Rachel Balkovec is set to become the first manager in affiliated professional baseball, as she has been taken on by the New York Yankees to manage the Low-A Tampa Tarpons in the upcoming season.
“I’m not the first woman to have a position in baseball, but I know this is a little different,” Balkovec, 34, said regarding her previous title as the first female full-time hitting coach in an MLB organization when she coached for the rookie-level Florida Complex League. “I’m a product of the women who have come before me in sports. If somebody thinks I’m a trailblazer, great, because hopefully that’s creating an opportunity to think it’s possible for [others].”
Balkovec has been coaching in professional baseball for 10 years, including having just recently coached in the Australian Baseball League after the pandemic canceled the 2020 Minor League season. She was also named to the coaching staff for the 2021 All-Star Futures Game at Coors Field prior to last season’s Midsummer Classic.
—
Photo credit: 360b / Shutterstock.com