National Girls Baseball League

The National Girls Baseball League differed from the AAGPBL in that the NGBL kept and allowed the traditional underhand softball pitching format.

Football legend Red Grange served as commissioner of the National Girls Baseball League.

The National Girls baseball League was founded in 1944 by Forest Park, Illinois contractor Emery Parichy, Charles Bidwill, who was owner of the Chicago Cardinals football team and politician Ed Kolski.

[3] The National Girls Baseball League consisted of teams from the greater Chicago, Illinois area and regularly drew over 500,000 fans annually.

The integrated National Girls Baseball League offered higher salaries and emphasized closer road game schedules in an attempt to secure the best players.

Retired major league baseball players Buck Weaver (Black Sox Scandal) and Woody English were team managers.

[15][3] Freda Savona was called the “Babe Ruth” of the NGBL, setting home run records and batting over .400 in 1951.

Offered a higher salary, a signing bonus, with no extensive travel, Wagner valued being home every night, being closer to school and her studies.

In 1952, Wagner led the league in doubles, triples, home runs and total bases, and was second in the batting, with a .364 average.

[19] Lois Roberts Strenkowski played barefoot for the duration of her time in the National Girls Baseball League and throughout her career.

"Their Turn at Bat: The Story of the National Girls Baseball League" is a documentary film by Adam Chu.