ed . ▁ ▁A ▁native ▁of ▁Franklin ▁County , ▁Illinois , ▁El ise ▁Har ney ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁si xty ▁found ing ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁All - American ▁Girls ▁Professional ▁Baseball ▁League . ▁While ▁at ▁school , ▁she ▁made ▁her ▁mark ▁as ▁a ▁fast - p itch ▁soft ball ▁hur ler ▁in ▁Chicago ▁before ▁joining ▁the ▁league . ▁However , ▁she ▁ended ▁her ▁career ▁prem ature ly ▁after ▁developing ▁a ▁s ore ▁pitch ing ▁arm ▁while ▁trying ▁to ▁adapt ▁to ▁a ▁new ▁pitch ing ▁motion ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 . ▁ ▁The ▁All - American ▁Girls ▁Professional ▁Baseball ▁League ▁was ▁a ▁circuit ▁that ▁began ▁to ▁operate ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 4 0 s ▁in ▁cities ▁located ▁on ▁or ▁near ▁Lake ▁Michigan . ▁The ▁main ▁prom oter ▁was ▁Philip ▁K . ▁W rig ley , ▁owner ▁of ▁the ▁Chicago ▁C ubs , ▁who ▁wor ried ▁about ▁the ▁vi ability ▁of ▁Major ▁League ▁Baseball ▁players ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁decided ▁to ▁establish ▁an ▁alternate ▁att raction . ▁Since ▁the ▁only ▁organized ▁ball ▁for ▁women ▁in ▁the ▁country ▁was ▁soft ball , ▁the ▁league ▁officials ▁created ▁a ▁game ▁which ▁included ▁both ▁fast - p itch ▁soft ball ▁and ▁baseball . ▁W rig ley ▁had ▁sc outs ▁all ▁over ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁Canada ▁and ▁even ▁Cuba ▁signing ▁girls ▁for ▁try outs . ▁About ▁ 5 0 0 ▁girls ▁attended ▁the ▁call . ▁Of ▁these , ▁only ▁ 2 8 0 ▁were ▁invited ▁to ▁the ▁final ▁try - outs ▁in ▁Chicago ▁where