Sue Zipay Founder of American Girls Baseball Joins Alan Alford Sports Talk Show!!!

welcome everybody to another great episode of the Allen Alfred Sports show I'm Allan and today we have a wonderful guest for you we have none other than the founder of American girls baseball Sue SAE joining us she's addition to being the founder she's also a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame and also appeared in the movie A League of Our Own we have the wonderful gifted zeusa P joining us here on the Allen Alpha Sports show and we'll bring her on in just a few minutes but before we do that let's go ahead and thank our wonderful sponsor Chef G's Florida Barbe sauce so delicious and addicting you may need a support group feel free to visit my great friend Chef G's right here in beautiful Tampa Florida at 301 South 22nd Street Tampa Florida if you can't come down to Tampa it's quite all right feel free to visit Chef G's right here at FL BBQ sauce.com and it's FL BBQ sauce.com don't forget that wonderful sauce and without further Ado let's bring on Sue SAE from the American girls baseball let's [Music] go welcome everybody to another great episode of the Allen Alfred Sports show we're joined by a outstanding guest we have Sue sape from the American girls baseball the founder and we're going to hear from her so how you been I've been fine not too bad for an old woman okay that's good and speaking of that you just had a birthday you celebrated your 9 birthday talk about that experience that was not an experience that was I I don't count them I don't want to talk about them anymore but my family gave me a nice birthday gift and you know the fact that all my three children were together with me that was that was all I needed that's awesome and that's fantastic and I I just I just talked to another member of the all-americans before I talked to you Chris Binger Ballinger from I think she's from Kalamazoo and she's 91 so she was complaining how awful 91 is so I'm not looking forward to that one okay well we're looking forward to because we want you to be around and in fact talk about your journey how did you come up with the idea to start American girls baseball oh boy well you know when I finished playing baseball I got married and raised three children and I got into tennis when I was about 35 and that became my second sport then I moved to Florida and we bought a small Tennis Club here and I taught and played until I couldn't do it anymore and I went back to one of the reunion meetings for the All-American Girls professional baseball association and a couple of the players were talking about the fact that they felt that organization wasn't doing anything to promote women's baseball and I thought you know that's true it's been umpty ump how many years has it been since 1954 when we ended a lot of years and since 1943 a lot more years and and there's a mission in our documents that says that we were supposed to be promoting girls and women's baseball so I thought that's what I need to do and I I got in touch with a few of the the modern day baseball players and Kevin Martin who is a coach and has been supporting women's baseball for I don't know 25 years I think financially and as a coach and and and that's how it all began in 2019 so I had the All-American the what I call the mother board they worked with me initially and we got the organization put together American girls baseball and so we have our own board of directors and our own mission and our own articles so that's what I've been doing yeah and you're extremely passionate about getting you know girls and women to have their own league and that's remarkable talk about that Journey as far as some of the highs and lows of having your foundation highs and lows well the highs were when we finally had our first All-American Women's Baseball Classic in Sarasota Florida here at the Ed Smith Oriol spring training stadium and I decided that the four teams that were going to play the four teams that were going to participate were named after the four first four teams that ever played in the all- Americans in 1943 so that would be the Rockford peaches and the South Bend blue socks the rine bells and the Comets comets my old brain doesn't keep up with details anymore so we put them together Kevin Martin who was a coach knew all the women good ones bad ones and what have you and he helped me put together one of the strongest teams we could put together we got some girls from Canada that came to play some of their best and Australia I think is another place where we can pick up some really good players and I I I understand Japan has they're the number one women's baseball team in the whole world and it went off really really well the coaches were retired major league baseball coaches along with a female who knew the players and the men were there for you know like Tom Hanks in the movie wavy little red hat so the fans will come that type of thing so it it went really really well and I was so exhausted after that but so pleased but very disappointed because we didn't get enough people up in the stands to see what caliber these women can play and that first year had dick Drago if you know who dick was he lived up in Tampa area and he was excited to be chosen as a coach for the women and when we first started playing and he he looked he