Long-time Valparaiso resident Ruth Born's life and experiences as a pitcher in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League are highlighted in the 2018 edition of Life Care LEADER magazine, a publication of Life Care Centers of America.
Born pitched for Indiana's South Bend Blue Sox during the AAGPBL's 1943 inaugural season. At the height of World War II, many Major League stars and their fans were being drafted and serving overseas. The AAGPBL was organized to entertain crowds on the home front and give them a diversion from the war.
A native of Bay City, Michigan, Born was a highly acclaimed softball pitcher before earning a spot on the Blue Sox. After one season with the team, she hung up her cleats to pursue a degree in psychiatric social work at Valparaiso University, becoming one of the first professional athletes to ever attend the school. The licensed pilot went on to earn a master's degree from Loyola University in Chicago and spent 25 years doing child welfare work for the federal government.
In her lone season with the AAGPBL, Born posted a 4 – 5 record and a 3.59 ERA. It was enough to etch her name in history. The AAGPBL is honored with a permanent exhibit at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, listing the name of every girl who broke barriers and played in the inaugural 1943 season, including Born.
Born has also been inducted into the Valparaiso University and Bay City halls of fame.
For more information or to obtain a complimentary copy of LEADER magazine and read the full story, stop by Life Care Center of Valparaiso or call 219-462-1023.
Life Care Center of Valparaiso, located at 3405 North Campbell Road, is one of 15 skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities in Indiana managed by Life Care Centers of America.