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Mamie Johnson, Woman Who Pitched in Negro Leagues, Dies at 82

HeadlineDec 22, 2017

And in sports news, the pioneering professional baseball player Mamie Johnson has died at the age of 82. She was the only woman known to have pitched in the Negro Leagues. Over three seasons with the Indianapolis Clowns in the early 1950s, she won 33 games, while losing just eight. In 2009, Mamie Johnson spoke to the Visionary Project.

Mamie Johnson: “I used to dream about playing professional baseball. And then I used to think, 'Hey, I know I can't do this, because they won’t even let the white boys play with the black boys, you know. And the black boys not even playing, so I know I’m not going to make it there.’ So, you know that I kept playing and playing. I says, 'One day, I'm going to play baseball.’”

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