was in The Dugout and he looked at me and he said sue I didn't know women could play baseball like this I'm going to have to tell my 4,000 Facebook followers so that just tells you that even the men in the major leagues re recognize Talent when they see it and there was some fantastic uh baseball played during that and then the second year same thing we got even stronger players we had almost all of the World Cup players that have been chosen to represent USA and they'll be playing up at Thunder Bay in Canada I think it's in July I'm not sure I think it's July so the level went up even higher than the first year and I'm hoping that we can do it again this year but running out of money because you know we don't have Deep Pockets like the MLB or USA or whatever but it was really difficult getting some sponsors that first year or two and and right now I think that Pur strings have been tightened up and we're having a really hard time so I don't know if I'm going to be able to do classic number three yeah I was so honored to watch classic number two and you're right you're right Sue that the talent the level of talent was so good I you know you had to see it to believe it kind of and when I saw it I was like man these girls are are really really good it it's disappointing in a way that you don't get all the support you need for these girls well it it is because that that's just the top of the crop there's thousands of these young girls across the country now that played Little League until they were 12 and then I hear them crying to me Sue we have to go play softball and we don't like softball and I'm thinking that is so wrong that was me 80 years ago when I used to cry because I couldn't play on the boys high school baseball team and I was better than most of them so so that just kind goes to show you that there's a need for it I don't know why is my thought it's been we were the very first women's professional team and in any sport the very first and why haven't we got a professional team now we've got soccer we've got tennis We've Got You Name It wrestling they've got ice hockey and and no baseball so that's what my goal was let's get a professional women's team so these girls can have a choice and they don't have to go to softball and get a softball scholarship in college we need to have baseball for them to get a scholarship we need to play them on them boys baseball teams if they have to to start off but somebody's somebody's got to take a look at this and see these women play and and somebody with some Deep Pockets maybe will look and say this can be a good business proposition and it can and would you would you like me to to expound a little bit more on on what my long-term thing is and where they would play please yes definitely okay well I live here in Anglewood Florida my tennis club that I bought is still right next door and my son runs it now but there's all these spring stadiums here and why couldn't we use them during September October November December and January for or 5 months during that time of the year when they're not busy and they're looking for revenue and the baseball season's all over there's no baseball anywhere and all the snowbirds are coming down and they're staying here and all the older people that live here who love baseball and the women could put on a really good professional League during those months at these four or five or whatever spring stadiums would be willing to work with us help us get going everybody will make some money and the girls will have a place to go that that's what I think can happen if we can just find the right people to put it together that's not me I'm just getting it going I just want people to see it if they see it then they get excited about it and that's the thing they have to see it so how do we get the stance filled up Alan jit you got to keep advertising and do things like this do interviews and let people know about the team and how how good it is because I've been spreading the word since I saw it I was like man these girls could play I was thoroughly impressed at the level of caliber of talent you had some girls there that play USA baseball yeah it was it was it was really something to see and and talk about that like what a lot of people told me while I was there was that you play for the flights and everything it wasn't just them like taking a bus well that was the thing it was just like they were professionals and of course A lot of the girls are spoiled we're from a different generation so it's kind of hard for me sometimes when I see that there a lot of them are not willing to give in order to get and when we played we all said we would have played for nothing just the opportunity to play on a professional team was good enough for us but these girls have to realize they need to help somehow or another a lot of them do some of them don't and their parents are very willing they are just really happy to help but it was the money it it takes a lot we paid for all their Airline Transportation all their rooms meals it it was it was a free be for all of them and the uniforms and that's not cheap even just getting the uniforms made up and put together and and then assigning the details of the work to just put together the schedule itself and then we had a free clinic so everything was free we provided the clinic