Joyce Ricketts facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joyce Ricketts
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
Right fielder
Born: (1933-04-25)April 25, 1933 Oquawka, Illinois
Died: May 8, 1992(1992-05-08) (aged 59) Oquawka, Illinois
Batted: Left Threw: Right
Teams
Grand Rapids Chicks (1953–1954)
Career highlights and awards
Two-time All-Star Team (1953–1954) Championship Team (1953) Women in Baseball – AAGPBL Permanent Display Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (1988)

Joyce Ricketts (born April 25, 1933 – died May 8, 1992) was a talented right fielder in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She played for two seasons, from 1953 to 1954. Joyce was a left-handed batter and threw with her right hand.

Joyce Ricketts was born in Oquawka, Illinois. She became an All-Star in both years she played. Her strong hitting and excellent defense made her a key player. She also had a powerful throwing arm. These skills helped her team, the Grand Rapids Chicks, win the league championship in 1953. The league ended after the 1954 season, so Joyce only had a short time to show her amazing talent.

Playing Baseball: Joyce's Career Highlights

A Star Season in 1953

In 1953, Joyce Ricketts played in every single game for the Grand Rapids Chicks, all 114 of them! She had a great average of .288. She also hit five home runs. Joyce was one of the top players in the league. She ranked fourth in runs batted in (71) and fifth in hits (120). She also had 19 doubles and 164 total bases. Because of her fantastic performance, she was chosen for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League All-Star Team.

The Grand Rapids Chicks, led by manager Woody English, made it to the championship. They played against the Kalamazoo Lassies in a best-of-three series.

Winning the Championship Series

In the first game of the championship series, Joyce Ricketts hit a special RBI-single. This hit put her team ahead 3–2 in the fourth inning. The Chicks kept that lead and won the game 5–2. Pitcher Mary Lou Studnicka got the win, and Eleanor Moore earned a save for finishing the game strongly.

In the next game, Joyce hit a big two-RBI double in the sixth inning. This gave the Chicks a 4–3 lead. Later in that same inning, she used her strong arm from right field. She threw a runner out at home plate, stopping the Lassies from tying the game! Pitcher Earlene Risinger pitched the whole game. She struck out nine Lassies players. She even struck out Doris Sams, a powerful hitter, with the bases loaded for the final out. In the championship series, Joyce Ricketts was outstanding. She got 4 hits in 6 tries (.667 average). She also had two doubles and four RBIs, leading all players in the series.

Another All-Star Year in 1954

Joyce Ricketts continued to shine in 1954. She hit for an even higher average, .317. She also hit 15 home runs in just 92 games. She finished fourth in RBIs (72) and eighth in total bases (159). Joyce also ranked ninth in batting average. She tied for second in the league with 14 doubles. For the second year in a row, she was chosen for the All-Star Team.

Honoring Women in Baseball

Joyce Ricketts is remembered as part of Women in Baseball. This is a special, permanent display at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. The display was opened in 1988. It honors all the players of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Joyce Ricketts passed away in her hometown of Oquawka, Illinois, when she was 59 years old.

Player Statistics

Here are some of Joyce Ricketts's statistics from her time in the league.

Batting

Fielding

Sources