Lenora Mandella

Lenora Mandella (4 May, 1931 - 12 August, 2005) played shortstop and pitcher in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League between 1949 and 1951. She both batted and threw right-handed. Her nickname was Smokey. She measured in at 5 feet 7 inches and weighed 145 pounds.

Born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, Lenora became a pioneer in women's baseball, having featured in the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY on November 6, 1988. As well, she was a local duckpin bowler. She worked for the Glasshouse in Glassport, Operating Engineers Local 66 Insurance Fund in Monroeville and Copperweld until she retired. She died in Herminie, PA.

Baseball beginnings

Lenora first began her involvement in baseball when Phillip K. Wrigley -- owner of the Chicago Cubs -- financed the league in the mid-1940s, when a lot of the men were called up to serve in World War II. In 1949, Lenora attended a tryout at McKeesport's Renziehausen Park. From that, she was sent on a trip to Sound Bend, Indiana for spring training. According to her friend Norma Dearfield, "she had a pretty good arm."

Lenora played for the Peoria Redwings (in 1951), the South Bend Blue Sox (in 1949), and the Springfield Sallies (in 1950.

After baseball

Following her baseball career, Lenora coached softball for many years. Even in her later years she received requests from local slow-pitch softball coaches to help out with practice. In terms of hobbies, she had a real love of cats, taking in as many as 22 stray cats at one time. She never married and upon her death, was survived by her brother Bernard, from Ligonier.

Career statistics

Seasonal Pitching Records

Year	G	IP	R	ER	ERA	BB	SO	HB	WP	W	L	PCT
1949	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1950	6	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	4	.200
1951	17	80	66	38	4.28	71	23	7	1	3	4	..428

Seasonal Batting Records

Year	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG
1949	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	.000
1950	43	146	15	19	2	3	0	12	3	15	36	.131
1951	17	27	1	3	2	0	0	4	0	2	2	.111

Sources

1. . AAGPBL
2. . Google Books
3. . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette