Annabelle Lee

Annabelle Lee Harmon (Lefty)

• Bats Both, Throws Left
• Height 5' 2", Weight 120 lb.
• Born January 22, 1922 in Los Angeles, CA USA
• Died July 3, 2008 in Morrisville, VT USA

In 1944, Annabelle Lee (the aunt of Bill Lee) pitched the first perfect game in the history of the AAGPBL. At the time she was toiling for the Minneapolis Millerettes against the Kenosha Comets. She went 11-14 with a 2.43 ERA that year for the last-place team. She was 9th in the AAGPBL in ERA. The next year the team became the Fort Wayne Daisies; Lee went 13-16 despite a 1.56 ERA in 1945. She was sixth in the league in ERA though run support remained an issue.

Lee joined the expansion Peoria Redwings in 1946 and was back with a last-place team. She went 12-23 with a 2.74 ERA as the southpaw led the league in losses. Annabelle began the next season with Peoria and finished it with the Grand Rapids Chicks - overall she was 9-11 with a 2.24 ERA. Lee returned to Ft. Wayne in 1948 and went 10-14 with a 2.25 ERA.

Lee continued to switch teams annually when she moved back to Peoria and again suffered from the weak offense of a last-place team. She went 5-14 with a 2.18 ERA that year. In her final season in 1950 Lee was 3-4 with a 2.51 ERA for Peoria.

Overall Annabelle went 63-96 with a 2.25 ERA in 7 seasons in the AAGPBL.

Source: "The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Record Book" by W.C. Madden

Further Reading

• Gary Belleville: "July 29, 1944: Annabelle ‘Lefty’ Lee tosses AAGPBL’s first perfect game for Minneapolis Millerettes," SABR Baseball Games Project.