Jeanie Descombes
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| Jeanie Descombes | |
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| Pitcher | |
| Born: March 28, 1935 Springfield, Ohio, U.S. | |
Bats: Left Throws: Left | |
| Teams | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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Jeneane Descombes Lesko (born March 28, 1935) is a former pitcher who played from 1953 through 1954 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). Listed at 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m), 135 lb., she batted and threw left-handed. She played under the name of Jeanie (or Jean) Descombes.[1]
Born in Springfield, Ohio, Descombes pitched in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during its final two years of continuation. She had no playing participation before entering the league, but she had been involved actively in the game since she was in school.[2]
"I actually had no pitching participation and had never played organized baseball... I had practiced baseball with our school team all through high school, but of course, they would not let me play in the games. I was also the batgirl for our town team of men and practiced with them and went to all the games. I loved the game and had a strong arm", she recalled in her autobiography.[2]
AAGPBL career
Descombes joined the league in 1953 with the Grand Rapids Chicks. "My coach and friend was 'Beansie' Risinger" (pitcher Earlene Risinger), she said. At first, Grand Rapids manager Woody English let her pitch batting practice, but most of the time she had her running in the outfield, practicing until about midseason before getting her first chance to pitch. Expanding her comments about Risinger, Descombes explained that she taught her to relax and believe in herself.[2]
In her rookie season, Descombes posted a 0–1 record with a 7.45 earned run average in seven relief appearances and was a member of the Champion Team, even though she did not pitch during the postseason.[3] In her final season of 1954, Descombes collected a 10–9 record and a 5.00 ERA in 22 appearances, tying for eight place in the league for the most wins while ending fifth in strikeouts (63). She also helped herself with the bat, going 7-for-39 for a .179 average.[3]
Bill Allington All-Stars
When the league was unable to continue in 1955, Descombes joined several other players selected by former Fort Wayne Daisies manager Bill Allington to play in the national touring team known as the All-Americans All-Stars. The team played 100 games, each booked in a different town, against male teams, while traveling over 10,000 miles in the manager's station wagon and a Ford Country Sedan. Besides Descombes, the Allington All-Stars included players as Joan Berger, Gloria Cordes, Gertrude Dunn, Betty Foss, Mary Froning, Jean Geissinger, Katie Horstman, Maxine Kline, Dolores Lee, Magdalen Redman, Ruth Richard, Dorothy Schroeder, Jean Smith, Dolly Vanderlip and Joanne Weaver, among others.[4]