The Women's Professional Baseball League made its debut on Saturday night in Springfield, Illinois, marking the first game of a professional women's baseball league in the United States in nearly 30 years. Despite a steady rain that soaked the field, more than 4,000 fans gathered at Robin Roberts Stadium to witness the historic event, as reported by infohub.kz.
Sarah Hodel, a 43-year-old athletic trainer from Duluth, Minnesota, and Rachel Koehler, 33, from St. Paul, arrived at the stadium more than four hours before the game. Hodel, who had given a speech on women in baseball in high school, said it had been her goal to attend since she heard about the league. Koehler, who played softball growing up, expressed excitement that girls now have the opportunity to play professional baseball.
Despite the rain, fans lined up hours before the game, many hoping to get a bobblehead of Mo'ne Davis. The line for the merchandise booth stretched from one side of the ballpark to the outfield.
Antonietta Mabry, a 47-year-old accountant from Columbus, Ohio, brought her 9-year-old daughter Rosalee to see female professional athletes. Rosalee got her glove autographed by San Francisco second baseman Amanda Gianelloni.
The league's other two teams, the Firebells and the Boston Hunters, are scheduled to play on Sunday. After the rain subsided, players from each team helped the grounds crew remove the tarp from the field.
During the pregame ceremony, the league paid tribute to the past, present, and future of women's baseball. The crowd cheered as the lineups for the Queens and Heights were announced, but the biggest ovation was for 99-year-old Maybelle Blair, who threw the ceremonial first pitch to San Francisco's Kelsie Whitmore. Blair played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1943 to 1954, which inspired the 1992 film "A League of Their Own."