Dorothy Naum
| Dorothy Naum | |||
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| Catcher / Infielder / Pitcher | |||
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Born: January 5, 1928 Dearborn, Michigan |
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Died: September 23, 2008 (aged 80) Galesburg, Illinois |
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Dorothy Mary Naum Parker (January 5, 1928 – September 23, 2008) was a catcher, infielder and pitcher who played from 1946 through 1953 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m), 112 lb, she batted and threw right-handed.
Dorothy Naum played many different positions during her eight seasons in the league. Originally a catcher, she later was moved to the middle infield positions before emerging as a solid starting pitcher. Though her fastball was fairly tepid, she had good control of her curveball and changeup. She led all pitchers for the best earned run average in 1951, and helped her team reach the postseason in 1953. Overall, she posted a 27–19 record in four seasons, while her 2.01 ERA is one of the lowest in league's history.
Born in Dearborn, Michigan, Dorothy was the daughter of James and Mary. She learned fundamentals of baseball from her two brothers at an early age, but did not begin playing softball until she was a 12-year-old young girl. At 18, her team's coach advised her to try out as a catcher, because the league did not have enough good ones. Nevertheless, Naum admittedly was not strong enough to be a good hitter.
She entered the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in 1946 with the South Bend Blue Sox, playing for them one year before joining the Kenosha Comets (1947–1951) and Kalamazoo Lassies (1952–1953). In her first four seasons, Naum had modest hitting numbers, by compiling averages of .194 (1946), .207 (1947), .174 (1948) and .157 (1949).
Then in 1950 with Kenosha Naum was used periodically as a pitcher, which earned her a spot in the rotation. She responded with a 6–4 record and a 2.39 ERA in 19 games. She had an even better season for the Comets in 1951, when she was 5–4 and led the league with a 1.14 ERA.
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