Washington (AFP) – Jen Pawol made history by becoming the first woman to umpire in a regular-season Major League Baseball game on Saturday — and she says she is aware of the “magnitude” of the moment. The 48-year-old, who worked in more than 1,200 minor league games before getting the call-up this week, achieved the milestone at Truist Park in Atlanta in the first game of a double-header between the Braves and the Miami Marlins.
“I’m aware of the gravity. I’m aware of the magnitude,” said Pawol, who worked at first base. Pawol, whose cap from the historic outing will be donated to the Baseball Hall of Fame, will be calling balls and strikes behind home plate in Sunday’s contest between the clubs. “Just incredible. The dream came true. The dream actually came true today,” Pawol said following the game. “And I’m still living in it.”
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The historic moment for Pawol came when Atlanta starting pitcher Hurston Waldrep threw the opening pitch. She later inspected Waldrep’s hands for foreign substances as part of her game duties. “Once I started umpiring, I was like, ‘This is for me,'” Pawol recalled before the game. “I can’t explain it. It’s just in my DNA. This is a viable career, to become a professional umpire, for men and women, girls and boys. I’m able to make a living doing it and I’m passionate about it. I just work harder every day and get better before tomorrow.”
In the game, Drake Baldwin singled in two runs and Michael Harris smashed a three-run home run in the seventh inning to lead the Braves over Miami, 7-1.
‘- Long, hard journey -‘ Pawol began working as an umpire in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2016 and last year became the first woman umpire in a pre-season spring training game since Ria Cortesio in 2007 before making her historic breakthrough in a regular-season game. “It has been a long, hard journey to the top here,” Pawol said. “I’m just extremely focused on getting my calls right and I’m so grateful to all those along the way who have helped me become a better umpire every day.”
MLB’s addition of a female umpire comes 28 years after Violet Palmer became the first woman to referee an NBA game in October 1997. Shannon Eastin was the NFL’s first female on-field official, hired as a replacement when regular officials were locked out in a contract dispute in September 2012. Three years later, Sarah Thomas became the NFL’s first full-time female on-field official and last year, two women worked on the officiating crew of the same game for the first time. Stephanie Frappart of France was the first woman to referee a men’s World Cup match when she worked a group stage match in 2022.
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