Mirtha Marrero

Mirtha Marrero [Fernández] (November 21, 1930 – March 31, 2021) was a Cuban born former pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). She batted and threw right handed.

Career Born in Havana, Mirtha Marrero was one of seven women born in Cuba to play in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in its twelve years history. Besides her, other Cubanas who played in the league were Luisa Gallegos, Migdalia Pérez, Gloria Ruiz and Zonia Vialat. All of them debuted in 1948. The next year, Isora del Castillo and Isabel Alvarez were added.

Nicknamed ״Mita״, Marrero became an instant favorite among her fellow players, who described her as a lively, intense and energetic. She entered the league with the Chicago Colleens, playing for them two years before joining the Kalamazoo Lassies (1950), Fort Wayne Daisies (1951) and Battle Creek Belles (1952). Marrero had a 32–62 career record, even though she collected a solid 3.42 earned run average. She quit baseball when she got married because her husband did not want her playing.

Her most productive season in 1951 with Fort Wayne, when she posted a 17–8 record and a 2.24 ERA in 29 pitching appearances, while ending fourth in the league for the most wins, fifth in innings pitched (213) and seventh in strikeouts (87), tying for fourth in games and eighth in complete games (20).

In 2010, Mirtha gained induction into the Cuban Sports Hall of Fame. The next year, she and her AAGPBL teammates from Cuba were honored by having their names and photos presented at a ceremony in New York City. The event was presented by Leslie Heaphy, history professor at Kent State University of Ohio, during the Cuban Baseball Congress held on August 20 at Fordham University. She then lived in Miami, Florida.

Career statistics Pitching GPWLW-L%ERAIPHRAERBBSO 119 32 62 .340 3.42 774 693 437 294 396 252 Batting Fielding GPPOAETCFA 119 40 222 34 296 .885