The Women From Ragersville

Strangely enough, a small town in Amish country has produced two exceptionally talented players.

Alta Weiss and Lois Youngen both came from Ragersville.

In the early part of the 1900s when the big leagues were just a big dream, Alta Weiss was a star pitcher on a professional men's team! Starting out as the Vermilion Independents, the Weiss All Stars played for more than 15 seasons with the girl pitcher who, at 17 years old, pitched a shut out against the all male team the Cleveland Naps (the team that would become the Cleveland Indians)! Alta outlasted most of the male players, managers and coaches of the team before she retired. During that time she managed to put herself through medical school with her winnings.

Some years later, Alta spotted the niece of a couple of her teammates playing ball in the Ragersville field. The pitcher knew a good catcher when she saw one, and Lois Youngen was the real thing. She called Lois over to her house. The baseball ladies shared lemonade and cookies. Then Alta gave the young pitcher a baseball which had been signed by Babe Ruth. Alta signed it, too. Perhaps the ball was magical because Lois went on to become a catcher for the All American Girls' Baseball League - the women of LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN fame.

Interestingly, Alta's favorite player, Cy Young (who played for the Cleveland Naps during her playing days) was born in the same area of Ohio in the small town of Gilmore.

There must be something in the water!

Learn more about it:
Alta Weiss:
REMARKABLE OHIOANS. by: Shelley Pearsall
YOU CAN'T PLAY BALL IN A SKIRT. by: Susan Brewer and Bette Lou Higgins
SPORT AND SOCIETY (Page 10)

Lois Youngen and The All American Girls Baseball League
AN INTERVIEW WITH LOIS YOUNGEN
ALL AMERICAN GIRLS PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE

Lois is just one Ohio woman who played for the AAGBL. I am looking for information about other Ohio Women who played on the League in order to do a story or a program about them. If you have names, stories or information about any of these amazing women, please let me know -- add a comment below, or send me a message. For a partial list of these Ohio Women please see: Ohio Women Who Played Baseball During WWII.