AshbyDodd

The Real Story Behind A League of Their Own & The AAGPBL

November 12, 2022
2 min read

Jump from the big screen to the history books as we look at the inspiring story behind A League of Their Own and the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

A League of Their Own is a 1992 American sports comedy-drama directed by Penny Marshall. The film tells the fictionalized story of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). It follows two sisters who join the league and struggle to help it succeed.

The AAGPBL was founded in 1943, during World War II, when many male baseball players served in the military. With the support of Chicago Cubs owner Philip K. Wrigley, the league was created to keep baseball in the public eye and to provide entertainment for fans while the men were away. The league operated until 1954 and was comprised of teams in several Midwestern cities in the United States.

mlive.com

A League of Their Own starred Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Madonna, and Rosie O’Donnell. It was a commercial and critical success and has since become a fan favorite. The film was nominated for several awards, but how close did it come to the AAGPBL’s actual history? Watch the video below to find out:

When A League of Their Own was released in 1992, it brought attention to a women’s professional baseball league that had disbanded nearly 40 years earlier. Based on the true story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which existed from 1943-1954, the film attempts to put the AAGPBL – which went from being a gimmick to save baseball from going extinct during WWII to a respected league that drew sizable crowds for years – in some sort of context.
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