Carson Shaw throws her luggage over the fence. Her dress sparsely buttoned and obviously in a hurry, she runs after the train to Chicago, which she manages to catch with great difficulty after it has left. Her goal: trial training for the premier US baseball league for women. For this she dropped everything in her village in Idaho. She breaks with the conventions of the neat housewife who is waiting at home for her husband to fulfill her dream.
Already the opening scene of the new Amazon series “A League of their own” manages to break with common role clichés. The theme is the founding of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (A.A.G.P.B.L.) in 1943. A time when the majority of men are in the army and women are supposed to entertain society in the middle of the Second World War – ladylike of course. With short skirts, made-up and away from any sporty robustness.
The plot, which was already filmed in the 1992 film of the same name “A Class of Its Own” starring Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Madonna, Rosie O’Donnell and Tom Hanks, is based on historical events. Founded by Philip Wrigley, the A.A.G.P.B.L. until 1954 and developed into a crowd puller. Right at the front: the Rockford Peaches with their pink uniforms, who were not only among the founding members, but also rose to record champions and had numerous star players in their ranks.
Good behavior and a ladylike appearance were always important for the “Girls”. Otherwise, it could happen that players were expelled from the team because their hair was too short, as happened to Josephine D’Angelo in 1944. No one came onto the field without lipstick, etiquette schools were just as much a part of the daily routine as athletic training, and trousers were forbidden in public.
While these role clichés are skillfully presented in the Hollywood original, the series also takes up a second story line and tells of the experiences of the black pitcher Maxine Chapman, played by Chanté Adams. Shut out from the catchy foreplay, she must find her own way and overcome obstacles that even surpass those of white women.
At that time, due to racial discrimination, only the “Negro League” was reserved for blacks – and it was male-dominated. Exceptions were the three players Toni Stone, Connie Morgan and Mamie Johnson, who competed in mixed-gender teams.
Based on her career, “A League of their own” portrays the role of Max, who tries to find a team while working, but despite her enormous abilities, finds it difficult to be taken seriously by the men. Added to this is the identity crisis of a young woman who is increasingly encountering queer characters and who is finding it difficult to fit into one of the existing role norms.
This is another aspect that producers Abbi Jacobs – who incidentally took on the role of Shaw – and Will Graham highlight in contrast to the film. While lesbians in women’s sports are a cliché that is still popular today, the topic in this context is not as far-fetched as one might think.
Maybelle Blair, who ran for the Peoria Redwings in 1948 and worked as a consultant during the filming, explained that she believed around 400 of the league’s 650 players were homosexual. Including you. The 95-year-old came out as a lesbian for the first time in June during a promotional campaign for the series.
When she was active, the subject of sexuality was taboo, homosexuals were socially and legally hostile, trans people (as portrayed in the series) were even worse off. That’s why many of the rules for women baseball players are said to have been so strict, albeit not officially. The clothing was intended to distract from a supposedly lesbian perception, the fraternization of players from different teams was prohibited, and there were female watchers in their own club. Just being suspected of being a lesbian could get you kicked out of the league and possibly then diagnosed as mentally ill.
The script of A League of Their Own, meanwhile, is heavily focused on making sure all of these stories are heard. From straight beauty Maybelle (Molly Ephraim), who left her children at home to pursue sports, to Lupe Garcia (Roberta Colindrez), who is not only a butch but also a child of Cuban immigrants. Each role has its value, and its complexity is mixed with humor and a topical dig.
Because if we look at what has happened since the fifties, the summary remains sobering. After the league was abolished on the pretext of being too unfeminine, women’s baseball remained silent for a long time. The protagonists were only inducted into the Hall of Fame about 40 years later, when another attempt was made to establish a league. To date, however, women are underrepresented in the sport and are mainly found in the softball variant, which is often referred to as “female”.
Great careers or even equality in perception and pay are more than just rarities. But the series should also refer to that. On the fact that development continues and must continue. “See you next season,” says Carson at the end of season one, and viewers can look forward to what’s in store for them in a possible sequel. There would always be enough anecdotes.
