Joyce Ricketts was one of the most feared hitters in the waning years of the All-American League.  Blessed with a powerful, consistent bat, she also had one of the strongest throwing arms in the loop. These talents propelled her to become an All-Star in her only two years in the league. 

After her two-year stint with the Grand Rapids Chicks, she returned home to Illinois.  However, Grand Rapids never left her heart.  She returned in 1958 for an informal AA League reunion game and later moved back there.  In the 1970s she was a manager of the Whirlpools, a successful adult women's fast-pitch softball team based in Grand Rapids that competed in several regional tournaments around the Midwest.  She was able to attend some of the early reunions and enjoy the post-Cooperstown Hall of Fame Baseball Exhibit opening recognition glow in 1988.