Lesbians were heartbroken when Prime Video canceled the A League of Their Own (2022) series, but it seems to have sparked a passion for women’s baseball in the United States.
In 2026, the Women’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL) will go ahead as the first US professional women’s baseball league in 70 years. A League of Their Own was inspired by the first—the All–American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL)—which ended in 1954.
In an Instagram reel (below), Kelsie Whitmore educates viewers on the history of professional women’s baseball.
She explains that when men went off to World War 2, there was no professional baseball to watch. So a women’s competition was launched to fill the entertainment gap.
As seen on A League of Their Own, the competition was partly a joke. Even the uniform was sexualised and uncomfortable.
However, these women were tough. They played on, despite the revealing skirts and the crowds’ cackles. Maybe they were even motivated by the misogynistic feedback.
They had something to prove… and it’s fair to say they succeeded. Whitmore says they eventually gained respect and were seen as true ball-players.
When the men returned from war, the women’s professional competition was essentially made redundant. Not because women couldn’t play, but because the world wanted to watch men. The women were simply working a temp job while they were on leave.
As seen on A League of Their Own, some players were lesbians. 98-year-old pitcher Maybelle Blair, who is “gay,” played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She threw out the first pitch at an exhibition game in 2025.
In 2026, they’re officially back. For the first time in 70 years, women have their own professional baseball competition.
Lesbians, get out there and support them! There are many reasons: for the women who were used for entertainment while the men were away; because you support women’s sports and want this new crew to feel the love; or because you miss A League of Her Own and need somewhere to put the grief. Let’s go!
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