Lenora Mandella

Lenora Mandella (4 May 1931 - 12 August 2005) played shortstop and pitcher in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League between 1949 and 1951. She both batted and threw right-handed. Her nickname was Smokey. She measured 5 feet 7 inches and weighed 145 pounds.

Born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, Lenora became a pioneer in women's baseball, and was featured in the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY on November 6, 1988. As well, she was a local duckpin bowler. She worked for the Glasshouse in Glassport, Operating Engineers Local 66 Insurance Fund in Monroeville and Copperweld until she retired. She died in Herminie, PA.

Baseball beginnings

Lenora first began her involvement in baseball when Philip K. Wrigley – owner of the Chicago Cubs – financed the league in the mid-1940s, when a lot of the men were called up to serve in World War II. In 1949, Lenora attended a tryout at McKeesport's Renziehausen Park. From that, she was sent on a trip to Sound Bend, Indiana for spring training. According to her friend Norma Dearfield, "she had a pretty good arm."

Lenora played for the Peoria Redwings (in 1951), the South Bend Blue Sox (in 1949), and the Springfield Sallies (in 1950).

After baseball

Following her baseball career, Lenora coached softball for many years. Even in her later years, she received requests from local slow-pitch softball coaches to help out with practice. In terms of hobbies, she had a real love of cats, taking in as many as 22 stray cats at one time. She never married and, upon her death, was survived by her brother, Bernard, from Ligonier.

Career statistics

Seasonal Pitching Records

YearGIPRERERABBSOHBWPWLPCT
1949------------
19506--------14.200
1951178066384.2871237134..428

Seasonal Batting Records

YearGABRH2B3BHRRBISBBBSOAVG
1949-----------.000
19504314615192301231536.131
19511727132004022.111

Sources
  1. . AAGPBL [1]
  2. . Google Books [2]
  3. . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette [3]
  1. "Lenora Mandella".
  2. Brown, Patricia I. (27 July 2010). A League of My Own. ISBN 9780786483143. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  3. Axelrod, Phil. "Obituary: Lenora Mandella / Women's baseball pioneer enshrined in Hall of Fame". Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
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