CAMDEN, Maine — Maxine Drinkwater Simmons, the first and only woman ever inducted into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame, died Sunday at the age of 87.
Born in Searsmont and raised in Camden, Simmons traveled with her mother to Michigan when she was a senior in high school to try out for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which was the league featured in the 1992 movie "A League of Their Own."
"I had never traveled before," she said in her profile on the AAGPBL website. "I didn't like it then and I still don't like it. But my mother had a great time and she traveled back to Maine alone! I was asked to join the league on my 18th birthday. I guess that was my birthday present! I was allowed to go home for graduation but then had to come right back."
Simmons, a 1954 Camden High School graduate, ended up being the South Bend Blue Sox' first pick. Her .947 fielding percentage as a first and second basewoman made her one of the top defensive players in the league, according to the AAGPBL website. Sadly, the league disbanded prior to the end of the season.
She returned to Camden and coached basketball at Camden High School, as well as many Little League teams, while continuing to play softball and golf, according to her obituary in the Pen Bay Pilot. Her jobs in Maine included Tibbetts Industries, GTE Sylvania, and working as a certified nursing assistant.
The door of Simmons' Camden apartment held a sign reading: “Red Sox Fans Welcome; Others Not Allowed.” She was a faithful Red Sox fan, and Ted Williams was her all-time hero, her obituary noted.
Calling hours will be held 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 3, 2024, at the Long Funeral Home at 9 Mountain St. in Camden. Condolences may be shared here.