we provided the players expenses and we didn't get hardly anybody in the stands because all of a sudden there was some other sports events going on in Sarasota and it it just didn't happen so I I was hoping we could do something up in Sarah up in Tampa this year I think we'd be better off with flights going into Tampa they'd be cheaper and more easier to schedule probably get a B deal in the hotel but I'm having trouble I'm having trouble the ones that would like to do it doing construction during that time of the year and and I still don't have the money so I can't start paying for a contract when you don't have funds to pay for yeah explain a little bit in more detail how can the girls contribute more to help this league the girls that are playing you know I'm not into trying to raise money and and funding and all that but they they could just ask their friends you know pay for their transportation maybe we could get something out there where each each girl tries to get her own people to to pay for her expenses I don't know there's got to be some ways to get some money because I know there's people out there that would give it if they just knew I mean if you go on our website we have a page there that says you know how can you help and donate and they can pick and choose so and they can become a member which only cost $50 for a single membership 75 for a family and I don't know what else to do I'm don't worry we're going to make sure that you have that classic we're going to keep that that streak going that that's awesome streak it it would be a shame for it to not continue on and and I don't know if I can do it more than this probably would be by last year except as maybe a consultant if I'm still alive but you know when you get to be 90 I'm not thinking five years down the line I'm saying time is not on my side and the players that are left feel very strongly about what I'm doing they all want to see another pro league before they go up to that big diamond in the sky and speaking of it diamond is Sky talk about your appearance in that movie A League of its own talk about that experience experience I play with that that was that was a lot of fun I was only up at Cooper toown when they did the last filming shots and Penny Marshall landed an double day field in a helicopter and came walking over to the fence and said where's beans and I was supposed to be beans and anyhow she had me hitting in the movie and so if you go if you if you see the movie when Gina Davis walks into drops her d bag walks into the Cooper toown ball field and and looks around and there's somebody up at bat hitting that's me I have on a red hat and so my role was to hit the ball over second line drive and then run to Second and do that over and over and over and I was having a great time the next day I could barely walk I hurt my knee that kind of ended some of my tournament tennis days because I had to have a knee replacement when I got back so and and also when you see all the women walking in Koopas town and saying let's get a picture of the peaches I'm sitting in the front row there making a silly face which is which is my personality I'm kind of a whatever yeah well definitely people need to watch a movie A League of its own and and check out those pay extra close attention to those shots in the movies so they can see you so and but they get a chance to see how important it is for women and and girls to have their they're legal of their own for them for them to play that that's all we ever wanted and I always had a feeling and maybe I'm wrong but I always had a feeling that MLB spent all their time effort and money to promote softball because their theory was softball is for women and baseball is for for the guys and I thought who ever came up with that it's it's that's so two different games I tell you if people go to watch the women's game they'll see a fast game a lot of people get on base because you don't have a lot of walks and a lot of standing around a lot of spitting and scratching and whatever else they do and and it's a fast game a lot of base running and it's a seven inning game so the people that complain now about Major League Baseball being too long to sit there and watch it for two three or 4 hours in a row people just aren't going to spend that kind of time anymore doing it so I think I think the women's game is uh something thatd enjoy watching yeah you're right and you know I'm excited about it I I think things are going to work itself out and you'll be back and we just need to get you said a location girls money girls need to give a little bit more team team effort well I'm trying to get hold of some of these people that have several million dollars and you know what's a few million to get it started I did try to get hold of Tom Hanks I would love to have him come on board and be part of a of a group of people that would fund a women's pro league because guess what what kind of publicity would he have incredible across the country if Tom Hanks is now part of a new League of his own he's got $310 million the Google says what's 10 more yeah I mean you're right there there is money out there you just got to find the right person or persons and it it'll be just it'll be right there yeah I I I can think of a few people except that you know I can't get in touch with them that's it