After being told by her coach at 16 years old that nobody will listen to a female coach on a baseball field, Justine Siegal made it her mission to prove that statement wrong.
In 2009, she did just that. Siegal made history, becoming the first female to throw batting practice to a Major League Baseball (MLB) team at spring training. In 2015, she was hired by the Oakland Athletics to coach in their instructional league, becoming MLB’s first female hire.
Justine Siegal’s Ted Talk where she discusses her journey through the sports world, obstacles she has faced and important things she has learned.
Despite proving that girls can succeed in baseball, Siegal still has not stopped fighting for equity. She founded her own nonprofit, Baseball For All, through which young girls are given the opportunity to not only play baseball but coach it.
It allows girls to have a safe and supportive environment and be surrounded by the one thing they love, baseball.
Justine Siegal didn’t have women in sports to look up to when she was young, now she is that woman for so many girls around the world.
Today, Siegal’s jersey hangs proudly in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. She is also an inductee into the National Women’s Sports Museum.
With dreams of working in baseball, I look up to Siegal and what she continues to do for girls with similar aspirations. Siegal has taught me that any dream is within reach and our skills and knowledge should never be overlooked because of our gender.
If coronavirus wasn’t taking over the world, right now we would be plopping down on our couch or heading to the stadium to watch our favorite Major League Baseball teams compete.
For all of the Los Angeles Angels’ fans, you would also be excited to watch Alex Curry interview your favorite players.
Alex Curry has won three Telly Awards during her time with the Kings and the Angels. Here is an interview she did with Angels’ first baseman Albert Pujols after a walk-off victory.
The San Diego State University alumna received her bachelor’s in journalism media, as well as a minor in marketing. She also was a member of SDSU’s women’s soccer team.
Curry began working for Fox Sports West in 2012 and two years later, she became the sideline reporter for the Angels.
Curry’s career isn’t limited to just the baseball diamond. Fans of the Los Angeles Kings, U.S. national soccer, college football, American Ninja Warrior and more might also recognize the host/reporter.
She covered the U.S. women’s national team during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France and the Kings’ Stanley Cup championship in 2014.
Curry began covering both the men’s and women’s U.S. national soccer teams in 2018. Here is an interview she did with midfielder Sam Mewis during the 2019 World Cup.
It’s easy to see that Curry is experienced in many facets of the sports industry, making a name for herself in not just baseball, but many other sporting events around the world.
She has built several fanbases of her own through her incredible interviewing and hosting skills. People of all ages and genders can look up to Curry and the hard work she puts in year-round.
The sports world has been put on pause with hopes to help stop the spread of Coronavirus. Professional sports are postponed, collegiate seasons are canceled and the Olympics will not take place until 2021.
Major League Baseball should be starting up right now, but instead, we are left with empty stadiums and re-runs. While times are tough, and there are only so many puzzles you can complete, I will continue to showcase the several amazing women in baseball.
Alanna Rizzo and Nomar Garciaparra conducting pre-game interviews for Spectrum SportsNet L.A. (Ken Lund)
This week I want to talk about Spectrum SportsNet L.A. reporter for the Los Angeles Dodgers and six-time Emmy award winner, Alanna Rizzo, who is making an impact both on and off the field.
Rizzo attended the University of Colorado at Boulder for her bachelor’s in international business, before returning for her master’s in broadcast journalism.
Rizzo’s professionalism and smart interview questions have gained her enormous amounts of respect from players and coaches throughout her years with the Dodgers.
She has even gained a fanbase of her own, as many people look up to her and the phenomenal job she does covering the game.
Alanna Rizzo also speaks Spanish, which helps her when interviewing Spanish speaking players, such as right fielder Yasiel Puig.
But, her work goes beyond baseball. She is a prime example of using a platform for good. In February 2009, Rizzo adopted her dog, Guidry, from the Humane Society of Boulder Valley in Colorado.
Through adopting Guidry, Rizzo learned about the millions of dogs either on the streets, in shelters or being fostered. Using her following, Rizzo started the Guidry’s Guardian Foundation to help fund and support shelters and rescues. This foundation is 100% donation based.
