Ruby Stephens

Ruby Stephens pitched in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League for six seasons (1946–51). Although her 62–53 won-lost record in 150 appearances1 may seem pedestrian, “Stevie” did have some highlights. She won 20 games in 1948.2 She also threw at least two no-hitters, the first in 1948 in a seven-inning game3 and the second in a nine-inning game in 1950.4 Her first season in the league included a league championship as a member of the Racine Belles.5

Ruby Lee Stephens was born in Clearwater, Florida, on October 2, 1924.6 Her parents were Willie Boyd Stephens Sr., a retail grocery salesman turned carpenter during the Great Depression,7 and Hattie Mae Strickland who later worked at a citrus packing plant according to the 1950 census.8 Her father was active in political causes and known as the “Mayor of Belmont,” the Clearwater neighborhood in which Ruby was raised.9 Ruby was the third child and the second girl among the eight siblings.10

Ruby was a tomboy: athletic and rambunctious. She earned individual and team successes in many different sports. Even though she lived in South Clearwater, she attended Largo Junior and Senior High School.11 In the winter of 1940, the Largo girls softball team challenged the St. Petersburg Half-Century Club men’s softball team to a game. The offer was accepted.12 Ruby pitched against the men at St. Petersburg’s Waterfront Park. Largo lost, 13–4.13 It is not known whether it was a fast-pitch or a slow-pitch contest, although most softball during that period was fast-pitch.14

In April 1940, Ruby participated for Largo Junior High in the county track-and-field meet. She placed second to teammate Boots Anderson in the softball throw. However, she defeated Boots to take first place in the running high jump (this may be labeled incorrectly; it could be the running long jump).15 Anderson was also a teammate in softball.16

The most remarkable event for Ruby in 1940 occurred at the end of April. It’s perhaps the best demonstration of her spirit and demeanor at that time. Ruby and another 15-year-old ran away together on the night of Monday, April 29. The other girl eventually turned back, but Ruby walked and hitchhiked her way to Ocala, conservatively 115 miles away. On Tuesday morning, April 30, Ruby entered the gym class at the Florida Industrial School for Girls, a state reformatory school. She began asking questions of the girls such as “Do you have a good time here, do you like it here, and who do I see [about enrolling]?”

Ruby also spoke with teachers, who repeatedly asked whether she knew what kind of school it was. Ruby apparently responded that it “was the place for me.” She explained her running away to the staff: “I have heard a lot about the school and decided that I wanted to come here. I was in school yesterday [Monday]. I have hardly missed a day. But my teachers have always told me that if I didn’t behave, I would be sent here. … I just decided to come on up.”

Ruby asked, “Do you play baseball? I was on the team at home.” The school’s secretary contacted Clearwater authorities, and her brother Carl headed to the Ocala school, arriving about 7:00 PM.

She also told the school of her delinquent activity. She related that “she and three other girls ‘swiped’ a laundry truck.” Her protest to remain at the school was to no avail. She clearly stated when her brother arrived, “But I want to stay.” However, she returned to Clearwater with him.17

Ruby did get a softball win over men in 1941. The Largo girls returned to Waterfront Park in St. Petersburg, this time to take on an all-star team of the three-quarter Century Club, otherwise known as the Kids and Kubs. This was a popular softball program for players aged 75 and above. This time the girls prevailed, 15-4. Another highlight of the game was that former New York Yankees pitcher George Pipgras, an American League umpire at the time, served as the umpire.18

Ruby was listed with the sophomore class in the 1941 Largo High School yearbook. The 1942 yearbook covered only the senior class. No copy has been found of the 1943 yearbook to document her senior year.19 (Amid World War II, yearbooks were not always published.) The cap and gown photo of the 1943 Largo High School graduating class in the St. Petersburg Times did not include or list Ruby.20

It cannot be verified whether Stephens graduated from high school, but it is known that she signed up to aid the war effort. Much like “Rosie the Riveter,” she signed up with McCloskey’s Shipyard and trained as a welder. Ruby the Welder served in the sheet metal department.21 She also competed for McCloskey’s athletic teams. She was named all-state as a catcher on the 1944 state-championship team.22 In 1945, McCloskey’s became Jack Sheppard’s, and they claimed the runner-up spot in the 1945 state championship with Ruby doing the pitching.23

