In honor of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, let’s highlight the women who have been changing the game of baseball in recent years.
First-Ever Female Primary Play-By-Play Announcer

Prior to the 2024 season, the Oakland Athletics added Jenny Cavnar to their broadcast team, making her the first ever lead female play-by-play announcer in Major League Baseball history. Due to this, Cavnar is now able to have her voice heard and pave the way for others who will follow. This is a pivotal moment for the game of baseball because a woman had made it. Many were surprised by this move, but they better get used to it because MLB is expanding.
MLB’s First All-Female Broadcast

History was made from Tropicana Field in Tampa, Florida, on July 20 of the 2021 season as Major League Baseball had its first all-female broadcast. The reporting team consisted of play-by-play reporter Melanie Newman, on-field reporter Alana Rizzo, analyst Sarah Langs as well as Heidi Watney alongside Lauren Gardner hosting the pre and post game shows. The game was streamed live on Youtube, giving all fans access to experiencing this monument for baseball.
This isn’t the only time Newman has been a part of history.

In August of that same season, Newman alongside Rizzo went on to the second-ever all-female broadcast. Since then, Newman has been promoted to Orioles play-by-play broadcaster. She is another figure for women in sports with these other incredible women who all serve as trailblazers who are paving the way for young girls in the future of broadcasting.
Kim Ng Named Baseball’s First Female General Manager

Before Kim Ng left the Miami Marlins, she made a mark of her own in the MLB history books.
Ng was named the first female General Manager in 2020 by the Marlins. Not only was she the first female, but the first East Asian-American female to lead any major North American professional sports team.
Ng had gone on several interviews for managerial positions but was always undermined until the Marlins gave her a chance. Not only was securing this position a personal achievement for Ng, but is a huge success for baseball as a whole. It is especially significant for women looking to obtain managerial and coaching positions. She may have been the first GM baseball has seen; and we are confident that she will certainly not be the last.
Rachel Balkovec Becomes First Woman to Manage Affiliate Baseball Team

Courtesy of Minor League Baseball
The New York Yankees made a groundbreaking move in 2022 after promoting Rachel Balkovec to manage the Low-A Tampa Tarpons, making her the first female to manage a major league affiliate team. This also made Balkovec the first Latin-American female to obtain this role.
Unfortunately for the Yankees, Balkovec moved on to be the Director of Player Development for the Miami Marlins. She was able to work her way up to the top within the Yankees organization and throughout baseball in general. Balkovec actually says that she looks up to Kim Ng, who is another inspiration for women working in this industry.
Ronnie Gajownik Named First Female and LGBTQ+ High-A Manager

Ronnie Gajownik became a pioneer for Major League Baseball when she was hired by the Arizona Hillsboro Hops as the first female and first openly gay manager for a High-A Affiliate. She is the first publicly gay manager for any minor or major league baseball team.
Gajownik’s love for baseball started when her father would take her out of school early to go to Spring Training games, but she soon realized the one thing that was missing when she looked out onto the field – someone who looked like her. Gajownik said the day she saw a woman standing out on the diamond would be the day her entire outlook on the game changed. Gajownik shattered the glass ceiling that too many women have been stuck underneath in this industry.
Gajownik did not have any women in baseball to look up to, so she became a woman in baseball to give young girls someone they could, just like all of these women have done for others. Fortunately for women looking to join the industry, Major League Baseball has been broadening its horizons and many more opportunities have been opening. I cannot wait for more women to make their impact on and off the baseball field and I hope to be one of them some day.
Edited by Taylor N. Hall
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