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BALTIMORE CATS HISTORY

The Baltimore Cats, also known as the Atlantic Cats and the Baltimore Washington Cats, competed in Roller Games; a rival league to the International Roller Derby (IDRL) founded in 1937 by Leo Seltzer. In the 1960s, Roller Games experienced rapid growth, and established teams in Baltimore, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Florida, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, Australia and Japan. Roller Games eventually encompassed several separate leagues: National Roller Derby (NRD), which was renamed to National Roller League (NRL); Canadian National Roller League (CNRL); and Japanese National Roller League (JNRL). Aside from the L.A. Thunderbirds, NRD/NRL teams over the years included the Chicago Hawks, Detroit Devils, New York Bombers, Texas Outlaws, Philadelphia Warriors, and Brooklyn Red Devils.Transportation costs during the gas crisis of the 70's were blamed for low attendance and the ultimate death of this first incarnation of roller derby. 

The Cats were a mix of skaters; most of whom also skated for the Philadelphia Warriors (also known as the Eastern Warriors). The Cats were captained by former Warriors veterans Ruberta Mitchell and Vinnie Gandolfo.

cats 15 ruberta mitchell_edited

cats 15 ruberta mitchell_edited

cats 1_edited

cats 1_edited

cats 8 brown_edited

cats 8 brown_edited

RUBERTA MITCHELL

RICHARD BROWN

VINNIE GANDOLFO

cats 7 trotter_edited_edited

cats 7 trotter_edited_edited

cats 13 otis williams_edited

cats 13 otis williams_edited

cats 11 peter kelly_edited

cats 11 peter kelly_edited

OTIS WILLIAMS

JIM TROTTER

PETER KELLY

cats 16_edited_edited

cats 16_edited_edited

cats 12 sonja sims_edited

cats 12 sonja sims_edited

cats 4 ed dresser_edited

cats 4 ed dresser_edited

CINDY OGBIN

SONJA SIMS

ED DRESSER

JOHN EARLY

cats 9 john early_edited

cats 9 john early_edited

cats 1_edited

cats 1_edited

cats 1_edited

cats 1_edited

JOHN EARLY

PEGGY FOWLER

LYNN CONGLETON

RUBERTA MITCHELL & VINNIE GANDOLFO

cats jan vallow_edited

cats jan vallow_edited

cats 1_edited

cats 1_edited

cats 6 bill hill_edited

cats 6 bill hill_edited

JAN VALLOW

RICHARD ANDERSON

BILL HILL

THE BAD GUYS---NEW YORK BOMBERS, LA T-BIRDS, TEXAS OUTLAWS, DETROIT DEVILS
bad guys 6

bad guys 6

bad guys 4

bad guys 4

bad guys 1

bad guys 1

bad guys 3

bad guys 3

bad guys 5

bad guys 5

bad guys 7

bad guys 7

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