Foreword INDIES 2023 Book of the Year Award Gold Winner in LGBTQ+ Adult Nonfiction
""Dot Wilkinson is the greatest female catcher ever to play softball. A bold, pioneering athlete, she refused to let others define her and instead defined herself. Her story is an inspiration to people everywhere."" -Billie Jean King, Sports Icon and Champion for Equality
It's not simply that Dot Wilkinson was one of the most decorated women's softball players, bowlers, and athletes of all time and one of the original players from the three-time-world-champion PBSW Phoenix Ramblers softball team (19331965). Nor was it the length of her time here on Earth-over a century-although any of these things by itself would be impressive.
The magic of Dot's story is in the details. It's the tale of a childhood spent in poverty, an indomitable, unbreakable spirit, a determination to be the very best to play whatever sport she undertook, the independence to live her personal life on her own terms, and her tremendous success at all of it.
Over more than a decade of countless conversations and interviews, Dot shared all of it with her dear friend, author Lynn Ames. Dot held nothing back. Out at the Plate, told through the lens of Dot and Lynn's friendship, is the story of a forgotten era in women's history and sports, and one extraordinary woman's place at the center of it all.
By:
Lynn Ames
Imprint: Chicago Review Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions:
Height: 228mm,
Width: 152mm,
Spine: 20mm
Weight: 526g
ISBN: 9781641609999
ISBN 10: 1641609990
Pages: 224
Publication Date: 24 January 2024
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Author’s Note Part One: Pre-Game Warm-Ups 1. Meeting Dot for the First Time 2. Dot & Eyes on the Stars 3. Dot & Ricki 4. Ricki Home, A League of Our Own, T-Day 5. Ricki’s Death & the Next Chapter Part Two: Spring Training 6. Dot on Her Own for the Very First Time 7. Dot’s Parents’ Journey 8. Dot & Babe Part Three: The Natural 9. Dot Finds a Mentor in Ford 10. The Early Years of Softball 11. The High School Years Part Four: Hitting Her Stride 12. Coming into Her Own 13. The 1940 World Softball Championships 14. The War Years Part Five: At the Top of Her Game 15. Keeping Her Eye on the Ball 16. We Are the Champions 17. Three and Out Part Six: Rounding Third 18. The Winds of Change Are Blowing 19. The Pain of Loss Part Seven: Heading for Home 20. Turning the Page Part Eight: Extra Innings 21. Basking in the Afterglow 22. Adjusting to Life After Softball 23. Promises Kept Acknowledgments About the Author
Lynn Ames has spent her entire career either making history or writing about it. She has been an award-winning journalist and nationally recognized speaker. She is the author of sixteen novels and is an accomplished athlete. She lives in Asheville, North Carolina.
Reviews for Out at the Plate: The Dot Wilkinson Story
Lynn Ames has not only penned a true story but has become part of it. Out at the Plate is a rich tale on so many levels, but most of all, it is the definitive love story between the great Dot Wilkinson and the game of softball. -Linda Wells, former Olympic & NCAA Division I softball coach and professional player Dot Wilkinson is an absolute treasure. As Out at the Plate attests, she has lived and continues to live her life on her terms, crushing every challenge encountered along the way. Whether as a two-sport hall of fame athlete, life partner, or friend, Dot has supported, encouraged, and inspired generations of women, and continues to do so as she celebrates 100 years of her journey. -Nona Lee, former executive vice president and chief legal officer, Arizona Diamondbacks
