Kathryn "Tubby" Johnston Massar ( née Johnston) was the first woman to play in a Little League Baseball game, which happened in 1950. She joined disguised as a boy and using the name Tubby Johnston, but later was known to be a girl and was still allowed to play. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] Johnston was from Corning, New York, and played first base for the King's Dairy team. [10]
When the season had ended, a Little League meeting was held. It was decided that girls would be banned from Little League Baseball, which was known as Tubby's Rule. Later, in 1974, due to a lawsuit brought on behalf of Maria Pepe by the National Organization for Women, the New Jersey Superior Court decided that Little League Baseball must allow girls to play. [11] [12] In the final week of December of that year, President Gerald Ford signed a bill that opened Little League Baseball to girls. [13] [14]
Kathryn "Tubby" Johnston Massar ( née Johnston) was the first woman to play in a Little League Baseball game, which happened in 1950. She joined disguised as a boy and using the name Tubby Johnston, but later was known to be a girl and was still allowed to play. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] Johnston was from Corning, New York, and played first base for the King's Dairy team. [10]
When the season had ended, a Little League meeting was held. It was decided that girls would be banned from Little League Baseball, which was known as Tubby's Rule. Later, in 1974, due to a lawsuit brought on behalf of Maria Pepe by the National Organization for Women, the New Jersey Superior Court decided that Little League Baseball must allow girls to play. [11] [12] In the final week of December of that year, President Gerald Ford signed a bill that opened Little League Baseball to girls. [13] [14]