Jane Jacobs (baseball)
Jane Jacobs | |
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All-American Girls Professional Baseball League | |
Pitcher | |
Born: Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio | June 16, 1924|
Died: September 13, 2015 Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio | (aged 91)|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
Teams | |
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Career highlights and awards | |
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Jane Jeanette Jacobs [Badini] (June 16, 1924 – September 13, 2015) was an American pitcher who played from 1944 through 1947 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m), 130 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.[1]
Jane Jacobs was not a hard thrower, but her
"Jake", as her teammates nicknamed her, was born in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, where she started playing softball at the age of 11. In 1943, she was spotted by a league's scout when she was 18, but did not sign until a year later.[3]
Jacobs entered the league in 1944 with the Racine Belles, playing for them two years. She did not have a winning season, even though she posted a 2.82 earned run average in 1945 and 2.86 in 1945, while compiling marks of 9–16 and 7–9, respectively. The team had a surplus of talent, so she was loaned to the Peoria Redwings the next year.[1][4][5][6]
In 1946, according to the new AAGPBL rules of play, the pitchers were forced to switch gradually from underhand to sidearm delivery. Jacobs made the transition, with no small effort, and led the Redwings pitchers with a 2.13 ERA, which was a career-high. Though her success was not reflected in her 6–12 record due to poor run support.[7][8]
She returned to Racine in 1947, when the league adopted full sidearm pitching regulations. This time she struggled to make the additional mandatory adjustment and went 2–6 with a 2.92 ERA. Then, for the third consecutive year the league set a new rule for a strictly overhand pitching in 1948. It spelled the end of Jacobs' career. I was afraid I'd ruin my arm, she explained with resignation.[7][9]
In a four-year career, she was managed by Racine's Leo Murphy and Peoria's Bill Rodgers. She finished with a 24–43 record and a 2.65 ERA in 88 pitching appearances.[7]
Jacobs returned to her home of Ohio, where she operated her own dry cleaning business for 40 years. She married Mario Badini in 1973, and was widowed after 16 years of marriage. Jane was diagnosed with cancer in 1994, but survived the surgery and the follow-up treatments. After recuperating from cancer, she ran a ceramics business for a long time.[3]
She is part of Women in Baseball, a permanent display based at the
The native of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio made the long pilgrimage along with a niece, her husband and their two daughters. She also extended her Cooperstown visit to the
Career statistics
Pitching
GP | W |
L |
W-L% |
ERA | IP | H | RA | ER | BB | SO | HBP | WP | WHIP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
88 | 24 | 43 | .358 | 2.65 | 590 | 581 | 292 | 174 | 189 | 52 | 20 | 29 | 1.31 |
Batting
GP | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | BA | OBP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
88 | 204 | 7 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 29 | .118 | .214 |
Fielding
GP | PO |
A | E | TC | DP | FA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
88 | 20 | 170 | 19 | 199 | 2 | .909 |
References
- ^ a b c "Jane Badini – Biography / Obituary". All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
- ISBN 978-0-7864-2263-0
- ^ a b The Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
- ISBN 0-7864-0597-X
- ^ "1944 Racine Belles". All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
- ^ "1945 Racine Belles". All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
- ^ a b c d All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Record Book
- ^ "1946 Peoria Redwings". All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
- ^ "1947 Racine Belles". All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
External links
- "Badini, Jane Jacobs (Interview transcript and video, 2010)". Grand Valley State University. 2010-08-05. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
- Huston, Angela (2010-06-28). "Jane Jacobs Badini: A League of Her Own". MedinaCountyLife.com. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
- Obituary