Ruby, who stood 5-feet-4, was listed as the team trainer on McCloskey’s state-champion women’s basketball team.24 In 1945, she played for the B & E Manufacturing volleyball team, also a state champion.25

It is quite likely that Ruby was discovered by an AAGPBL scout at the 1945 state softball tournament in St. Petersburg. She received an invitation to go to Miami. A tryout for the league was held on December 27, 1945, at Flamingo Park in Miami Beach. The camp was conducted by the league president, former major leaguer and future Hall of Famer, Max Carey.26 Stephens emerged from the camp with a contract along with her Tampa teammate, shortstop Senaida “Shoo Shoo” Wirth. They were sent to spring training in Pascagoula, Mississippi, for evaluation and placement—almost assuredly for the league minimum of $35 per week.27

In its quest for parity, the AAGPBL used the Mexican League method of evaluating and grading each player. Based on the ratings, players were allocated to the various league teams. Stephens was assigned as a pitcher to Racine, Wisconsin; Wirth went to South Bend, Indiana.28

While in Pascagoula, Ruby was introduced to something she likely had not encountered before. It would lead to a change in the course of her life. When not on the field practicing or playing, the girls were required to attend class sessions; the Fort Myers News Press reported, “A prominent beauty specialist and style expert will lecture the players, between baseball practice sessions, on how to walk gracefully, wear chic clothes, and spurn such revealing garb as shorts or slacks—on or off the field.”29 The AAGPBL classified all that as “Charm School.”30

Ruby joined a strong Racine Belles team, which won the league championship in 1946, her first year.31 Slotted at the end of a veteran pitching staff, Ruby was limited to seven appearances and 34 innings. She posted a 2–1 record.32 She pitched softball style (underhand) despite a rule change to allow side-armed pitching.33 “Stevie” made news off the field. She was featured in an ad promoting the Belles’ games, modeling a pants suit being sold by Zahn’s Department Store.34

Ruby’s obituary refers to a 1956 profile in which she talked about how playing in the league “also… gave me an opportunity to travel.”35 Spring training in 1947 was in Havana, Cuba.36 At the end of training camp, she was allocated to the South Bend Blue Sox, reuniting her with Shoo Shoo Wirth.37

The Blue Sox coach was Donald C. “Chet” Grant, a South Bend native and multi-sport athlete. Grant had played baseball, but his main claim to fame came in football. After serving in World War I, Grant returned to finish his studies at Notre Dame, the cultural and economic heart of South Bend. He quarterbacked Knute Rockne’s Fighting Irish to a 10–1 record in 1921. He later served as the backfield coach under Elmer Layden.38 Grant converted Stephens from an underhand softball-style pitcher into a side-armer. He complimented her on her preseason work.39

Stephens started the season in style, twirling a one-hitter in her first start in front of the home crowd in South Bend.40 It would be a season of ups and downs, though. Ruby finished with a won-lost record of 9–15 in her only season in South Bend.41

Ahead of the 1948 season, a group of players, including Ruby, traveled to Cuba and Puerto Rico on an exhibition tour.42 However, spring training was back in the States, in Opa-locka, Florida, near Miami. The fields were on an old air base property.43 Ruby was allocated to the expansion Springfield Sallies (Illinois) in what turned out to be the franchise’s only year in the league.44 The rules were changed for the season to allow overhand pitching.45 Although Ruby did throw overhand in her career, it is not known when she started to do so.

Ruby had an excellent start to what became her best season in the league. The Sallies didn’t enjoy the same success. In fact, the team was taken over by the league in June owing to poor attendance in Springfield.46 The expansion to 10 teams and an overly liberal playoff structure hampered attendance league-wide. The league was split into two five-team divisions, which eliminated a true pennant race. Also, four of the five teams in each division were to advance to the playoffs.47 The fallout from that situation would affect Ruby.

