
MLB calling up first female umpire for Marlins-Braves games this weekend
Pawol will work the bases in Saturday's doubleheader at Truist Park and the plate on Sunday, an MLB spokesperson told CBS News on Wednesday. She's also scheduled to have the plate on Sunday.
Pawol, a 48-year-old from New Jersey. attended Hofstra University, where she played softball. She worked spring training games in 2024 and this year.
"Once I started umpiring, I was like, 'this is for me,'" Pawol said last year while working the Florida Grapefruit League. "I can't explain it. It's just in my DNA."
Pawol previously attended MLB's Umpire Camps, a developmental initiative held around the country for the league's prospective umpires, MLB spokesperson Mike Teevan told CBS News.
After the camps, Pawol became a Minor League umpire in 2016, and she will be making history as the first female umpire to work a regular MLB season game.
MLB's move comes 28 years after the gender barrier for game officials was broken in the NBA, 10 years after it ended the NFL and three years after the men's soccer World Cup employed a female referee. The NHL still has not had a woman referee.
Pawol in 2024 became the first woman to umpire big league spring training games since Ria Cortesio in 2007. Cortesio spent nine years in the minor leagues, including the last five in the Double-A Southern League, then was released after the 2007 season.
Pawol was an all-state softball and soccer player in New Jersey for three seasons in each sport at West Milford High School. She went to Hofstra on a softball scholarship and became a three-time all-conference pick and was on the USA Baseball women's national baseball team in 2001.
Pawol got a master's degree and was living in the Binghamton area of New York and taking teacher certification classes at Elmira College while still playing on the side.
"I wasn't really satisfied," she said last year. "Coming off of a huge competitive career, just playing locally, I wasn't getting my fix. And I remember looking at the umpire and being like, I think that's it. I got to go for that."
After umpiring NCAA softball from 2010-16, she attended an MLB umpire tryout camp in 2015, was invited to the Umpire Training Academy at Vero Beach, Florida, and was offered a job in the Gulf Coast League in 2016.
Violet Palmer became the NBA's first woman referee when she worked Dallas' opener at Vancouver on Oct. 31, 1997, and Sarah Thomas was the NFL's first woman on-field official when she served as line judge for Kansas City's game at Houston on Sept. 13, 2015.
Stéphanie Frappart of France became the first woman to referee a men's World Cup game when she worked Germany's 4-2 group stage win over Costa Rica on Dec. 1, 2022, and Rebecca Walsh became the first to referee in England's Premier League when she officiated Burnley's 2-0 win at Fulham on Dec. 23, 2023.
MLB has 76 full-time staff umpires and uses fill-ins on crews for openings created by injuries and vacations.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
David Bednar goes longer than expected for his 1st Yankees save to end their 5-game skid
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — David Bednar got his first save for the New York Yankees after going a little longer than expected, and ended their five-game losing streak before going home. Bednar got the final five outs, all on strikeouts, in their 3-2 win at Texas on Wednesday. The game-ending one came with two runners on base after manager Aaron Boone had gone to the mound with the intention of pulling the right-hander that New York acquired from Pittsburgh at the trade deadline last Thursday. 'I said, 'I'm going to take you here.' And he gave me a look like, no you're not,' Boone said. 'He absolutely wanted the ball and, you know, felt like his stuff was still there. ... What a great, gutsy effort." Bednar's 18th save overall this season came in his third appearance for the Yankees (61-54), who remained ahead of Texas for the American League's third and final wild-card spot. They have a day off before opening a three-game series against AL West-leading Houston at home on Friday night after Bednar's first two series with New York were on the road. Bednar had two strikeouts to end the eighth and two more to open the ninth before Corey Seager walked on six pitches and Marcus Semien grounded a 3-1 pitch through the right side of the infield for a single. Bednar, already at a season-high 36 pitches and with cleanup hitter Adolis García headed to the plate, initially didn't see his new manager walking toward him. 'I was just kind of getting my mind right to face García,' Bednar said. 'I told (Boone) I wanted him and, you know, he agreed. And I just wanted to bear down and get that last one.' Bednar struck out García, finishing with a season-high 42 pitches for his most since 43 in an eight-out save for the Pirates at St. Louis on June 15, 2022. It was the third time this season Bednar recorded five outs, and the second in his week with the Yankees. 'That was awesome, especially that last one,' said Paul Goldschmidt, whose pinch-hit solo homer in the seventh broke a 2-2 tie. 'To go out out there and make those pitches was huge.' ___ AP MLB: Stephen Hawkins, The Associated Press
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Smiling through: Alcaraz won't let Wimbledon defeat get him down
Carlos Alcaraz says he has refused to let his Wimbledon finals loss to Jannik Sinner wipe the smile from his face as he prepares for his start at the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Masters. The world number two, who was defeated in a Grand Slam final for the first time in his career in London last month, spent his first full day at the Cincinnati site on Wednesday and said he is ready for a reboot during the second half of the season. "Even if I lost, I left the court proud after Wimbledon," the 2023 Cincinnati finalist said. "But the goals can change during the second half of the season. "My goal is to keep doing the right thing and improving. I want to enjoy my time on and off the court. "But I also want to try and recover the number one ranking by the end of the year," he added. The world number two, who joined the top-ranked Sinner in skipping the ATP Toronto Masters, said he spent a refreshing three weeks at home in Spain after his Wimbledon defeat. "I took a week off, not doing anything. Then I started training at home and visiting with friends and family. Just being at home in the summer - I couldn't believe it. "I tried to make the most of my time. I wanted to come strong to Cincy." Alcaraz, who beat Sinner in the French Open final before falling to the Italian at Wimbledon, said he is "happy to be building such a rivalry. "We've done a lot in tennis in a short period of time," he said. "People talk about what we have done for the history books. But we have long careers ahead of us.. let's see how far we can go." str/bb
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Broncos salary cap update after Courtland Sutton and Zach Allen extensions
Going into training camp two weeks ago, the Denver Broncos had a little more than $12.5 million in salary cap space. After making four roster moves and giving contract extensions to wide receiver Courtland Sutton and defensive lineman Zach Allen, the team has around $5,545,012 remaining, according to an estimate from Allen will have a salary cap hit of $14.345 million this season and Sutton will have a cap hit of $13.9 million. Allen's cap charge will skyrocket to $28.625 million in 2026 while Sutton's will take a small jump up to $13.975 million. Allen and Sutton are the team's third- and fourth-biggest cap hits this year, only behind guard Ben Powers ($17.425 million) and right tackle Mike McGlinchey ($23.775 million). The team's biggest cap bargains this season include running back J.K. Dobbins ($2.065 million), safety Talanoa Hufanga ($3,411,765) and quarterback Bo Nix ($4,230,265). Other players who could be next in line for extensions include outside linebacker Nik Bonitto and defensive linemen John Franklin-Myers and Malcolm Roach. Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans. This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Denver Broncos: Salary cap update after Sutton, Allen extensions