Justine Siegal at the WPBL Launch Event
Justine Siegal Gives Women’s Baseball A Fresh Start
Jewish women have helped shape women’s baseball across generations, from the pioneers of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) to the leaders building its professional future today. Justine Siegal, the Jewish co-founder and commissioner of the new Women’s Pro Baseball League (WPBL), is carrying that legacy into a new era. Justine Siegal, who is the first woman to coach in a Major League Baseball organization, and has worked with the Israel National Baseball team, is a pioneer in the most recent iteration of a professional women’s baseball league. She also founded Baseball For All, to expand opportunities for girls in the sport. Siegal is now helping create a professional league where women can pursue baseball at the highest level.
That history includes Thelma “Tiby” Eisen, one of the most accomplished Jewish players in the AAGPBL. Born in Los Angeles in 1922, Eisen excelled in softball before earning a tryout with the fledgling women’s league and signing with the Milwaukee Chicks. Over nine seasons with several teams, including the Peoria Redwings and Fort Wayne Daisies, she became an elite outfielder and base stealer, recording 674 stolen bases before her career ended in 1952. Eisen was one of only a small number of Jewish women in the league, alongside players such as Anita Foss and Blanche Schacter, yet her ability and success immortalized her one of its defining stars.
Eisen’s impact also extended beyond the field. She participated in the AAGPBL Players Association and helped preserve the league’s history through the permanent women’s baseball exhibition at the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Her induction into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2022 reflects both her athletic excellence and her importance as a barrier-breaking Jewish athlete. Today, Siegal and the WPBL build on Eisen’s example, not only proving that Jewish women belong in baseball, but helping ensure that future generations can see a place for themselves in the game.
