Baseball pioneer Christine Wren comments on Jen Pawol's appointment as MLB's first female umpire: "Long overdue"
Historic Milestone for Jen Pawol: First Female Umpire in Major League Baseball
Jen Pawol is set to make history as the first female umpire in a regular-season Major League Baseball (MLB) game. Her journey to this milestone is intertwined with Christine Wren, a pioneering female umpire in professional baseball during the 1970s.
Wren, along with Pam Postema and Ria Cortesio, served as mentors and inspirations to Pawol as she navigated her way through the minor leagues. Pawol's passion for baseball started as a catcher, but it was Wren's story that inspired her to become an umpire.
The connection between these two trailblazers began when Pawol read a cover story by Adam Jude for the Times' Pacific NW Magazine five years ago about Wren, the first woman to work as a full-time umpire in professional baseball. Pawol reached out to Wren, and the two connected, carrying on conversations and exchanging emails as Pawol made her way through the minor leagues.
Wren was initially a reluctant interview subject and had to be convinced to share her story. However, she eventually relented and shared her story over a series of phone interviews during the 2020 COVID summer. Wren was thrilled when she learned that Pawol would make history as MLB's first female umpire and wrote that she was glad that baseball will be getting a great umpire in Jen Pawol.
Pawol's first two seasons as an umpire, in 1975 and 1976, she usually wore a long ponytail behind her black umpire's hat. But for the 1977 season, Wren, the first woman to work as a full-time umpire in professional baseball, cut her hair short to blend in more on the field. Baseball culture at the time, as Wren came to understand, simply didn't know what to do with a woman umpire.
Pawol has worked over 1,200 minor-league games and has faced her fair share of challenges. One such challenge came during her first season working in the Northwest League circuit in 1975, when she was hit by a foul ball that fractured her right collarbone. But Wren, like Pawol, did not let the injury stop her. She finished out the final six weeks of the season as scheduled without telling anyone about the injury.
On Sunday, Jen Pawol will umpire behind the plate in an MLB game, marking a significant historic progression from Wren's time in the 1970s to Pawol's MLB debut in 2025. Pawol credits these trailblazers, including Wren, for paving the way and influencing her career path.
It is worth noting that other sports have also made strides in gender diversity in recent years. It is 28 years since the gender barrier for game officials was broken in the NBA, 10 years since the NFL hired its first full-time female official, and three years since the men's soccer World Cup employed a female referee. However, the NHL still has not had a woman work as an on-ice official.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Pawol listed Wren among the people she needed to thank for this opportunity. Wren came out to Tacoma to watch Pawol work a Triple-A series with the Tacoma Rainiers a couple of years ago, and Pawol credits her with being a source of inspiration and encouragement throughout her career.
As Pawol makes history on Sunday, she will undoubtedly be thinking of Wren and the other trailblazers who paved the way for her to break the gender barrier in MLB. Their legacy will live on as Pawol continues to make her mark in the world of professional sports.
Jen Pawol, about to make history as the first female umpire in a regular-season Major League Baseball (MLB) game, shares a connection with Christine Wren, a pioneer in this field who helped inspire her. Pawol's passion for baseball led her to emulate Wren's career, who served as a full-time umpire in professional baseball during the 1970s. The Seattle Mariners and the Seattle Seahawks, local sports teams in Seattle, will undoubtedly celebrate Pawol's historic accomplishment in the world of sports.
