National Post (National Edition)

Finch breaking another gender barrier

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leagues to create a more inclusive hiring process.

“We are really excited to have Jennie come out and manage the team,” said Bluefish general manager Jamie Toole. “She is an incredible athlete and a wonderful person, and we hope our fans will enjoy seeing her in a Bluefish uniform for the day.”

Finch’s name remains in the sports world due to her stellar career as a softball pitcher for the Arizona Wildcats, with whom she captured the 2001 national title, and the U.S. Olympic team.

She went on to capture a gold medal with the United States in 2004 and a silver at the Beijing Games in 2008. Following the 2008 competitio­n, Finch was one of softball’s most vocal advocates, though the Internatio­nal Olympic Committee axed the sport from the Olympics in 2005.

Her role with the Bluefish is a temporary one, but has the potential to have a resounding effect given the number of other efforts being made around the nation to help push the movement to the majors.

F i n c h’s pro baseball coaching career comes just over a week after Fox released promos for the upcoming show Pitch, which will depict a fictional version of the first female MLB player.

Outside the world of television, Justine Siegal’s name is among the first to be mentioned when it comes to breaking baseball’s gender barrier. In addition to being the founder of Baseball for All, a non-profit focused on correcting the gender inequity issues at the youth level of the sport, Siegal is also the first female coach of any kind in profession­al baseball, with her stint as the first-base coach of the Brockton Rox in 2009.

Kim Ng has also made a name for herself around MLB front offices over the past 18 years, as she was

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