Former Rockford Peaches and Kalamazoo Lassies Player Dies at 96

Of the players who helped make the historic All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) famous, as portrayed in the movie A League of Their Own, only about two dozen remain today.

Ange Armato, a former Kalamazoo Lassie and Rockford Peaches player, was among those pioneers. She has passed away at age 96.

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Former Kalamazoo Lassie Helped Shape Women's Baseball Legacy

As most of us learned from the movie, AAGPBL was founded by chewing gum magnate Phillip K. Wrigley as a way to keep professional baseball in the public eye while our men were fighting overseas during World War II. As the league's website explains,

The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League gave over 600 women athletes the opportunity to play professional baseball and to play it at a level never before attained. The League operated from 1943 to 1954 and represents one of the most unique aspects of our nation's baseball history.

The 1992 Hollywood film starring Geena Davis, Tom Hanks, and Madonna made the Rockford Peaches a household name and introduced the story of these pioneering women in sports to a whole new generation of fans. The movie also spawned a spin-off series of the same name on Amazon Prime in 2022.

Ange Armato - "Lil' Bonnie"

Born in Rockford, Illinois on October 27, 1929, Ange Armato saw her first Rockford Peaches game at age 16 and was instantly hooked. According to her player biography:

After practicing with the Rockford Peaches for three years, she went to a baseball school in Chicago. In 1948, Bill Allington invited her go to spring training in Opa Locka, Florida...In 1949, she signed a contract to play with the Rockford Peaches and went to spring training in Peoria, Illinois. Her dream of being a Rockford Peach began.

After Ange's mother passed away in 1952, she feared her days of playing professional baseball were over-- until she met Kalamazoo Lassies manager in 1953 and signed a contract with the team that same year as their utility rookie second basemen.

In 1954, Ange was to be traded to the Fort Wayne Daisies but due to severe allergy problems she retired. Being a professional baseball player was the most exciting experience of her life. Although she didn't finish her career as a Rockford Peach, the excitement, the memories, and the friends she met would never be forgotten

Learn more about the Midwest teams that comprised the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League here.