By Holly McFarlane
The fate of the Rockford Peaches is shown, but there are still plenty of questions unanswered at the end of 2022’s A League Of Their Own.
Though A League Of Their Own is a show about baseball, it also explores the lives of the Rockford Peaches, which raises the stakes for the season 1 ending. Many characters are at a crossroads regarding where their lives are headed after the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) championship. The end of the first season of A League Of Their Own might answer whether the Rockford Peaches win the AAGPBL championship, but there are still plenty of questions left after the season ends.
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A League Of Their Own season 1 follows the Rockford Peaches during the first season of the AAGPBL. The show mainly centers around the character Carson Shaw, who learns about herself throughout the season as she enters a forbidden relationship with teammate Greta and becomes the Peaches’ coach. The show also follows Max Chapman, a pitcher rejected due to her race who is trying to find a way to play baseball on a real team. The first season of A League Of Their Own shows how baseball helps each character discover what it means to live authentically.
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Many aspects of the Rockford Peaches’ lives are messy going into the end of season 1, both on and off the field. The team is set to play against the South Bend Blue Sox, who are highly favored to win. Carson struggles to find herself amongst her conflicting relationships with her husband and Greta, interfering with her ability to coach. While Max’s dream (which was inspired by real-life women) has been realized, her relationship with her mother is still on the rocks. Given the biggest conflicts at the end of A League Of Their Own season 1 are emotional, their true meanings are not always clear on the surface, leaving a sense of ambiguity. Here is the ending of A League Of Their Own’s first season explained, including the real meaning of season 1.
Why Carson Sends Charlie Home In A League Of Their Own
During A League Of Their Own’s first season, Carson struggles to find her own voice and follow her own desires outside of being a married woman. Her season 1 arc comes to a head when her husband, Charlie, comes to Rockford after being discharged to surprise her. Despite becoming more confident, Carson begins acting differently in Charlie’s presence. Greta (played by The Good Place's D'Arcy Carden) immediately notices this and confronts Carson about the shift in her personality since Charlie’s arrival, which helps Carson decide to ask Charlie to leave Rockford.
When Carson asks Charlie to leave Rockford, she does not tell him the whole truth. Carson says she needs to be able to fully concentrate on winning the championships, but this is not the real reason she wants him to leave. In reality, Charlie’s presence causes Carson to overthink her actions and be less self-assured, inhibiting her ability to lead the Peaches. Carson really wants Charlie to leave Rockford because she cannot be her authentic self when he is there, something she leaves out to spare his feelings.
The True Meaning Of Carson’s Locker Room Speech
After Charlie leaves at the end of the A League Of Their Own reboot, Carson resumes being the coach that the Peaches know her to be. The Peaches are unsure of their ability to beat the South Bend Blue Sox in the championships, so before their last practice, Carson delivers one last locker room speech to them. She reads from the book that Greta gave her, which is about a tree that is able to grow through a crack in the sidewalk despite not receiving any nurturing. Carson relates this to the Peaches’ own journey of going from last in the league to the championships without a coach, but her speech has a deeper meaning.
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Prior to the Peaches’ last practice, Carson meets with Max, and the other League characters discuss their futures. Though Carson is uncertain, Max is more optimistic, stating, “I’m done thinking about the end. I would rather have five minutes of what this feels like right now...” Max shifts Carson’s perspective, influencing Carson’s speech to the Peaches. Rather than focusing on their nearly inevitable loss against the Blue Sox, Carson encourages them to bask in the glory of getting to play baseball together against all odds.
Toni’s Conflict With Max & Bert Explained
Throughout the first season of A League of Their Own, Max has a difficult relationship with her mother, Toni, which Max suspects has to do with Toni’s issues with her sibling, Bert. During Max’s dinner with her parents, Toni’s true motives are revealed. Max confronts Toni over her not supporting Max’s dream of playing baseball, and Toni shares that this is not because she does support her, but because she is trying to help Max in a misguided way. Toni has always known about Max’s sexuality and feared for her wellbeing as a black LGBTQ+ woman in a society that would reject her. This is why she has been pushing so hard for Max to take over the salon, which would give Max agency. Toni blames herself for Max’s idealistic worldview, stating she allowed her to dream in order to protect her from the real world, but Max takes this as Toni still not supporting her and leaves.
