Problem: How early on did women start playing baseball in America? Where were most of the early women's teams located? In what ways were the female ballplayers of the 19th century seen in a positive light? Is there any evidence that sexism influenced how the female ballplayers of the 19th century were viewed? If so, what examples from the text can you give to back this up? What are the main reasons that softball, rather than baseball, became the preferred sport for most female ballplayers by the 1940s?