Major League Baseball appoints first female umpire in historic move
Jen Pawol is slated to become the first female umpire to call a regular-season MLB game when she travels to Truist Park for this weekend's series between the Braves and Reds
Jen Pawol is set to become the first female umpire to call a regular-season MLB game (Image: Getty Images)
Jen Pawol will soon make history as the first female umpire to call a regular-season MLB game.
In recent weeks, major league baseball has experienced several unprecedented firsts after the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves faced off in the Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway.
It additionally won’t be long until the league fields its first team based in Las Vegas, though the Athletics’ move to ‘Sin City’ has recently been hit with a fresh wave of obstacles.
In the latest exciting move, MLB announced on Wednesday that Pawol will umpire three games during this weekend’s series between the Miami Marlins and Braves at Truist Park. She will notably be behind home plate for the Sunday’s series finale while also calling the double-header a day prior.
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Following a decorated softball career at Hofstra University and the Amateur Softball Association Major Fast Pitch level, Pawol transitioned to umpiring by attending the Minor League Baseball Umpire Training Academy in 2016.
Seven years later, Pawol became the first female umpire to call a Triple-A game in the last 34 years before eventually serving home-plate ump for the Triple-A Championship that September.
Last February, she was assigned to work games in the Grapefruit League — making her the first female ump to call a Spring Training contest since Ria Cortesio in 2007.
"I greatly appreciate everyone's enthusiasm, everyone's welcoming attitude on the field,'' Pawol told the Associated Press at the time. "Tonight was very, very special.
Jen Pawol has called multiple Spring Training games over the last two years (Image: Getty Images)
“Both managers shared congratulations, welcoming, enthusiastic. The players on the field, so many said congrats and great to see you up here.
“A gentleman, Javier [Bracamonte, Astros bullpen coach], he ran out early in the game and said he has a daughter playing all kinds of sports. It's good to see you out here.''
Pawol continued to serve as a Triple-A crew chief in 2024 and called several Spring Training games earlier this year. "For any umpire, working in the pro system, this is a big, big deal," she said last February. "This means so much. It's the culmination of a lot of innings. I've probably put in about 1,000 professional games at this point.
"As far as the other meaning that it has [breaking the gender barrier], I feel like I need to keep getting the next play right and really try not to let that or other distractions get in. It's all about my crew, getting the next play right, staying athletic and conducting myself as a professional. And having some fun, of course."
"The male/female thing literally never went through my mind," Pawol continued. "It was just 'I can do that.' I have to learn how to get the feel for it ... but I just hit the gas. I wanted it from the inside.
"I didn't care what anyone else thought. I wanted to do it. I was going to try it for myself, and if it didn't work out? Ok.”