All-American Girls Professional Baseball League rules of play All-American Girls Professional Baseball League rules of play The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was a circuit that began to operate in 1943. Since the only organized ball for women in the United States was softball, the league officials created a hybrid game which included features of both fast-pitch softball and baseball. Compared to softball, the crucial differences were that nine (not ten) players were used, and runners could lead off, slide and steal bases. In its twelve years of history the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League evolved through many stages. These differences varied from the beginning of the league,
History of the National Hockey League (1992–present) labor unrest, completing expansion plans, and modernizing the league. The Tampa Bay Lightning and Ottawa Senators joined the league in as part of the owners' 1990 plan to expand the NHL to 28 teams within a decade. The Lightning made NHL history when goaltender Manon Rheaume played a period of an exhibition game for them on September 23, 1992. Rheaume became the first woman to play in an NHL game. She also became the first woman to sign a professional hockey contract, doing so with the Lightning's farm team, the Atlanta Knights. One year later, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim