SABR member Justine Siegal honored by espnW as ‘Everyday Hero’

SABR member Justine Siegal, who in 2011 became the first woman to throw batting practice to a major league team, was honored this week by espnW as an Everyday Hero for her work promoting baseball opportunities for girls and women.

The Everyday Heroes program, which honors women who are working to promote and grow sports for girls and women in their local communities, was launched in earnest during a special presentation during the fourth annual Summit in Dana Point, California.

Siegal is co-chair of SABR’s Women in Baseball Research Committee and is the founder of Baseball For All, a nonprofit dedicated to providing meaningful instruction and opportunities for girls in the sport at all levels.

In 2011, Siegal made history by throwing batting practice to the Cleveland Indians, Oakland A’s and Tampa Bay Rays during spring training. She is believed to be the first woman ever to do so. Previously, she became the first woman to serve as an on-field coach for a men’s professional team when she was hired by the Brockton (Massachusetts) Rox of the independent Can-Am League in 2009.

The other 2013 Everyday Hero recipients are Barb Lazarus, who has dedicated the past eight years to creating opportunities for girls in Chicago through her Game On! Foundation, and Mobolaji Akiode, a former Fordham basketball standout who created the Hope 4 Girls foundation, which has opened its doors to girls from Ghana and Benin Republic and helped girls secure student athletic scholarships.

For more information on the espnW Everyday Heroes program, click here.



Originally published: October 10, 2013. Last Updated: October 10, 2013.