Monday, July 1, 2019

On This Day - Shirley Davis "Fails As 'Thief'"

On this day in 1944, the Milwaukee Chicks got some excellent coverage in the sports pages of the Milwaukee Sentinel.

It was common at the time for photographers to station themselves just outside the baselines, feet from the action, to capture these field-level action shots. And the unnamed Sentinel photographer captured a doozy this time.

FAILS AS 'THIEF'

Shirley Davis first baseman of the Milwaukee Chicks in the All-American Girls Baseball League, is shown being stopped in an attempt to steal third base in the first inning of the Milwaukee-Racine game at Borchert field yesterday. Putting the ball on Davis is Madeline English, on a perfect peg from Catcher Hickson. The Racine Belles won, 8-2.
Sentinel photo.
I love this photo. Not only is it a dramatic action photo, but it gives us a good look at Otis Shepard's classic uniform, worn in slightly different variations by both the Chicks and the Belles.


The Chicks, as we know, wore gull gray uniforms with black stirrups and red belts. The caps were black with red bill and button and a gold circle with black "M" on the front. The Belles wore pale yellow tunics with brown accessories. Both clubs had single-layer, curved sans-serif numbers on the back.

Unfortunately, the picture also shows us empty outfield stands. Attendance was already a problem with the Chicks, but that's a subject for another day.

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