Irene Hickson

Irene Hickson (August 14, 1915 – November 24, 1995) was an American catcher who played from 1943 through 1951 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m), 116 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.

At age 27, Irene Hickson became one of the oldest players signed by the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League for its inaugural season. Although averaging .171 lifetime, she was known as an opportune hitter with runners in scoring position during the late innings. Most importantly, Hickson was a solid fielding catcher with a strong throwing arm, and had a reputation as a good handler of pitchers. On the playing field, she collected 2,388 putouts and 561 assists in 621 games, committing only 130 errors in 3,079 chances for a .958 career fielding average. A member of two champion teams, she won the batting title in the 1943 championship series and in 1946 set an all-time record with five walks received in a single game.