Eleanor Dapkus
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Eleanor Dapkus | ||
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Runs batted in 317 | | |
Win–loss record | 53–34 | |
Strikeouts | 397 | |
Earned run average | 1.97 | |
Teams | ||
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Career highlights and awards | ||
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Eleanor V. Wolf (née Eleanore Dapkus; December 5, 1923 – June 6, 2011) was a center fielder and pitcher who played from 1943 through 1950 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
Early years
Dapkus was born to
AAGPBL career
In February 1943,
The league started with four teams, and each team was made up of fifteen girls. Dapkus survived the final cut and was assigned to the Racine Belles team, where she played for eight seasons. Dapkus earned the nickname Slugger for her power hitting abilities, helping Racine to clinch the league championship in both 1943 and 1946. She was chosen as the fourth outfielder for the 1943 All-Star team after leading the league with 10 home runs. The 1943 All-Star Game was the first night game played at Wrigley Field (July 1, 1943). In 1944, Dapkus paced the circuit with 10 doubles. For the 1946 team, she hit .253 and drove in 57 runs while tying for the league lead with nine triples. In 1948 the Belles decided to move her to the pitching mound, and she responded with a 24–9 mark as an overhand pitcher. But at the end of 1950 the Belles lacked the financial resources to keep the club playing in Racine, Wisconsin. Before the 1951 season, when the team moved to Battle Creek, Michigan, Dapkus, along with original Belles Maddy English, Edythe Perlick and Joanne Winter, were disappointment and decided not to make the move. During eight years, the Belles were a close-knit team, always like a family away from home. Dapkus and teammates thought that all would be different, like a new team, maybe a new manager and, specially, a new location. Overall, Dapkus hit .229 with 30 home runs and 317 runs batted in 775 games, and posted a 53–34 record with 397 strikeouts and a 1.97 earned run average in 102 pitching appearances. She is seventh lifetime in home runs and ranks eleventh in runs batted in.[3]
Life after baseball
Both before and after she joined the AAGPBL, Dapkus worked in a variety of jobs. Most of her early work was
Death
Eleanor Dapkus Wolf was a longtime resident of St. John, Indiana, where she died at the age of 87 from complications from breast cancer.[1]
References
- ^ a b Obituary Archived 2022-04-13 at the Wayback Machine, legacy.com. Accessed April 13, 2022.
- ISBN 978-0-7864-1474-1
- ^ Bio, thediamondangle.com. Accessed April 13, 2022.
- ISBN 978-0-7864-1474-1
Other sources
- Encyclopedia of Women and Baseball' – Leslie A. Heaphy, Mel Anthony May. Publisher: McFarland & Company, 2006. Format: Paperback, 438pp. Language: English. ISBN 0-7864-2100-2
- Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League: A Biographical Dictionary - W. C. Madden. Publisher: McFarland & Company, 2005. Format: Paperback, 295 pp. Language: English. ISBN 0-7864-3747-2