Later, Bert confronts Toni about her treatment of Max, which subsequently becomes a discussion of their own relationship. Bert reveals he left because Toni tried to convince him to stay in the closet for his own safety, which he knew would be worse for him. Toni attempts to support both of her LGBTQ+ family members in the same way: by trying to help them fit into society. Bert shows Toni that this was actually harmful, because she was trying to force them to hide themselves so they could live in a world that is dangerous for them. This helps Toni see the error of her ways and finally support Max.
Why The Blue Sox Won The Championship
During the championship game, Jo hits a home run, but as she is rounding the bases, she injures her knee. The umpire informs the Blue Sox’s coach that Jo must be able to round the bases without the assistance of teammates, otherwise the Blue Sox must forfeit the game. Carson and Greta assist Jo in rounding the bases, ultimately helping her win the championship for the Blue Sox at the end of A League Of Their Own. It seems odd that the team was able to win even though Jo required assistance, but the win was legitimate due to a loophole in the rules. Because Carson and Greta are no longer on a team with Jo, she technically crossed home plate without assistance from teammates, allowing the Blue Sox to win the championship.
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Carson's Future After A League Of Their Own Season 1 Explained
With the first season of the AAGPBL ending, the Rockford Peaches are confronted with what their futures hold, especially Carson. At the end of the Amazon Original show, she must decide to either join Greta in New York or go back home with Charlie. Ultimately, Carson chooses to do neither, telling Greta that she cannot go with her but also is not going back to Charlie after the two women share a goodbye kiss. After Greta leaves, Carson is met with the sight of Charlie, who came to surprise her, and his crestfallen expression shows that he witnessed Carson and Greta’s exchange. The lasting effects of this will undoubtedly be explored in season 2, but the end of A League Of Their Own’s first season makes it clear that Carson must create her own destiny moving forward.
The Real Meaning Of A League Of Their Own’s Ending
While A League Of Their Own seems like another sports show on the surface, it is really about the meaning that baseball brings to the lives of the women in the AAGPBL. The show’s first season demonstrates the importance of living as one’s authentic self and not compromising that to fit into mainstream society. This applies to many characters, but none more than the Amazon Prime Video Original's two leads, Carson and Max. Carson wants to break the mold of being a married woman, which helps her become more self-assured and lead the Peaches throughout the season. Max felt trapped in a racist, sexist world, but by never compromising her vision, she accomplishes her dream of playing baseball on a real team. While it is unclear what lies in store for them at the end of season 1 of A League Of Their Own, Carson and Max’s newfound self-confidence will drive their stories forward in the next season, instilling the importance of always being oneself against all odds.
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FAQs
What happens at the end of the League of Their Own? ›
In the tearful final scene, Greta and Carson passionately kiss outside the Peaches' boarding house, before saying their farewells and thanks for changing each others' lives. Greta promises to see Carson next baseball season and walks away.
Did Dottie let go of the ball on purpose? ›Dottie intentionally dropped the ball to give her sister the spotlight. He said, "At the very beginning of the movie... Old Dottie pulls her grandson who's playing basketball aside, and she says, quote, 'Now remember, no matter what your brother does, he's littler than you are.
Did Charlie see Carson kiss Greta? ›The final cliffhanger saw Carson's husband Charlie (Patrick J. Adams) witness a passionate last kiss between her and teammate Greta before the two parted ways. The whole show has been about coming into one's own identity and owning one's truth, which Carson has nearly done with Charlie several times.
