About The Book

Joan Joyce is considered by many to be the Greatest Female Athlete in Sports History. Joan began her incredible softball and basketball career at the tender age of 13. Inducted into an amazing 21 Halls of Fame, Joan starred at a very high level in Softball, Basketball, “Power” Volleyball, Golf, and Bowling. Joan was a referee (34 years), University Golf Coach (18 years), successful FAU Head Softball Coach (nearly 30 years), and overall coach for over 60 years!

She struck out Ted Williams (several occasions), Hank Aaron, and other MLB greats. Her professional golf record of 17 putts in one round, set a ladies’ and men’s professional record – and has not been broken in over 40 years!

There will always be athletes who excel in a particular sport, but there will never be another Joan Joyce!

Step up to the plate and read about Joan Joyce, the greatest of them all!

The book is available in English and Spanish.

Book Signings/Readings:

March 10, 2024 – RJ Julia Book Store (Madison, CT)

March 16, 2024 at 10:30am – Blackstone Library (Branford, CT)

April 27, 2024 from 11 am-3pm – East Haven Library, Author Showcase

May 11, 2024 from noon-3pm – Branford Main St, Author Day  (Book reading in Children’s section)

June 17, 2024 at 5pm – Waterbury Silas Bronson Library (Book Reading/Book Signing)

June 24, 2024 at 10:30am – Northford Edward Smith Library (Book Reading/Book Signing)

Joan Joyce’s Achievements:

to name of few…

1. 21 Halls of Fame inductions, starring at a very high level in fast-pitch Softball,
Basketball, “power” Volleyball, Golf, Bowling, etc.
2. 753-42 win-loss record
3. 150 no-hitters
4. lifetime Earned Run Average (ERA) of 0.09
5. 50 perfect games
6. An incredible Lifetime earned run average of 0.09
7. Struck out Ted Williams (on several occasions), home run king Hank Aaron, and other
MLB stars (at a young age).
8. Her pitches were extremely fast—equivalent to a 119-mph baseball, in terms of reaction
time, with an unhittable drop ball and rise ball.
9. Two no-hitters in her first two National Championship games (quarter final 1958 game)
and National Championship game (1958).
9. Struck out an incredible 67 batters in a Triple Header – all in one day!
10. Most no-hitters in a World Tournament (3)—(a World Tournament record)
11. Most perfect games in a World Tournament (2)—(a World Tournament record)
12. Set an LPGA (women’s) and PGA (men’s) record, needing only 17 putts in one round of golf—a record that still stands after 40 years!
13. Highly regarded basketball Referee – 34 years
14. University Golf Coach – 18 years
15. Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Head Softball Coach – 28 years, Eight-time College
Coach of the Year while at FAU with over 1,000 wins.
16. A long and distinguished coaching career – over 60 years!
17. Six-time Brakettes team batting champion—(1960, 1962, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1973), with
a Lifetime batting average of .367. Single-season batting average was .406 in 1973
(ironically tying Ted Williams .406 batting average in 1941).
18. Co-Founder of the Women’s Professional Softball League, along with Billie Jean King
and Dennis Murphy
19. Co-Owner, Player, Coach of the Connecticut Falcons professional softball team
20. Behind Joan’s brilliant pitching, Connecticut Falcons won the Championship in ALL 4
years of the league’s existence.
21. Set a National Tournament Basketball single-game scoring record of 67 points in 1964
(long before the 3-point shot was established). Played on the 1965 U.S. National Team.
22. Set a National AAU Basketball record by scoring 44 points in the Eastern Seaboard AAU
Championship (at age 17)
23. Averaged 30 points per game
24. At the time, the only woman to make both the Basketball and Softball All-Star teams.
25. Set an LPGA (women’s) and PGA (men’s) record, needing only 17 putts in one round of
golf—a record that still stands after 40 years!
26. In front of an overflow crowd of 45,000 in Lanzhou (Lanchow) China, Joan pitched a no-
hitter, barely missing a perfect game. The only batter to reach base for the Chinese team
was by a walk in the third inning.
27. The “Joan Joyce – Outstanding Pitcher Award” is presented on an annual basis
28. Softball field was renamed Joan Joyce Field. The field is part of Municipal Stadium
where Joan struck out Ted Williams on several occasions. Also, FAU renamed their
softball field the “Joan Joyce Field”
29. Joan Joyce league formed in Joan’s honor. One of the very few (if any) athletes to have
both a field and a league named after her.
30. Only female in the top 3 ranking of Athletes of the Millennium in Connecticut.
31. No. 2 ranked athlete in Women’s Sports National Magazine’s Athlete of the Year (1976).
Dorothy Hamill was ranked No. 1.
32. Led the Orange (CA) Lionettes to the 1965 National Championship
33. Won the bowling competition (181 average) in the nationally ABC televised Superstars
Competition.
34. The “Joan Joyce–Outstanding Pitcher Award” is presented on an annual basis at the
Women’s Major Softball National Championship tournament to the outstanding pitcher
in the Women’s Major Softball tournament.
35. “Joan Joyce Day” proclaimed on August 15, 2015 AND September 27, 2022 in
Waterbury, Connecticut.

This is just the tip of the iceberg…

Lauren Salatto-Rosenay

Co-Writer of Joan Joyce! The Musical, Joan Joyce: The Wonder Girl and Slingshot! The Joan Joyce Movie

laurenrosenay@gmail.com