Former Grand Rapids Chicks Player Joins Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame

The Detroit native and 1945 league Player of the Year has been posthumously inducted into the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame.

Known as the “Iron Woman” after pitching and winning both games of a doubleheader against the Racine Belles, Connie Wisniewski became a legendary figure with the league's Grand Rapids team, the Grand Rapids Chicks.

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Her place in baseball history is now forever cemented alongside the many women who helped make the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) a lasting part of the game. And now, special recognition in her home state of Michigan.

Uncovering the real-life stories of the AAGPBL and the women who inspired the Hollywood hit A League of Their Own, has become a recent passion of mine. Of the over 600 players who helped make the historic women's league famous, today only about two dozen remain.

While sadly, Connie passed away from cancer in 1995, her friends were there to receive this honor on her behalf. On Friday, August 7, Connie was honored at Jackson Field, home of the Lansing Lugnuts, as part of the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2026:

Connie Wisniewski, former Grand Rapids Chick was inducted into the Michigan Baseball HOF for her contributions to baseball in the state of Michigan...Mary Moore who played for the Springfield Sallies and Battle Creek Belles was excited to help celebrate her friend. Mary threw out the first pitch at the Lansing Lugnuts game -- AAGPBLvia Facebook

We love seeing these brave and pioneering women get the respect and recognition they deserve. Even after so many years have passed, their legacy can still be seen today. Take the inaugural season of the new Women’s Pro Baseball League, for example.

For the first time in 70 years, the best women baseball players in the world are competing on a professional stage. This is more than a league. It's a movement. - WPBL