Crying in Baseball with Julie Kliegman
Summary
Host Sarah Koenig interviews author Julie Kliegman about her biography of transgender tennis pioneer Renee Richards and the history of women in baseball. They discuss the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, the erasure of queer and Black players in media like *A League of Their Own*, and modern debates surrounding trans athletes in sports.
Topics discussed
Introduction: Crying in baseball and sports history
The history of women in baseball and A League of Their Own
Understanding the rules and appeal of baseball
The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
Queerness, race, and gender policing in early leagues
Critiquing the movie A League of Their Own
Monet Davis and the Little League World Series
Modern women in baseball: Kelsey Whitmore and the TV show Pitch
The new Women's Professional Baseball League tryouts
Challenges and logistics of the new league
Conclusion: Sports for everyone and Finding Renee Richards
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