Born and raised in Hess Oklahoma, a village of less than 25 people Earlene ‘Beans’ Risinger left her home state right after World War II to find a solid paying and more secure job and after two attempts hooked-up with a professional womens baseball team in 1948 – the Springfield Sallies of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League.

Beans Risinger 1948 rookie record of 3 wins and 8 losses was unimpressive to the Springfield Sallies manager Carson Bigbee, a former major league outfielder for Pittsburgh… So in January 1949, Risinger was placed on an team called the Americanas, who played its games on a South American Tour.

Earlene Risinger did fine on the tour and always remarked, ‘It was exciting going to South America and I enjoyed it a lot.’ The Americanas managed by John Rawlings played mostly other womens teams from the United States and were a hit wherever they played – drawing enough fans to pay the women liberal salaries. When she learned how to control her power fastball and hard-breaking nickel curve she became one of the touring league’s top pitchers. Earlene returned to the AAGBL prior to the 1949 signing with the Grand Rapids Chicks. Beans Risinger best season was 1953 when she compiled a 15-10 record and won two playoff games for the Chicks

Earlene Risinger AAGPBL career stats: 73 wins and 80 losses… baseballhistorian.com – Women’s Baseball History

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