No Girls in the Clubhouse

February 15, 2009
These two books invaluably shed light on the legal, cultural, and gender-based obstacles to the equality of the sexes on the diamond. Cohen addresses these issues from a scholarly perspective and situates the travails of female athletes within a precise sociocultural context with significant attention paid to legal developments, but not without making plain the day-to-day struggles of female players over the last 125 years. Ring adopts a more personal perspective, although she is as much a scholar as Cohen. The views and hopes of a parent shine through. The organization of the material is no less impressive than for Cohen, but greater attention is paid to related sports such as cricket and softball. Both books contribute greatly to our understanding of gender bias and the beliefs underpinning sexist assumptions. Both point to positive advances in society at large and on the ball field in particular. Public libraries should consider both, while Cohen is essential for academic libraries.

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