Women have always been part of baseball, on the field, as officials, and in the front office. In honor of Women’s History Month, we look back at the trailblazers who broke barriers and helped shape the game.
Amanda Clement
First woman paid to umpire a baseball game (1904)
At only 16 years old, Amanda Clement became the first woman paid to umpire baseball, earning $15–$25 a game to fund her college education. She umpired for 6 years and was so popular promoters would highlight her to bring in fans.
Helene Britton
First woman to own a Major League baseball team, 1911
In 1911, Helene Britton became the President of the St. Louis Cardinals after the death of her uncle, Stanley Robinson. She remained the owner of the team until selling it in 1918.
Effa Manley
Owner of the Brooklyn Eagles, 1935
Effa Manley and her husband Abe purchased the Brooklyn Eagles, a team in the Negro Leagues, in 1935. Effa led business operations for the team, working to secure the best accommodations available for the team’s players, at a time when much of the country was still segregated. She went on to become an activist in the Civil Rights Movement, and was the first woman inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as an executive.
Janet Marie Smith
Designer of Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles, 1992
Janet Marie Smith changed the landscape of modern day ballparks with her design of Camden Yards, ushering in a new era of ballpark design. In 1989 she was promoted to Vice President of Planning and Development for the Baltimore Orioles, becoming one of the first women to hold an executive role with any MLB club. In 2002 she oversaw the Fenway Park renovation project, including the addition of the innovative Green Monster seats. She holds a degree in architecture from Mississippi State and a master’s in urban planning from CCNY
Ila Borders
First woman to pitch in a men’s college baseball game, 1995
In addition to becoming the first woman to start as a pitcher in a men’s college baseball game, Ila Borders was also the first woman to receive a baseball scholarship to play men’s collegiate baseball and the first woman to earn a win in men’s collegiate baseball. After college, she was signed by the St. Paul Saints of the Northern League, becoming one of the first women in history to pitch for a professional men’s baseball team.
Justine Siegal
First woman to coach a men’s pro baseball team, 2009
Justine Siegal was the first woman to coach a men’s pro baseball team, working for the Brockton Rox of the Can-Am League in 2009. This was just the first of many “firsts” for Siegal, who went on to become the first woman to throw batting practice for an MLB team with the Cleveland Guardians in 2011, and the first woman coach employed by an MLB team in 2015, working for the Oakland Athletics in the Arizona Instructional League.
Siegal has dedicated her life to equity in sports, particularly baseball. She’s the founder of Baseball For All, a non-profit designed to give girls opportunities to get involved in youth baseball.
In 2025, she co-founded the WPBL, the first professional women’s baseball league since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League of the 1940s. The WPBL’s historic inaugural season will begin on August 1st, 2026, with women like Justine leading the charge in creating a clear path for women in pro baseball.
These women are just a few of many who’ve shaped baseball’s long, storied history. The WPBL is proud to open new pathways for women in the sport and celebrate their contributions. As we build the future, we honor the women who paved the way.