Forget everything you thought you knew about America’s favorite pastime—the popular sport of baseball. From the early days of the Bloomer Girls to today’s Colorado Silver Bullets, the classic film Baseball Girls features something new and different about women who love the sport. This interesting documentary focuses on various fans of the game, including 7-year-olds learning the rules and skills as well as 50-year-olds hitting home runs and 60-year-olds playing slo-pitch softball. Animation, archival stills, and live-action footage are all featured in this zany and affectionate film to detail the history of women’s participation in the largely male-dominated world of baseball and softball. It is the winner of the Documentary Film Award in the Athens International Film and Video Festival as well as the “Targa Citta” Di Palermo at the Palermo International Sport Film Festival. (81 minutes)
Source: Films on Demand
First, examine the role of women in baseball as spectators whose presence was expected to prevent coarse behavior by male fans. Then, explore how colleges like Vassar allowed a select number of 19th-century women to play baseball without scorn. Finally, consider the changes that the "new woman" brought, both in the stands and on the field.
Source: Kanopy