In 1952, women were banned from minor league baseball, essentially locking them out of the possibility of ever playing professional baseball.
This ban remains in effect today.
What the hell?
Out of all the sports, women are more likely to break into professional baseball before the other more physical sports of football, basketball, and hockey (though we’ve had female hockey players in the past). Yet Major League Baseball has chosen to exclude the possibility of women ever playing the game.
In fact, women have already demonstrated an ability to play alongside men. In the early 20th century, barnstorming teams known as “Bloomer Girls” were formed in various parts of the United States and took on amateur and semiprofessional teams that included both men and women. Jackie Mitchell became the first female professional baseball player when she signed a contract with the minor league Chattanooga Lookouts in 1931. Mitchell pitched in an exhibition game against the New York Yankees and struck out their two star players, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.
This is a sport that enjoys an anti-trust exemption from the US Congress. How is it permitted to blatantly discriminate based upon sex?
Ladies, are you as outraged as I am?
And more importantly, what are you going to do about it? I’ve already got the Girl Scouts on my plate, so you need to take on this fight yourselves.
