Originally published in the April 2026 issue of Greet Del Ray
AAGPBL practicing at Simpson Field in Alexandria in 1951.
During World War II, Major League Baseball (MLB) was concerned they may need to stop playing because so many players were joining the war effort. Philip Wrigley, the owner of the Cubs, spearheaded the creation of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) to insure that professional baseball would continue despite the war. The movie “A League of Their Own” portrayed this league. The teams were all based in the midwest, and the league did not expand further when the MLB avoided shutting down for the war. Even after the war, the league continued and expanded until it reached ten teams in the 1948 season. However, the advent of MLB games on TV cut into the revenue of the league, until it folded all together in 1954.
In Washington, D.C., the sports promoter Goldie Ahern saw an opportunity. Griffith Stadium, home of the Washington Senators and Redskins, had lost the Georgetown Hoyas as a tenant when they shut down their football program in 1950. With new availability at the stadium, Ahern requested the AAGPBL play one of their 1951 playoff games in Washington, D.C. The league, growing desperate to increase ticket sales, agreed to hold some pre-season exhibition games at Griffith Stadium. The Fort Wayne (Indiana) Daisies and the Battle Creek (formerly Racine)(Michigan) Belles were scheduled for a two game exhibition series on 3 and 4 May 1951.
In order to prepare for the game, both teams moved their spring training to Del Ray. They held their practices at Simpson Field in Del Ray from 26 April 1951 until their first exhibition game was played at Griffith Stadium on 14 May. The game had been rescheduled twice due to rain, which extended their stay in Del Ray. These practices were immortalized by a newsreel, showing the women holding practice with the houses along Duncan Avenue clearly visible in the background. Use the following link to watch the full newsreel.
https://www.britannica.com/video/Newsreel-footage-highlighting-women-professional-baseball/-19456