Marion Watson – In A League Of Her Own As Chatham’s First Women’s Professional Baseball Player

All most people locally know of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League is that is was featured in the 1992 movie, A League Of Their Own.

A lesser known fact locally, is that Chatham’s Marion Watson (Stanton) was a professional baseball player in the AAGPBL for the Peoria Redwings and Muskegon Lassies in 1946 and 1947.

Marion Watson was a talented pitcher in Southwesten Ontario playing for the Chatham Ladies Silverwoods, and Maple City Laundry team, winning a 1939 Ontario championship with Maple City.

From 1941 until 1946 she starred for the Windsor Dairy team, where she was scouted to play for in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

Watson pitched 8 games for the Peoria Redwings in 1946, but had her career cut short after breaking her leg in 1947 after signing with Muskegon while sliding into home plate.

In terms of Chatham-Kent athletes, Marion Stanton (Watson) was in a league of her own. This iconic female athlete, who we honour today on International Women’s Day, was truly in a league of her own.