Kamenshek, Dorothy (1925-2010), also known by the nicknames Dottie and Kammie, was a standout woman baseball player. She played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL), a storied league of the Midwestern United States during the 1940’s and 1950’s.
Dorothy Mary Kamenshek was born on Dec. 21, 1925, in Norwood, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati. Growing up, she excelled at baseball and softball. Kamenshek batted and threw left-handed. In high school, she played in a local softball league.
Kamenshek began playing for the AAGPBL in 1943. She started as an outfielder but moved to first base during her rookie season. Kamenshek was a skilled leadoff hitter. She hit for a .292 average, scored 667 runs, and stole 631 bases over her 10-year career. She was an outstanding fielder, leading the league in career putouts, with 10,440, and double plays, with 360. A seven-time All-Star, Kamenshek played her entire career for the Rockford (Illinois) Peaches.
In 1951, Kamenshek suffered a back injury that forced her to sit out the following year. She returned in 1953 but retired at the end of the season. She earned her bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from Marquette University in Milwaukee in 1958 and worked as a physical therapist.
The motion picture A League of Their Own (1992) introduced a new generation to the AAGPBL and Kamenshek. The main character, Dottie Hinson, was based loosely on Kamenshek. Kamenshek died on May 17, 2010.
