Jean Faut facts for kids

Jean Anna Faut (November 17, 1925 – February 28, 2023) was an American pitcher who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) from 1946 to 1953. She was 5 feet 4 inches tall and threw and batted right-handed.

Many baseball experts believe Jean Faut was the best overhand pitcher in the AAGPBL's history. During her career, she set many league records. She won 140 games and lost 64, with an amazing 1.23 earned run average (ERA). This means she allowed very few earned runs per game, the lowest ERA for any pitcher in the league's history.

Faut pitched two perfect games and two no-hitters. She also won the "Triple Crown" twice, which means she led the league in wins, strikeouts, and ERA in the same season. She had three seasons where she won 20 or more games. Faut led the league in wins and strikeouts three times. She also set a league record for the best winning percentage in a single season, winning 20 games and losing only 2. She helped her team, the South Bend Blue Sox, win championships in 1951 and 1952.

Jean Faut never had a losing season, and her ERA was always very low. She was chosen for the All-Star Team four times. She also won the Player of the Year Award twice. Her career shows the experiences of many women who played baseball professionally while also having a family life.

Early Life and Baseball Start

Jean Faut grew up in East Greenville, Pennsylvania, in a working-class family during the Great Depression. Her parents taught her and her five siblings to be careful with money. Unlike most players in the AAGPBL, Jean didn't play softball growing up. She also didn't have professional baseball experience before joining the league.

Jean went to East Greenville High School. There, she was great at track and field, basketball, and field hockey. She also practiced pitching for her school's baseball team. She even pitched in exhibition games against a local semi-professional team called the Cubs. This helped her learn how to throw different kinds of pitches. After high school, Jean worked in a clothing factory. In 1946, she tried out for the AAGPBL in Pascagoula, Mississippi.

Joining the AAGPBL

The AAGPBL was growing, and in 1946, two new teams joined the league. Jean Faut earned a contract to play in the league. She was assigned to the South Bend Blue Sox. Her manager was Chet Grant, a former football player and sports editor.

In 1946, the AAGPBL changed some rules to make the game more like men's baseball. They made the bases farther apart and the pitching distance longer. They also used a smaller ball. Later that season, pitchers were allowed to throw sidearm. This meant they could throw curveballs and sinkers, in addition to fastballs and changeups. Jean Faut already knew how to throw these pitches.

In her first year, Jean played in 101 games. She mostly played third base. She batted .177 and had 40 runs batted in. When sidearm pitching was allowed, her manager put her on the pitching team. Jean had a great pitching record of 8 wins and 3 losses, with a 1.32 ERA in 12 games. She ranked third in ERA and winning percentage that season.

Becoming a Star Pitcher

Jean Faut was a very smart pitcher. She remembered what pitches she threw to each batter in every game. She would study the weaknesses of opposing hitters before games. During games, she would change the types of pitches she threw. She once said, "I could remember the order of pitches I threw to each girl, so they never saw the same thing twice." This made it hard for batters to guess what was coming.

In 1947, the AAGPBL changed its rules again, moving from underhand to full side-arm pitching. Before the season, Jean married Karl Winsch, who had also been a baseball player. Jean had a strong season, with 19 wins and 13 losses, and a 1.15 ERA. She pitched 298 innings, which was a career high for her. She also had a long game on July 31, where she pitched 22 innings to win 4–3.

Jean became pregnant in 1947 and gave birth to her first son, Larry, in March 1948.

Overhand Pitching and No-Hitters

In 1948, the league changed to overhand pitching, making the game even more like men's baseball. This was a big change for many pitchers. Jean missed spring training but quickly adjusted to the new pitching style. She learned to change her arm angle when pitching. She still had a great season, with 16 wins and 11 losses, and a 1.44 ERA. The smaller ball and overhand throwing made her curveball even better.

On September 4, Jean pitched her first no-hitter, beating the Racine Belles 7–0. Her teammate, Lillian Faralla, also pitched a no-hitter against Racine that season. In the playoffs, Jean pitched 20 innings in one game, the longest game in AAGPBL playoff history, to help her team win 3–2.

In 1949, Jean had one of her best seasons ever. She won 24 games and lost only 8, with an amazing 1.10 ERA. She led the league in wins and shutouts (12). On September 3, she pitched her second no-hitter, a 2–0 victory against Fort Wayne. She faced the minimum 27 batters, but it wasn't a perfect game because she walked one batter who was later put out in a double play.

Championship Seasons

In 1950, Jean continued to be a top pitcher. She finished with 21 wins and 9 losses, and a 1.12 ERA. She led the league in ERA, innings pitched, and complete games. She was also chosen for the All-Star team for the second year in a row.

The 1951 season was a big year for Jean and the South Bend Blue Sox. Her husband, Karl Winsch, became the team's manager. Jean had 15 wins and 7 losses, with a 1.33 ERA. She led the league in strikeouts. On July 21, Jean pitched a perfect game against the Rockford Peaches. This was a huge moment, as she struck out five of the last nine batters to end the game. This historic win helped her team have a great second half of the season.

The South Bend Blue Sox made it to the playoffs and defeated Fort Wayne. Jean won two complete games in that series. In the championship round, South Bend faced Rockford. After losing the first two games, Jean pitched a crucial Game 3, winning 3–2. South Bend came back to win the series, earning their first AAGPBL title! Jean won four more games in the playoffs. She also won the Player of the Year Award and made her third All-Star team.

In 1952, only six teams remained in the league. Jean's husband, Karl Winsch, was still the manager. Jean had an incredible season, winning 20 games and losing only 2. Her .909 winning percentage set an all-time record for a single season. She also had a career-best 0.93 ERA. She led all pitchers in ERA and strikeouts, and tied for the most wins. This meant she won the pitching Triple Crown for the first time! She also batted well, with a .291 average.

South Bend had the best record in the league and won their playoff series. In the championship series, South Bend again faced Rockford. Jean helped her team win the decisive Game 5, securing their second league championship.

Final Season and Retirement

In 1953, Jean Faut played her final year in the AAGPBL. Her team was not as strong as before, but Jean still had a fantastic season. She had 17 wins and 11 losses, and led the league with a 1.51 ERA. The league had changed again, with only overhand pitching allowed, a livelier ball, and the pitching mound moved farther back.

In her last season, Jean led all pitchers in ERA for the fourth year in a row. She also led the league with 143 strikeouts, winning the Triple Crown for a second time! On September 3, she pitched her second perfect game against the Kalamazoo Lassies. This made her the only pitcher in the league's history to throw two perfect games. She also batted well, hitting .275 with four home runs. She was named to the All-Star team for the fourth time and won the Player of the Year Award again. This made her one of only two players to win the award twice.

On September 6, 1953, the South Bend Blue Sox honored Jean Faut with a "Jean Faut Night" at Playland Park. After this special night, Jean ended her baseball career. She decided to retire because of some challenges with her teammates, partly because her husband was the team manager. The AAGPBL eventually closed down at the end of the 1954 season.

Life After Baseball

After retiring from baseball, Jean Faut became a competitive bowler. She later married Charles Eastman. After he passed away, Jean enjoyed playing golf. She was an active grandmother with four grandchildren and lived in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Jean Faut is honored at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. A permanent display was opened in 1988 to celebrate the entire All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

Jean Faut passed away on February 28, 2023, at the age of 97.

Career Statistics

Pitching

Batting

Collective Fielding

AAGPBL Perfect Games

Sources