Jen Pawol Takes in Making History During Braves Doubleheader

When Jen Pawol stepped onto the field for the Atlanta Braves doubleheader against the Marlins, she had a task she knew so well, but one that was new and exciting at the same time. 

She received a round of applause from the crowd. The moment they were taking part in wasn’t lost on them. Once Braves starter Hurston Walderp throws the first pitch of the game, she will officially become the first woman to umpire a regular-season MLB game. 

Family and friends came out to see her, even ones she hadn’t spoken to in years. They all wanted to make sure they were there for what would be one of the greatest days of her life and also a historic moment. 

Being the first means balancing what comes with it and still tackling the job at hand. That wasn’t lost on Pawol, and for her, it was extra motivation. 

“It’s just fuel for the fire,” she said. “We go out there and work harder tonight, harder tomorrow and just keep going.” 

By the end of the doubleheader, Pawol had umpired at first base for the first game and moved over to third base for the second game. 

The moment she waited, working 10 years in the minors for, was finally complete. 

“The dream actually came true today,” she said after the first game. “I’m still living in it. I’m just so grateful to my family, to Major League Baseball for creating such an amazing work environment to all the umpires that I work with. We have just amazing camaraderie, and we’re having fun out there.”

The hat she wore in the first game is bound for Cooperstown, where it will be on display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame for the quarter of a million visitors it gets each year to see. 

Those who played in the game and umpired alongside her felt the meaning of the game they got to take part in. 

“I had her in Triple-A a couple times. It’s really cool,” Waldrep said after the game. “I was able to congratulate her. That’s awesome for her. I know I can’t imagine how hard it is for her to have come up and, you know, everyone probably told her it was impossible, but to be able to be part of it. They made a big deal out of it, as it should be.” 

In Sunday’s series finale, she’ll get the honor of being behind the plate and calling the balls and strikes. After that, we’ll have to see where she goes next. She’s a rover, which means she doesn’t have a defined schedule for Major League games. 

But she’s gotten the chance. No one can take that away from her, and once the opportunity comes the first time, there’s a good chance it will come again. 

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