Battle Creek Belles

The Battle Creek Belles were a women's professional baseball team that played from 1951 through 1952 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The Belles represented Battle Creek, Michigan, and played their home games at Bailey Park.[1]

Michigan baseball fanatics had their first chance to enjoy All-American Girls Professional Baseball League action in 1945 when the Chicks team moved from Milwaukee to Grand Rapids. The only team to make the playoffs every year in AAGPBL history, the Chicks was one of the most successful franchises of the circuit.[1]

A year after the club came to Grand Rapids, Muskegon joined the league with its Lassies. In 1950 the Lassies moved to Kalamazoo, and Battle Creek joined the list of AAGPBL host cities in 1951 when the original Belles moved to Battle Creek from Racine, Wisconsin, and kept the same nickname.[1][2]

The Belles finished last in the first half of the 1951 season with an 11-45 record before improving to 19-35 in the second half for a 30-80 overall. The team posted a 43-67 record in the 1952 season, and finished in last place.

The club moved to Muskegon for the 1953 season and was renamed the Muskegon Belles.[1]

All-time roster

Bold denotes members of the inaugural roster

Managers

* Dave Bancroft       1951
* Guy Bush 1951
1952
* Joe Cooper 1952

Chaperone

* Patricia Barringer   1951
1952

Sources

  1. 1 2 3 4 "All-American Girls Professional Baseball League History".
  2. ↑ AbsoluteMichigan.com – Michigan History Sluggers in Skirts
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