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Betty Carveth Dunn (nee Carveth), enshrined in the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame just 2 years ago, has died.

Betty, a member of the Rockford Peaches back in 1945, was one of just 64 Canadian women to play in Phil Wrigley’s World War II era All American Girls Professional Baseball League.   The league and in particular the Rockford Peaches were the inspiration for the Tom Hanks / Geena Davis movie A League of Their Own.

Dunn was 93.

The day of her induction into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame I was fortunate to sit down and interview Betty.  Here’s a post we made for that interview followed by her Induction video for The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.

Born in 1925, Betty Carveth grew up in Grande Prairie, Alberta and became a part of baseball history.

Betty Carveth was one of only sixty-four Canadian women to play in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League.  A right-handed pitcher, she played during the 1945 season with the Rockford Peaches and was traded mid-season to the Fort Wayne Daisies.  She returned home to Edmonton and became the city’s first female Little League Baseball coach and coached the boys for 10 years.  At the age of 12, she pitched for the Twilight Ladies Softball team which won three Peace River Championships in a row.  In the mid-1940s, she pitched for Edmonton’s top-rated Walk-Rite women’s baseball team.

Betty played for the Walk-Rite team from 1943-1945 at the age of eighteen to twenty.  It was during this time that a scout saw her play and asked her to try out for the All American Girls Professional Baseball League in the United States; a league that was featured in the 1992 movie “A League of Their Own.”  Betty played from April to October in 1945, earning $75 a week – which was four times more than she had made as a secretary back in Edmonton.  There was a list of rules and a dress code the players had to abide to, both on and off the field.  They attended a half day of beauty school and were told to look and act like ladies, however while on the field, they were to play ball like men.  Sliding into a base or making a flying catch was not pleasant as the uniforms were short dresses, knee socks, and caps which provided very little protection.

When the 1945 season closed, Betty returned to Edmonton and demonstrated her love for baseball by promoting and signing autographs throughout the years that followed.  She was named Ambassador of Baseball for the inaugural IBAF (International Baseball Federation) Women’s World Baseball Championship in 2004 and then named Special Ambassador in 2012.  She threw the ceremonial first pitch at both tournaments and did again in 2015 at one of the Edmonton Prospects games.

As a member of the AAGPBL, Betty was inducted into the American Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, USA in 1988.  She was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998 with the Canadian AAGPBL players.

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December 3, 2019

The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame presents their 2019 Inductees; three athletes, three builders, one team and three Award recipients. These ten Albertans will have their legacies in sports preserved and celebrated by all of Alberta for generations to come. The Inductees will become official Honoured Members of the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame at the Induction Banquet taking place May 31, 2019.

The inductees include athletes who are Olympians and World Champions, builders who have dedicated endless hours to develop their sports, a team who knows the meaning of teamwork, and a pioneer who has partaken and watched his sport evolve throughout the decades. The celebration of these inductees is a show of appreciation and acknowledgement to the growth of the sports to which they have contributed and to those they continue to inspire.

“Today, we recognize those who have inspired us through their accomplishments in sports in Alberta and throughout the world. The Class of 2019 Inductees have demonstrated their dedication, skills and commitment to their sports. We look forward to celebrating their accomplishments at the 2019 Induction Banquet on May 31st in Red Deer.”

– Donna Hateley, Managing Director, Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum

2019 Inductees
Kreg Llewellyn Water Skiing Athlete
Mike Rogers Hockey Athlete
Lyndon Rush Bobsleigh Athlete

James Donlevy Hockey/Football Builder
Dorothy Padget Artistic Swimming Builder
Edward Thresher Wrestling Builder

Randy Ferbey Curling Team
Herman Dorin Pioneer Award, Wrestling
George Stothart Achievement Award, Multisport A/B
Rob Kerr Bell Memorial Award

Click for complete bios of all inductees.

The Induction Banquet

The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum hosts an annual Induction banquet each year in Red Deer, Alberta. More than 600 people from across the provinces and the United States attend this gala event to honour Alberta’s great athletes, sport builders, pioneers, and media personnel.

At this prestigious event, several extraordinary Albertans that have made an impact on sport in our province, country, and around the world are honoured. The event not only honours these great Albertans but it recognizes the importance of sport in our lives and communities.

The next Induction Banquet will be May 31, 2019 at the Sheraton Red Deer. Since it’s inception in 1957, hundreds of Albertans have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. We invite everyone to join us in this celebration of both new Inductees and returning Honoured Members, and their lasting impact on sport in our province.

About the Alberta Sports hall of Fame

Since 1957, many outstanding sports people have been inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame. We honour Albertans who have distinguished themselves in sport and preserve and celebrate Alberta’s rich sports history for all to enjoy.

Click here for a large selection of stories from the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in including video profiles of all of the 2018 Inductees. 

Click for more stories