Court Transcript in King v. Little League Baseball, Inc.
7/2/1973
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This document comes from the court case Carolyn King, by Gerald King, her Next Friend, Ypsilanti Community American Little League, and the City of Ypsilanti v. Little League Baseball, Inc.
During the case, the president of Little League Baseball testified in court about the need to modify the chest protector if girls were allowed to play, an argument made repeatedly by Little League.
Carolyn King, a twelve-year-old girl, could play baseball better than neighborhood boys. After receiving permission from the Ypsilanti Michigan American League Little League president to try out, Carolyn beat 15 boys and a couple of girls for a spot on the Orioles team in 1973. The national Little League Baseball organization prohibited girls at that time, and issued a warning that unless Carolyn stopped playing, the Ypsilanti American League would lose its charter.
King and her supporters brought their desire for equal opportunity to Federal court invoking violation of the 14th Amendment. Judge Ralph Freeman dismissed the case for lack of jurisdiction, a decision upheld by the Appelate Court. Between 1972 and 1974, 22 cases, including King’s, were filed against Little League Baseball, Inc. and its boys-only policy. The national Little League organization eventually petitioned Congress to amend its Federal charter to eliminate the boys-only rule when it lost the New Jersey state case National Organization for Women vs. Little League Baseball, Inc. in spring 1974. On December 26, 1974, President Ford signed into law a bill that formally opened Little League Baseball to girls. By this time, King was 13 and too old, yet thousands of other girls would play.
This document is featured in "Baseball: The National Pastime in the National Archives," a free eBook from the National Archives.
During the case, the president of Little League Baseball testified in court about the need to modify the chest protector if girls were allowed to play, an argument made repeatedly by Little League.
Carolyn King, a twelve-year-old girl, could play baseball better than neighborhood boys. After receiving permission from the Ypsilanti Michigan American League Little League president to try out, Carolyn beat 15 boys and a couple of girls for a spot on the Orioles team in 1973. The national Little League Baseball organization prohibited girls at that time, and issued a warning that unless Carolyn stopped playing, the Ypsilanti American League would lose its charter.
King and her supporters brought their desire for equal opportunity to Federal court invoking violation of the 14th Amendment. Judge Ralph Freeman dismissed the case for lack of jurisdiction, a decision upheld by the Appelate Court. Between 1972 and 1974, 22 cases, including King’s, were filed against Little League Baseball, Inc. and its boys-only policy. The national Little League organization eventually petitioned Congress to amend its Federal charter to eliminate the boys-only rule when it lost the New Jersey state case National Organization for Women vs. Little League Baseball, Inc. in spring 1974. On December 26, 1974, President Ford signed into law a bill that formally opened Little League Baseball to girls. By this time, King was 13 and too old, yet thousands of other girls would play.
This document is featured in "Baseball: The National Pastime in the National Archives," a free eBook from the National Archives.
Transcript
UNITED STATES OF AMERICAUNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN
SOUTH DIVISION
CAROLYN ANN KING by Gerald W. King, her next friends, YPSILANTI COMMUNITY AMERICAN LITTLE LEAGUE, an Unincorporated Michigan Association, and the CITY OF YPSILANTI, a Michigan Public Body Corporation,
Plaintiffs,
-vs- VOLUME IV No. 40304
LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL, INC., a Federal Corporation, S. B. STANTON Agent for Little League Baseball, Inc.,
Defendants.
Proceedings had and testimony taken in the above-entitled matter before the Honorable RALPH M. FREMAN, District Judge at Detroit, Michigan, on Tuesday, July 3, 1973.
APPEARANCES:
FREATMAN, BARR & ANHUT
(By John M. Barr, Esq.),
Appearing on behalf of Plaintiffs Carolyn Ann King and Ypsilanti Community American Little League.
DETROIT
COURT REPORTING SERVICE, INC.
800 LAW CENTER BULDING
962-3136
MT. CLEMENS
37 MACOMB STREET
468-0161
your Honor.
THE COURT: All right. You May step down.
Next witness.
(Whereupon the witness was excused.)
