Diary Essay, Research Paper
July 2nd, 1943
We won our softball game today! It was really an exciting win. There were two outs in the bottom of the 9th. I was up to bat. Everyone was cheering for me as stepped up to the plate. The first pitch was high and I laid off it. The second pitch came, I laced a home run over center field. As I rounded the bases everybody was chanting, Lucy! Lucy!
Later July 2nd, 1943
Ernie Capadio, from Major League Baseball stopped by today after my game. He wanted to know if I wanted to play in the new women?s baseball league because all the men were across the ocean?s fighting the Jap?s or Nazi?s. I was a little hesitant at first but then he told me I would be making $75 a week and I agreed to go. So tomorrow I board a train for Chicago.
July 3rd, 1943
We stopped today on the way to Chicago at a town called South Bend, Indiana to watch another player for the league. Boy could she hit the ball a ton! She was batting in a gym, and I think she broke every window in the place. Another amazing thing is that she can hit with both hands. Her name is Marla, she?s not the best looking girl around so Ernie deiced she couldn?t come! I couldn?t believe this, just because she was a little ugly he wasn?t going to bring her. So you know what I did?! I dropped my bags right there in that gym and said if she don?t go, I don?t go! So Ernie agreed and Marla got to come along.
July 7th, 1943
Tryouts started today in Harvey Field. There are over 100 girls trying out. Some girls are good ballplayers and some bad. The league is going to have four teams with sixteen girls on each one. Tryouts will be over the next four days. I hope I make a team! Wish me luck!
July 11th, 1943
Today the coaches sat everyone down and told us that we all did a good job and if they could they would keep us all. Then came the moment of truth, a coach told us to check the five lists on the board. I ran over, and found out that I was a Rockford Peach! I had made it! The terrible thing is, we have to wear skirts in order to look like ladies. We also have to attend Charm and Beauty School, so we know how to act like ladies.
July 16th, 1943
I had my first day of Charm and Beauty School today. It wasn?t as bad as I thought it would be. We learned
July 21st, 1943
Today we had our first game against the South Bend Blue Sox. First our manager, Jimmy Dougan came in drunk, then when we ran out on to the field we got booed. That didn?t spoil the game for me though, when I came up in the bottom of the ninth, I hit a three run homer over the left field wall and won the game.
August 6th, 1943
The funniest thing happened on the bus today, Evelyn brought her son Stilwell on the bus. He decided that he could drive so he went to the front of the bus and covered the driver?s eyes! That spoiled little brat almost got us in an accident! The driver pulled over and walked off. Then May got up and chased Stilwell around the bus with a baseball bat. So Jimmy ended up driving the bus to local town for the night. After finding a hotel, May slipped the watch lady something in her drink that made her get terribly sick. While she was sick we snuck out to the local Sud?s Bucket for a night of drinking and dancing! Yee Haw!
August 7th, 1943
We won our 5th straight game. This qualified us for the World Series!
August 8th, 1943
Another good thing happened! My boyfriend, David Silver just came home from the war and surprised me. He was discharged early after being shot on the leg and foot by a sniper. I was going to leave the league tomorrow and head back to Boston with him, but he convinced me to stay through the World Series.
September 4th 1943
WE WON THE WORLD SERIES! It was a very hard five game series against Racine. Racine won the first game 3-2, then they won the second game 6-3. We were all disappointed and we were determined to come out and win the next game. And that we did, in fact we won games 3, 7-3 and game 4, 7-5 in 17 innings. The final game we both wanted to win, the scoreboard was filled with goose eggs until the bottom of the eighth when Racine scored a run. We did not want to lose, so in the top of the ninth, I hit a two run double down the right field line to take the lead 2-1. After Racine put a runner on third in the bottom of the ninth, Sandy Keller hit a pop fly right to May. May threw the ball home, right into my glove so I could tag the runner out.