On June 7th, six new members will be inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in St. Marys, Ontario, bringing the total number of inductees to 167.

Canadian citizenship is not required for induction into the hall, as the list of inductees includes men and women who have made an impact on baseball in or for this country, from various aspects, including playing, coaching, volunteering, umpiring, writing, and everything in between. To be inducted, one must be nominated and then receive a sufficient number of votes from the selection committee.

Along with Gerry Snyder, Arleene Noga is set to be inducted into the hall this weekend by the Veterans Committee after playing a pivotal role in developing women’s softball and baseball up until her passing in 2017.

Noga was one of the pioneers of the sport in Canada, originally playing in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPL) in 1944. She garnered a reputation for being a slick fielder, holding the single-season league record for fielding percentage by a third baseman (.942). She was also consistently in the lineup, as she was nicknamed the ‘Iron Lady’ after playing in over 300 consecutive games. She was active in the league with the Fort Wayne Daisies and Muskegon Lassies from 1945-48.

After playing in the AAGPL, she returned to her native Saskatchewan and continued to play softball, winning nine provincial championships. While continuing to play, she remained involved with the AAGPL, serving on the board of directors for the league and as a spokeswoman for Canadian women.

Noga also played an interesting role in one of the most famous baseball movies of all time, A League of Their Own. The movie was based on the AAGPL in which Noga starred. She worked with the movie crew as a technical advisor, teaching stars like Madonna and Rosie O’Donnell how to look natural on the field while playing their positions. Interestingly, she is credited with helping Madonna learn how to slide.

Long after her playing days were over, Noga was inducted into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988, with the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame following suit in 1989. Through her tireless efforts, she paved the way for last year’s honoree, Ashley Stephenson, as well as fellow 2025 inductee Amanda Asay to thrive in the sport. The health of baseball and softball has never been stronger in Canada, and Arleene Noga is a big reason why.

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