The death of Betsy Jochum has occurred at the age of 104.
This information was verified by the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League on Saturday, May 31. Jochum was the last member of the original club that served as the inspiration for the film A League of Their Own, which was released in 1992.
“We lost one of our super stars, the last player, the original 1943 player,” the league stated in a statement.
An obituary for Jochum, who had previously played in the outfield, first base, and pitching positions, said that the legendary baseball player was at Southfield Village at the time of her passing. Not only does she leave behind her sister, Frances Jochum, but she also leaves behind “her good friends, Phyllis Smallwood and Diane Gram.”
Jochum played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) beginning in 1943, when she was signed by the South Bend Blue Sox, and remained on the team for five years.
Jochum, who was listed as being 5-foot-7 in height, was a multi-talented player both at bat and on the mound, according to the AAGPBL. She is recalled as one of the “fastest runners in the early years of the league and rarely struck out” throughout her career. Not only did she win a batting championship, but she was also selected as an All-Star for the league.
In addition to her history in baseball, Jochum went on to get her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physical education from Illinois University. She then went on to become a teacher at Muessel School, where she taught both physical education and social studies for a total of 27 years until finally retiring in 1983.
When asked about her experience with being picked to play in the league, Jochum described it as “amazing” in an interview she gave to The South Bend Tribune in 2012. As it turned out, I was going to get compensated for participating in a game. During that time period, women did not engage in such behavior.
During the year 1988, the Women’s League was honored with a permanent exhibit in the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, which is located in Cooperstown, New York.
As part of the Sports: Breaking Records, Breaking Barriers exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Jochum’s South Bend Blue Sox outfit is also on permanent display. This exhibit serves as a part of the museum’s collection.
It was announced by ABC57 that a screening of the film “A League of Their Own” would take place in Howard Park as part of the “Movies in the Park” event that will be held throughout the city in honor of Jochum.
South Bend, Indiana was the location of a funeral ceremony that took place on Saturday, June 7th. Jochum will be laid to rest in Arlington Memorial Gardens in Cincinnati, Ohio, at a “later date” in the future.