DOT WILKINSON
In 1933, at the age of 11, Dot Wilkinson joined the Phoenix Ramblers as a bat boy, or rather, a bat girl. Before the summer was over, she was a regular on the team—a woman's amateur softball outfit—and this fall Dot completed her 28th season with the Ramblers. In addition she was named catcher on the Amateur Softball Association's All-America team for the 18th time. "That gal," says one of Dot's many admirers, "is a regular female Yogi Berra."
On the field, Catcher Wilkinson is a smart, hard-working ballplayer who doubles as the Rambler manager. Off it, she is a bustling realtor. "When I joined the Ramblers," says Dot, "I was told we might play a few games out of town. Since then, we've been in and out of almost every state in the Union." Once during a softball world series, Dot recalls, she nearly stretched a bunt into a winning home run. The catcher threw the ball over the first baseman's head, and Dot slid into second. It got away from the fielder, and Dot went on to third. There was another bobble, and she dug for home—but alas, the errant ball, properly fielded at last, got there first. "I was out by a mile," sighs Dot.
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