News: Yankees hire first female minor-league manager

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As first reported by Lindsay Adler Sunday evening, the Yankees organization hired 34-year-old Rachel Balkovec to fill the role of manager of the Yankees' Low-A Tampa Tarpons ball club.

Photo Credit: Major League Baseball (via Twitter)

Balkovec's appointment makes her the first female manager to manage any team in a MLB team system.  Previously, she served as a hitting coach in the Yankees' system to minor league teams.  According to CBS Sports, Balkovec was appointed as a hitting coach in 2020, and "spent last season in the Florida Complex League, but was rewarded with a spot on the Futures Game, an annual staple during MLB's All-Star game festivities." 

According to Jomboy Media, Balkovec used the nickname "Rae" on applications in hopes of increasing her hiring potential in the male-dominated baseball world. 

A few reactions from across Twitter came in quickly: 


The seven-year-old little girl who stayed up past her bedtime to watch the Yankees win the 1996 World Series and never looked back would be rejoicing over this hire. Women have always been the minority voice in the baseball space, from coaching to management to sports media and even, as fans. The hiring and promotion of Rachel Balkovec reminds us all that women, whether they've been called "tomboys" their whole life or they like to put on makeup before heading to the stadium, belong in the baseball space. The Yankees, my favorite team in the history of everything, made me feel seen and heard just from this one hire -- imagine how I'll feel once she's a manager!


You can learn more about Rachel and her journey straight from her own personal webpage here.




Article by: Mary Grace Donaldson

 

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