Baseball Annie is a term used in Baseball to describe a group of girls who desires a sexual relationship with baseball players. However, this is more about a novel and movie entitled "Baseball Annie" in 1949 starring Robert Redford. The story revolves around a young woman named Annie Steinhagen who had a crush on Chicago Cub's star player and first baseman named Eddie Waitkus. Because she was obsessed with Waitkus and his sudden transfer to the Philadelphia Phillies, Annie decided to kill him. Shocking enough, she still had Waitkus' photograph with her.
What Happened to Baseball Annie?
The details of Steinhagen's life were sketchy, according to some sources. This is all because some details of her life were never revealed for the public's information, including her employer's name whom she had worked with for 35 years. When she shot Waitkus, she was charged with psychological issues in a mental hospital, rather than facing a criminal charge. After Waitkus was shot, he still helped his team to win the National League. 12 years later, Waikus died and his life was written by Bernard Malamud with the title "Baseball's Natural: The Story of Eddie Waitkus."
The Obsessive Demeanor of Ann Steinhagen
Many signs are showing that Steinhagen was an obsessed fan of Waitkus, especially when she told the psychiatrist how she sees herself holding him in her arms. However, she also found it strange that she was dreaming about killing him. Even after she attempted to kill Waitkus and got herself locked up in a jail cell in the mental hospital, still she managed to keep Waitkus' photograph until she died.
The Introduction of Baseball Annie
Because of the popularity of Steinhagen and Waitkus' story, a baseball groupie eventually formed the name "Baseball Annie,." There's also a staged picture of Steinhagen while she was writing her journal in her jail cell. Despite the horrible things that Waitkus had experienced, still, the judge concluded that Steinhagen was insane, so she has to be admitted to a mental hospital. Until then, Baseball Annie is described by baseball groupies to pertain how women get obsessive and want a sexual relationship with baseball stars.