While with Springfield, Ruby threw a one-hitter on May 21 against Muskegon, striking out nine and walking only three.48 Five days later, in the first game of a doubleheader against her old South Bend team, she pitched a no-hitter, walking only one in a seven-inning game.49 While the league took over operation of the Sallies in mid-June, a series of league meetings to determine a course of action lasted into mid-July. It was decided to operate Springfield as a traveling team playing their “home” schedule in non-league towns while moving some of their better players to other teams. The dispersal was prioritized based on league standings (lowest first).50

On July 16, Ruby was traded to the fourth-place Kenosha (Wisconsin) Comets for Millie Deegan.51 The good news was that this united her with her South Bend manager, Chet Grant, by then in charge of Kenosha. Ruby spent the rest of her career with the Comets.52

The move to Kenosha in 1948 did not deter Ruby from enjoying her finest season in the league. Her first start for the Comets was a two-hitter in a seven-inning doubleheader.53 On August 29, she threw a two-hitter, again mastering Peoria.54 Although her stats between the two teams are not delineated, in aggregate her won-lost record was 20–11. She got her 20th victory in the final game of the season. She allowed two hits, walking only one with six strikeouts in a 7–0 win over the Chicago Colleens.55 She appeared in a career-high 36 games and 321 1/3 innings. Her ERA of 1.40 was her second best in a full season of work.56 At season’s end, Stephens was named to the third-team all-league squad.57

Ruby’s enjoyment of the travel that playing provided may have hit its zenith early in 1949. She and 27 other players, as well as league officials, met up with two teams of Cuban women in Guatemala. They scheduled a total of 50 games in an eight-week trip across Guatemala, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba. One of the managers was Hall of Famer Dave Bancroft.58 Bancroft had spent 1928 and 1929 in Clearwater59 for spring training, perhaps giving him and Ruby something to converse about.

Stephens got off to a fine start in 1949. The Kenosha News reported on June 25 that Ruby “gained the top spot in the pitching department with a record of six wins and one loss.”60 Her sole loss to that point came a few days earlier, when she allowed only one hit over nine innings against Fort Wayne but lost, 1–0, in 11 innings.61 But she then won only seven more games against eight losses, finishing at 13–9 for the season.62 In late July, tragedy struck Ruby’s family and she returned home for a time. Her only sister, Lillian, 29, was struck by a car while crossing the street and killed. She left behind her husband and three young children.63

It does not appear that Ruby traveled to play exhibitions in the 1949–50 offseason. The AAGPBL did not schedule another exhibition trip despite the success of the previous two years. Ruby was home in Clearwater working in a meat plant, where the staff was “confined to a room in which the temperature is below freezing.”64

An unusual tidbit came out about Stephens during the 1950 season. The Kenosha News claimed that her occupation prior to entering the AAGPBL was professional wrestler.65 The truth was that Ruby had wrestled in a couple of matches during the winter after her 1946 rookie season. At the end of November and about two weeks later in December, Ruby and her tag-team partner, Dolly West (billed as “The Singing Cowgirl”), wrestled on cards at the Tampa Armory. The first match, which was best of three falls, was tied at one fall apiece when Ruby and Dolly’s opponents were disqualified for rowdiness.66 A rematch was scheduled, but the result was not published.67

Stephens—the self-proclaimed laundry truck thief, would-be reform schoolgirl, shipyard welder, professional wrestler, and meat plant worker—then took on a role that defied her resume to that point. While many veteran players took dual roles as player-coaches and even player-managers, Ruby’s niche was quite different. The Charm School lessons seemed to have overcome the rest of her resume; she served the Comets as a player-chaperone for both the 1950 and ’51 seasons.68

Spring training in 1950 was in the resort town of West Baden Springs, Indiana. Coming out of training, manager Johnny Gottselig publicly stated that Stephens looked much improved over the previous season.69 Ruby repaid Gottselig’s confidence by winning her final exhibition game, 9–3, in front of a relatively large crowd of 2,500 in Kalamazoo, Michigan.70 Her 1950 record showed slight improvement: she won two more games, going 15–9 in three fewer appearances but 16 more innings pitched.71

