Southern California Gems
February 13, 2013
The Southern California Gems were a San Bernardino-based women’s professional softball club that lasted for one season in the International Women’s Professional Softball Association in 1976. The core of the Gems roster was drawn from “The Queen and Her Maids”, a barnstorming four-woman team of softballers. The Queen was Rosie Black, an incomparable 23-year old pitcher who became a pro at age 13. Black boasted an arsenal of 16 different pitches, plus various novelty routines, such as pitching blindfolded, between her legs or from the second base bag. By the time the Gems started up in 1976, Rosie Black claimed a career record of 1,323 wins against 53 losses, with 89 perfect games.
