New York (AP) — Kelsey Whitmore loaded a base on Staten Island Ferry Hawks on Wednesday, retiring former major leaguer Ryan Jackson and becoming the first woman to pitch in the independent Atlantic League.
A few days after starting with the left fielder and breaking another barrier, Whitmore had the opportunity to show off her two-way talent against Lexington Legends in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs.
In the following 3-1 manager Edgardo Alfonzo gave Whitmore the ball for the first time in the 11th game on Staten Island. She has played 42 major games in the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Angels, but has started playing against Jackson, who hasn’t been in the Big League since 2015.
Whitmore threw the ball and received two cold strikes before Jackson jumped into the right fielder.
Right-handed batter and batter Whitmore went to 0 2-0 and was hit on the pitch on Sunday. First woman Start the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball games. She is also used as a pinch runner.
Whitmore, a former California State University softball player at Fullerton, signed with Staten Island last month. This is one of the notable moments for women in baseball this season.
Last month, San Francisco Giants coach Alyssa Nakken became the first base coach. The first woman to coach In the field of big league games.A few days earlier, Rachel Balkovec Won her debut management The New York Yankees system Low-A Tamper Ponds became the first woman to skip a team belonging to a major league club.
Whitmore pitched and played in the outfield of the US women’s baseball team from 2014 to 2019, spending part of two seasons with the independent Pacific Association Sonoma Stompers.
The Atlantic League team is not a big league affiliate, but the circuit is an MLB partner league. This is a quality improvement from the Pacific Association.
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