Heritage Minute shot in Ogema, Sask. to honour women's baseball legend Mary 'Bonnie' Baker

A star catcher, a sportscaster, a manager and the face of a baseball league. Mary "Bonnie" Baker was a prolific woman of firsts. But to Maureen Baker, she was "mom."

"She was fabulous, that’s all I can say. People were attracted to her instantly," Maureen told CTV News.

"She had tons of energy and there wasn’t a task that she couldn't master and she was a great mother."

Baker was born in Regina in 1919 and took up softball at a young age.

In 1943, P.K Wrigley formed the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL).

A skilled catcher, Baker would find herself on a southbound train, joining the league that would propel her to international fame.

"First of all, she's beautiful … the press in the States called her 'Pretty Bonnie Baker.' Anytime there was an article they'd always say that," Maureen said.

"So that's a foot in the door right there. She had a big personality. She was pretty much the whole package."

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This story of a trailblazing woman, born and bred in Saskatchewan, was an ideal candidate for a Heritage Minute, and one that’s finally coming to fruition.

(Courtesy: Maureen Baker)

"She's been kind of on our radar for a number of years. At any given time we probably got four or five things on the front burner, where we’re just saying 'When is the timing going be right to do this?'" Anthony Wilson-Smith, president and CEO of Historica Canada, told CTV News.

The ongoing series of 60-second short films chronicles iconic events in Canada’s history and the people that made them happen.

For Wilson-Smith, Baker is a perfect example.

"We were looking for somebody really inspirational and her whole background was she became a professional ballplayer in the 1940s, at a point where women were still being told to just stay home. They were just 'little ladies' who weren't active, and she just wasn't having that," he said.

"Eventually she became a manager, became one of the first women's sports broadcasters in Canada. A whole remarkable career. Again, way ahead of what women were supposed to be able to do at that time."

(Courtesy: Maureen Baker)

To portray scenes from the life of the icon that is Bonnie Baker, the ideal location ended up being just an hour south of where she grew up.

"The organization has now made a little over 100 of the Heritage Minutes and I've been providing oversight for about 20 or 25 of them," Wilson-Smith explained.

"Far and away, Ogema is the most picture-perfect site in every way of any that we've worked on. It’s absolutely astonishing."

The small community of just over 400 residents features historical baseball diamonds, a railroad station and a grandstand with another AAGBL connection.

Arleene (Johnson) Noga played third base and shortstop for a total of four seasons in the league. Ogema was Noga’s hometown and the grandstands were dedicated in her honour.

"Once they went out there and did the tour and fell in love with the place, the community was really so friendly and excited to help in any way that they could," Megan Jane, a spokesperson for Creative Saskatchewan told CTV News.

"That's kind of how it came to be."

According to Wilson-Smith, the filmmakers hope to get back to the community before the national reveal.

"Our tentative plan is to try to get back to Ogema to do a sneak preview a few days before the full release. To see if that can become maybe a bit of a fundraiser for those attending to help out with the efforts to restore the grandstand full," he said.

"The community gave to us. We'd love to find a way to give back in that way."

The reach of each 60-second film ranges, with the potential for each production to be seen by one of every five Canadians.

“This is also a great tribute to the athletes who've come out of there [Sask.],” Wilson-Smith said.

“In addition to being a remarkable woman she's also kind of serving as a symbol for an awful lot of achievement.”

(Courtesy: Maureen Baker)

Many stories over the years have connected Baker’s story with that of the 1994 feature film A League of Their Own, which focuses on the inaugural season of the AAGBL.

According to Maureen, the claims have never been confirmed, but they certainly make sense.

“I don't think anybody will ever confirm that. There are a lot of people and a lot of articles around that and a lot of ballplayers that she played with down there. But, if there was a picture in the paper, it was her,” she said.

“She was pretty much the premier player of the league.”

A status that Baker apparently did not care for during her time.

"I don’t think she was comfortable with accolades, so much … I think it was a little embarrassing for her," Maureen said.

"She was bigger than life but she was kind of modest.”

Regardless of the achievements and the fame, Maureen will always remember her mother as a woman who simply loved sports, playing ball while she watched from under the bleachers.

"I got to be with her and understand what she was all about, quite young," she said.

"She was just a natural at pretty much everything … she was blessed really."

Viewers can expect Mary "Bonnie" Baker’s Heritage Minute to be released sometime this October.