Gonzalez: SABR member Emma Charlesworth-Seiler hired to umpire in pro baseball
From Jason Gonzalez at the Minneapolis Star-Tribune on May 9, 2017, with mention of SABR members Emma Charlesworth-Seiler and Perry Barber:
Emma Charlesworth-Seiler, a Minnesota native and Hamline University graduate, became just the second woman hired to umpire professional baseball since 2007 after signing a minor league contract last week.
Charlesworth-Seiler will be assigned to the Gulf Coast League in Florida, home of the Twins Rookie affiliate. She will be just the second woman to umpire in the league since 1978, however, this is the second consecutive year a woman has been hired to ump affiliated baseball.
Charlesworth-Seiler earned the opportunity after standing out at the Minor League Baseball Umpire Training Academy in Vero Beach, Fla., at Historic Dodgertown in January. She was the only woman among more than 80 men enrolled at the academy for aspiring professional umpires.
Only seven other women have umpired in an affiliated league. Jen Pawol debuted in the Gulf Coast League last summer and will climb to short-season Class A this season. Pam Postema (1977-1989) advanced to umpire Triple-A and was the first woman to umpire a big league spring training game.
Perry Barber, a longtime female umpire and instructor, celebrated the hire on her Facebook page calling it a “historic move.”
Read the full article here: http://m.startribune.com/minnesota-native-emma-charlesworth-seiler-helps-pave-way-for-female-umpires/421751673/?section=%2F
- Related link: Lindsay Berra: Female umpire begins journey toward majors (MLB.com)
Originally published: May 9, 2017. Last Updated: May 9, 2017.