to look up to.”

Maggie Foxx made history with the league’s first hit, a two-run single for Los Angeles in the opening inning. Benites later hit the WPBL’s first home run, a two-run shot to center in the fourth inning.

The Queens, trailing 8-4, scored two runs in the sixth and added four more in the final frame, despite wet and windy conditions. Foxx expressed the emotional significance, saying, “When I walked on the field, I started crying because of how much this moment meant, and how much it meant to everybody.”

Rain fell throughout the day, drenching the 101-year-old stadium but not deterring the crowd. Over 4,000 fans arrived early, eager to get a Mo’ne Davis bobblehead and watch from the bleachers. The line for merchandise stretched to the outfield.

“Having a daughter, it’s thrilling to give her exposure to female professional athletes,” said Antonietta Mabry, an accountant from Columbus, Ohio. “It’s rare, so it’s fantastic to provide positive female role models.” Mabry, her husband Jason, and their daughter Rosalee, saw Rosalee’s glove signed by San Francisco’s Amanda Gianelloni.

Meanwhile, the Firebells and Boston Hunters, the league’s other teams, had a game scheduled for Sunday. Players helped grounds crew manage the field after rain eased.

Rosalee Mabry, a young softball enthusiast, expressed excitement about seeing professional women play. “I really like it, and it’s cool that I get to see professional women play,” she said.

The league honored the history of women’s baseball during the pregame, delayed by rain. The announcer introduced the lineups, receiving cheers from the crowd. However, the loudest applause went to 99-year-old Maybelle Blair, who threw a ceremonial pitch to Kelsie Whitmore of San Francisco. Blair, a board advisor for WPBL, once played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) and was a figure in the film “A League of Their Own.”

“Maybelle’s been with us since the beginning,” said Benites. “She’s paved a path for us… .She’s a special person, and I’m thrilled she was here to do that today.”

Lindsey Keirsey, a history teacher from Fenton, Missouri, obsessed with the AAGPBL, attended with her family. Her daughter, Hadley, valued the experience: “As much as I love baseball, it’s an amazing opportunity to see women playing and breaking ground like this.”