Jennie Finch wins managerial debut with independent league team
For the first time ever, a woman has won a game as a professional baseball manager. Former Olympic Softball pitcher Jennie Finch accomplished the feat Sunday while acting as the guest manager of the Bridgeport Bluefish.
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The Bluefish, an independent league team that plays in the Atlantic League, defeated the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, propelling Finch to the win. Since Finch was serving as the “guest” manager, it was a one-time deal. While she may have to wait a while to pick up her second professional victory, it’s still one heck of an accomplishment.
Finch was also involved in pregame activities, signing autographs for fans before the game and giving a speech on the field before her managerial debut.
Finch is far from the first “guest” manager to take over the Bluefish for a game. Pete Rose managed a game with the club last year, and Roger Clemens is set to take over for a day in August.
Look, this is the independent leagues, so teams will do whatever they can in order to draw more fans to each contest. Having celebrities like Clemens, Finch and Rose come out to the park certainly helps in that regard.
Following Sunday’s win, some of the Bluefish players wondered whether Finch would return to managing in the future.
It’s unclear whether Finch has any desire to manage professional baseball moving forward, but given her experience and skills, she’s not a terrible choice to be the first full-time female manager. She already has a win under her belt.
Women have risen within the baseball world in recent years. Jessica Mendoza now broadcasts Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN, and Justine Siegel has coached with the Oakland Athletics.
[Elsewhere: The Yankees offense hasn’t won a game like this in over a century]
The thought of the first female manager in the majors might be far off, but Finch’s victory on Sunday could prove to be a significant step forward if that day ever comes.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
