Rachel Balkovec: Tampa Tarpons Manager


CLEARWATER, Fla. — Driving on the pass that connects Tampa, Fla., somewhere on Tampa Bay, Rachel Balkovec in the backseat of her car asked the two top Yankees candidates if they had ever watched softball.

20-year-old Antonio Gomez, a Venezuelan hunter, said he has. One of the highest-ranked contenders in baseball, 19-year-old Jason Dominguez, said he had it too—but it was men who played in his native Dominican Republic. Neither had ever seen women play baseball in college.

“You’re about to see what female athletes look like,” said Balkovec, 34.

During a dinner with these players that week in mid-February, long before the minor league season kicked off, Balkovec realized that they probably didn’t know much about his past.

They knew it was a unicorn – first woman to serve as a manager in affiliated professional baseball — but they didn’t know much about softball that Balkovec had played before in college. its winding and trial way to this point. So, Tampa Tarpons manager Balkovec, a lowly Class A member of the Yankees, had an idea: Take Dominguez and Gomez to the preseason softball tournament of several U.S. colleges that takes place near the Yankees’ spring training facility.

Balkovec’s hiring marked a turning point for the male-dominated sport of baseball. Countless women can connect with rejections for job postings, creating a more comprehensive resume as a result (she holds a master’s degree in sports management and runner-up in biomechanics), small paychecks, and long-term employment. The way to coach a baseball team.

During her 10 years in professional baseball, she shattered glass ceilings: the first woman to hold a full-time position as minor league strength and conditioning coordinator (with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2014); first woman to serve as a full-time batting instructor by a major league team (2019 with the Yankees); and now the first female manager. All the way through, Balkovec opened people’s eyes. Taking Dominguez and Gomez to softball games for four hours on a Saturday evening was the latest example of this.

“I didn’t have this glamorous sports career, but I was a top athlete,” said Balkovec, a retainer on the softball teams at Creighton University and the University of New Mexico. “And in the Dominican Republic, for example, you don’t see that very often in women. In fact, almost never. And they don’t get it, so I want to show them.”

Balkovec said this on his way to pick up Dominguez and Gomez from the Yankees pre-season camp hotel. st. During the 30-minute drive to the field of the Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational, from the intricacies of softball, from his first steps to professional baseball in 2012 (he was working as a receptionist at equipment company Marucci in the early morning and, late in the morning, as a strength and conditioning trainee for the Cardinals. ) and the reason for their journey in the first place.

“I came because Rachel always had good ideas,” Gomez said, following a rule that Balkovec devised to get two players to practice their second language. (Balkovec, a Nebraska native, often answered in Spanish, which he had learned from Latin American players over the years.)

Throughout the evening, the players learned more about Balkovec, who made his debut on April 8, and what he represents. As he drove the tournament car from the parking lot to the baseball stadiums, Balkovec explained why it’s now more comfortable to hang out with his players off the field.

He said that as a young strength and conditioning coach, he would take the players to the supermarket and teach them about healthy eating, but never take them to dinner. He called those days the “Wild West” because there were hardly any women in baseball. He said that people were afraid of developing romantic relationships with actors and would never wear shorts or tank tops around them.

“He’s a big picture thinker and in all aspects of life – a coach, a manager, my manager at my job – above all, if you love and trust someone, you’re ready to do whatever they want.” Balkovec’s sister, Stephanie, said in a phone call. “I would yell at him for a long time in his early days because he wouldn’t let them see that he was human.”

But Balkovec said that as he aged, his colleagues and players got to know him better and society improved (bit by bit, more and more). women worked in baseball). He no longer worried about how things like clothing were perceived because his priorities were clear. He sees himself not just as a manager, but as a life coach, especially for Latin American players who face unique challenges. Not only does he talk to his players about how to improve their strokes and physique, but he’s tough or compassionate when needed, and talks to them about their off-court goals and how they should respect women.

“It’s part of who Rachel is, she’s someone who cares a lot about these guys, and it’s not always in the most traditional way like, ‘Oh, let’s go to a baseball game and talk about this guy’s slider,’ or ‘Let’s watch a video.’ Kevin Reese, vice president of development, said in a phone call. “You’re probably going to get some side benefits from Rachel at this point because she’s looking at things through a slightly different life lens, and that has a lot of advantages.”

