Justine Siegal, a trailblazer in baseball, co-founded the Women's Pro Baseball League (WPBL) and reflects on her journey from faced setbacks to become a leading figure in the sport. Since the MLB lifted its ban on women in 1992, she made history as the first female coach for a professional team and in the majors. Siegal emphasizes the importance of women playing baseball together, cultivating camaraderie, and creating a pipeline for future talent. As she prepares for the WPBL's launch in 2026, Siegal embraces the challenge of building a league and acknowledges the legacy she aims to inspire.
There's something special about girls playing with other girls. One, they're no longer the girl, they're just ballplayers. Two, there's a lot of camaraderie. And three, there's a pipeline that can be created.
I felt like I'd earned my spot, but I also knew that it was kind of amazing to be there at the same time.
He just laughed at me and said, 'No man will ever listen to a woman on a baseball field.' I started thinking, 'Who's he to decide what I'm going to do?' So I went on this big pursuit.
I welcome the challenge of building a league from scratch and am grateful that there are examples to follow.
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