The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) was a women’s professional baseball league founded in 1943 by Philip K. Wrigley. While the league only operated from 1943 to 1954, it left behind a rich history and helped pave the way for women in sports. One way fans connected to the AAGPBL players was through baseball cards produced during the league’s operation.
The first AAGPBL baseball cards were issued in 1948 by Bowman Gum. Bowman produced sets in 1948, 1949, and 1950 featuring individual cards of players from the league. The 1948 set included 52 cards showing photos of AAGPBL players in action shots from games or posed portraits. Some of the biggest stars featured included pitcher Joanne Winter, catcher Eleanor Engle, and outfielders Dorothy Kamenshek and Katie Horstman.
The 1949 Bowman set increased to 60 cards and continued featuring action shots and portraits of players. Notable rookies in the set included pitcher South Bend Blue Sox star Connie Wisniewski and Rockford Peaches slugger Sophie Kurys. The 1950 Bowman set was the largest at 72 cards, highlighting even more rising young stars in the league like Peaches pitcher Jean Faut and Racine Belles second baseman Betty Trezza.
While the Bowman sets in the late 1940s were the first baseball cards specifically made for the AAGPBL, some players had also appeared in earlier general sports card issues. For example, pitcher Doris Barr was included in 1947 Leaf Baseball card sets. The Bowman releases in the late 40s were groundbreaking since they were the initial cards solely dedicated to the players of this pioneering women’s professional baseball organization.
In addition to the Bowman releases, other card companies also produced AAGPBL cards during the league’s existence. In 1951, Topps issued an AAGPBL set of 52 cards as part of their “Topps Magic Photography” line. Like the Bowman sets, it featured individual player photos and stats on the front with advertisements on the reverse. Notable rookies in the ’51 Topps set included South Bend outfielders Eleanor Callow and Joanne Weaver.
Two additional AAGPBL card sets were produced in 1952. Fleer issued a 64-card set highlighting stars across the eight teams in the league that season. Topps also put out another 52-card set as part of their regular baseball card line that year. Top rookies in the ’52 issues included Rockford catcher Betty Whiting and Grand Rapids pitcher Iris Kuhn.
After the original run of AAGPBL cards from 1948-1952, the league continued operating through 1954 but no new card sets were produced during those later seasons. The players and teams from the league’s final two years were still represented in some vintage card issues. For example, the 1953 and 1954 Topps sets each included one card showing an action photo from an AAGPBL game.
In the decades since the league folded, AAGPBL cards have remained popular with collectors. In the late 1980s, collector interest was renewed when writer Jim Sargent published his book “Queen of Diamonds,” bringing more widespread attention to the pioneering league. The original 1950 Bowman set, featuring the largest player selection, is among the most valuable to collectors today in top condition. Individual high-grade rookie cards of star players can sell for thousands of dollars.
In the 1990s, card companies capitalized on renewed interest by producing new AAGPBL sets. In 1992, Fleer issued a 144-card set highlighting the league’s history. In 1993, Upper Deck followed with a 108-card commemorative issue. These modern reprint sets helped introduce younger collectors to the important legacy of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League and its stars.
While the league was relatively short-lived from 1943-1954, AAGPBL baseball cards have helped ensure its history and the accomplishments of its pioneering players are not forgotten. The original vintage card issues from the late 1940s and early 1950s were groundbreaking as the first cards dedicated to a women’s professional sports league. Today, they remain highly collectible reminders of an important chapter in sports history and the role models these athletes were for women in athletics.
