Players, Post‑its and karaoke: inside the Women’s Pro Baseball League’s inaugural season

On the morning of 14 September, Rocky Henley sat at her rental home’s dining room table, sketching plays on a large poster as she prepared for that evening’s playoff game in the Women’s Pro Baseball League.

The eight-week Women’s Pro Baseball League, the first league of its kind in 70 years, brought players from across the United States and 11 different countries to compete for four teams.

The competition featured the New York Heights, Boston Hunters, San Francisco Firebells and Los Angeles Queens; while each team’s namesake city was chosen for market value and reputations for sports fandom, the inaugural season was played entirely in Springfield, Illinois and the organisers described it as a new chapter in women’s sports.

Henley’s assistant manager, Jackson, watched her work; he is her son. Before her players arrived at Robin Roberts Stadium she consulted a notepad of adjectives, crossing out repetitions, and the Heights gave each player two Post-it notes: a green one bearing a game mantra such as “stamina,” “determination” and “spirit,” and a pink one listing a personality adjective like “comical,” “ridiculous” or “fun!”

Staff and players took on multiple roles to make the season run: the broadcast producer consulted on merchandise stock, catchers doubled as assistant coaches and league doctors taught and studied at the local university. Outside game days largely consisted of practice, often at the local YMCA where many players bought memberships.

The youngest player in the league, Addisyn Baird, 18, was called up to play with the LA Queens in late August, weeks before she was due to start her senior fall semester at the Hill School in Pennsylvania; she balanced Queens games with AP Psych assignments, hockey practice, babysitting and being scouted for colleges. Her father Travis was once removed as head coach of the local youth team for allowing his daughter to play alongside the boys. “I was kind of used to being the only girl,” she says. “But I mean, you get used to the stares, you get used to the eyes on you. At that point, it’s just all the time.”

Players sought to absorb Illinois life between games: the Hunters’ Ticara Geldenhuis, who normally lives full-time near Sydney, Australia, spent time swimming at the local lake, playing with teammates at the local golf course and day tripping to Chicago. On game nights, whether win or lose, players often headed to bars in town to play pool or sing karaoke.

Henley’s poster and Post-it preparations did not secure a playoff victory that night: the LA Queens defeated the Heights 15-11, eliminating New York from the playoffs. Two days later the Queens beat the Fireballs in Game 1 of the WPBL Championship Series.

The Queens went on to become the league’s inaugural champions, and Rocky Henley and Jackson watched from the bleachers with their players, inspecting every play and already taking notes for next season.