Vivian Anderson

Vivian Anderson [Sheriffs] (April 21, 1921 – December 21, 2012) was an infielder who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) during the season. Listed at , 140 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, she played with her hometown Milwaukee Chicks in their championship season. Unfortunately, she severely injured two fingers of her throwing hand that shortened her playing career in her rookie year.

Early life At the age of 13, Vivian began playing softball in a league which required its players to be 16. "I cheated on my age a little," she admitted in an interview. She attended West Division High School in Milwaukee, where she played in the school baseball and basketball teams. In 1942, she married Daniel Anderson, her assistant coach, just when she turned 21 years old. They were married for just four years.

Pro career She was spotted by AAGPBL scouts while playing in a Milwaukee league, and sent her an invitation to the league's spring training camp at Peru, Illinois.

On May 27, 1944, Anderson started at third base and batted eighth in the order during the Chicks’ inaugural game at Borchert Field, a home contest. She scored the first-ever Chicks’ run, after reaching base on an infield single, in a 5–4, 11-inning loss to the South Bend Blue Sox. But her baseball career ended abruptly in a round trip during her 11th game of the season. The ball, the base and the runner all came together at the same time, she explained. As a result, she fractured her index and middle fingers on her right hand. A doctor advised immediate amputation of her fingers, but another said he could fix them. She would choose the second option, being replaced in the Chicks roster by Doris Tetzlaff.

Post baseball After healing, Anderson moved to Chicago and played for the National Girls Baseball League Chicago Bluebirds for the next two years. She then returned to her hometown, eventually landing with the semi-professional Milwaukee Jets. She divorced her husband after World War II and worked for Allied Van Lines moving company in office management, the secretarial field, public relations, loan closing, dispatching, and credit/collections. At age 83, she worked part-time in an office, namely for a national furniture mover, Barrett Moving and Storage Co., agent for United Van Lines, just to keep busy, before retiring in 2010 at the age of 89.

Career statistics Batting Fielding GPPOAETCDPFA 10 22 22 7 51 1 .863