Stephens beat the Kalamazoo Lassies three times in a single week in July.72 She came on in relief to earn the first victory. On July 12 came her masterpiece: a nine-inning no-hitter in an 8–0 victory. She retired the first 19 hitters; overall, only two Lassies reached first base.73 Ruby received a lot more press for that game nationally than she did for her 1948 no-hitter. Then on July 15, she allowed a mere five hits in a 4–1 win.74 Adding to her dominance of the Lassies, on August 10, she won, 3–1, limiting her opponents to two hits.75

On August 31, Stephens lost another tough 11-inning, 1–0 decision, this time to Rockford. She was thrown out at the plate trying to score earlier in the game.76

At the end of the season farewell dinner, both Ruby and team captain Teenie Petras commented that the entire squad was excited to return in ’51.77 Practice for the season began on May 12 in Kenosha; both Ruby and Teenie reported early.78 In the second game of the season, Ruby continued her mastery of Kalamazoo, throwing a three-hitter to win, 6–0.79

For the most part, however, Stephens struggled after that. She finished what turned out to be an abbreviated season with a 3–8 record and a career high 3.88 ERA—the only season in which her ERA was above 3.00.80 On June 10, Ruby got her second win, 3–2, on another three-hitter against Grand Rapids.81 She lost a three-hitter, 2–1, later in the month.82

It appears that June 29, 1951, was Ruby’s last appearance for the Comets and in her career. She entered in relief in the sixth inning and left after retiring the first batter in the eighth, having become ill. 83 On July 2, the Kenosha News reported that she “was confined to Kenosha Hospital during the week and would not see action for at least a week.”84 On July 7, the News divulged that Ruby had “suffered a mild heart attack while on the mound recently [and] may not be able to resume her career in the AGBL [sic].”85 The following day, the same paper reported that Ruby would have to retire from the sport.86 Indeed, at the age of 26, Ruby Stephens’ professional baseball career had come to an end.

Ruby’s bio lists her as 5-feet-4 and 115 pounds. Being small in stature, it makes sense that she was labeled a curveball specialist instead of being noted for her velocity.87 She batted and threw right-handed.88 However, it appears she was at least a bit ambidextrous.

The only photo of Stephens batting is her Fritsch baseball card. She is shown hitting from the right side as supported by various baseball profiles.89 A 1944 photo of her as an all-state catcher shows her as a right-handed thrower (as one would expect of that position).90 The photo distributed on the wire services following her 1950 no-hitter shows her at the top of her windup. Her hands are hidden behind her head, but she is stepping back with her left foot, indicating a right-handed throw.91 Two other photos show her throwing overhand with the right arm.92 However, a May 1947 photo of her preparing to toss underhand shows the ball coming out of her left hand.93 In 1948, she was described as a “stylish little southpaw,” making it likely that she was delivering from the left side in her seven-inning no-hitter that year.94

The Kenosha club was disbanded after the 1951 season. In an allocation draft, South Bend selected Ruby again.95 She chose not to return. Her obituary states that she stayed in the Chicago area, creating naval codes at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center. It also mentioned that she began coaching; no other details were given.96

Stephens did not completely quit competing. She showed up in a couple of news articles in 1952. In August, she hurled fast-pitch softball for the Johnnie’s State Line Inn team of Kenosha against a North Chicago team.97 In November, she once again appeared with the Johnnie’s girls, this time as part of their volleyball league champs.98

The next press reference to Ruby was a single newspaper article in August 1961, which reported that she came in to pitch for the Ramanto Farms softball team of Tampa. She could have been there as a guest player while on vacation.99

Ruby did not attract press attention again until she showed up in her mother’s obituary in 1975. She was listed as living in Tarpon Springs, in the far northern part of Pinellas County (of which Clearwater is the county seat).100 She sold that property in May 1985, moving to the next town to the north, Holiday.101

Ruby Stephens died at home in Holiday on March 21, 1996. She is buried at Clearwater Municipal Cemetery near her childhood home and where her mother and father are also buried.102 The published obituary incorrectly listed her as 61; she was 71. There is no evidence that she ever married, and her obituary made no mention of children.103 By coincidence, Millie Deegan—for whom Ruby had been traded in 1948—was living just a few miles north in New Port Richey.104

