Margaret Wenzell

Who is Margaret Wenzell?

Margaret Wenzell is a former utility infielder/outfielder who played from 1945 through 1953 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5 ft 2 in, 134 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.

A member of a champion team, Wenzell was a light-hitting, good fielder who played for nine teams during her nine years in the league. She played all positions except pitcher and catcher and showed an ability to gauge the mood of the team and lighten things up when needed.

Born in Detroit, Michigan, Wenzell grew up learning the game of baseball from her father, a semi-professional ballplayer, and her two brothers, who also played the game. She later joined an industrial softball league in Michigan at the age of 14. Many players from her league entered the AAGPBL in its inaugural season of 1943. She waited a couple of years to attend a tryout. After being accepted, she was assigned to the Grand Rapids Chicks.

In her rookie season, Wenzell hit a .119 average in 19 games, serving as a backup outfielder for Thelma Eisen, Twila Shively and Elizabeth Wicken. She opened 1946 with the Muskegon Lassies, and suffered a dislocated shoulder to end her season after only eight games.