Audrey Wagner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Audrey Wagner |
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| All-American Girls Professional Baseball League | |||
| Center field / Right field | |||
| Born: December 27, 1927 Bensenville, Illinois |
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| Died: August 31, 1984 (aged 56) Rock Springs, Wyoming |
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| debut | |||
| 1943 | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| 1949 | |||
| Career statistics | |||
| At-bat | 2464 | ||
| Runs | 289 | ||
| Hits | 627 | ||
| Home runs | 29 | ||
| Runs batted in | 281 | ||
| Batting average | .254 | ||
| Games played | 694 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Genevieve "Audrey" Wagner (December 27, 1927 – August 31, 1984) was an amazing baseball player. She was an outfielder in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). Audrey played from 1943 to 1949. She was 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) tall and played baseball using her right hand for both batting and throwing.
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Meet Audrey Wagner: A Baseball Star
Audrey Wagner was one of the very first players in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. This league was started during World War II. She was chosen for the All-Star Team twice. Audrey hit 29 home runs in her career, which is one of the highest totals ever in the league. She also hit 55 triples, ranking second all-time. In 1948, Audrey was named the Player of the Year. She also led the league in many important hitting stats during her seven years playing. After her time in the AAGPBL, she became an All-Star in another league, the National Girls Baseball League of Chicago. Even more impressively, after her baseball career, Audrey became a Doctor of Medicine!
Audrey's Early Life and Baseball Dreams
Audrey Wagner was born and grew up in Bensenville, Illinois. From a young age, she loved playing sandlot ball with the boys in her neighborhood. When she was 15, she went to Bensenville Community High School. There, she learned about Philip K. Wrigley and his plan to create a professional women's baseball league.
Why the AAGPBL Started
During World War II, many male baseball players joined the military. This meant fewer people were going to baseball games. Philip K. Wrigley, who owned the Wrigley Company and the Chicago Cubs baseball team, decided to start a women's league. His goal was to keep baseball popular during the war. The league began in 1943 with four teams: the Kenosha Comets, Racine Belles, Rockford Peaches, and South Bend Blue Sox. Each team had fifteen talented girls. Audrey Wagner was assigned to the Kenosha Comets, and she played for them her entire career in the AAGPBL.
Audrey's AAGPBL Career Highlights
Audrey was very dedicated to her studies. Because of school, she played fewer games at the start of each season. She always wanted to finish her school year before playing full-time. Audrey first joined the AAGPBL as a pitcher. However, the Comets' manager, Josh Billings, quickly saw how well she could hit. He moved her to the outfield, where she played both center and right field.
First Seasons: 1943-1945
In 1943, Audrey hit for a .230 average in 73 games. She scored 30 runs and helped her team score 27 more. She was one of the best at hitting triples (10) and home runs (4). Audrey also played in the league's first All-Star Game. Her team, the Comets, had a good record but lost in the playoffs. In 1944, her hitting average dropped to .189. This was the only year she didn't hit a home run. The Comets made the playoffs again but lost in the championship series. Audrey improved in 1945, hitting .198. She led the league with nine triples and was one of the top home run hitters.
Becoming a Star: 1946-1948
Audrey became a full-time player in 1946. Her hitting got much better, with a .281 average. She led the league with nine home runs and had the best slugging average (.413). She also led in total bases and tied for the most doubles.
In 1947, the league's spring training was in Havana, Cuba. Audrey did not go because she was still in school. That season, she hit an impressive .305. She led the league again in home runs (7), doubles (25), total bases, and slugging. She also had the most runs batted in (RBI) and hits. Audrey almost won the batting title, missing it by just one point. She was named to the All-Star Team.
Audrey's hitting continued to be excellent in 1948. She won the batting title with a .312 average, her highest ever. She also led all players with 130 hits, another career best. As an outfielder, she was perfect, not making any errors. She also had career highs in games played (117), runs (70), RBI (56), and triples (14). Audrey was the only player to hit over .300 that season. She won the Player of the Year Award and was again on the All-Star Team. The Comets made the playoffs but were defeated in the first round.
Final AAGPBL Season: 1949
In 1949, Audrey's average was .233. She hit three home runs, tying for the league lead. This gave her three home run titles in her career. For the second year in a row, the Comets made the playoffs but lost in the first round.
Audrey's Time in the NGBL
In 1950, Audrey moved to the Parichy Bloomer Girls team in the National Girls Baseball League (NGBL). She was offered more money and a signing bonus. Also, the games were played in the Chicago area, which meant she could be home every night. This was important for her studies. The AAGPBL had started to use a harder ball and different pitching styles. The NGBL used a larger ball and traditional underhand pitching.
From 1950 to 1953, Audrey continued to be a strong hitter and outfielder. She helped her team win the Championship Title in 1950. She was also named to the All-Star Team in all four of her seasons in the NGBL. Her best season was in 1952. She led the league in doubles, triples, home runs, and total bases. She finished second in the batting race with a .364 average.
Life After Baseball: A Doctor's Journey
While playing baseball, Audrey Wagner went to Elmhurst College and the University of Illinois. She earned her Doctor of Medicine degree. After graduating, she became a practicing obstetrician and gynecologist in California. This means she was a doctor who specialized in caring for women, especially during pregnancy and childbirth.
Sadly, Audrey Wagner died in a small plane accident near Rock Springs, Wyoming, when she was 56 years old. She is remembered in the AAGPBL permanent display at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. This display honors the entire league. She was also honored in the Elmhurst's Bluejay Backer Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Fenton High School Alumni Wall of Fame in 2005.
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