As a further testament to the change in Ruby’s deportment as she grew from teen to adult, her brother Lamar told a story recorded in her obituary. He recalled that Ruby was asked to be a consultant for the 1992 AAGPBL movie, A League of Their Own. She declined when she found out that Madonna was in the cast. Lamar recounted that she “thought it was very cruel to pick Madonna. … She said all of the players were very refined.”105

Acknowledgments

This biography was reviewed by Rory Costello and Abigail Miskowiec and fact-checked by Paul Proia.

Photo credit: Ruby Stephens, Trading Card Database.

Sources

In addition to the sources shown in the notes, the author used www.aagpbl.org

Notes   

1 W.C., Madden, The Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League: A Biographical Dictionary, Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co. (2005), 231.

2 Madden, The Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

3 “Blue Sox Get Twin Defeats In Springfield,” South Bend Tribune, May 27, 1948: 26.

4 Jerry Hagan, “Stephens of Kenosha Hurls No-Hit, No-Run Game Against Lassies,” Kalamazoo Gazette, July 13, 1950: 28.

5 Jim Costin, “All Girl Pro Nines Are Stronger – Grant,” South Bend Tribune, May 20, 1947: 12.

6 Madden, The Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

7 “W. B. Stephens Runs For Mayor At Clearwater,” St. Petersburg Times, October 14, 1946: 11; US Census Bureau, 1930, 1940 & 1950 US Census.

8 Obituary, “Stephens, Mrs. Hattie Mae,” St. Petersburg Times, July 5, 1975: 22.; US Census Bureau, 1950 US Census.

9 “Intra-City Fuss Settles Down,” St. Petersburg Times, October 8, 1947: 43.

10 Obituary, “Stephens, Mrs. Hattie Mae;” US Census Bureau, 1940 US Census.

11 “Clearwater Junior High Track Winner,” St. Petersburg Times, April 14, 1940: 14.

12 “Accept Challenge,” St. Petersburg Times, February 13, 1940: 11.

13 “Largo Girls Bow In Challenge Fray,” St. Petersburg Times, February 17, 1940: 14.

14 Erica Westly, Fastpitch: The Untold History of Softball and the Women Who Made the Game, New York: Touchstone (2017).

15 “Clearwater Junior High Track Winner.”

16 “Accept Challenge.”

17 “Pinellas School Girl Runs Away – To Institution,” Bradenton (Florida) Herald, May 2, 1940: 8.

18 “Girls Beat Kids, Kubs,” St. Petersburg Times, February 2, 1941: 45.

19 Largo High School Yearbooks at Pinellas Memory. https//pinellasmemory.org/islandora/object/clearwater%3A77817, accessed May 26, 2026.

20 Photo “Largo High School Graduates,” St. Petersburg Times, June 6, 1943: 6.

21 Photo “Winning Battery,” Tampa Tribune, June 7, 1944: 13.

22 “Winning Battery.”

23“Cookies Win State Championship,” Tampa Tribune, August 8, 1945: 11.

24 “McCloskey Six Cops Loop Title,” Tampa Tribune, March 15, 1945: 13.

25 Uncaptioned photo, Tampa Times, December 3, 1945: 9.

26 “Try-Out Camp For Girls Planned,” Pensacola News Journal, December 23, 1945: 11.

27 Eddie McKenna, “Girls Baseball Loop To Draw Million Fans,” Durham Sun, June 6, 1946: 15.

28 McKenna, “Girls Baseball Loop To Draw Million Fans.”

29 “Girls Training Camp,” (Fort Myers, Florida) News Press, March 24, 1946: 6.

30 Charm School, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. https://www.aagpbl.org/history/charm-school, accessed May 28, 2026.

31 “Belles Win Playoff Crown, Tip Peaches, 1-0, 14 Innings,” (Racine, Wisconsin) Journal Times, September 17, 1946: 10.

