The 29 young women who met on the Centenary University's green field in August for Baseball For Alls first ever scouting mix for women, a group that was looking to continue their careers in baseball into college, shared many commonalities in their stories.
Girls who love baseball have known this for a long time. However, the common tale had an unhappy ending. There were always set pieces, a coach pushing them to the softball field, whether by habit or more sinister means. Those who persevered through Little League faced a refusal from middle or high school.
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The real obstacle to a career in baseball was the lack of infrastructure. For the entirety of baseball's history, every girl has wanted to play. Other than a few starts and fits, the AAPGBL (the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League), is the most successful example.
Even those who are able to navigate the treacherous terrain to strike out Babe Ruth or Lou Gehrig like Jackie Mitchell or get signed by a minor-league team like Eleanor Engel are quickly ruled out of the game by men. Imagine how much mental energy it takes to believe that women can't play baseball at the same level as men. This seems like a foolproof way to keep the game men-only and still make rules to prevent it from happening.
It's not an accident that Mitchell and Engel, who were both chased by baseball, have the scars they have for decades.
Justine Siegal's work in creating Baseball For All is important. With more than 500 girls participating in the national tournament in Aberdeen Maryland, this has transformed a lonely path into one of shared experiences.
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Instead of the regret stories that generations of women have of having to stop playing because they are unable, but because of misogyny, the stories of the women who make up the combine start with a simple phone call.
Skylar Kaplan was feeling the same fate as a travel coach, making her feel uncomfortable. However, she was able to manage to close and start her own game on a trip to Cooperstown Dreams Park. That's when Siegal called her.
Justine was the first person I heard from. Kaplan sits outside the dugout, where she was playing for one of the two teams in the third exhibition match of the combines weekend. I was the only girl. I had never seen a girl play baseball before.
Kaplan played on travel teams and beat her former team. She has since continued to pursue her dream of playing college baseball with the support of a growing community that shares her dreams. It was a way to support her in a high school cut by a coach who offered the crumbs of possibly practicing with JV.
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It led her to play this season at Anne Arundel Community College. Kaplan hopes to be able to play next for a four year school.
It's not about reaching the destination. It's about making sure that the journey isn't lonely and that girls have the opportunity to play the game as long as they want and having their abilities to allow them to move forward.
Kaplan says that this is a great way for younger girls to see that they don't have to stop. As long as one person says yes, you can play as much as you like. You can then go as far and as you like. That is truly amazing.
Justine Siegal had a similar experience, when she was determined to play forever baseball. Because Beloit College had a baseball team, she turned down a Division I soccer scholarship.
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They cut Siegal's hair when Siegal arrived. They told Siegal that they had run out of uniforms. Her playing career was over.
Baseball for All was created by her as a guide for girls and women who want to follow a difficult path. She has experienced this journey firsthand. She has done many things in baseball, including coaching the Oakland As and throwing batting practice for Tampa Bay Rays. From her current job, she was the baseball coach for the actors who were putting together A League of Their Own, a popular Penny Marshall movie that starred Tom Hanks & Geena Davis. She is simultaneously at the high point in the past and in the future, which she hopes to surpass every day. Siegal states that it is both exhilarating and frustrating.
Standing behind the home plate backstop, Siegal says that we all stand on the shoulders and accomplishments of those who have gone before us. Nearby parents with folding chairs choose the best spots on the field's perimeter, while coaches like Centenarys Scott Kushner take extensive notes on their clipboards. It's obvious. She cites Maria Pepe's decision to sue Little League to allow girls to play baseball. It is absurd that these girls continue to fight for the right of baseball. It's 2021. It's 2021.
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It is hard to believe that Baseball For Alls' college initiative doesn't exist yet. The structure of Baseball For Alls is so simple and logical. This is also a clear indication that the sport's bad actors have done everything to stop women playing.
Siegal reached out at all colleges with men's teams and asked them if they would consider women. She received 130 positive responses. This is the de facto list that every girl who dreams of playing college baseball can use.
The most important part of the initiative is pushing for women's club teams to be created, positioning the sport as a fall sport. This means that every college that has a baseball field can host the games and have a team of players who were often pushed into softball (also a spring sport), with the chance to continue their baseball careers.
In three years, 48 teams will be formed.
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These individuals will be the seed for these efforts and can be found across the country, both high school students and college trailblazers.
The careers of the older players in the combine have been primarily built and flown by them. Beth Greenwood will be entering her senior season at the University of Rochester. When she was 11, Siegal called her first. She was 11 years old when Siegal called her.
Shell will graduate from Rochester next spring with a Mechanical Engineering degree.
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Luisa Gauci is a sparkplug second baseman who worked at Driveline. Gauci developed a 20-80 scouting program for women's baseball in order to get scholarship money to help her travel from Australia to America to play college baseball. It has to be second base with her current arm strength. Gauci is not bothered by this detail.
