It is no secret that the rise of women is becoming a more known quantity.
In football, Jen Welter spent the preseason as an intern for the Arizona Cardinals and the NBA now has two coaches in Nancy Lieberman and Becky Hammon is an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs. Hammon also served as head coach for the Spurs this past summer in Summer League action.
When will baseball catch up?
Research and statistics have shown that baseball has an older general audience age as opposed to its “big four” sports counterparts.
“I know baseball is predominantly a men’s sport and it doesn’t have to be that way,” Pirates pitcher Jared Hughes said. “If we could change it at younger ages where woman realize they can make an impact in baseball, then they are more likely to be involved. That would be a great thing for baseball.”
Clayton Kershaw assessed the dilemma from a player and front office perspective.
“If any person is qualified, if it’s the right mind for the game, it doesn’t matter if it’s a man or a woman,” Kershaw said. “At the same time, I feel that experience is really important too. I don’t think that softball is comparable to baseball really as far as the strategies and things along those lines. Managerially, I’m not sure because experience helps out. Front office wise, thinking minds, having a different perspective on things or theories or philosophies based on stats definitely would be a possibility.”
Kershaw is unsure if there is an interest from females however he feels that if a bigger number goes out and shows a passion for playing the game, then something possibly should be done. For a female coach, Kershaw feels that a lot would need to be done to make progress.
Major League Baseball recently made efforts to help people find openings in baseball operations with the target being minorities and female candidates.
Pirates general manager Neal Huntington has practiced this.
Huntington has worked to find an increase of such candidates for what he calls the good of the game.
“We can do as an industry a better job of finding intelligent talented people on all fronts,” Huntington said. “It would certainly be a good thing for baseball to get with the times and recognize that there are a lot of people that maybe we haven’t given opportunities to in the past.”
Huntington has some close ties to this issue as his brother who coached girl’s softball and had to make the adjustment to baseball.
He does attribute women starting young with softball as a potential reason for why there are not more female coaches.
“I do think that softball being a same game but a different game may limit those that have interest or the perception of those that cross over,” said Huntington. “In the front office it doesn’t make a difference it’s a precursor to understanding the game. There are talented executives that didn’t play in high school or college but have the perception of the game and understanding the challenges the players go through.”
In terms of front office experience, Kim Ng is the example of someone who has found success in a front office capacity.
She started her career as an intern with the Chicago White Sox and was hired full-time in 1991. In 1998, New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman hired her to be assistant general manager, the youngest in the major leagues. She resigned in 2001 and a month later was named Vice President and Assistant General Manager for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Ng was interviewed in 2005 for the Dodgers general manager post but was passed over and remained assistant GM. She did a similar interview in 2008 with the Seattle Mariners and did not earn that opportunity either. She interviewed with the San Diego Padres for a vacant GM post a year later and again fell short. In 2011 she interviewed for the Los Angeles Angels post and once again did not get the job.
She did try again for a general manager position in 2014, once again with the Padres, and was one of four finalists but did not get the position.
Currently, Ng is a Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations for Major League Baseball.
Though Huntington could not offer a permanent solution for potential female candidates, he did mention the idea of interning for those interested in pursuing a front office job.
Huntington cited himself, Chris Antonetti and Ben Cherington — all three of which having experience as general manager having all interned — as proof that the option could be a good one.
“You learn the nuances, how the systems work, how to grow and how to develop,” Huntington said. “I couldn’t imagine being dropped in at 35 from the outside world like Andrew Friedman has done and done so well. it’s not to say it can’t be done but I feel there are advantages that I had the chance to watch different general managers done tremendous things and also make some mistakes. Hopefully I’m providing interns and staff with a chance to learn good, but then provide the chance to learn what’s not so good. There is tremendous value to that.”
Regardless of the solution, if there is one to be had, it is clear that this will take time. There will be no quick fix.
“Your gender shouldn’t have anything to do with your participation in the game of baseball,” said Hughes. “If there’s a woman’s player good enough to play, she should play. If there’s a woman who is a good baseball mind then she should be able to coach. There are definitely a few guys who agree me.”
If that does come soon, Kershaw is ready to listen.
“If they have the job title, I respect my authorities,” said Kershaw.
Photo credit: ESPN