32 “Player Profile: Ruby Stephens,” All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. https://www.aagpbl.org/profiles/ruby-stephens-stevie/575, accessed May 23, 2026.

33 “Rules of Play,” All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. https://www.aagpbl.org/history/rules-of-play, accessed May 25, 2026.

34 Racine Belles Advertising Series No. 3,” Journal Times, August 20, 1946: 5.

35 “Ex-standout in women’s league dies,” Tampa Tribune, March 30, 1996: 96.

36 “AAGPBL League History,” All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. https://www.aagpbl.org/history/league-history, accessed May 28, 2026.

37 Eddie McKenna, “Comets Open With South Bend Tonight,” Kenosha News, June 18, 1947: 14.

38“ Donald C. Grant Profile,” All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. https://www.aagpbl.org/profiles/donald-c-grant-chet/738, accessed May 25, 2026.

39 Jim Costin, “All Girl Pro Nines Are Stronger – Grant,” South Bend Tribune, May 20, 1947: 12.

40 “Blue Sox Win Two; Take League Lead,” South Bend Tribune, May 27, 1947: 18.

41 “Player Profile: Ruby Stephens.”

42 “Filarski, Comet Player, in Cuba,” Kenosha News, February 18, 1948: 24.

43 “All-American Girls Ball League Teams to Start Spring Training in Florida Monday,” Kenosha News, April 3, 1948: 6.

44 “Announce Team Rosters In All-American League,” Journal Times, April 22, 1948: 25.

45 “Rules of Play,”

46 “Sallies Become Orphans; Lose Two Games To Chicago” State Journal-Register (Springfield, Illinois), June 17, 1948: 19.

47 Jim Costin, “Jim Costin Says,” South Bend Tribune, July 12, 1948: 12.

48 Kenneth Utz, “Sallies Win Again, 3–0, As Ruby Stephens Hurls 1 Hitter,” State Journal-Register, May 22, 1948: 11.

49 Kenneth Utz, “Sallies Win 2; Stephens Gets No-Hit Game,” State Journal-Register, May 27, 1948: 19.

50 “Sallies Remain In League Play,” South Bend Tribune, July 15, 1948: 22.

51 Eddie McKenna, “Comets, Colleens Play Here Tonight,” Kenosha News, July 16, 1948: 10.

52 Madden, The Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

53 Eddie McKenna, “Comets Cop Sixth in Row, 6-2, Then Fall, 6-1”, Kenosha News, July 20, 1948: 8.

54 Eddie McKenna, “2,504 Watch Comets Take Two From Peoria, 6-1, 2-0,” Kenosha News, August 30, 1948: 8.

55 “Comets Win Two, Drop Three; Close Sixth Campaign In League.” Kenosha News, September 7, 1948: 11.

56 “Ruby Stephens,” Stats Crew. https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/stats/p-stephrub001, accessed July 12, 2026.

57 “Pick Audrey Wagner for ‘Player of Year’ Award,” Kenosha News, November 16, 1948: 8.

58 “Latin American Tour for Three Members of Comets,” Kenosha News, January 27, 1949: 10.

59 “Wright May Plug Gap,” (Madison) Wisconsin State Journal, March 28, 1929: 19. Bancroft was signed by Brooklyn as a free agent October 14, 1927, per Baseball-Reference and would have trained in Clearwater in 1928 also.

60 “Marlowe Paces Hitters in AAGBL, Stephens Tops Pitching Records,” Kenosha News, June 25, 1949: 6.

61 “Daisies Defeat Comets, 1 to 0, After 11 Innings,” Kenosha News, June 23, 1949: 22.

62 Madden, The Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

63 “Injuries Fatal To Pedestrian Struck By Car.” St. Petersburg Times, August 1, 1949: 13.

64 “All American Girls Prexy Tells Fans of 1950 Plans,” Grand Rapids (Michigan) Press, February 22, 1950: 37.

65 “We Thought You’d Like to Know…,” Kenosha News, July 31, 1950: 7.

66 “Two Matches Signed For Monday Bouts,” Tampa Morning Tribune, November 23, 1946: 10.

67 “Four Women Return Here For Tag Match,” Tampa Morning Tribune, December 7, 1946: 10.

