Trouble at the Plate

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Dorothy Amelia Palmer (June 1, 1873 – November 11, 1932) was the first female Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder. Nicknamed "Trouble", Palmer played for the Maryland Cavaliers (1899–1902), the Illinois Gents (1903–1909), and the Ohio Highpockets (1909). Palmer recorded a .315 career batting average, and in 1904 she hit a home run in each of 3 consecutive games, an outstanding achievement in the dead ball era.

Palmer earned her nickname when the manager of an opposing team, variously identified as Bob Shotuck of the Nebraska Hornpipes and Ned Festin of the Idaho Ranchers, complained that Palmer was "nothing but trouble at the plate." The phrase caught on quickly among fans, who took to chanting, "Here comes trouble at the plate" or simply, "Here comes trouble" when Palmer came up to bat.

Although Palmer's statistics rivaled those of many Hall of Famers, she was never inducted. Whether--as seems likely--this is attributable to gender bias, or is simply a matter of bad luck, it is probably one reason that Palmer's name is unfamiliar to fans and players today. The later rise to fame of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during World War II no doubt further eclipsed her fame.

Early Life

Dorothy Palmer was the only child of Frederick and Bonnie Palmer, beet farmers in Gostock, West Virginia... (read more)