Ruth Lessing
| Ruth Lessing | |||
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| All-American Girls Professional Baseball League | |||
| Catcher | |||
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Born: August 15, 1925 San Antonio, Texas |
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Died: October 29, 2000 (aged 75) San Antonio, Texas |
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| debut | |||
| 1944 | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| 1949 | |||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Ruth Elizabeth Lessing [Tex] (August 15, 1925 – October 26, 2000) was a female catcher who played from 1944 through 1949 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m), 128 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.
Ruth Lessing has been considered as one of the best defensive catchers in All-American Girls Professional Baseball League history. Respected for her solid skills behind home plate, including a strong and accurate arm, Lessing also was renowned for her fiery and competitive spirit. She played over 100 games during four straight seasons, was selected to the All-Star Team three consecutive years, and set several all-time, single-season records before suffering a career-ending shoulder injury that forced her to retire prematurely. Known for her fiery demeanor, she was once fined $100 for punching an umpire after he made a call she disapproved. In response, a collection taken up by fanatics netted more than $2000. She paid the fine and gave the rest of the money to charity. Lessing said she was not proud of what she had done and wrote the umpire a letter of apology. Both later became close friends.
A native of San Antonio, Texas, Lessing was a standout athlete at Jefferson High School. She was spotted in the early 1940s by a scout from the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Then in 1944, at the age of 18, she graduated and immediately joined the Minneapolis Millerettes, an expansion AAGPBL team managed by former big leaguer Bubber Jonnard. In her rookie season Lessing shared catching duties with Pepper Paire.
In 1944 Lessing hit a .177 batting average in 57 games for Minneapolis, scoring 13 runs while driving in 27 more. She posted a single-season, career-high with 22 stolen bases, and ten of her 35 hits were doubles. Playing their home games at Nicollet Park, the Millerettes could not compete with the local Minneapolis Millers. In addition, Minneapolis was far from the other five cities in the league, forcing the Millerettes spent most of the season on the road. As a result, the team finished last in both halves of the season with a compiled 45–72 record, being replaced in 1945 by the Fort Wayne Daisies.
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