Joan Kaufman, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetJoan Kaufman
baseball player (1935-)
Date of Birth: 09-Nov-1935
Place of Birth: Winnebago, Illinois, United States
Date of Death: 30-Dec-2018
Profession: baseball player
Zodiac Sign: Scorpio 
About Joan Kaufman
- Joan Kaufman (November 9, 1935 – December 30, 2018) was an American infielder who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
- Listed at 5 ft 4 in and 120 lbs (1.63 m and 54 kg), Kaufman batted and threw right handed.
- She was dubbed "Jo" by her teammates.Born in Winnebago, Illinois, Joan Kaufman had a chance to join the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in its last year of operations.
- According to her own words, it was a lifelong dream.Kaufman played on a girls' softball club at the age of 12.
- She showed her interest for baseball whenever she visited her grandmother, who lived close to the Rockford Peaches ballpark.
- She then began her desire to play baseball for the Peaches team when she grew up.
- In between, Joan played as a catcher for the Rockford Coeds when she was fifteen, mostly because the Coeds served as a Peaches farm team that utilized AAGPBL rules of play.In 1953, Kaufman tried out for the Peaches while she was still at Winnebago High School.
- By then the team was already having financial issues.
- As a result, the Peaches told her to return the next year.
- After school graduation, she did that and was used by them at second base and third base throughout the 1954 season.In a 43-game career, Kaufman posted a batting average of .134 (13-for-97) with a double and one stolen base, driving in five runs while scoring three times.As a fielder, she hauled in 49 putouts with 77 assists and turned 12 double plays, while committing 20 errors in 146 total chances for a combined .863 fielding average.After the league folded, Joan never received her final paycheck.Following her baseball stint, Kaufman returned home and worked as a bookkeeper for the local lumber company and as a part-time typist before joining the United States Air Force as a personnel clerk.
- She then became a recruiter and later served as a USAF superintendent for military education and training, supervising over 100 instructors and 500 trainees, while serving on Southeast Asia and in Thailand during Vietnam War conflict.
- Moreover, her position included writing condolence letters to family members of deceased soldiers, reporting casualties and filing procedure work in support of the awards and decoration programs.During this time, Kaufman received a bronze medal as a result of her outstanding professionalism, efficiency, and leadership skills.
- In addition, she earned her third Oak leaf cluster for her commendation award.Kaufman spent 20 years in the military and retired in 1975 as a master sergeant.
- She chose to stay in the San Antonio, Texas area, where she bought a gift shop in 1978 and operated it for 20 years.
- Similarly, Kaufman obtained a license to sell life insurance in Texas, an occupation she had for many years.
- Severe arthritis prevented her from participating in any more sports.In 1988, a permanent display was inaugurated for Kaufman at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at Cooperstown, New York, that honors those who were part of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
- Joan Kaufman, along with the rest of the girls and the league staff, is included at the exhibit.Kaufman died December 30, 2018.
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