Name Chris Ballingall | Role Baseball Player | |
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Chris Ballingall (born May 17, 1932) is a former female catcher who played from 1953 through 1954 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5'6", 145 lb., she batted left-handed and threw right-handed.
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A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Ballingall learned to play baseball while catching for her twin brother. She had originally been offered a contract at the age of 15 to play in the AAGPBL, but her father did not want her to play then. She had to wait six years before being signed in 1953. She entered the league with the Muskegon Belles, and was traded to the Kalamazoo Lassies during the midseason. She also appeared in a few games at first base and outfield.
In 1954, Ballingall posted a .242 batting average with 17 home runs and 40 runs batted in in 90 games. In the playoffs, she hit .444 with eight RBI and two home runs, including one grand slam, to help the Lassies clinch the AAGPBL last-ever championship title. She and her teammate Carol Habben, who hit a total of 16 homers (one in postseason), were dubbed the Home Run Twins by terrorizing opponents with their bats all the way through the lineup.
Ballingall is currently living in Mattawan, Michigan.
Regular season
Batting
Fielding
Postseason
Batting
Fielding