Betty Rusynyk

Betty McFadden
Pitcher
Born: (1924-10-22)October 22, 1924 Savanna, Illinois
Died: April 7, 2013(2013-04-07) (aged 88) Parma, Ohio
Batted: Right Threw: Right
Teams
South Bend Blue Sox (1943)
Career highlights and awards
Women in Baseball – AAGPBL Permanent Display at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (since 1988)

Betty Jean McFadden [Rusynyk] (October 22, 1924 – April 7, 2013) was an All-American Girls Professional Baseball League pitcher who played for the South Bend Blue Sox in 1943. Born in Savanna, Illinois, McFadden was nicknamed "Mac". She both batted and threw right-handed. She later spent eight seasons with the Savanna, Illinois All-Star team and five years with the Lakewood, Ohio Rangers team.^[1]

Baseball years

Betty Jean only played a few games with the South Bend Blue Sox —less than 10—, which is why her statistics were not recorded by the league.^[2] But even when she left the league, Betty Jean still kept up her love for baseball. For the next eight years, she played with the Savanna, Illinois All-Star team and five years for the Lakewood, Ohio Rangers team. As well, she took up golf and played in two golf leagues.^[3]

Personal life

Betty played in the AAGPBL under her maiden name. After that, she was married to Michael Rusynyk for 66 years. They had two sons and one daughter: Gary, David and Lynn. When Betty died, she was survived by four grandchildren: Sanya, Kristen, Megan and Alexander. One grandchild, Taryn, died before her.^[3]

Sources

1. "Betty Jean Rusnyk (McFadden)". AAGPBL. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
2. Madden, W. C. (2000) All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Record Book. McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0-7864-0597-8
3. "Betty Jean Rusynyk (McFadden) Obituary". AAGPBL. Retrieved 29 September 2014.