‘A League of Their Own’: Esti Was Inspired by a Real Cuban-American Baseball Player
Prime Video’s adaptation of A League of Their Own has really stepped up to the plate. Lauded by critics for being a clever and quippy take on the fictionalized story of one of America’s real premier all-women sports leagues, it’s a fun watch in desperate need of a second season. While the show takes liberties with certain aspects of history, one thing it stuck to is having a historical basis for all of its decisions. In particular, one of the show’s main characters, Esti, is based on a real baseball player from the league.
‘A League of Their Own’ hit a home run for Amazon
The 1992 film A League of Their Own was a big hit when it premiered in theaters. And the 2022 TV series of the same name carries on this legacy. The sports dramedy puts a new spin on an old classic, telling the stories of the women in the Rockford Peaches baseball team. It tackles the trials and tribulations of building a new female-led baseball league in the early 1940s. The players’ own challenges, hang-ups, and drama are equal parts as tense as any tied ball game in overtime and as funny as the goofiest halftime show around.
One of the biggest changes to the series compared to the movie is the framing. In particular, it moves the focus of the show from the team manager, Tom Hanks’ Jimmy Dugan, to the players themselves. As good as the original was, it’s not hard to see how a movie ostensibly meant to be about women all but entirely focused on the character arc of a central man. Putting the story back into the hands of the women makes for a refreshing take on the material. And it makes good on the promises the film couldn’t really keep.
The character of Esti was inspired by a real player with an equally interesting story
As mentioned, A League of Their Own takes some liberties with historical accuracy, not unlike the original movie. Unlike the original, though, one of these liberties is in the composition of the team. In real life, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was segregated. Black players in particular were barred from joining white teams. The show, however, does away with this, though not without erasing the underlying racial issues of the era.
A result of this decision is having different players inspired by real-life players who weren’t on the same teams originally. In particular, there’s Esti González. Esti, played by Priscilla Delgado, is a member of the Peaches. Initially unsure of herself due to her age and inexperience, she grows along with her teammates. Esti becomes an invaluable player who helps them clinch the championship game.
As revealed in a Twitter thread by series co-creator Will Graham, Esti takes influence from a number of stellar Latina baseball players from the era. Among them is Isabel “Lefty” Álvarez, who, similar to Esti, was the youngest Cuban player in the league.
Much of the show is based on real history
In the same thread, Graham discussed a number of other influences on the show. In particular, he pushed back on the idea that Black players weren’t part of baseball during the era. While discrimination was certainly alive and well, he pointed out that there were many African-American players predating Jackie Robinson.
Of note, there was Mamie “Peanut” Johnson. Her story heavily influenced one of the show’s leads, Max Chapman. Like Max, Johnson was rejected by the teams of the AAGPBL because of her race when she first tried out. As a result, she joined the segregated Negro Leagues, going on to become one of the first three women in the league and one of its best pitchers.
