The Sonoma Stompers, a pro baseball team in the independent Pacific Association of Professional Baseball Clubs is making sports history today.
They are signing two players from Team USA women’s baseball and have them pitch in Friday night’s game against the San Rafael Pacifics.
Kelsie Whitmore, 17 (above), and Stacy Piagno, 25 (below left), according to the team’s press release, will make the Stompers “the first co-ed professional baseball team since the 1950s when Toni Stone, Mamie ‘Peanu’ Johnson and Constance Morgan achieved the distinction of becoming the first women to play alongside men in the Negro Leagues.”
Piagno and Whitmore have quite the pedigrees as both were members of the U.S. team that won gold in the 2015 Pan Am Games during which Piagno tossed a no-hitter.
It's official! @KelsieWhitmore is a member of the Stompers! A historic day for baseball. pic.twitter.com/HdZAO9KfQg
— Sonoma Stompers (@SonomaStompers) June 29, 2016
Stompers’ GM, Theo Fightmaster (wow, what a badass name), says about the signings…
“While many believe it’s only a matter of time before we see a woman playing in the MLB, I’ve learned over the past several months that there are many steps in between where we are and where we should be in terms of women in this sport. We hope this sends a message to the rest of the baseball world that there is room for women and girls in this game – from Little League to the Major Leagues.”
So how long until a woman is good enough to receive one of these?
Turns out that it might be sooner than we expect. Well done, ladies.
H/T USA Today