Toni Stone | |
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Second baseman | |
Born: Bluefield, West Virginia | July 17, 1921|
Died: November 2, 1996 Alameda, California | (aged 75)|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
Teams | |
Toni Stone (July 17, 1921 – November 2, 1996), born as Marcenia Lyle Stone, was an American female professional baseball player who played in predominantly male leagues. In 1953, she became the first woman to play as a regular on an American major-level professional baseball team[1][2] when she joined the Indianapolis Clowns in the previously all-male Negro leagues (two other women would later play on the team).[3][4][5] A baseball player from her early childhood, she also played for the San Francisco Sea Lions, the New Orleans Creoles, the Indianapolis Clowns, and the Kansas City Monarchs before retiring from baseball in 1954.[6][5] Stone was taunted at times by teammates, once being told, "Go home and fix your husband some biscuits", but she was undeterred. It has been widely reported that during an exhibition game in 1953, she hit a single off a fastball pitch delivered by legendary player Satchel Paige, although the claim has failed verification.[7]
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