On Aug. 27, 18-year-old Addisyn Baird was in Hartford, Connecticut, preparing to play in a hockey tournament when she received a life-changing phone call.
The call was from Justine Siegal, commissioner of the Women's Pro Baseball League (WPBL). The Los Angeles Queens needed another player after one of their outfielders left to play for Curaçao's national team and the team wanted to sign Baird as a replacement for the remainder of the season.
"How fast can you get here?" Siegal asked.
The next morning, Baird played in one hockey game. Then she and her dad jumped in the car and drove more than 20 hours to Springfield, Illinois, where the WPBL plays all its games. On Sept. 3, Baird made her professional debut for the Queens, whose roster includes former Little League World Series phenom Mo'ne Davis.
Baird is the only current high school student playing in the inaugural season of the WPBL, which launched in August with four teams. The WPBL playoffs are underway this month, with two best-of-three semifinal series preceding a best-of-five championship series scheduled to begin Sept. 16.

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