As soon as he got out of the tournament car, a fan recognized Balkovec. Gomez and Dominguez laughed to themselves, but were impressed.

This continued for the rest of the night. As the three jumped between concurrent games of the University of Texas-UCLA and Michigan-Louisiana State, Balkovec was stopped at least six more times to pose for an autograph or for photos, including the participation of a junior girls’ volleyball team. That’s what happened to Gomez and Dominguez, a highly touted prospect. Signed $5 million with Yankees At the age of 16, three times in total.

“Rachel is so famous!” said Gomez.

During the games, Dominguez and Gomez graced Balkovec with questions or observations. They pointed to the swings they liked. They cheered after the big games. (At one point, Gomez joined the cheers of Texas fans.) They took photos and videos of the match. They noted that a national network broadcasts the games. They admired the pitchers and wondered if they could hit a baseball. Dominguez described the games as exciting and faster than baseball.

“They are very good!” said Gomez. Dominguez, who has never seen women’s volleyball, said: “I learned that women are very talented. Never in my life have I imagined women do this, throw so hard and play like that.”

When the Texas-UCLA game was over, Dominguez and Gomez followed Balkovec to say hello to the UCLA coaches they knew.

Balkovec introduced his players to Kelly Inouye-Perez, UCLA’s baseball head coach. Gomez asked for a picture with the UCLA team, and Dominguez, though shy at first, soon relented. Inouye-Perez told the team about Balkovec’s new job.

“The great thing is that she’s in a position of strength and that says a lot about us women, being female leaders, and the opportunities at the Yankees,” she said. “What about this one?”

On the sidelines, Inouye-Perez revealed that his team has been a Balkovec supporter for some time. When Balkovec was promoted, UCLA assistant coach and three-time Olympic gold medalist Lisa Fernandez texted him, forgetting he had Balkovec’s number.

“‘Hello, Rachel. This is UCLA coach Lisa Fernandez, and I’m so excited for you,'” Balkovec recalls. “I was like, ‘Lisa, you don’t have to explain to me who you are! I had the stick when I was a kid.”

Inouye-Perez requested a photo with Gomez and Dominguez, “so you’ll remember who I am when you go to the major leagues.” As they posed, Inouye-Perez called out to Balkovec, “Come here, Coach.”

“Manager,” Gomez replied with a smile.

During the return trip to Tampa, Balkovec had a few parting thoughts for his cast.

First, he spoke to Dominguez and Gomez about a pet rage he hoped not to see in the upcoming Tarpons season: players disappeared on their cell phones in the clubhouse instead of interacting with each other.

Second, he wanted to plant a seed. He told them that one reason he wanted to be general manager one day was because he wanted to overhaul his talent line from Latin America. He felt that while MLB teams had training programs, it wasn’t stressed enough. Developing players as people. He pointed out how corrupt the international system of amateur signatures could be. He asked for their opinion.

Balkovec later told them about his dream that they would both go to university. Gomez called it Plan B.

“If you’re a good baseball player and you make a lot of money, that’s it,” he said, and later added, “You have to do more. Go to school. Be different. And what’s different about this job is valuing other things beyond money, ladies, going out – it’s very common.”

“That’s the easy life,” Gomez said. But then he offered his point of view. She told Balkovec how she grew up with more opportunities in the United States than she did in Venezuela. She explained that when she was 12, her father asked her if she wanted to focus on school or baseball, and she chose the latter. She continued, “This is different. We were not born here.”

“I know what you said, but now you’re here,” she replied. “You have money and some security, so you can start thinking about other things beyond that.” He later added, “I know you’re young. Not important. It’s something you have to think about in your life. What are you doing here? Just to play baseball? What is your purpose in this world?”

Gomez replied, “I don’t know. Baseball is still tough.”

The conversation continued as Balkovec returned to their hotel parking lot. When it stopped, Gomez and Dominguez said goodbye and added something few baseball managers could hear from their players.

“Rachel, I love you,” said Gomez. “Thank you.”

“Thank you,” Dominguez added. “I love you.”



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