“Making History Here” – Rachel Balkovec Opens Up On Her Groundbreaking Journey As New York Yankees Minor League Manager

The world seems to be moving in the right direction with more and more women added to the workforce every passing year. One can only hope that their progression too continues at the same pace. And it is especially in these moments that flag-bearers and role models become increasingly important. It is perhaps for this reason that Rachel Balkovec’s recent promotion becomes even more important and celebrated.

The New York Yankees’ minor league coach was one to still underplay the progress her appointment has made. In a recent interview, Balkovec really underplayed how monumental her appointment could potentially be for women across the sport.

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While the full interview is still awaited, snippets from it give us a fair idea of what we have in store for us.

Rachel Balkovec opens up about her reaction

Balkovec revolutionary appointment came in 2022; when she was appointed as the manager of the lower An affiliate of the New York Yankees, the Tampa Bay Tarpons. Balkovec had previously been on the New York Yankees in a different capacity for a few years. On the roster as a hitting coach, this seemed to be the logical next step for Balkovec.

Said Balkovec, “It seemed so natural. They pitched it to me and I accepted pretty quickly.”

And while that may have been the trodden path for several appointments in the past, there was one pesky detail that was different for Balkovec. None of them were women.

Balkovec mentioned, though, that this did not mean she had never faced any discrimination. “It really felt like discrimination when I wasn’t sure if I was gonna be able to make a career out of this,” said Balkovec. However, her upward movement within the organization to her seemed like just every other day. Said Balkovec, “This just felt like a normal role change.”

Balkovec’s realization

Balkovec, while underplaying her excitement for the role, seemed to definitely appreciate how momentous the occasion was when people around her reacted to the news. Said Balkovec, “When I was telling people and they were shocked, that’s when I was like maybe this is kind of a big deal.”

But perhaps the host put it best as the snippet closes, “Making history here. No big deal!”

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Rachel Balkovec’s appointment certainly clears the way for a plethora of women to make their way in coaching and sets up effective role models. With organizations like the Yankees lending their hand in the movement by recognizing talent for talent, maybe a new wave of hires is just around the corner. But what do you think? Are female hires in the league really just a heartbeat away?