Brewers hire 1st female hitting co-ordinator

MILWAUKEE — Sara Goodrum has been promoted to minor league hitting co-ordinator by the Milwaukee Brewers, apparently making her the first woman to have that role in any Major League Baseball organization.

Goodrum’s official new title with the Brewers is co-ordinator for hitting development initiatives, but she essentially will be filling the role of a minor league hitting co-ordinator.

Goodrum played softball for Oregon from 2012-15 and had spent the last three seasons in the Brewers’ sports science department, working primarily on hitting. Her previous title was co-ordinator for integrative sports performance.

The New York Yankees hired Rachel Balkovec as a minor league hitting coach in 2019, and she is believed to be the first woman hitting coach employed by an MLB organization. Last year, the San Francisco Giants made Alyssa Nakken the first female coach on a major league staff. Bianca Smith begins working as a Boston Red Sox minor league coach this season, making her the first Black woman to serve as an onfield coach.