Mary Pratt, pitcher on team that inspired 'A League of Their Own,' dies at 101
Former pitcher Mary Pratt, thought to have been the last surviving member of the 1943 Rockford Peaches women's baseball team that was immortalized in the iconic film "A League of Their Own," died Wednesday, her nephew Walter confirmed to ESPN. She was 101.
We are terribly sad to report that former Rockford Peaches and Kenosha Comets pitcher, Mary Pratt passed away on May 6th. She was 101 years old. Mary was the last known original Peaches player that played on the 1943 team. Her stories, her energy will be missed for a long time. pic.twitter.com/dKFlbbBzf8
— AAGPBL Official (@AAGPBL) May 8, 2020
Originally from Bridgeport, Connecticut, Pratt grew up in Quincy, Massachusetts and studied physical education at Boston University.
She joined the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League - a circuit formed to help make up for a loss of talent in Major League Baseball during World War II - in 1943, spending five seasons as a left-hander with the Peaches and Kenosha Comets.
Pratt remained involved in sustaining the legacy of the AAGPBL, serving on the board of directors. She was also a teacher, and an official in multiple sports, according to ESPN.
The suitcase Pratt used while in the AAGPBL is on display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
The Hall of Fame remembers Mary Pratt, who starred in the @aagpbl as a member of the original 1943 Rockford Peaches and later with the Kenosha Comets. Pratt, pictured in the front row, fourth from the left, passed away on Wednesday. https://t.co/DykT88BdRf pic.twitter.com/Ry6Nl4DIOv
— National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum ⚾ (@baseballhall) May 8, 2020
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