when they're that kind people like that you just don't get a phone number off hand so Derek Jeter is another one okay maybe he'll watch this he has three daughters I think they're athletic too if if we can find somebody with an athletic daughter who's really good at baseball those are the people that we want yeah it's interesting you br bring him up you know in fact one of the players in fact did say that you know Anna Anna Kimbrell she had brought up the fact that her inspiration was Derek Jeter so it's just it's it's ironic you brought him up but he does have three three girls and anything's possible well especially a major league baseball player who has a very athletic girl I mean that was and and of course you do know that Misty Wrigley that was funny because the All-American board had asked me to see if I could find a a Wrigley descendant somewhere and we searched around and lo and behold found out rickley Misty Wrigley lived in Sarasota she's the granddaughter of Philip Wrigley who started our league in 1943 so I got in touch with her through her business this Wrigley media which is based in Kentucky and her secretary said she's flying back to Kentucky and she'll call you when she gets in and this is my story so I said oh yeah and I thought you're right she'll call me well below and behold she did nicest person you'd ever want to met meet earthy as can be and when we spoke on the phone we just kind of connected had a nice talk and then I said to her I used to be a Rockford Peach and when I said that I thought she would scream it was so funny so she has been a big support order of the games and what I'm trying to do ever since I talked to her it's been two three years now and she's she was a sponsor the last couple years and I and she's not into baseball at all she's into horses she drives a chariot she has a gold medal from the Olympics from driving one of those I I call it a Char but you know what I mean with six or eight horses I don't know how she does that but God love her she's an athlete just like I am man a gold medal tooot they own the Polo Club here in Sarasota by the way so if anybody wants to go enjoy watching that's where to go so people like Misty and and other people that like baseball you know it wouldn't have to be one person it could be several that would help us out yeah one one person who's really a big Advocate was Carol Sheldon who takes a lot of the pictures talk about her contribution to the league yeah oh Carol Sheldon she's she's on our board yeah yeah she she really promotes it you know she told me all about it and you know when I went to the to the game and she's a a big promoter of the league so it's amazing and also Sandra Kimbrell yep oh s Sandra's she's never promoting never she's great keeps sending me names call this person call the person yeah yeah it's just it's just matter of meeting the right person and making that connection I'm I'm going to you know keep ringing people's ears and talking to them letting them them know that you need a location Tampa would be ideal I would love to have a Major League Stadium because that makes it look professional especially for the players they loved it I mean I I think they really felt like they were Pros with the uniforms and the stadium and it it was great so I have spoken to Stein Brena and they're doing construction during the dates and and I think the same thing with the Blue Jays think they are I'm not sure I haven't got a definite know yet and I've also been trying to get in touch with the Phillies so those are three if you can think of any more I don't know about the Rays but that would be the best location and I I think I can get a place down in Fort Meers but that wouldn't be as good because of the the airport situation the flying in and the hotels well the Rays may not be so bad because they do have an airport smaller airport there so that I wouldn't eliminate them from contention I'm just thinking you're talking about the St Pete Airport or yeah there's a small little airport there and then you could fly they could fly into Tampa there it's not so far you know if you get if you fly into Tampa it's a bit of a drive but it's not it's not out of the the realm yeah but you need a you need a big International Airport cuz some of the people are coming from Canada and not like I said maybe even Australia so well logistically we'll we'll work it out and I definitely going to talk to some people and see what we can come up with any help is is definitely appreciated we have until next next year correct no later this year later this year November 22 3 four and maybe the 25th we're trying to figure out the schedule for the free clinic so those would be the dates 22 3 and 4 which is the weekend right before Thanksgiving a lot of people came here last year to and spend Thanksgiving here in Florida so that was a good idea but I don't remember seeing you there but I I was so busy during the tournament I just didn't see much of anybody oh yeah I was on there taking pictures and interviews running around I saw you on the field with the medals you were right behind home plate but I was running around talking to the people and doing like what I do at most events taking pictures trying to get interviews and yeah running around a lot so you were doing your thing and I was doing my thing yeah yeah but it was