On this date 92 years ago, Vada Corbus was scheduled to be behind home plate catching for her hometown Joplin Miners of the Class C Western League. Vada came from a baseball family – her oldest brother Luke had just been moved up from his role as catcher to the Miners’ outfield. 

Athletic 19-year-old Vada, who had been playing in Joplin’s City League for three years, was one of the hopeful catchers who tried out.

She suited up as a bullpen catcher for a preseason exhibition game and was expected to be with the team for their season opener. But after a story in The New York Times, Western League officials quickly put an end to Vada’s career before it began.

Based upon content from the book Missouri 365: This Day in Missouri History by John W. Brown, broadcaster and Missouri historian. Get your copy at Reedy Press.

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