BOOKS
- Motor Girls: How Women Took the Wheel and Drove Boldly Into the Twentieth Century
- Trudy’s Big Swim: How Gertrude Ederle Swam the English Channel and Took the World by Storm
- Miss Mary Reporting: The True Story of Sportswriter Mary Garber
- Sally Ride: Life on a Mission
- Roller Derby Rivals
- Basketball Belles: How Two Teams and One Scrappy Player Put Women's Hoops on the Map
- Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way)
- Bylines: A Photobiography of Nellie Bly
- Freeze Frame: A Photographic History of the Winter Olympics
- Swifter, Higher, Stronger: A Photographic History of the Summer Olympics
- Bull's-Eye: A Photobiography of Annie Oakley
- Girls Got Game: Sports Stories & Poems
- Play Like a Girl: A Celebration of Women In Sports
- Barbie: Shooting Hoops
- Winning Ways: A Photohistory of American Women in Sports
- A Whole New Ball Game: The Story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
A Whole New Ball Game
The Story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
Uncovering the true story behind the movie,
A League of Their Own
Published by Henry Holt and Company, 1993 • Paperback by Puffin Books, 1995 • 140 pages • Ages 10 & up
When I first saw the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League mentioned in a book on women’s history, I was astonished. I grew up a huge baseball fan, but I never had a clue that women had played the game in organized leagues, let alone as pros. I remember feeling this buzz that made my shoulders and neck tingle. As soon as I could, I hurried to the library and didn’t leave until I had photocopies of half a dozen articles from Time, Life, Literary Digest, and other magazines from the 1940s and 50s. It was the start of 11 years of research.
Along the way I got to know hundreds of the All-Americans. A Whole New Ball Game reflects the memories that they shared with me. In it, you’ll read about the everyday players and the superstars, life on the field and life on the road. You’ll find stats, accounts of games, and close to 60 photos, many from the players’ private collections. Writing A Whole New Ball Game was a labor of love for me, just as playing baseball was for them. I hope you enjoy it!
What the Critics Said
“Macy offers an excellent introduction to one of the least explored areas of baseball history.... These tough and funny women emerge as heroic figures worthy of admiration and emulation. Archival photographs add to the book’s historical value and to its sense of fun. A worthy addition to the library of any baseball fan.”—Publisher’s Weekly, April 5, 1993
“This book is a valuable contribution to American history.”—The Children’s Book Council, Inc., 1994
“This gracefully written history... brings the games and the players to life with intriguing details and anecdotes, conveying their intense love for the game and capturing their unique experience as women who worked and traveled together as a team.”—Kathleen Odean, Great Books for Girls, 1997
Awards and Distinctions
Best Books, 1993 (School Library Journal)
Best Books for Young Adults, 1994 (American Library Association)
Notable Children’s Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies, 1994 (National Council for the Social Studies and the Children’s Book Council, Inc.)
Books for the Teen Age, 1994 (New York Public Library)
Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choices, 1993 (University of Wisconsin)
YALSA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, 1999 (Young Adult Library Services Association and the American Library Association)
Links
> Visit the official Web site of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
> Hear my podcast about this book on Baseballisms.com.