Grand Rapids Chicks

The Grand Rapids Chicks were a women's professional baseball team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1945 to 1954, winning championships in 1947 and 1953.

Grand Rapids Chicks
1945–1954
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Cap insignia
Minor league affiliations
Previous leagues
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
Minor league titles
League titles 1947, 1953
Team data
ColorsRed, white
   
Previous parks
South High School Field (1945–1949, 1953–1954)
Bigelow Field (1950–1952)
Owner(s)/
Operator(s)
AAGPBL
Thelma "Tiby" Eisen in 1945 with "G R" hat

The franchise originated in 1944 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as the Milwaukee Chicks. Although the Chicks won the 1944 AAGPBL championship, they could not compete with the minor league Milwaukee Brewers for ticket sales, and the franchise moved to Grand Rapids. They enjoyed continued success following the move, making the playoffs every year until the league folded following the 1954 season.

Grand Rapids had its share of league stars including Players of the Year Connie Wisniewski in 1945 and Alma Ziegler in 1950. League pitching titles were won by Chicks pitchers in 1944 and 1945 by Wisniewski, Mildred Earp in 1947, Alice Haylett in 1948, and Ziegler in 1950. Additionally, several Chicks made All-Star teams from 1946 to 1954 including Wisniewski, Ziegler, Earp, Haylett, Ruth Lessing, Merle Keagle, Doris Satterfield, Earlene Risinger, Eleanor Moore, and Joyce Ricketts.

The Chicks played their home games at South High School in Grand Rapids, with the exception of 1950-1952 when games were played at Bigelow Field in Wyoming Township. After a fire destroyed Bigelow Field, the Chicks returned to South High School through 1954.

All-time players roster
Bold denotes members of the inaugural roster

Managers
* Benny Meyer      1945
* Johnny Rawlings1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
* Mitch Skupien1951
* Woody English1952
1953
1954

Season-by-season records
  • 1945: 60-50
  • 1946: 71-41
  • 1947: 65-47 *
  • 1948: 77-47
  • 1949: 57-54
  • 1950: 59-53
  • 1951: 71-35
  • 1952: 50-60
  • 1953: 62-44 *
  • 1954: 46-45

    * Championship season

Sources
  • All-American Girls Professional Baseball League history
  • All-American Girls Professional Baseball League official website – Grand Rapids Chicks seasons
  • All-American Girls Professional Baseball League official website – Manager/Player profile search results
  • Michigan History Magazine – Grand Rapids Chicks article
  • All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Record Book – W. C. Madden. Publisher: McFarland & Company, 2000. Format: Hardcover, 294pp. Language: English. ISBN 0-7864-0597-X
  • The Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League: A Biographical Dictionary – W. C. Madden. Publisher: McFarland & Company, 2005. Format: Softcover, 295 pp. Language: English. ISBN 978-0-7864-2263-0
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