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LEAGUE JUST LAST YEAR. WHILE A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN WAS NOT FILMED IN BIRMINGHAM, TWO TEAMS OF THE REAL LIFE ALL-AMERICAN GIRLS PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE DID PLAY HERE. VERY LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE GAME. THE PAPERS DID AT THE TIME COVER THEM, BUT NOT IN A TON OF DETAIL. HERE’S WHAT WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO DIG UP. THIS GAME FEATURES THE GRAND RAPIDS CHICKS AND THE SOUTH BEND BLUE SOX. THIS IS AN AD IN THE BIRMINGHAM POST FROM MAY 1946. TICKETS WERE A BUCK 50 FOR ADULTS. WE WERE ABLE TO FIND THE BOX SCORES FROM THESE GAMES. FROM WHAT WE CAN FIND, THE BLUE SOX WON THE FIRST TWO, FIRST OF THE TWO GAMES. THE NEXT NIGHT, THOUGH, 700 PEOPLE WATCHED THE CHICKS TAKE GAME TWO. PROCEEDS FROM THE TICKET SALES WENT TO BUY EQUIPMENT FOR KIDS. THAT’S FAR FROM THE ONLY HISTORY WOMEN HAVE MADE HERE AT RICKWOOD FIELD IS WE’VE HIGHLIGHTED THE PARK’S HISTORY IS MORE THAN JUST BASEBALL. IN ITS EARLY YEARS, RICKWOOD HOSTED A WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE DAY A CENTURY BEFORE MODERN DAY ATHLETES STARTED VOICING SUPPORT FOR CAUSES THEY BELIEVE IN. BIRMINGHAM BARONS PLAYERS PUBLICLY BACKED A WOMAN’S RIGHT TO VOTE. ALL OF THIS HAPPENING FOUR YEARS BEFORE THE 19TH AMENDMENT PASSED IN WASHINGTON. AS �������� 13 EMMA OWEN EXPLAINS, ALABAMA WAS CLOSE TO BREAKING NEW GROUND. THEN IT ALL CAME CRUMBLING DOWN IN THE MOST UNEXPECTED WAY IN. RICKWOOD WAS AT THE CENTER OF IT ALL. THE STATE OF ALABAMA WAS AHEAD OF THE CURVE AS THE CALENDAR TURNED THE CORNER ON THE 20TH CENTURY IN MONTGOMERY. IN 1901, SUFFRAGISTS LOBBIED FOR WOMEN’S RIGHT TO VOTE. 14 YEARS LATER, STATE REPRESENTATIVE J.W. GREEN OF DALLAS COUNTY PROPOSED A SUFFRAGE BILL AGAIN. AT THE TIME, IT LOOKED LIKE A MAJOR VICTORY FOR WOMEN WAS IN SIGHT. TO GET IT DONE, THOUGH, THE LEGISLATURE WOULD HAVE TO PASS THE BILL. THEN ALABAMIANS WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE IT AS WELL. SO THEN YOU START TO SEE THEM ALSO CHANGING THEIR FOCUS TO ALL RIGHT, NOW WE HAVE TO CONVINCE THE LARGER PUBLIC THAT THEY WANT TO RATIFY THIS BILL. SUPPORTERS HIT THE ROAD FOR A SEVEN MONTH CAMPAIGN. THEY TOURED ALL OVER THE STATE GETTING PEOPLE TO SIGN A PETITION TO TAKE TO LAWMAKERS. IT CULMINATED IN SUFFRAGE DAY AT RICKWOOD FIELD IN AUGUST OF 1915. THEY DECKED OUT A RICKWOOD FIELD IN BANNERS THAT SAY JUSTICE AND EQUALITY AND VOTES FOR WOMEN. UM, THEY ARE YELLOW BANNERS AND FLAGS FLYING. THERE’S WOMEN DRESSED IN ALL YELLOW HANDING OUT PAMPHLETS. THEY’RE PLAYING SUFFRAGE SONGS ON THE ORGAN. THE BARONS TEAM ALSO GOT INVOLVED, STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE DECADES BEFORE ATHLETES MADE POLITICAL STATEMENTS. THE PLAYERS ARE WEARING VOTES FOR WOMEN SASHES. SO ARE THE MANAGERS. IF THEY’RE NOT WEARING A SASH, A FULL SASH, THEY’RE SOMETIMES WEARING THESE YELLOW BELTS. AND YELLOW WAS THE COLOR OF SUFFRAGE BEFORE THE GAME. AN EVEN LARGER SHOW OF SUPPORT AT ALL WOMEN’S TEAMS FROM BIRMINGHAM AND BESSEMER HIT THE FIELD FOR A ONE INNING EXHIBITION IAN. THEY’RE KIND OF SHOWING OFF, THE JOURNALIST SAID. THAT THEY’RE SHOWING THAT WOMEN CAN PLAY THE GAME LIKE THE MEN DO, AND SO IT’S KIND OF IN ITS OWN WAY, KIND OF SHOWING, LOOK, WE CAN PLAY BASEBALL. WE COULD ALSO VOTE THE GAME ITSELF WAS A BIT OF A DUD. THE BARONS AND CHATTANOOGA LOOKOUTS PLAYED TO A DRAW FOR THE SUFFRAGISTS, THOUGH THE GAME WAS A SHOT IN THE ARM AND OVERWHELMING SUCCESS. BUT IT WOULDN’T LAST A WEEK LATER, THE ALABAMA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES VOTED DOWN THE SUFFRAGE BILL. THE MAN LEADING THE CHARGE AGAINST THE BILL, THE VERY MAN WHO PROPOSED IT, J.W. GREEN, DEFENDING HIS DECISION TO VOTE AGAINST HIS OWN LEGISLATION, SAYING TO CONFER SUFFRAGE ON WOMEN IN THE SOUTH, WOULD DOUBLE THE -- PROBLEM BY ADDING TO IT THE MORE VICIOUS AND AGGRESSIVE ELEMENT OF THE RACE, TRYING TO PINPOINT WHAT HAPPENED. UM, NO ONE REALLY FULLY KNOWS, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOMEONE KIND OF TALKED TO HIM, CONVINCED HIM, BUT HE HE CHANGED HIS MIND. SO DRAMATICALLY. EXACTLY FIVE YEARS AFTER THE GAME HERE AT RICKWOOD, TENNESSEE, BECAME THE 36TH STATE TO RATIFY THE 19TH AMENDMENT, GIVING WOMEN THE RIGHT TO VOTE. ALABAMA WOULD REJECT RATIFICATION IN 1919. IT WOULD NOT BE APPROVED IN OUR STATE UNTIL 1953.