‘See it. Be it!’ Here’s reaction to Boston Red Sox’s historical hiring of Bianca Smith
Bianca Smith is making history in the nation’s oldest professional sports league.
On Monday, the Boston Red Sox announced they have hired Smith as a minor league coach, making her the first Black woman to ever coach in professional baseball, according to Major League Baseball.
“The opportunity is amazing,” Smith said to the MLB Network. “I’m still wrapping my head around it. I probably won’t really have it sink in until I’m actually there.
“I think it’s a great opportunity also to kind of inspire other women who are interested in this game. This is not really something I thought about it when I was younger. I kind of fell into it being an athlete. So I’m excited to get that chance to show what I can do.”
Those on social media were thrilled by the move and welcomed Smith with open arms.
She will work at Boston’s player development facility in Fort Myers, Fla. mainly with position players, according to the MLB Network.
The 29-year-old was an assistant baseball coach and hitting coordinator at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Previous experience “includes youth academy roles for the Cincinnati Reds and the Texas Rangers organizations, and as an intern with the Major League Baseball corporate office, according to her LinkedIn page,” CNN said.
“She was a great candidate coming in,” said Red Sox vice president of player development Ben Crockett, according to CNN, “She’s had some really interesting experiences and has been passionate about growing her skill set and development herself.”
It’s been a triumphant couple of months in terms of women making enormous strides in the world of men’s sports. Last year, the Miami Marlins hired Kim Ng as general manager, making her the first woman to become a GM in profession baseball.
In NCAA football, Vanderbilt soccer player and kicker Sarah Fuller made history when she became the first woman to play and score in a Power 5 college football game.
And recently, San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon became the first woman to act as head coach in a regular-season NBA game.
This story was originally published January 5, 2021 at 12:48 PM with the headline "‘See it. Be it!’ Here’s reaction to Boston Red Sox’s historical hiring of Bianca Smith."