McGrath: Ashley Stephenson in a league of her own as trailblazer for women’s baseball

From Kaitlyn McGrath at The Athletic on February 2, 2018:

When she was a kid, Ashley Stephenson would ask her mom to wax their family room’s hardwood floor before a Toronto Blue Jays game.

Back then, with the team at the height of its powers in the American League East, tuning into a game was not only a chance for Stephenson to catch a glimpse of her big-league heroes, but also an opportunity to refine her skills.

The budding ballplayer would transform her family room into her very own field. When a Blue Jay cracked a single, Stephenson, too, would reach base, though in her case first base was a floor register. Eyes on the television, she would creep away from the vent, shadowing the runner and if he dove back to avoid the pick-off throw, Stephenson, too, would lunge toward her makeshift base.

Read the full article here (subscription required): https://theathletic.com/225621/2018/02/02/ashley-stephensons-in-league-of-her-own-as-trailblazer-for-womens-baseball/

• Related link: Learn more about the finalists for the 2018 SABR Dorothy Seymour Mills Lifetime Achievement Award