Gauci said that I still have two years. We sat and talked near the pitchers' mound after the third match of the combine. In fact, my plan is to transfer to a Division One school in the next four-years. That's my big goal. This is my big selling point. I'm willing to give everything for this.
Gauci is smart enough to accept the offer from a Division I school. She won't stop until it happens. Gauci stated that she will be able to play professionally, whether she is affiliated with a professional league or an independent team. The next step is coaching. Her scouting experience, Driveline experience, and on-field experience make her a highly sought-after hire to coach in some team systems.
It's about colleges creating opportunities for women to be attracted to college students like Greenwood or Gauci. This should encourage growth. Kushner, who long wanted to see women's baseball flourish since seeing A League of Their Own with his mom one afternoon many years ago, pointed out that it was an excellent way for colleges to comply with Title IX in order to add women to a sport with large rosters. The good news is? These colleges are plentiful!
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Greenwood and other experts have proven that college baseball is a competitive sport, with a talent pool that is already high enough to succeed. Gauci has been a coach at Baseball for All events for many years and is amazed at the improvement in players each year. Greenwood spent the majority of 2020's COVID year working out with Maggie Foxx. Foxx is a 15-year-old catcher who is far ahead of Greenwood at that age. Foxx was available to Greenwood at Foxx's 12-year-old Little League all star game, which is just a short drive from Greenwoods New Hampshire residence. This added to the Siegal tradition of girls baseball networks.
Greenwood smiled and said, "I call her Beth 2.0."
Quality breeds opportunity, and the Baseball For All pipeline's reps, coaching, and encouragement all help to raise the quality of the young girls' play.
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Madison Jennings (15), a high school sophomore at Oxbridge Academy, Palm Beach, was a prime example of this. Although she is the starting shortstop for her varsity team, she was forced to quit her summer league team because she couldn't catch up to a player at the crucial position. However, her skill in fielding grounders and her strong arm to get the ball to the first base were signs of a young player who has been able to quickly gain the recognition she deserves.
Her summer league team was not her favorite, so she left the game. Her Baseball For All time helps her improve, which allows her to continue her high school career and get more playing time. Kaitlin Maston is a 15 year old first baseman for Coral Springs Charter. She made varsity as a freshman and has a smooth, line drive swing that looks effortless. This is a result of endless hours spent in the cage.
This was part of the infield Foxx had to thank for when she took the plate on Sunday and pitched to Greenwood. Foxx got Gaby Valez (20 years old) to hit a high fastball and swing for her first out. They have been friends for many years. Velez smiled and said, "Why did you do that to my?" as she returned to her dugout. Foxx struck out the next batter, getting her out pitch. She also retired the side thanks to her two-seamer on a ground ball to Jennings. Maston made the stretch to ensure the out.
Foxx stated that she had learned so much from watching Greenwood pitch, lessons she will use when she gets back behind the plate.
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All players left Centenary with a final Scouting Report, extended interviews with Kushner, other coaches, and a written guide on what they should improve upon. They also had the opportunity to ask questions.
Jennings was also impressed by the speed with which you handled the ball. Moving the ball across your body and across the diamond. This is a difficult skill, and one college players sometimes struggle with. What about the fact that you're a sophomore in highschool? It's amazing.
Foxx was able to achieve lofty goals by achieving second place in throws from 2.4 to 2.2. Greenwood? 2.0. 2.0
Gauci's perspective is that there is no "if" in the world. Gauci and players at Baseball For All have made the biggest paradigm shift. They will continue to move forward, fueled by the growing number of young women playing the game, encouraging one another, and pushing for change in a largely male-dominated enclave. Even younger players, like Jennings or Maston, can see the value of coaching, in order to continue growing the sport. The story has changed for the better and there is no end beyond where a player's limits are.
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In Siegals' view, college baseball was established in ten years. With 20,000 women and girls playing, Siegal knows where that talent is going. It is womens professional baseball. She is not seeing the re-creation of past events like the A League of Our Own set where Baseball for All players such as Kaplan make it look like a Kenosha Comet. Instead, she sees a league for 21st century America, fully integrated, with no charm school and a fully realized goal of American boys' dreams and goals.
This is important for the best players in the game but it is also important for all girls who feel that they matter. When Siegal asks her about Skylar Kaplan's life since she first met her at 11 years old, Siegal replies dryly that she talks now.
Greenwood's weekend scouting report cited her eagerness for leadership. She said it was because she feels comfortable at Baseball For All and her Rochester coach has encouraged her to speak out more when playing with the men.
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Siegal says, "I just want to inspire these girls to believe in their own abilities." Baseball is the perfect way to do that. This is the Catch-22. Boys get to play baseball. Girls must be confident enough to take on the role of a player. This double mission aims to develop leadership skills as well as confidence to be the person you want to become. Then, you can play the game.
