“Jen Powell strives to become MLB’s first female referee”

 

Female referees will be assigned to U.S. Major League Baseball (MLB) exhibition games. It has been 17 years since 2007.

 

MLB's official website MLB.com said on the 13th (Korean time), “For the first time since 2007, female referees will be included in MLB spring camp exhibition games. “Jen Powell is working to become the first female umpire in MLB, and she’s getting closer to her goal.”

 

It has been 17 years since a female referee was assigned to an exhibition game. In the 2007 exhibition game, a woman, Lia Cortesio, served as referee.

 

Powell, a former softball player, umpired amateur baseball and softball for 10 years before becoming a minor league umpire. Afterwards, he performed referee duties in the minor league for eight years starting in 2016. Last year, Powell was promoted to minor league Triple A.

 

“I’m so excited,” Powell said in a video interview. He trained hard in the off-season to prepare for spring training exhibition games. “What’s really important is doing my role properly,” he said, adding, “I’m so thankful for what I can do.”

 

Whenever additional umpires are needed during the regular season, MLB calls up some of the minor league umpires invited to spring camp. Last year, 21 of the 26 referees invited to spring training had regular season experience.

 

Recently, MLB has been breaking down the gender barrier. In November 2020, the Miami Marlins hired MLB's first female general manager, Kim Ng, and two years later, Caroline O'Connor, a woman, was promoted to president of the business unit.

 

In 2022, San Francisco Giants assistant coach Alyssa Natkin, a woman, stood in for the first base coach in a game against the San Diego Padres when he was ejected after arguing with an umpire. It was the first time in MLB history that a female coach took the field in an official game. Last year, Coach Natkin also interviewed for the new San Francisco coach. 섯다