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