The #Red #Sox are hiring #Bianca #Smith as a minor league coach, making her the first #Black woman to serve as a professional baseball coach in the sport’s history.
#Smith will work with the minor league players in #Fort #Myers, #Fla., and her focus will mainly involve position players.
“She was a great candidate coming in,” said #Red #Sox vice president of player development #Ben #Crockett, who helped spearhead the hire. “She’s had some really interesting experiences and has been passionate about growing her skill set and development herself.”
#Smith comes with a track record: #She played softball at #Dartmouth #College (2010-12), was director of baseball operations and a graduate assistant at #Case #Western #Reserve (2013-17), and served as an assistant coach at the #University of #Dallas (2018).
#Smith’s major league experience goes back to 2017, when she interned for the #Texas #Rangers in their baseball operations department. #She spent time working at #Major #League #Baseball in amateur administration before interning in the #Cincinnati #Reds baseball operations department.
#Smith currently serves as assistant baseball coach and hitting coordinator at #Carroll #University in #Wisconsin, a position she’s held since 2019.
#Last season, for the first time in history, MLB had an on-field female coach in the #San #Francisco #Giants’ #Alyssa #Nakken. A few others were hired as on-field coaches at the minor league level: #Rachel #Balkovec (#New #York #Yankees), #Rachel #Folden (#Chicago #Cubs), and #Christina #Whitlock (#St. #Louis #Cardinals).
#Smith, as a #Black woman, breaks a significant barrier.
“It’s a meaningful, meaningful thing for the organization,” #Crockett said.
The #Red #Sox will officially announce #Smith’s hire in #January.
#Julian #McWilliams can be reached at [email protected] #Follow him on #Twitter @byJulianMack.
[ source link ]
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/12/31/sports/red-sox-hire-bianca-smith-minor-league-coach-making-her-first-black-woman-coach-mlb-history/
##Red ##Sox #hiring ##Bianca ##Smith #minor #league #coach #making ##Black #woman #coach #pro #baseball #history