Kitty Burke

Kitty Burke was a nightclub entertainer from Cincinnati, Ohio who was noted for being the only female to ever attempt to bat in a Major League Baseball game, albeit unofficially.[1][2][3]

On July 31, 1935, Burke was sitting in the stands at Crosley Field during a game between the Cincinnati Reds and the St. Louis Cardinals when she began heckling the players.[4] In what may have been a publicity stunt, she then strode to the on-deck circle, took Babe Herman's bat and proceeded to "pinch hit".[5][6] She ended up grounding out to first base; however, the appearance was purely informal, and the umpires did not count this as an official at bat or out, as she was not on the roster.[7][8] Allegedly, the Reds later gave her a uniform which she used while performing her act.[9]

References
  1. Zoss, Joel (2004). Diamonds in the Rough. U of Nebraska Press. p. 119. ISBN 978-0-8032-9920-7. Kitty Burke baseball.
  2. "The Stories of Jackie and Kitty". The Ledger. April 28, 2002. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved 2009-05-30.
  3. Seymour, Harold (30 May 1991). "Baseball: The People's Game". Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-506907-5. Retrieved 2009-05-30.
  4. Seymour, Harold (30 May 1991). "Baseball: The People's Game". Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-506907-5. Retrieved 2009-05-30.
  5. Seymour, Harold (30 May 1991). "Baseball: The People's Game". Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-506907-5. Retrieved 2009-05-30.
  6. Smith, Curt (2003). Storied Stadiums: Baseball's History. Carroll & Graf. ISBN 978-0-7867-1187-1.
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-07-16. Retrieved 2009-05-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. "The Stories of Jackie and Kitty". The Ledger. April 28, 2002. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved 2009-05-30.
  9. "The Stories of Jackie and Kitty". The Ledger. April 28, 2002. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved 2009-05-30.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.