Rizzo often reaches out to her 105,000 Instagram followers, when there is a dog in need of an urgent adoption or emergency surgery. She even pulls from her own bank account to help pay for adoption fees and surgery costs.
Rizzo has hosted events at Dodger Stadium, such as a scorekeeping lesson for women, to help raise money for the foundation. Earlier this year, her event sold out resulting in her raising the number of tickets sold from 40 to 120.
The Guidry’s Guardian Foundation has not only gained popularity within the baseball community but celebrities such as Miley Cyrus and Emily Osment have also shown their support and brought awareness toward the foundation.
Rizzo has been one of my biggest inspirations when it comes to sports broadcasting. Her efforts on and off the field are evident, making her a perfect role model for women of all ages wanting to make a change in the world.
The Guidry’s Guardian Foundation website has a total of nine inspiring success stories that you can read about. (kimdewar0)
It is hard to go even a few minutes without hearing someone talk about Coronavirus or reading about it online. Universities have turned to virtual learning, Coachella is postponed until October, Disneyland shut down and all sports have either been put on pause or canceled completely.
This means, while you’re self-quarantined in your room, you can’t even turn to sports as an escape from the pure chaos happening around the globe.
Major League Baseball announced on Thursday that all spring training games have been canceled and all athletes can return home. The regular season was set to begin at the end of the month but now it is postponed at least two weeks.
This is what opening day usually looks like for baseball. (abrowncoat)
Baseball might be put on hold, but the many amazing female reporters, journalists and broadcasters will still update the public as news rolls in. I look forward to continuing to showcase these individuals and the impact they make in the baseball world.`
While this is a frightening and uneasy time for everyone, it is important to be kind and take care of the people around you.
If you start to lose your mind from the lack of sports to watch, I recommend watching reruns of your favorite teams. I know it is not the same but it’s how I spent my first day stuck at home and it made me feel just a tad bit better.
Be safe, wash your hands and wipe down your cell phones!
Softball isn’t the only thing returning to the Olympics this summer. Former Olympian and current ESPN broadcaster, Jessica Mendoza, will make her return as well, but in a slightly different way.
Mendoza played on the U.S. Women’s Softball National team and brought home a gold medal in 2004 and silver in 2008, which was the last time softball was part of the games.
When her time as a ballplayer came to an end, Mendoza shifted gears and began working as a broadcaster. With ESPN, Mendoza became the first female in-game analyst for Monday Night Baseball and Sunday Night Baseball.
Mendoza talking to former Washington Nationals player Bryce Harper in 2016. (Arturo Pardavila III from Hoboken, NJ, USA)
Summer 2020 is looking busy for Mendoza, as she will head to Tokyo to be an on-sight reporter for the Olympics and continue as the lead analyst for ESPN during the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma.
Recently signing to a multi-year extension with ESPN, Mendoza will also become the first female to be a solo analyst for the MLB game telecasts.
While Mendoza has received countless accolades, there are still people who do not see her fit to cover baseball, solely because she is a woman. Mendoza speaks out about nasty comments made against her.
Mendoza’s love for the game never stopped, even when her opportunities to play did. Every day, she continues to make history as a female sports broadcaster, tearing down the stereotype that it is only a man’s job.
Millions of fans love watching the Los Angeles Dodgers compete on television, but they also love watching the infamous tweets roll out throughout the game. From comedic captions such as “Walker like I talk it” after an impressive outing for pitcher Walker Buehler to awaiting former center fielder Alex Verdugo at the end of the victory formation videos, there is a mastermind behind the scenes who is responsible for it all.
This popular tweet was inspired by the song “Walk It Like I Talk It” by Migos. Jo often finds inspiration for her content from popular songs or trends. (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Today, I want to focus on someone who I look up to the most, the woman behind the phone, Dodger’s social media manager Sue Jo.
Born in South Korea, Jo moved to the United States when she was only five-years-old. She learned English by watching the news and sports on television, sparking her interest in broadcast journalism. She then went on to study at Columbia College Chicago.
Jo has been a role model to not only women but also men who are itching to amp up their organization’s social media popularity. Her witty captions, behind the scenes content and engagement with fans, has not only landed her a fandom of her own but a promotion and even an Emmy.
After working as the Dodgers’ social media coordinator for two and a half years, Jo was promoted to social media manager in June 2019.
