Jean Buckley

Jean Buckley ["Bucketts"] (December 4, 1931 – July 7, 2019) was an American center fielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). Listed at , , Buckley batted and threw right-handed. She was born in Dorchester, Boston, Massachusetts.

Buckley was a solid outfielder and clutch hitter during her three years in the league, turning into a feared batter in two postseasons, although her teams failed to win the title in any of them.

She started to play softball at age 12 for a Catholic Youth Organization team in her hometown. As a teenager, she played with the Quincy Raiderettes, an amateur fastpitch softball team. At the time she was scouted by Mary Pratt, a former AAGPBL pitcher, who invited her and other girls to a tryout in a gym at Everett, Massachusetts. "I never threw a baseball in my life", she explained in an interview.

Buckley was admitted in the league and went to spring training in West Baden, Indiana. She opened the 1950 season with the Kenosha Comets, playing for them two years before joining the Rockford Peaches (1952). She usually was placed fifth in the batting order but could also fill in at cleanup spot if needed. "I played at centerfield, right a little... I batted fifth, couldn't handle the fourth place pressure", she recalled. The association was largely responsible for the opening of Women in Baseball, a permanent display based at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, which was unveiled in 1988 to honor the entire All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

Career statistics Batting

Fielding GPPOAETCDPFA 245 338 35 41 414 9 .901