Things We Saw Today: ‘A League of Their Own’ Inspiration Maybelle Blair Comes Out at 95

Abbi Jacobson, Rae Gray, D'Arcy Carden, and Melanie Field in Amazon's 'A League of Their Own'.

Amazon’s A League of Their Own series, based on the beloved 1992 Penny Marshall film, follows the adventures of the Rockford Peaches, a fictionalized team in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, the professional women’s baseball league that was created in the 1940s during World War II. The series is co-written and co-executive produced by Broad City‘s Abbi Jacobson (who also stars) and Mozart in the Jungle‘s Will Graham. Jacobson promised a “contemporary spin” on the original film, which will see the Rockford Peaches through their inaugural season and explore the changing 1940s United States. While the series will have the “warmth, humor, and DNA” of the original film, it will also feature women of color and queer women, players who weren’t acknowledged in the original film.

And it seems that the series has inspired an original AAGPBL legend to come out. Maybelle Blair aka “All The Way Mae,” (like Madonna’s character in the original film) attended a screening of the new series at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival in New York. Blair, who pitched for the Peoria Redwings, told the audience “I think it’s a great opportunity for these young girl ball players to come to realize that they’re not alone, and you don’t have to hide … I hid for 75, 85 years and this is actually basically the first time I’ve ever come out.”

For the majority of her life, sports legend 95-year old @AAGPBL player, Maybelle Blair felt like she had to hide her authentic self. Today she came out publicly for the first time. We couldn’t be happier for her, and continue to push for love and acceptance on and off the field. pic.twitter.com/BEaCisO2RH

— A League of Their Own (@LeagueOnPrime) June 14, 2022

At 95 years old, Blair shows us that it’s never too late to come out and live your authentic life. What an inspiring woman.

A League of Their Own premieres on August 12 on Amazon Prime.

(featured image: Prime Video)

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