The Women’s Pro Baseball League (WPBL) began play in 2015, becoming the first professional women’s baseball league in the United States in more than seven decades, a milestone not seen since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League ceased operations in 1954.
A Milestone in Women's Sports
On August 1, Mo'ne Davis, the teenage pitcher who captured national attention with a shutout at the 2014 Little League World Series, crossed home plate to score the league’s inaugural run, a moment that underscored the historic nature of the event and highlighted the growing visibility of women in baseball.
Founder Justine Siegal, who made history as the first female coach in Major League Baseball, assembled the new circuit and emphasized its mission to provide a platform for women to compete at the highest level, while also noting the league’s commitment to fostering talent from grassroots to professional play.
The league’s four franchises—Boston, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco—all conduct their games in Springfield, Illinois, creating a centralized hub for the sport and highlighting the city’s commitment to women’s athletics, with the inaugural championship series scheduled to commence on September 16, 2015.