Helen (Callaghan) Candaele St. Aubin

Born March 13, 1923 in Vancouver, B.C., she was one of Vancouver’s top softball players before heading south to become one of the stars of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). A left-handed hitting outfielder, she played in the AAGPBL from 1944 to 1949 with Minneapolis, Fort Wayne and Kenosha. Her strong throwing arm made her one of the best left fielders in the league, but it was her blazing speed that set her apart. She stole 419 bases in 495 games and compiled a career on-base percentage of .355. She would also raise a family of five sons, including her youngest, Casey Candaele, who went on to a major league playing career. An older son, Kelly Candaele, co-produced a documentary on the AAGPBL in the late 1980s which inspired the film, A League of Their Own. She passed away on December 8, 1992 in Santa Barbara, Calif.