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20-517: The Millerettes' uniform consisted of a maroon cap and socks and a pink dress uniform with the circular Minneapolis city seal at the center of the chest. Like their expansion counterparts the Milwaukee Chicks , the team did not have an official nickname. They were alternately known as "Millerettes", after the city's American Association ballclub, and "Lakers" from Minnesota's nickname, "Land of 10,000 Lakes". That nickname would be adopted by

40-525: A 1.09 ERA while facing the Milwaukee Chicks in the playoffs, but lost three of four pitching matchups with Connie Wisniewski , including the crucial Game 6, 2–1, a 13 inning-duel won by Wisniewski. For the second consecutive year, she was named Pitcher of the Year. In 1945, Nicol married and played under the name Helen Fox. She had another stellar season though the Comets finished in last place. She earned 24 of

60-595: A 13–7 record with a 1.83 earned run average in postseason games. Nicol entered the AAGPBL in 1943 with the Kenosha Comets , playing for them through the 1947 midseason before joining the Rockford Peaches (1947–1952). She enjoyed a solid first season, leading the league with 31 wins, a 1.81 ERA, 220 strikeouts, eight shutouts and 348 innings of work, including the aforementioned string of (13) wins in

80-553: A 20–16 record and a 1.88 ERA in 38 appearances, and outfielder Helen Callaghan , who finished second in the league in average (.287) and third in runs (81), hits (114), home runs (3), and total bases (136). Pitcher Annabelle Lee threw the first perfect game in AAGPBL history on July 29, 1944, against the Kenosha Comets. The following year, the Millerettes moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana , where they became

100-463: A row. Though she failed in the playoffs, after going 0–2 with a 4.50 ERA against the eventual champion Racine Belles . After the end of the season, she was selected for the All-Star Team and was honored as Pitcher of the Year. In her sophomore 1944 season, Nicol went 17-11 and led again the league with a 0.93 ERA. In addition, she hurled a no hitter and four one-hitters. She went 2–3 with

120-642: The Fort Wayne Daisies . Milwaukee Chicks The Milwaukee Chicks were a women's professional baseball team which played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the 1944 season. They were managed by Max Carey , former star player for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Brooklyn Robins and a future Hall of Famer . They were also known colloquially as

140-540: The Fort Wayne Daisies . Fox rediscovered her previous form in 1949, going 13–8 with seven shutouts and a second-best 0.98 ERA, behind Lois Florreich (0.67) and over Jean Faut (1.10). She was 2–0 in the playoffs against the South Bend Blue Sox , to win her second straight championship with the Peaches. In 1950 she went 14–12 with a 1.98, helping her team to reach the playoffs. She finished 4–1, including

160-545: The "Brewettes", after the city's established baseball team, and the "Schnitts" (a term for glass of beer served half-full). By 1944 the AAGPBL added the Milwaukee Chicks and the Minneapolis Millerettes to the league's roster. The Chicks were a well balanced squad that counted with talented players as Josephine Kabick , Merle Keagle , Connie Wisniewski and Alma Ziegler . With Max Carey at

180-488: The 41 wins of her team, finishing fourth in ERA (1.34) and second in strikeouts (220) and innings (357). The next season, and for the first time, she fell under .500 of winning percentage (15-17) and missed the top 10 in wins. In 1947, according to new regulations, the AAGPBL pitchers were forced to switch from underhand to sidearm, and both the bases and the mound were pushed back. Many underhand pitchers could not make it to

200-802: The AAGPBL championship title, they had no local financial backing and could not compete with the American Association Milwaukee Brewers . In fact, the Chicks were forced to play all seven games of the series at Kenosha's Lake Front Stadium because the Brewers were using the Borchert Field in Milwaukee. In addition, the high ticket prices charged for AAGPBL games failed to encourage significant fan support. Due to lack of community support and skepticism of journalists,

220-472: The Championship Title, beating the Kenosha Comets in the postseason. During the seven-game series Wisniewski went 4–1 with a 0.40 ERA in five complete games, including two shutouts , two one-run games and one two-run game, winning three of four matchups with Kenosha's Helen Nicol , who finished with a 17–11 mark (.607) and had led the league with a minuscule 0.93 ERA. Although the Chicks won

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240-579: The Chicks moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan prior to the 1945 season . On August 27, 2000, the surviving Chicks were honored by the Milwaukee Brewers before a game against the San Diego Padres . The Brewers celebrated the Chicks' 75th Anniversary in 2019 with a special theme night, including a reproduction 1944 baseball cap giveaway. Mayor Tom Barrett declared the same day, June 29, 2019 as "The Milwaukee Chicks Day" throughout

260-513: The city of Milwaukee. Tributes to the club may be found in American Family Field . Helen Nicol Helen Nicol (later Fox ; May 9, 1920 – July 25, 2021) was a Canadian-American baseball pitcher who played from 1943 through 1952 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). Listed at 5 feet 3 inches (1.60 m), 120 pounds (54 kg), Nicol batted and threw right-handed . She

280-544: The city's professional basketball team three years later. Halfway through the season, the league gave up on the Minneapolis market and the Millerettes became a traveling team playing all games on the road, earning another nickname, the "Orphans". The team was managed by Claude "Bubber" Jonnard, although the manager has often been incorrectly identified as Claude's brother Clarence Bubber Jonnard ,. The most significant players were pitcher Dorothy Wiltse , who posted

300-476: The decisive Game 7 against the Daisies, 4–3, for her third consecutive championship title. The 1951 season saw Fox continue to shine with Rockford, as she had an 18–7 record with a 2.57 ERA and 23 complete games in 214 innings. In her final 1952 season, she went 8-7 and an ERA of 2.50 to culminate a 10-season brilliant career. Fox, and another 63 women who represented Canada in the AAGPBL, gained induction into

320-416: The helm, the Chicks led the league in runs scored (492), batting average (.207), stolen bases (739) and tied for first in home runs (12). The best offensive support came from Keagle, who hit .264 with 47 runs batted in , and led the AAGPBL hitters with seven home runs and 145 total bases . The one-two pitching staff was led by Kabick, who posted a 26–19 record for a .578 winning percentage and topped

340-445: The league in wins and innings pitched (366), while Wisniewski went 23-10 (.697) with a 2.23 earned run average . A daring base runner, Ziegler established at second base as a flashy defender who made outstandings plays routinely, being considered the spark plug of the team. The Chicks went 30–26 in the first half of the year, but dominated the second half (40-19) and had the best overall record (70-45). They then went on to win

360-433: The sidearm pitching, including Fox. She divided her playing time between Kenosha and Rockford, and posted a combined 6–16 with a 2.62 ERA. Nevertheless, in 1948 she stayed patient and made the necessary adjustments to pitch sidearm and overhand, as was required in that season. She rebounded with a 17–13 mark and a 2.61 ERA. After that, she won all four playoff games she pitched, including the pennant clinching victory, 4–2, over

380-604: Was one of them. Nicol turned 100 in May 2020 and died in Mesa, Arizona , in July 2021, at the age of 101. A native of Ardley, Alberta , Canada, Nicol has been catalogued by many as one of the greatest pitchers in AAGPBL history. She holds several all-time pitching records, including appearances (313), wins (163), consecutive wins (13), strikeouts (1,076), batters faced (7,537), and innings pitched (2,382). In addition, she posted

400-541: Was sometimes credited as Helen Fox or Nickie Fox . The 1992 film A League of Their Own , directed by filmmaker Penny Marshall , revitalized interest in women's baseball and helped memorialize a neglected chapter of sports history: the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which gave over 600 women athletes the opportunity to play professional baseball and to play it at a level never before attained. Nicol

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