Dorothy Naum
Catcher /Infielder /Pitcher
Born:(1928-01-05)January 5, 1928 Dearborn, Michigan, U.S.
Died: September 23, 2008(2008-09-23) (aged 80) Galesburg, Illinois, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
Teams
South Bend Blue Sox (1946) Kenosha Comets (1947–1951) Kalamazoo Lassies (1952–1953)
Career highlights and awards
Single season leader inearned run average (1951)

Dorothy Mary Naum (laterParker; January 5, 1928 – September 23, 2008) was an Americancatcher,infielder andpitcher who played from1946 through1953 in theAll-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). Listed at 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m), 112 lb, she batted and threw right-handed.^[1]

Dorothy Naum played many different positions during her eight seasons in the league. Originally a catcher, she later was moved to themiddle infield positions before emerging as a solidstarting pitcher. Though herfastball was fairly tepid, she had good control of hercurveball andchangeup. She led all pitchers for the bestearned run average in 1951, and helped her team reach the postseason in 1953. Overall, she posted a 27–19 record in four seasons, while her 2.01 ERA is one of the lowest in league's history.^[1][2]

Born inDearborn, Michigan, Dorothy was the daughter of James and Mary. She learned fundamentals of baseball from her two brothers at an early age, but did not begin playingsoftball until she was a 12-year-old young girl. At 18, her team's coach advised her to try out as a catcher, because the league did not have enough good ones. Nevertheless, Naum admittedly was not strong enough to be a good hitter.^[3][1]

She entered the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in 1946 with theSouth Bend Blue Sox, playing for them one year before joining theKenosha Comets (1947–1951) andKalamazoo Lassies (1952–1953). In her first four seasons, Naum had modest hitting numbers, by compiling averages of .194 (1946), .207 (1947), .174 (1948) and .157 (1949).^[1]

Then in 1950 with Kenosha, Naum was used periodically as a pitcher, which earned her a spot in the rotation. She responded with a 6–4 record and a 2.39 ERA in 19 games. She had an even better season for the Comets in 1951, when she was 5–4 and led the league with a 1.14 ERA.^[1]

In 1953, Naum topped the Kalamazoo staff with a 14–7 record, while her 2.18 ERA was surpassed only by her teammateGloria Cordes (1.98), helping Kalamazoo reach the postseason to face theFort Wayne Daisies in a best-of-three series. Following a twelve-inning 3–1 defeat toMaxine Kline and the Daisies in Game 1, Naum was selected to start Game 2. Going in the ninth inning, the Lassies were down 1–0 in their lastat bat. Naum stepped up to the plate and helped herself after hitting ahome run over the fence to tie the game at 1–1. It was the first and last home run Naum hit in 1628 career AAGPBL at bats, including the postseason. She then set down Fort Wayne in the bottom of the ninth to force theextra innings. In the top of 10th inning,Jean Lovellsingled in the winning run in the 10th, Naum retired the side in the bottom and was credited with a 2–1 victory in acomplete 10-inning game. In Game 3, Kalamazoo won over Fort Wayne, 5–3, behind strong pitching fromKay Blumetta and two RBI from Lovell, and advanced to the best-of-three final series. Finally, Kalamazoo was defeated in two games by theGrand Rapids Chicks.^[2]

Following the 1953 season, Naum married Ron Parker, who was going to allow her to play the final season of the league, but she became pregnant with her first child instead. The couple had two sons, Craig and Robert, and two granddaughters. Ron died in 1995, after 42 years of marriage.^[3][1]

A resident ofGalesburg, Illinois since 1958, Dorothy Naum Parker was a member of theAll-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which was honored with a permanent display unveiled at theBaseball Hall of Fame and Museum inCooperstown, New York in October 1988.

In her spare time, Dorothy was an avidgolfer . She participated in several Galesburg All-City Championships, while her other hobbies includedbowling,contract bridge,knitting,needlepoint and watching sports, especially theNational Basketball Association games. She also was a member of theGreek Orthodox Church.^[1]

She died in 2008 at the age of 80.^[1]

Batting

Pitching

Collective fielding

• South Bend Blue Sox players
• Sportspeople from Dearborn, Michigan
• Baseball players from Wayne County, Michigan
• Sportspeople from Galesburg, Illinois
• 1928 births
• 2008 deaths
• 20th-century American sportswomen
• 21st-century American women
• Kenosha Comets players
• Kalamazoo Lassies players

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata