Irene Ruhnke (later Sanvitis; March 30, 1920 – July 13, 1999) was an infielder and outfielder who played from 1943 through 1947 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

[1] Irene Ruhnke was one of the sixty original founding members of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

Thanks to her defensive versatility and her ability to hit behind the runner, Ruhnke played several positions during her five years in the circuit.

[2] Her most productive season came in her rookie year, when she posted career numbers in average (.253), runs (54) and slugging (.316).

[citation needed] Following her baseball career, she spent the rest of her life in Rockford, Illinois, where she married and had two sons.