Irene DeLaby

Irene DeLaby (August 12, 1922 – October 6, 2012) was an American pitcher who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). She batted and threw right handed.

Born in Chicago, Illinois,

Irene was 26 when she joined the league with the Racine Belles in 1949, After that, in 2004 she was awarded the national Take Pride in America Award for volunteerism.

In between, the then-Florida Governor Jeb Bush announced in 2002 the creation of the Destination Florida commission. The purpose of the commission was to evaluate Florida's competitive position in attracting retirees and to make recommendations for the future that would make the state more friendly for retired people. DeLaby became part of the commission, along with Otto Divosta, Pedro J. Greer and Don Shula, among other personalities.

At this point, DeLaby earned the respect of locals and visitors for many years. In fact, she wrote a regular monthly column for the Citrus County Chronicle for a long time, encouraging any reader to visit her state parks, while volunteering in them as well.