Everyone likes a bit of baseball, if you are American that is. However, despite originating from the states, the sport has since spread into many other corners of the world. It is even ironic to say that America is technically no longer the best at baseball; that mark of honour is reserved for Japan who is currently ranked number one in men’s baseball. Baseball commands a great betting scene, but those who don’t want to or can’t place bets have access to many alternatives, like here, for example. In the world of baseball, there are always exciting things happening, but recently, reports have surfaced that have sent shockwaves through the baseball world.
Making history
Everyone will have heard of the New York Yankees and in America, they are a household name. It is exactly this team who have offered Rachel Balkovec a managerial position overseeing the Low A Tampa Tarpons, which would in effect make Balkovec the first woman to manage a team affiliated with Major League Baseball. In today’s progressive society, moments like these are always appreciated as it means that the world is steadily moving forward from the archaic structures that had once defined it. While managerial positions in the top league of sports is historically uncommon, the promotion of Balkovec will be a shining beacon for those who are interested in doing something similar.
The news that the promotion would be going ahead started to surface on Sunday night, where two people associated with the club came forward and said that the Balkovec would soon be formally announced as the manager of Low A Tampa Tarpons. As this has never happened before in the history of the sport, the move is sending shockwaves through the industry and many celebrities have taken to the web to congratulate both the New York Yankees and Balkovec on the move.
Who is Rachel Balkovec?
There will be many who are not familiar with baseball, leading to uncertainty about who Rachel Balkovec is. For the uninitiated, Balkovec joined the Yankees organisation as a hitting coach two in 2019. This broke another record in that she was the first woman in affiliated baseball to have a full-time hitting coach position. Given this, these recent developments are not too surprising considering that Balkovec has a penchant for breaking records in baseball.
Going even further back, Balkovec received her first position in professional baseball when she joined the St Louis Cardinals in 2012. Demonstrating a varied career, this particular posting was a strength and conditioning coach. To go from this to managing a professional team in only ten years is a testament to her conviction as well as her quality and Tampa Tarpons will likely go far with Balkovec at the helm.
Speaking on her career in 2019, Balkovec said,” I view my path as an advantage. I had to do probably much more than maybe a male counterpart, but I like that because I’m so much more prepared for the challenges that I might encounter”. Without a doubt, it is this kind of attitude that likely got her the job at Tampa Tarpons and it is likely going to be nothing but a boon to her in the future.