Do Greta and Carson end up together in A League of Their Own? ›At the end of the Amazon Original show, she must decide to either join Greta in New York or go back home with Charlie. Ultimately, Carson chooses to do neither, telling Greta that she cannot go with her but also is not going back to Charlie after the two women share a goodbye kiss.
Was Kit in the end of A League of Their Own? ›Kit is traded to the rival team, the Racine Belles, and after a showdown at the World Series, bat-catcher Dottie drops the ball at home plate and effectively ends her career so that Kit can score a home run, making Kit's new team — and Kit herself — the champions.
Does Jo get caught in A League of Their Own? ›Then the cops show up in a violent crackdown. Carson and Greta escape unscathed, but Jo is viciously beaten and arrested. Fearing legal reprisal against the team, she is traded to the South Bend Blue Socks and leaves the house in tears.
Was Kit Keller a real person? ›So Dottie Hinson's sister in the movie, Kit, isn't based on any one real person named Kit Keller—there was no Kit Keller in the league—but she's the filmmaker's way of showing us what it must've been like for some of the sister combos in the league. Of course, in a very fictional way.
Are those the real players at the end of A League of Their Own? ›These may have been fictional baseball players for the team picture but real players who played in the AAGPBL were also in attendance as background characters. Age-appropriate actors were used to play the older version of these characters. However, their voices were dubbed by Geena Davis and Lori Petty.
Why does Dottie do the splits while catching a foul ball? ›Dottie decides to do something: on a routine foul pop-up, she does a split to make the catch, impressing the crowd and getting the photographers for Life a cover picture for the issue.
Is A League of Their Own Based on a true story? ›One of the best women's sports movies (and now series) is based on the real women's baseball team, the Rockford Peaches. The Rockford Peaches represented Rockford, Illinois, and were a founding team of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL), which existed from 1943 until 1954.
Does Max get on the peaches? ›
One of the show's other key players actually isn't on the Rockford Peaches at all. Adams plays ambitious ballplayer Max Chapman, who attempts to try out for the team but is turned away, as the AAGPBL did not allow Black players.
Was Maybelle pregnant in the League of Their Own? ›Filming A League of Their Own was an unforgettable experience for Molly Ephraim. Not only was she surrounded by an incredible ensemble cast, but she was also expecting her first child. HollywoodLife spoke EXCLUSIVELY with the actress about the memorable experience of making this wonderful show.
Does A League of Their Own have a happy ending? ›Even though Greta and Carson don't seem to have the same happy ending as Max and Esther, they end their relationship as friends and with a deep respect and admiration for each other. Carson and Charlie's relationship on the other hand is on even more fragile ground than it was when the season first started.
What happens to Jo DeLuca league of Their Own? ›They were able to improve their game. One night, Jo went out to a speakeasy LGBTQ+ bar but the police raided the place and Jo got caught. Beverly had to go down and make a deal with the police to get her out. She came back and let everyone know that Jo is now on the Blue Sox team as she was traded.
Do Carson and Greta hook up? ›Carson and Greta Have Sex (Episode 4)
Before anyone can say anymore, Carson grabs Greta's face and takes off her shirt. Greta's response: "I like you confident, Shaw," and the rest is history.
The Belles runner makes it home to tie thegame, but Kit decides to win the game herself, trying for an inside-the-park home run. Evelyn hits the cut-off this time, and Dottie gets the ball in time. Kit runs into Dottie, knocking the ball loose and touching home plate, winning the game for the Belles, 3-2.
Who is playing at the end of A League of Their Own? ›There's some of that at the end of “A League of Their Own,” when the Rockford Peaches are playing the Racine Belles in the World Series for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, but really, the success for the Peaches- and the other teams in the league- isn't about how they do on the field, but how they ...
Do the peaches win in A League of Their Own? ›Perhaps it's no big surprise that the Peaches lose in the final game of the championship, since that loss so defines them in the movie and also because in real life, the Peaches didn't win either (they didn't even play; the 1943 season has the Racine Belles and the Kenosha Comets duking it out for the title, and Racine ...