4:36 PM
Rachel Balkovec is aware of the negative things being said about her in her social media feeds. Her sisters can't help but pass along some negative reactions to her journey.
"It's funny to me," Balkovec said. It's the American dream.
In the club? She has not seen any of that toxicity.
The New York Yankees' low-A affiliate in the Florida State League has a new manager. 10 years after graduating from college, Balkovec will become the first female manager in the history of affiliated baseball when she takes over the Tarpons.
"If you know my story and you have a pulse, I think it's pretty hard not to get behind what's going on here," she said.
A decade after changing her name on her resume to disguise her gender, the woman is now a baseball player. She was the first woman to serve as a full-time strength and conditioning coach in a minor league baseball team.
This promotion is different than the one Kim Ng received a year ago. Balkovec will be in charge of overseeing the development of future big leaguers for one of the most famous sports teams in the world.
"If you know my story and you have a pulse, I think it's pretty hard not to get behind what's going on here," Rachel Balkovec said Wednesday.
She said that the players that she has worked with don't like her but like what she's saying.
It's a trust she's earned via an unusual route, but not just because of her gender.
A former catcher at New Mexico and a graduate of LSU with a master's degree in human movement sciences, Balkovec is currently working as a teacher. She has been working in strength and conditioning with the Astros since 2012 and also worked at Driveline Baseball, a data-driven center that has trained numerous major leaguers. She's an expert in performance science.
She was hired as a minor league hitting coach by the Yankees in the middle of the year, but she was not the only one without a playing background.
As teams have shifted their focus in the hiring process to reflect that, it's created a pathway for women like Balkovec, part of the San Francisco Giants' major league coaching staff.
Kevin Reese, the vice president of player development, said there was no debate about whether baseball was ready or not. We are trying to find the best people and put them in the best position to have an impact.
Reese, who was promoted from senior director of player development to senior director of player development, helped hire Balkovec and has been impressed with her expertise and ability to lead. The Nebraska native learned to speak Spanish after becoming Houston's Latin American strength and conditioning coach, and she has worked with some of New York's Spanish-speaking players.
Since 1998, Brian Cashman has had a woman as an assistant general manager. Jean Afterman was appointed to the role after she left. Balkovec would like to work in the front office one day and become a GM.
Cashman said the sky's limit. She's determined. She's strong. She has perseverance.
She needs it. She began applying for baseball jobs after serving her temporary role with St. Louis. Only one team responded.
Her point of contact with that club said that he wouldn't be able to hire a woman in a strength and conditioning role. The person called around to other teams with vacancies and they all told him the same thing.
She said that her naivete went from a 10 to a zero in that moment.
One of her sisters suggested that she change her name to Rae Balkovec on her resume to get hiring managers to call. She was brought back as a strength and conditioning coach by the Cards.
She doesn't have any issues with players related to her gender. Being the only woman in that role was lonely.
She's able to compare her experiences with other women with on-field jobs in affiliated ball next year. She's developed a network of support that's reinforced her confidence that she's ready for the role, and she was among the many who congratulate her on the job.
"On behalf of Major League Baseball, I would like to extend my warmest greetings to Rachel on this historic milestone," Rob said. She will continue to demonstrate her expertise and leadership in the Yankees' organization as manager of the Tampa Tarpons. We wish Rachel well in her new role and appreciate her mentorship to the growing network of women in baseball operations and player development roles.
The job of any other skipper is to get the most out of their players.
She wants to know the names of the girlfriends, the dogs, and the families of the players. My goal is to develop them as young men and young people who have a lot of pressure on them. My goal is to support the staff.
We're going to be talking about more nuts and bolts of pitching and hitting with them. It's just to be a supporter, and to facilitate an environment where they can be successful.
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