Although I love the sport of baseball, one of its dirty little not-so-secrets is the sexism. I tolerate this because I love the game so much, but it is sometimes quite hard to stomach. There are some very talented women holding a variety of positions in the game of baseball, but too few, and rarely at the levels they deserve.
This is not surprising when one hears comments like the one Cubs manager Lou Piniella made to a New York Times reporter earlier this year in this exchange:
Q (reporter): On the other hand, it might be nice if baseball moved into the future by including more women in its ranks. Do you think a woman could be a good manager?And he was serious.
A (Piniella): If she had a good bench coach, why not? I would think she would need a good hardened professional baseball guy that would help her with the x’s and o’s during the ballgame. Someone who knew the intricacies in and out of the game.
So I was saddened to learn tonight via the ever-informative Bleed Cubbie Blue that Ria Cortesio, pro baseball's only female umpire, was let go this week. Her dismissal is especially startling given the status she had attained:
Cortesio umpired a spring training game between the Cubs and the Diamondbacks this year. I wish I had seen that in person, as it may be a long time before another woman has that opportunity. I hope MLB proves me wrong.Cortesio started this season as the top-ranked umpire in all of Double-A. If there had been an opening in Triple-A, it would've been hers.
There were no vacancies and when the new ratings by minor league supervisors came out in mid-season, her ranking substantially dropped. So, too, did her chance of getting a promotion and possibly making it to the majors someday.
A move up would have greatly changed her status - umpires in Triple-A are under the auspices of major league supervisors.
"I don't know if they wanted to make a call on me in the majors," she said.
3 comments:
There are so many areas where women just haven't gone far enough. They always seem to hit that old-boy ceiling. Shame.
I can't believe that quote!
I'm pretty sure there will be women coaching men in basketball looooooooooooooong before there will be women coaching or managing in MLB.
Many years ago Rick Pitino brought in a woman as a Grad Assistant or maybe even an assistant coach at Kentucky, I can't remember which she was. Unfortunately nobody followed his lead
I think that some MLB team will eventually name a woman General Manager. I don't know how long it will take though. Also, there very well could and should be women General Managers in the NBA and NFL. I think the Raiders are the only organization with women in high positions in the NFL right now though.
I would like to see more women in all sports, and I'm surprised that the powers-that-be don't encourage this more from a purely financial aspect. Just look at the positive exposure that has resulted from adding a few female drivers to Champ Car auto racing.
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