Museum hosts panel of All-American Girls professional baseball players

The North Berrien Historical Museum invites the public to join us in welcoming a group of former players from the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). From 1943-54 the All-American Girls League traveled women’s baseball teams throughout the Midwest, and was highlighted in the 1993 movie A League of Their Own. Four former players from Michigan will join us for a panel discussion at the museum on Tuesday, September 20 at 7:00pm.

A 10-minute DVD will be shown featuring historic footage of the AAGPBL, then the league veterans will each present a brief personal account of their experiences. Three former players for the Grand Rapids Chicks will attend including Dolly Niemiec Konwinski, Marilyn Jenkins, and Rosemary Stevenson. The fourth panelist Doris Cook played for the Springfield Sallies and the Kalamazoo Lassies before being loaned to the South Bend Blue Sox. There is no charge to attend the panel discussion, and refreshments will follow.

The current exhibit Women in Baseball: Bloomer Girls of Berrien County & Beyond will be on display through November 11. For more information, contact the North Berrien Historical Museum at (269) 468-3330.

Stroll through history on free Halloween Cemetery Tours

The North Berrien Historical Society invites the public to attend our 2011 Halloween Cemetery Tours on Saturday, October 29. Fascinating personal stories of past residents will captivate you on a fun walk through our beautiful and historic city cemeteries in Coloma and Watervliet.

Discover some of the oldest gravestones, dating back to the 1840s, and see historic people’s photos along with unique tales of their lives. In Coloma Cemetery, learn about a beloved undertaker, a couple who once lived in slavery, an unsolved wedding night shooting, and graves moved from the grounds of the high school. In Watervliet Cemetery, visit the resting places of the town’s last living Civil War soldier, a Michigan Secretary of State, a Big Ten head football coach, and the husband of baseball great Maud Nelson. These are just a few of the interesting stories to be told. The tours will also feature historic pictures to bring in spooky tales of UFOs, mobsters, shipwrecks, and other mysterious events from local history.

On Saturday, October 29 the Coloma Cemetery Tour begins at 11:00am and Watervliet Cemetery Tour begins at 1:00pm. Both tours are free of charge, and parking is available at each cemetery. The tours will go on in rain or shine, so please dress appropriately for the weather.

The Girl in Centerfield to be screened at the Loma Theatre

On Tuesday, August 16 at 7pm the North Berrien Historical Museum will be screening the recent documentary, The Girl in Centerfield, at the Loma Theatre in downtown Coloma. The Girl in Centerfield, a feature-length true story produced by Detroit-based Stunt3 Multimedia, is the story of Carolyn King’s fight to play Little League baseball. Using interviews, stock footage, and re-creation, Stunt3 has weaved together the drama of the summer of 1973 when the nation watched as the city of Ypsilanti went head-to-head with Williamsport, Pennsylvania and the institution of Little League Baseball. Producer Brian Krueger will be on hand after the movie for a question and answer session.

In May of 1973, 12-year-old Carolyn King was simply looking to play baseball when she tried out for a spot in the Ypsilanti American Little League. She went to the tryouts with her younger brother, and impressed the coaches with her strong throwing arm and her speed. The coach of the Orioles was looking for a center fielder, and he thought that Carolyn might fit the bill, so he drafted her.

One problem: In 1951, the National Little League organization in Williamsport, Pa., had enacted a rule that specifically said girls were not eligible to play. National officials felt the sport of baseball was too dangerous for girls, so they decided to restrict their leagues to boys. That set up a summer of controversy and showdowns in Ypsilanti that made national headlines in 1973, and landed the story on the evening news.

The National Little League threatened to pull the local league’s charter if Carolyn played, but the City of Ypsilanti said that if she didn’t play, the league couldn’t use the city’s fields. When she suited up for the Orioles in their first game – making history in the process – the National Little League followed through on its threat to pull the local league’s charter.

With this small Michigan town strongly divided over Carolyn’s participation, the case headed to federal court. In the middle of it all was a 12-year-old in pigtails who simply wanted to play baseball. Carolyn’s case and the national uproar it caused prompted National Little League officials to drop their boys-only rule. In 1974, thanks to Carolyn King, girls became eligible to play Little League baseball.

The documentary compliments the exhibit “Women in Baseball: Bloomer Girls of Berrien County and Beyond” currently on view at the North Berrien Historical Museum. The exhibit discusses why after more than 150 years as ‘America’s pastime,’ baseball remains a predominately male sport, despite the fact that women have played the game since its invention in the mid-19th century.

Admission to Women in Baseball and all programs is free of charge.

For more information call Executive Director Alexander Gates at 269-468-3330 or visit www.northberrienhistory.org.

Preview the movie at www.TheGirlinCenterfield.com