Jen Pawol praised for work behind plate after breaking MLB umpire gender barrier
Considering Pawol became the first female umpire to work behind the plate in the majors, making unprecedented history appear to be routine was especially impressive.
'I think Jen did a really nice job,' Miami manager Clayton McCullough said after Atlanta's 7-1 win over the Marlins.
'I think she's very composed back there. She handled and managed the game very well. And big day for her. Big day for Major League Baseball. I congratulated her again on that because it's quite the accomplishment.'
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It was an impressive cap to a memorable weekend for Pawol. She made history in Saturday's doubleheader as the first female umpire to work a regular-season game in the majors. She called the bases in the doubleheader before moving behind the plate on Sunday, placing her in the brightest spotlight for an umpire.
Pawol never showed any indication of being affected by the attention, even while knowing every call would be closely watched.
'Congrats to Jen, obviously,' said Braves left-hander Joey Wentz, who earned the win by allowing only one run in 5 1/3 innings.
Asked about Pawol's calls, Wentz said, 'I try not to focus on the zone, to be honest with you. ... I thought it was good though.'
There were few opportunities for disputes as Wentz and Miami starting pitcher Cal Quantrill combined for only three strikeouts. The first called third strike came in the fifth inning, when Pawol used a fist pump when calling out Miami's Kyle Stowers on a pitch that was close to the edge of the plate.
McCullough was seen in the Marlins dugout with his palms held up as if asking about the pitch call. He said after the game it's not unusual to question a close called strike.
'Over the course of the game, there are a number of times that you just are going to be asking for clarity on one, if you aren't sure,' McCullough said. 'So it could have been that.'
The 48-year-old Pawol was called up as a rover umpire, so her next assignment in the majors has not been announced.
'I wish her the best moving forward as she continues to, I'm sure, hopefully one day be up full time, you know, a permanent big league umpire,' McCullough said.
Pawol also received positive reviews from Braves manager Brian Snitker, who on Saturday said, 'You can tell she knows what she does.'
Pawol's work in the minor leagues began in 2016 when she was assigned to the Gulf Coast League. She worked in the Triple-A championship game in 2023 and in spring training games in 2024 and again this year.
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'We certainly didn't call her up from A ball, right?' Quantrll said. 'So yeah, I'm sure she was well prepared. And like I said I think, you know, part of the game moving forward is that if this is normal then we're going to treat it normal, too. So, you know, I thought it was fine. I think she did she did a quality job. ... And yeah, I think she'd be very proud of herself. And, you know, it's kind of a cool little thing to be part of.'
Pawol spoke to reporters on Saturday when she said, "The dream actually came true today. I'm still living in it. I'm so grateful to my family and Major League Baseball for creating such an incredible work environment. … I'm just so thankful.'
Pawol received cheers from fans on both days. On Sunday, some held up 'Way to go Jen!' signs.
Odum writes for the Associated Press.
Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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