More cool stories from the Times

A woman’s place? In the dugout

WHEN 16-year-old Shirley Burkovich, of Cathedral City, joined the Muskegon Lassies in 1949, she thought she would be a career baseball player. But the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League folded in 1954, and Burkovich and other league players had to find other employment.

The 73-year-old Burkovich and other league alum are expected to be at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y., today to celebrate the opening of “Diamond Dreams,” an expanded, more comprehensive exhibit on the history of women in baseball. The opening marks the final phase of a three-year, $20-million project to upgrade the 50,000-square-foot museum devoted to the quintessential American game.

$3.9 Million Allocated for Bird Habitat

ELK GROVE, Calif. — A top Interior Department official Saturday announced $3.9 million in federal grants to restore wetlands and habitat for migratory birds in California and elsewhere.

Not easy being green

Once upon a time, the eco-friendly practice of reusing wine bottles was commonplace. So why has it fallen by the wayside?