Gloria Cordes Elliot is a former All-American Girls Professional Baseball League pitcher and inspiration for one of the most well-known baseball movies, “A League of Their Own.” She is also a SI Sports Hall of Famer and recognized as one of the the most loyal and influential supports to the Hall of Fame. Though she passed away a few years back we are so pleased to hear that she will finally get that field at MSIT named for her on Tuesday, June 8th at 2:30pm. The lifelong Staten Islander, who grew up in Stapleton before relocating to Oakwood, amassed a career 2.54 era over five seasons from 1950 to 1954. She appeared in three All-Star games, and her uniform is on display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. She was inducted into the Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame in 1997. Her career began when she went to the Weissglass Stadium in Port Richmond to see two touring teams — the Chicago Colleens and Springfield Sallies — play a baseball game. Tryouts were held before the game to find possible players for the All-American Girls League, and she volunteered to tryout as a pitcher. At 18 years old, she left Staten Island and was signed to play for the All-American Girls Baseball League in South Bend, Ind. After the league folded in 1954, she went on to coach numerous girls’ teams at Staten Island Little League. An incredible lady and a role model for many young woman in sports. John Iasparro shared the news and we are so pleased to see Gloria get her honor at MSIT.
