Southern California Gems May 28, 1976 FULL TICKET vs San Diego Sandpipers played in San Bernadino. Ticket is in nice condition.
THIS WAS THE GEMS FIRST GAME IN THEIR HISTORY.
1976 was the only season for the Southern California Gems in the IWPSA (International Women's Professional Softball Association).
From a League Synopsis: "The Gems’ crown jewel is pitcher Rosie Black. She is the star of every
press conference and the subject of every press release. She is as
famous for her blindfolded pitches and her between-the-legs delivery as
Joan Joyce is for her blazing fastball. But she gained her fame, not by
dominating amateur softball but by touring the country, taking on all
comers with a four-woman team called The Queen and Her Maids, and the
question in everyone’s mind is, can the entertainer also compete"
From 'Fun While it Lasted': "The core of the Gems roster was drawn from “The Queen and Her Maids”, a
barnstorming four-woman team of softballers. The Queen was Rosie Black,
an incomparable 23-year old pitcher who became a pro at age 13. The
Queen and Her Maids toured all over the world. They took on all comers
from local men’s pub teams to Japanese professional baseball teams.
Black boasted an arsenal of 16 different pitches, plus various novelty
routines, such as pitching blindfolded, between her legs or from the
second base bag. By the time the Gems started up in 1976, Rosie Black
claimed a career record of 1,323 wins against 53 losses, with 89 perfect
games."
This ticket is a rare and important piece of Women's sports history.