Blair's+Final+Project+Sites

[] An interview with a former player. Jeanie Des Combes Lesko talks about her experiences in professional women’s baseball. Specific questions are asked as to how she felt about playing during the war, women’s roles and views on women and feeling patriotic.

[] This data regarding the official rules of the league over the years. It is interesting to see how the rules changed over the years. Rules started out simplified and pitching was done underhand like traditional women’s softball. However, the league adopted more rules each year that resembled something much closer to major league baseball.

[] I can imagine my female students getting a kick out of this. This is a charm school guide that was distributed to players. Even though they were playing a game that displayed their athleticism and toughness, women were expected to represent themselves in a certain way. The document almost implies if the women don’t do these things, they are not All-American girls, which is unpatriotic.

[] These are official standings of all the years of the league. This will allow students to see where in the country games were played. It also has player records, which will allow them to see the women’s leagues had its stars just like the men.

[] These are the official rules of conduct that all players were to follow. I can imagine how hard players like Babe Ruth or Mickey Mantle who were notorious for their night lives might laugh if major league baseball were to try to institute a “code of conduct” for its players. This again allows students to see the standards that were set for women during this period in American history.

[] This shows packed stands at a women's baseball game. It is clear evidence of the entertainment value of the women's game.
 * Photographs/Posters**

[] This shows a woman sliding into a base. I could ask students if they thought women played the game different than men.

[] This looks like a signed baseball card or poster of a player. Students could compare this to cards or posters they may have or have seen of players today.

[] This is an advertisement for a game. It's great because it's got a plug in there to "Buy Victory Bonds."

[] This shows a variety of different all-stars. The league had an all star game just like most pro sports do today.

[|**http://www.aagpbl.org/league/song.cfm**] **the official league song**
 * Sound Recordings/Sheet Music**

[|**http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/15840/All-American-Girls-Professional-Baseball-League**] **this is actually a video, but you can hear the old style of news broadcasting and how they described the women.**

[|**http://www.centerforhistory.org/aagpbl.html**] **this site talks about how you can contact this museum to gain access to broadcasts of games and interviews with players**

[|**http://www.baseball-almanac.com/poetry/joltinjoedimaggio.shtml**] **this is the lyrics to the song written about Joe DiMaggio in 1941 that became a huge hit, a great example of how popular baseball was during this time period**

[|**http://www.pbs.org/teachers/connect/resources/5573/preview/**] **this is an interview from a former resident of a Japanese internment camp that talks about baseball's importance even in internment camps during the war

Maps and Videos** [] This is President Roosevelt’s speech asking Congress to declare war after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. This is an important part of the context for students to understand in a World War II unit. It also could be used with Roosevelt’s “Green Letter” that encouraged Major League Baseball to continue on during the war. [] An excellent newsreel that shows how soldiers used baseball as a means of leisure during downtime in World War II. [] This newsreel talks about how old stars like Babe Ruth and Walter Johnson used their status as celebrities to encourage Americans to support the war effort during World War II. [] This video discusses how the Negro Leagues became more popular during World War II when many Major League Baseball players were serving in the war. This demonstrates the huge demand Americans had for baseball. [] This is a propaganda film that sends the message that all Americans have duties to carry out during the war effort.