it was awesome it really was awesome at Ed Smith Stadium yeah yeah so is Ed Smith Stadium off the the uh the chart because of the location or is still a possibility less the flights I don't know if they've since leased it out to someone else but the problem the biggest problem was lacrosse lacrosse tournament had about 10,000 people here last year during the same time and they've already contracted with IMG for two more years or three more years I can't remember which at the same time and I said okay well then that settles it because all the people were go to the lacrosse what happened was I guess the coaches come here for a convention and then they decided to have their national tournament for all the high school players in the country and they all ended up here on the same weekend which made it difficult yeah yeah you're right but he I'm just GNA keeps praying and talking and I'm gonna reach out to DAR Jeter see what he says I mean you know this got to be a sign that everybody keeps talking about D Jeter can you get can you get in touch with him can you get me a phone number anything is possible I will say that in life that okay anything is possible I can't I can't guarantee no phone number I don't have dere Jet's phone number but anything is possible I'm worked in the media long enough to know that the circle is a lot smaller than you think if we are able to get in re in touch with Derek Jeter how could he reach out to you do you have you have my email yep okay and my phone number do you want my phone number yep I have it I have it yep okay anyone here most of the time I'm don't I don't work I sit here and try to figure out how I can make work definitely I will definitely see what I can do and I'm sure Derek is going to see this too so we there was a gentleman down in Houston Texas that apparently had put together a 5-year plan for a women's pro league with MLB I don't know if you knew about that or not okay he was one of the owners of the Houston Astros and then he had an event planner whose name was I forget saving whatever and they were interested in what I was doing so they sent a couple people up here to watch the tournament last year anyhow majorly baseball turned him down they said it wasn't profitable what he had produced so I thought well come up with something that is profit profitable and I think what I propose is you don't have flight Transportation all over the country they're right here in one geographic location right and you can have them all put up in a hotel if we have to or even some of the people around here we used to stay in private homes we could arrange private homes for them if we had to so this would be the cheapest way to have a pro league is to have them right here in these stadiums and put them up here that's right you know League of its own we got Tom Hanks Derek Jeter anybody else you think would be a good candidate well well let me see I I I did speak with Bob Hope who who had the Silver Bullets but again that was their problem they spent so much money flying the women all over the country just to play a men's team you can't survive with that I can remember I think AT&T funded them a million dollars when they first started and but it didn't last and by the way we have one of the players that played online Tamar holes have you interviewed tamr holes no I have not I definitely should like 45 or 46 or 47 and she played in the in the games this last year you probably saw her one of the best yes yes yes I did see her that's right I did not get a chance to interview her but yeah I saw her she was doing her thing oh you got to talk to her she's great girl great girl been playing all this time and uh yeah that's right well I'm I definitely am confident things are going to go on don't think negatively think positively it's a team effort it's going to make it happen keep baseball got to thrive and it's going to thrive you know you girls need a like the movie said A League of Their Own yeah well everybody else in the world that's a female is getting into professional sports but what about baseball come on gang even I'm disappointed with Billy Jean King I've spoken to her several times she spoke at one of our dinners or something and she just funded a hockey team and I thought thank you very much yeah know and and one mutual friend we have is is Mark corbette you know he's he's done some great work from baseball Biz and the Tampa Museum talk about their contribution nice guy nice guy yeah he had I think he said he had a a speech he was going to make for Florida blue and Sarasota last week he was going to see if he could do something with them get them to sponsor us but if you know somebody that would like to be a sponsor we get them in the programs their name will be up on the big screen in all of our Publications everything that's all I can offer there you go that's enough for them to support right there so so that's that's fantastic it's been an honor having you suae that's right from American girls baseball make sure you guys reach out and help them out in any way possible any any help is welcome but thank you so much for joining us here on the Allen for sports show it's been a real pleasure oh thank you for asking me Alan you're great thank you appreciate that okay yeah the great motivator okay thank you all right thank you you're welcome [Music]