New York (AP) – Jen PaWol Will the first wife of the Referee be in Major League Baseball when she works this weekend matches between the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves.
PaWol will work the bases in Saturday’s Double Header in Truist Park and the album on Sunday, MLB told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
“This historical achievement in baseball is a reflection of Jen’s hard work, dedication and love for the game,” said baseball commissioner Rob Manfred in a statement. “She deserved this opportunity and we are proud of the strong example she has given, especially for all women and young girls who strive for roles on the field.”
PaWol, a 48-year-old from New Jersey, Worked Spring Training Games in 2024 and this year. She will be the fifth referee who debuts this year.
“Baseball has been doing a great job to be completely included,” said Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “I will look. It’s good for the game.”
The relocation of MLB comes 28 years after the gender barrier for game officials was broken in the NBA, 10 years after the NFL has hired a female referee to hire its first full-time female official and three years after the men’s football world cup. The NHL has still not had women as civil servants on the ice.
PaWol In 2024, the first wife of the referee’s main class of spring training matches since Ria Cortesio in 2007. Cortesio spent nine years in the small competitions, including the last five in the Double-A Southern League, then released after the 2007 season.
“We had seen her a lot in spring training,” said Philadelphia Phillies star Trea Turner. “I don’t know much about her or statistics or something like that, but if she is doing great, I like to see the chance for her, and I am happy for her. I spoke to her a bit in spring training and she seems a great person and I wish her the best.”
PaWol was three seasons in New State softball and football player in New Jersey in every sport on the West Milford High School. She went to Hofstra on a softball fair and became a triple All-Conference Pick and was in the US National Baseball Team in 2001.
PaWol obtained a master’s degree and lived in the Binghamton area of New York and followed teacher certification classes at Elmira College while still playing on the side.
“I wasn’t really satisfied,” she said last year. “Coming from a huge competitive career, just playing locally, I didn’t get my solution. And I remember looking at the referee and was, I think that’s it. I have to go for that.”
After the referee NCAA softball of 2010-16, she attended an MLB-UMPIRE-TRYOUT camp in 2015, was invited to the UMPIRE Training Academy in Vero Beach, Florida, and was offered a job in the Gulf Coast League in 2016. She has since been working in the Leagues Minor, including for it 2023 Triple-A Championship game.
Violet Palmer became the first female referee of the NBA when she worked on October 31, 1997 in Dallas’ Opener in Vancouver. Shannon Eastin the first female on the field of the NFL on September 9, 2012 for the game of San Diego in St. Louis was as a replacement when regular officials were locked up, and Sarah Thomas was the first ordinary female on the field of the NFL When she served as a line judge for the Kansas City competition in Houston on 13 September 2015.
Stéphanie Frappart from France became the First woman who is a World Cup game for men’s referees When she worked the 4-2 group stage of Germany on December 1, 2022, Rebecca Welch became the first to be referee in the first competition of England When she has the 2-0 victory of Burnley on Fulham on December 23, 2023.
MLB has 76 full-time personnel referees and uses Fill-ins on crews for openings created by injuries and holidays.
Walker is a retired AP -Honkball writer.
AP -sports writer Beth Harris has contributed to this report.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb
