Women making history within men dominated minor league baseball, has shifted since Whittier alumna and poet baseball pitcher Ila Borders ’97 was signed on to the all men Northern League's St. Paul Saints back in 1997.
Until recently, thirteen year old Philadelphia rising little League pitcher Mo'ne Davis became the first girl to throw a shutout in the Little League World Series, becoming the youngest athlete to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated and, for good measure, attracted a record of 34,128 fans to Lamade Stadium in South Williamsport, Pa. Davis’ noteworthy curveballs, fastball and recent success address a shift in the decades-old gender barrier in affiliated minor league baseball and the future of women in baseball.
According to Malaika Underwood, an infielder from the USA Baseball women’s national team: “I think women who want to play baseball face a bigger cultural issue as society continues to embrace softball as a girls’ sport and baseball as a boys’ sport.” In response to this cultural challenge women face in baseball alumna Ila Borders, recalls her experience as one of the first female pitchers in integrated men’s professional baseball as part of a four-year career in the independent leagues:
“I was beaten. People went after me with a knife. There were death threats. Now to see Mo’ne on the cover of Sports Illustrated and that people are behind her … that’s awesome, awesome, awesome to see that turnaround. It just gives my heart a lot of joy.”
Acceptance of women in baseball has changed drastically as women continue to prove like men to have the capability of playing in the big leagues. As the number of women in baseball changes and young women like Mo’ne Davis rise in baseball there is a chance of change in baseball’s affiliated minor leagues to come within the next few years.
Read more in The LA Times.
