The 'Green Light Letter' and the baseball league it inspired
Image by Ernesto Rodriguez from Pixabay
You’ve probably heard there’s no crying in baseball — but did you know there was a time when America’s pastime was driven by women, not men?
During World War II, with hundreds of professional players drafted to serve in the military, a groundbreaking league emerged that brought women onto the field and into the national spotlight.
But how did it all start?
Franklin D. Roosevelt gave Major League Baseball the green light, quite literally, said Laura Smith.
Smith is an assistant teaching professor at the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies at Arizona State University. teaching both at ASU’s Tempe campus and through ASU Online. Her research is focused on 19th- and 20th-century American history.
Smith, who is British Canadian, also has an affinity toward baseball; originally a Toronto Blue Jays fan, she has adopted the Arizona Diamondbacks as her new home team.
“Baseball became America’s pastime after President William H. Taft began the tradition of throwing the first pitch on opening day in 1910,” Smith said. “Despite pleas of other sports, baseball held a special place in FDR's heart, and as such, he granted it preferential treatment.”
Smith, who earned two doctoral degrees in American history from the University of Oxford, said that it was Roosevelt’s so-called “Green Light Letter” in 1942 that gave baseball — and eventually female baseball players — the green light during wartime, reflecting on the game’s significance to both America and its commander in chief.
Passionate about the sport, Roosevelt also incorporated baseball into his politics, as reflected in his Second Fireside Chat on May 7, 1933: "I have no expectation of making a hit every time I come to bat. … What I seek is the highest-possible batting average, not only for myself but for the team.”
In honor of summer baseball, Smith helps us uncover the wartime roots of women’s professional baseball and its enduring legacy.
Note: This interview has been lightly edited for length and/or clarity.
Question: You’ve said that, during wartime, baseball was more than just a pastime — it was patriotic. How did the sport reflect national morale efforts during World War II?
Answer: Absolutely. Baseball wasn’t just a game during the 1940s. It was a symbol of American identity and resilience.
Franklin D. Roosevelt recognized this in 1942 when he penned the famous Green Light Letter to MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis. In it, he encouraged Major League Baseball to continue despite the war, saying it would be a much-needed morale booster for Americans. That letter shows how integral baseball was to the national spirit.
Q: With so many male players enlisted, how did baseball continue during the war years?
A: Over 500 major league players left to serve in the military, which created a real void in professional sports. To fill that gap, Philip K. Wrigley, owner of the Chicago Cubs and, yes, of chewing gum fame, helped form the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL).
What started as a wartime solution became a groundbreaking experiment in professional women’s athletics. Wrigley and others scouted the best women’s softball players across North America. Nearly 300 women showed up to try out for just 60 spots in the league's original four teams.
Q: What was the public and MLB response to this new women’s league?
A: Mixed, to say the least. On one hand, the league gained public popularity quickly. By 1945, attendance had increased by 35% from the previous year. But these women were also subjected to scrutiny that male athletes never had to face. They had to maintain a hyper-feminine image while performing at a professional level. League officials, including its president Max Carey, often emphasized “femininity” over athleticism. The players had to attend charm school, wear skirts on the field and follow strict codes of conduct, yet they were also fierce, talented athletes. It was a constant balancing act between acceptance and authenticity.
Q: What role did progressive baseball executives play in the league’s formation and legacy?
A: Brooklyn Dodgers General Manager Branch Rickey, who later signed Jackie Robinson, was one of the few MLB figures who saw the potential in women’s professional baseball. In 1943, he agreed to serve as a trustee for the league, recognizing its financial and cultural value. His involvement lent the league a certain legitimacy that helped it gain traction, even if not all of his contemporaries were as supportive.
Q: How was this history remembered, or forgotten, after the league ended in 1954?
A: These women were pioneers, not just in sports but in challenging gender roles during a pivotal moment in American history. They proved that talent isn’t limited by gender, even if society at the time tried to say otherwise, and for decades, the contributions of these women were largely overlooked.
It wasn’t until 1988 that the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum created a “Women in Baseball” exhibit to honor their legacy, and later, in 1992, their contribution to the game of baseball was depicted in the movie "A League of Their Own," which is how most people identify this moment in history.
Q: As a historian, what strikes you most about this period and the story of the AAGPBL?
A: It’s a powerful reminder that history isn’t just made on battlefields or in the White House. It’s made on baseball fields, too. These women weren’t just filling in for the men; they were redefining what it meant to be an athlete, a patriot and a professional. Their story sits at the intersection of gender, politics and national identity — exactly the kind of “hidden history” I love to explore and have the opportunity to share.
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