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Mary Pratt, Last Surviving Rockford Peach, Dies at Age 101
May 9, 2020
Mary Pratt, a member of the Rockford Peaches from the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, died Wednesday at the age of 101.
The AAGPBL noted Pratt was believed to be the last known surviving member of the original Peaches team from 1943:
AAGPBL Official @AAGPBLWe are terribly sad to report that former Rockford Peaches and Kenosha Comets pitcher, Mary Pratt passed away on May 6th. She was 101 years old. Mary was the last known original Peaches player that played on the 1943 team. Her stories, her energy will be missed for a long time. https://t.co/dKFlbbBzf8
Rockford was one of the main teams featured in the 1992 movie A League of Their Own about the inaugural season of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
Pratt pitched five seasons in the AAGPBL from 1943 to '47 between the Peaches and Kenosha Comets.
In her biography on the AAGPBL's website, Pratt wrote that she became a teacher after graduating from Boston University in 1940 and joined the league three years later:
"It was in 1943 that I had the opportunity to become a member of the AAGPBL. In June of that year, I was contacted by personnel in Chicago and flew out to Chicago after the close of school. I was met by Mr. Ken Sells, appointed by Mr. Philip Wrigley as President of the AAGPBL. I was escorted to Rockford and joined that team. That evening, Rockford was in the process of playing a league game at the 15th ave. Stadium. That was my introduction into the All-American and the start of five wonderful summers as a member of the league, 1943-47. I was fortunate to have particpated during those eras when so many changes took place within the structure of the League."
Boston University inducted Pratt into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 1978.
Pratt's best season came in 1944 with Kenosha. She went 21-15 with a 2.50 ERA in 303 innings and tossed a no-hitter against the Minneapolis Millerettes.
