Pitcher Fran Janssen joined the All American Girls Baseball League in 1948 just when the women’s league was shifting from underhand to overhand pitching. Janssen adjusted nicely to the change and as a rookie she posted a 4-4 w/l record with a 3.98 ERA for the South Bend Blue Sox. Later Fran Janssen recalled, ‘I didn’t have too much difficulty adjusting to overhand pitching because they still used an 11-inch baseball.’ She also pitched in a Traveling Rookie League for the Chicago Colleens, which traveled 20 states and played in 46 different cities including Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Memphis, Mobile AL, Charleston West Virginia, Little Arkansas, New Orleans, Roanoke VA, Columbus Georgia and – the Colleens once drew 4,382 fans at Disch Field in Austin Texas. During this year Fran Janssen compiled a sterling 16-6 record, including two one-hitters. She also was a manager/chaperon for the Springfield Sallies.