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Tigers Pictchers Catchers Report - on Connie Wisniewski's Bday
Who doesn't love love to hear that announcement of Spring Training beginning.
Appropriate to the day, I learned from today's Quiz du Jour that it is also the birthday of one of Detroit's greatest native born pitchers -- Connie Wisniewski. Connie who? I didn't know either until checking her impressive wiki.
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A female Babe Ruth of sorts, Connie played from 1944 through 1952 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. And like Babe first excelled as a pitcher...
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A model of consistency, in 1946 she completed all 40 of her starts and was named to the first of her four All-Star Teams. She averaged 26 wins in each of her first four seasons, including two with more of 30. In addition, she posted a 107-48 career record.
...then as a slugging outfielder.
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Wisniewski later switched to playing at outfield in 1948, in time to lead all 10 teams in total bases and in home runs, while finishing second in runs batted in and third in batting average.
In 1945 when Detroit's Hal Newhouser would pitch 313 innings with 25 wins and a 1.81 ERA to win the AL MVP and Cy Young, Connie won 32 with a 0.81 ERA, pitching 391 innings.
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A native of Detroit, Michigan, Wisniewski was one of six children born to Stanley Wisniewski and Frances Wisniewski. At the age of eleven she started to play softball in her home town. She later attended Detroit schools, graduating from the High School of Commerce. By then Wisniewski developed the basic skills necessary to compete at a high level. She began playing against the greatest semi-professional softball players of Detroit in the late 1930s, and led the Hudson Motors team to the city championship.
Let's hear a Happy Birthday for Connie and Welcome for Spring Training.