MR. NORRIS: The defense would like to call as its next witness, you Honor, Dr. Creighton J. Hale.
CREIGHTON J. HALE,
was thereupon calles as a witness herein, and after having been first duly sworn to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, was examined and testified as follows:
DIRECT EXAMINATION
BY MR. NORRIS:
Q May it Please the Court, for the record, would you please state your address, Dr. Hale.
A 800 Pennsylvania Avenue, Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Q Can you tell us whether you have any connection with the activities of Little League baseball?
A Yes, sir.
Q In what capacity?
400
DETROIT
COURT REPORTING SERVICE, INC.
800 LAW CENTER BULDING
962-3136
MT. CLEMENS
37 MACOMB STREET
468-0161
The second is that reaction time and movement time are very important, not only in eluding a ball that is pitched, but also in trying to field a bad hop, trying to change direction to avoid collisions.
Now, we have cited that ten percent of our injuries in Little League are from collisions. Most of the injuries are due to a pitched ball, and all these, in all of these, reaction time and movement time are vitally important.
Now, to thrust girls as a group into a program which has been set up for boys with certain physiological limitations such as reaction time and movement time, creates a hazard which girls should not have to bear. We should say to use the same approach and make the game as safe for girls as it is presently for boys.
In the equipment—I hold three inventions of baseball equipment and I have one now patent applied for, the helmet that is presently being used in baseball, youth baseball, and this year was adopted as a mandatory piece of equipment by the
469
DETROIT
COURT REPORTING SERVICE, INC.
800 LAW CENTER BULDING
962-3136
MT. CLEMENS
37 MACOMB STREET
468-0161
National High School Federation. This went through a series of scientific test in which we shot baseballs from an air- compressed oanon to determine exactly what the helmet must be after trying to determine human tolerance of the head. I then invented a catcher’s helmet which is now mandatory in Little League baseball, throughout Little League baseball.
I invented a change, modification in the chest protector which is used throughout Little League baseball and into the Majors and has been used by Johnny Bench for the last three years and other Major League catchers use it.
I am in the process of development, and the patent has been applied for, for a new fence. Many of our injuries happen when boys run into the fence. It happened in the Major Leagues, and the new fence. It happens in the Major Leagues, and the new fence will be of nylon construction and you will be able to hit it as hard as you want without being hurt because it is going to be spring-suspended on one side and turnbuckled on the other.
It is vitally important we look into the equipment for girls. We can protect their head with the helmet, but the chest protector worn
470
DETROIT
COURT REPORTING SERVICE, INC.
800 LAW CENTER BULDING
962-3136
MT. CLEMENS
37 MACOMB STREET
468-0161
by boys is not the chest protector worn by girls, should not be worn by the girl catcher, for example.
A new piece of equipment should be designed and can be designed for them.
Q You have alluded to the chest protector being one piece of equipment that the girls would have to wear a different version of. Have you any professional opinion regarding damage, if any, to female breasts were they to receive a violent impact in a Little League baseball game?
A yes. The female breast can be injured both in either contact or non-contact sports. It would be greatly, a good possibility in baseball where people do get hit.
Q Is it your professional opinion that traumatic cancer might result from such an impact?
MR. BARR: Well, we would stipulate that almost anything is possible, your Honor. I don’t think this witness has been qualified as an expert in that field.
THE COURT: I will sustain the objection.
MR. BRONSON: At any rate, it would be a great consolation—
471
DETROIT
COURT REPORTING SERVICE, INC.
800 LAW CENTER BULDING
962-3136
MT. CLEMENS
37 MACOMB STREET
468-0161
This primary source comes from the Records of District Courts of the United States.
National Archives Identifier: 7329707
Full Citation: Court Transcript; 7/2/1973; Civil Case 40304; Carolyn King, by Gerald King, her Next Friend, Ypsilanti Community American Little League, and the City of Ypsilanti v. Little League Baseball, Inc.; Civil Case Files, 1938 - 1998; Records of District Courts of the United States, Record Group 21; National Archives at Chicago, Chicago, IL. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/court-transcript-little-league, July 8, 2025]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