68 “Teenie Petras Will Captain Comets,” Kenosha News, March 14, 1951: 16.

69 “Gottselig Optimistic As Comets Open 1950 Card Today at Peoria,” Kenosha News, May 15, 1950: 26.

70 “Kenosha Comets Beat Chicks, 9 – 3, Before 2,500 Fans Here,” Kalamazoo Gazette, May 16, 1950: 18.

71 Madden, The Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

72 Eddie McKenna, “Comets Nip Lassies in Opener, 4-1,” Kenosha News, July 16, 1950: 33.

73 Hagan, Jerry, “Stephens of Kenosha Hurls No-Hit, No-Run Game Against Lassies,” Kalamazoo Gazette, July 13, 1950: 28.

74 McKenna, “Comets Nip Lassies in Opener, 4-1.”

75 “Comets Square Lassies Series With Win by 3-1,” Kenosha News, August 11, 1950: 10.

76 Harry D. Milne, “Peaches, Comets Split 2 Games,” Rockford (Illinois) Morning Star, September 1, 1950: 21.

77 “Comets Feted At Dinner,” Kenosha News, September 11, 1950: 10.

78 “First Practice Scheduled May 12,” Kenosha News, May 8, 1951: 10.

79 Eddie McKenna, “Stephens Hurls 3-Hitter Blanking Kazoo, 6 – 0,” Kenosha News, May 22, 1951: 8.

80 Madden, The Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

81 Jim Barnhill, “Comets Take Three; Peoria Here Tonight,” Kenosha News, June 11, 1951: 10.

82 Jim Barnhill, “Comets Face Daisies At Simmons Tonight,” Kenosha News, June 21, 1951: 18.

83 Jim Barnhill, “Comets Nipped, 7-6; Home Tonight, Sunday,” Kenosha News, June 30, 1951: 12.

84 Jim Barnhill, “Comets Split Batlle Kalamazoo Tonight,” Kenosha News, July 2, 1951: 10.

85 Jim Barnhill, “Sports Shorts,” Kenosha News, July 7, 1951: 12.

86 “Peppas Hitting .367 and Pearson .346 for Lassies,” Kalamazoo Gazette, July 8, 1951: 27.

87 “Perfect Form,” Photo caption, Miami News, July 27, 1950: 6.

88 Madden, The Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

89 “Ruby Stephens,” Stats Crew; 1995-96 Fritsch AAGPBL Baseball Card #404 Ruby Stephens.

90 “Winning Battery.”

91 “Perfect Form,” Photo caption, Miami News, July 27, 1950: 6.

92 Photos, Kenosha News, June 29, 1951: 10 and Chicago Tribune, July 15, 1951: 74.

93 “Pretty Pitcher,” Photo caption, Dayton Daily News, May 18, 1947: 18.

94 “Crown Bicycle Queen Tonight When Comets Close With South Bend Blues; Ruby Stephens Twirls 9-2 Victory,” Kenosha News, September 3, 1948: 10.

95 Jim Sargent and Robert M. Gorman, The South Bend Blue Sox: A History of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Team and Its Players, 1943-1954, Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co. (2011), 201.

96 Tampa Tribune, March 30, 1996: 96.

97 “Abbott Girls Nine Here Wednesday,” Kenosha News, August 19, 1952: 10.

98 “Johnny’s State Line Volleyball Champs,” Kenosha News, November 17, 1952: 12.

99 “Tampans Score Win In Softball Tourney,” Tampa Tribune, August 19, 1961: 19.

100 Obituary, “Stephens, Mrs. Hattie Mae.”

101 “Transfers,” West Pasco (Florida) Press,” May 15, 1985: 28.

102 Tampa Tribune, March 30, 1996: 96; “Ruby Lee Stephens,” Find a Grave. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/95485633/ruby-lee-stephens, accessed July 12, 2026.

103 Tampa Tribune, March 30, 1996: 96.

104 “Pro ballplayer Millie Deegan dies,” Tampa Tribune, July 24, 2002: 104.

105 Tampa Tribune, March 30, 1996: 96.