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Women of Business

Tampa Tarpons makes history with appointment of new manager for next season

| Jo-Lynn Brown

When baseballs break windows someone gets in trouble. When Rachel Balkovec broke a glass ceiling it was cause for celebration.

The Tampa Tarpons have tapped Balkovec to be manager of the team in the next baseball season, making her the first female everyday manager in minor league history.

Balkovec previously was a hitting coach for the New York Yankees’ minor league organization.

She began her coaching career in 2012, as a temporary contracted strength and conditioning coach intern, for the St. Louis Cardinals.

“On behalf of Major League Baseball, I congratulate Rachel on this historic milestone. As manager of the Tampa Tarpons, she will continue to demonstrate her expertise and leadership in the Yankees’ organization. We wish Rachel well in this new capacity and appreciate her mentorship to the growing network of women in baseball operations and player development roles,” said Commissioner of Baseball Robert D. Manfred Jr., in a statement.

This isn’t the first time Balkovec has made headlines. She was also the first woman to be a full-time hitting coach in a major league organization in 2019, when she joined the Yankees.

The Tampa Tarpons is a Low-A affiliate of the New York Yankees.

 Photo credit: New York Yankees

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