Jo, like everyone else, dealt with rejection but never let it stop her from getting to where she is today. She has completely reinvented the Dodgers’ online personality and made a name for herself in the sports industry along the way.
People in the crowd now look for Jo on the field, sometimes even before they search for their favorite players.
This was another one of Jo’s popular tweets after Max Muncy blasted a home run into McCovey Cove to take a 1-0 lead against the San Francisco Giants last season. (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Fans and players quickly fell in love with Jo and the way she has put a unique spin on sports media. Dodger fans are eagerly waiting to see what she has up her sleeve for the 2020 season, which is set to begin March 26.
As an Asian American woman trying to break into the sports industry, Jo has been the greatest inspiration to me to never stop, no matter what barriers are put in my way.
A backstage look at what it’s like to run the Dodgers’ social media accounts.
I still remember the feeling of sliding into home plate, stopping a line drive to end the inning and losing my voice from the cheering. Softball was a big part of my childhood, and participation in the sport helped shaped me into the person I am today.
Jennie Finch took home a gold medal in the 2004 Olympics and a silver medal in 2008. (C5813)
I remember watching games on television and looking up to stars like Jennie Finch and Lisa Fernandez who both competed in the Olympics. But in 2008, softball was removed from the Olympics and any young softball player with gold medal dreams had them cut short.
Now, 12 years later, it is making its comeback in the 2020 Olympics due to the popularity of the sport in Japan.
Lisa Fernandez took home gold medals in the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympics. (Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority)
The 2020 USA team consists of 15 players and three replacements. They are set to play this July in Fukushima and Yokohama, Japan with head coach Ken Eriksen.
A total of five countries will compete alongside Team USA: Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia and Italy.
Softball making its return to the Olympics is bigger than most might think. Beyond the potential for medals, it gives the younger generation of girls something to work for, especially with softball currently stopping after the college level. Growing up, I looked up to Olympic players and now these young girls will have those role models too.
Former Olympians Jennie Finch and Natasha Watley share their excitement about softball’s return to the Olympics and their favorite memories of their time competing.
My love for baseball started young. Growing up in Los Angeles, only 15 minutes away from Dodgers Stadium, it meant I spent a lot of time with my three older brothers rooting for the boys in blue. Whether I was sitting in the crowd or watching them from home, I never dreamed I could have a career in baseball as it always seemed to be completely dominated by men. I knew I loved the environment and the sport as a whole but looked at it more as a hobby or having the passion of a fan.
It wasn’t until I went to college when I realized I could actually work in baseball and that several other women were doing it, successfully. I quickly found myself looking up to many women who have been changing the stereotype I grew up believing. Women like Alanna Rizzo, Alex Curry, Sue Jo and many others have proven that women can not only cover sports but excel at it.
Ludtke was the only full-time female journalist covering baseball in the 1970s. (Whoisjohngalt)
Millions of baseball fans watch Rizzo conduct post-game interviews with athletes in the locker room, but it wasn’t always easy for female reporters to get their job done. There were several brave souls before them that helped pave the way. Melissa Ludtke was one of many who fought for women’s equality in the sports world, especially with regard to locker room access.
Professional sports such as hockey and football were beginning to allow female reporters into locker rooms, but baseball was the last to follow suit.
Kuhn was eventually replaced as commissioner after the 1984 regular season. (Major League Baseball)
Ludtke, a Sports Illustrated writer, was banned by the commissioner of Major League Baseball, Bowie Kuhn, from interviewing players in the locker room during the 1977 World Series, despite having a badge that granted her access. She knew it was an opportunity to fight for equality, so she filed a lawsuit against the MLB and won.
Ludtke and Time Inc. v. Bowie Kuhn ended in Ludtke’s favor but it didn’t make life after any easier for the reporter. She received a great deal of backlash but she never let it stop her from continuing to fight for what she believed in.
Ludtke speaking out about her experience during her lawsuit against Major League Baseball. (WellesleyAthletics)
Ludtke’s dream was to work in baseball, and despite the hurdles she had to overcome to pave the way for other women, she did it. It is because of her that I now know it is not only a dream worth chasing after, but it is within my reach.
Women in Baseball 
