A Tournament Of Their Own

The opening lines of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League theme song, popularized by the 1992 film A League of Their Own, are an invitation: "Batter up! Hear that call!/The time has come for one and all/To play ball." Now, Baseball for All, a nonprofit that provides opportunities for girls in baseball, is inviting 10- to 13-year-olds to play in the country's first all-girls tournament, from May 30 to June 4 in Orlando. The 24-team event will be the biggest of its kind since the All-American league, which ran from 1943 to '54. Former AAGPBL players such as Maybelle Blair, 88 (above), a pitcher with the Peoria Redwings in '48, will attend. "We want to connect the pioneers of the past to the pioneers of the future," says Baseball for All president Justine Siegal. "It's important for girls to have role models and know it's possible." Visit baseballforall.com

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COURTESY OF TAMMY ADAMS (BASEBALL FOR ALL)