Lizzie Murphy

Lizzie Murphy
First base
Born: (1894-04-13)April 13, 1894 Warren, Rhode Island
Died: July 27, 1964(1964-07-27) (aged 70)
Career highlights and awards
First woman to play baseball against major league players; first person to play for both baseball's National League and American League All-Star teams

Mary Elizabeth Murphy (April 13, 1894 – July 27, 1964), known as "The Queen of Baseball", was the first woman to play baseball against major league players, in 1922. She played baseball for seventeen years as a first baseman; she also played on several all-star teams and was the first person of either sex to play on both American and National league baseball All-Star teams.^[1]

Murphy was born April 13, 1894, probably in Warren, Rhode Island,^[2][3] though some sources indicate that she was born in Canada.^[4] Her parents were Mary (née Garan) and John Murphy;^[5] her father was a mill hand and also a semi-pro baseball player. Lizzie was athletic and was a runner, skater, and swimmer, besides playing baseball. By age 12, she had quit school and gone to work at the Parker Woolen Mill as a ring spinner. In her spare time, she played baseball with the Warren Silk Hats and the Warren Baseball Club.^[6] By age 15, she was playing on the local men's business amateur league teams, such as the Warren Shoe Company.^[7]

By the age of 17, Murphy was playing professionally and demanding to be paid when she played. She first signed with the Providence Independents and then ^[7] in 1918 she signed with Ed Carr's Traveling All-Stars, a semi-professional team out of Boston.^[8] Carr's was a barnstorming team which traveled throughout Canada and New England playing up to 100 games a year.^[6] She also played in the women's leagues, playing for the Bloomer Girls for 30 years.^[8] When she began her professional career, she was a pitcher,^[9] but she was also known as a hitter. Her career average upon retirement was .300.^[6]

Murphy was keen on self-promotion, selling photographs of herself between innings. She billed herself as the "Queen of Baseball" but was known as Spike Murphy.^[6] Newspapers recognized her skill and rather than bill her as a woman player on the team, she was called by name, as a publicity draw in headlines like, "Lizzie Murphy in Game",^[5] "Tyler Will Hurl Against Lizzie Murphys Tomorrow",^[10] and "'Spike' Murphy, Woman Baseball Wizard, Learned Game Throwing Stones---'Ty' and 'Babe' Better Beware if "Liz" Breaks Into Game".^[9]

Murphy usually played first base and made history in 1922 as the first female player to play against major league players. The game was a charity exhibition pitting all-star players from the New England and American Leagues against the Boston Red Sox.^[5][11] It was organized at Fenway Park to raise money for the family of Tommy McCarthy, who had recently died. McCarthy would later be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.^[6] She came into the game in the fourth inning and scored an out at first base from a throw by third baseman Harvey McClellan.^[5] Six years later, Murphy played in a National League All-Star game against the Boston Braves and she played in a Negro league game against one of the greatest pitchers in the Negro leagues, Satchel Paige. During the game, Murphy was able to get a base hit and after the game, Satchel was asked if he had pitched more gently because she was a lady. Josh Gibson the (catcher) refuted the claim, stating Page had treated her the same as any other player.^[11] In addition to playing against the Negro league, Murphy played for them. When the Cleveland Giants toured in Rhode Island, she played first base for them.^[7]

Murphy retired in 1935, went back home to Warren, and then married^[3] Walter Larivee in 1937.^[5] When her husband died a few years later, Murphy went back to work in the woolen mills and worked on oyster boats. She died on July 27, 1964.^[3] Murphy was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in 1994.^[7]

• Women in baseball
• Women's baseball