Jen Pawol Made MLB History Breaking The Gender Barrier As First Female Umpire
Women continue to blaze trails in the world of sports. The first woman hired as a full-time NFL official was Sarah Thomas, who joined the league in April 2015. But the NBA had the jump on the NFL as they had hired their first female referees, Dee Kantner and Violet Palmer, in 1997. Now baseball has joined the ranks of their fellow leagues by calling up a woman from the minor leagues. Yesterday, Jen Pawol made MLB history breaking the gender barrier as the first female umpire in professional baseball.
It started with taking the field for Game 1 of a doubleheader between the Marlins and Braves at Truist Park. She umpired at first base in the opener of the twin bill, and then at third base in the nightcap. But there is another historical opportunity waiting for Pawol today. On Sunday, in the series finale between Miami and Atlanta, Pawol will be calling balls and strikes behind the plate. Pawol got called up from Triple-A because it’s typical for a fifth umpire to be added for a series with a doubleheader, as the home plate umpire skips the other game in the doubleheader.
Speaking animatedly about the opportunity Pawol said:
“Just incredible,” she said. “The dream actually came true today, and I’m still living in it. And I’m just so grateful to my family, to Major League Baseball for just creating such an amazing work environment. To all the umpires that I work with … it’s just amazing camaraderie. We’re having fun out there — we’re working hard but we’re having fun. I was so thankful.”
She also added on, “It was amazing when we took the field,” Pawol said. “It seemed like quite a few people were clapping and calling my name. That was pretty intense and emotional.”
Jen Pawol Made MLB History Breaking The Gender Barrier As First Female Umpire
Apparently there were no complaints about her officiating. “She did a good job,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “You can tell she knows what she does.” And she had the support of the crowd. Although she knew she was under intense scrutiny she noticed something. Fans responded with a warm ovation when the video board focused on the umpire between innings, forcing her to take a quick glance at her image.
Once she concludes the game on Sunday Pawol, as a rover, will be waiting for her next assignment. But in the meantime, Pawol donated the MLB cap she wore in her debut to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
Pawol is a former softball star at Hofstra University and a three-time All-Conference selection as a catcher. Congratulations to Jen Pawol on building her baseball career brick-by-brick over the past 30 years! Well done on continuing to break down barriers and make history!
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