Elaine Roth

Elaine M. Roth (E)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 2", Weight 123 lb.

• Born January 17, 1929 in Michigan City, IN USA
• Died May 25, 2007

Biographical Information

The older twin sister of Eilaine Roth, pitcher Elaine Roth played seven seasons in the AAGPBL.

She began her career with two years with the Peoria Redwings (where her sister was a teammate), and she had her finest season in her rookie campaign, winning 18 games (losing 15) and posting a 2.38 ERA in 1948. She was 4th in the league in innings (291) behind Joanne Winter, Eleanor Dapkus and Irene Kotowicz. She also tied Kotowicz and Doris Sams for 7th in wins. She lost his only playoff decision, dropping a 5-3 game to the Racine Belles' Dapkus. In 1949, she fell to 4-12, 2.92 for the last-place Redwings.

After spending 1950 with the South Bend Blue Sox (7-13, 3.28), she moved on to the Kalamazoo Lassies the next season, when she was again a teammate with Eilaine. "E" Roth was 5-9 with a 4.01 ERA. She remained with Kalamazoo in 1952 and had a 2-6, 2.83 record. For the Lassies in 1953, the Indiana native had a 4-2, 2.30 record. She placed 10th in ERA and tied Ziggy Ziegler for 8th in winning percentage. She also led the league's pitchers with a 1.000 fielding percentage. In the AAGPBL's last season, 1954, she had a 5-12, 3.14 record. She was 10th in innings (146) and 5th in ERA (between Sue Kidd and Maxine Kline. She got the call in the decisive game 3 of the first playoff round and beat the Blue Sox, 10-7. In the finals, she was 0-1 with a 5.63 ERA but the Lassies won their only title, beating the Fort Wayne Daisies 3 games to 2.

Her career record in the regular season was 45-69, 2.94. She allowed 944 hits and 260 walks in 1,028 innings while striking out 238. She hit .141 and fielded .905 (not counting 1948, for which statistics are unavailable), her perfect season in 1953 an aberration.

Source: The AAGPBL Record Book by W.C. Madden