I will never forget the day in 2014 when I walked into a Bank of America in Cordova, Tennesee to deposit a check. The teller started to make small talk with me, which resulted in him asking what I do for a living. I replied “I work for the Memphis Redbirds (Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals)”. I half expected him to smile and say “wow, that’s so cool”, instead he laughed in my face and said “oh, you looking for a husband?!”. I was immediately taken aback. Never in my life had I heard someone make such a gendered biased comment with no regard on the consequences. This moment could’ve crushed my, or any young girl’s, dream but I refused to let this be the end of my story.
I am a dreamer. Not small, easily achievable dreams, no-- I dream big. As a woman with a Bachelor’s degree in Sport Management, I am constantly met with laughs and scoffs when I tell others about my dream to be a lawyer/agent in Major League Baseball. “Baseball is a man’s business, you’ll never make it” the adversaries always spout out of their mouths like fire. Many women would bow down in defeat and choose a different career path, but I always respond to these people with a large grin and say “Watch me”.
Little do these adversaries know, but I have had a lengthy career in baseball even at my young age. I spent 6 seasons in Minor League Baseball working for the Memphis Redbirds in various roles like promotional squad member, on-field emcee, and scoreboard operator. The connections made at the Triple-A level presented the opportunity to work as the Spring Training Media Relations Intern for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2017. This role was a dream come true for me, an avid Cardinals fan. I spent two months escorting players like Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina to various interviews and appearances, posting Dexter Fowler’s crazy antics on social media, and helping players’ wives grant a Make A Wish for a St. Louis native. I enjoyed every moment of this internship, but one thing was glaringly apparent to me while spending my days at Roger Dean Stadium- the lack of women present. There was not a single woman in an executive role or acting as a player agent. I felt a ting in my heart that I was called for more, for what, I wasn’t sure yet.
The summer of 2017, came across an article about a woman named Kate Cassidy who served as in-house council for the Texas Rangers. As I read countless paragraphs about her efforts in gaining television rights, concession stand contracts, and player negotiations, I was inspired by how one woman was able to make such an impact on an organization. One of her peers was quoted saying baseball needs more women like Kate in high-profile roles and I immediately began to cry, and everything became crystal clear: I want to be a lawyer in Major League Baseball. This led me to look into Sports Law programs where I came across Arizona State University. After doing a lot of research and being so impressed with their faculty and staff (umm hello, MLB Commissioner Emertius Bud Selig ended up being my professor for crying out loud!!!), I decided the desert was where I belonged.
Throughout my time at ASU, I found a new fascination with MLB salary arbitration. I love how it combines statistics from my Media Relations background with the legal side of sport. After some soul searching, I believe I want to pursue salary arbitration from a player’s perspective in my future—this requiring me to become an agent. I am now studying and looking to gain my agent registration with the MLB Players Association within the next year, while also taking the LSAT (AHH! My first LSAT is in September!) to attend law school in the near future.
I want to be the lone woman sitting in a conference room full of men discussing an athlete’s top dollar amount or negotiating endorsement deals. Mostly, I want to be an example for little girls who dream. I want girls to have a role model like me to look up to when they are being told they can’t go into a male-saturated field, because it is possible with hard work and a positive attitude. Baseball is a magical sport full of so many amazing facets and intricacies. I strive to make the diamond sparkle just a bit brighter.