Pawol continues legacy behind the plate

This story was originally published on MiLB.com ahead of Jen Pawol's historic 2016 debut as an umpire in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. Since then, Pawol has called MLB Spring Training contests and games at the Single-A, High-A and Double-A levels. She also has been an instructor at the 2023 MLB Umpire Prospect Development Camp and will return to the field this season.

On Friday, Jen Pawol will make her professional umpiring debut as part of a two-person crew in the Gulf Coast League. In doing so, she'll become the first woman in nearly a decade to be employed as a Minor League Baseball umpire.

From Bernice Gera (1972) to Ria Cortesia (1999-2007), just six female umpires have ever worked on a Minor League field. None of the half-dozen made it past Triple-A, as Major League Baseball has yet to employ a woman umpire outside of a Spring Training game. Pawol is, of course, aware of the extra scrutiny that is accompanying her transition to the professional ranks.

"For me, personally, I just love doing the job," Pawol said. "I'm passionate about it, and it's just part of who I am."

Here, she paused.

"The other topics coming up recently, they're not things I have control over. I can control my hustle, my calls, my professionalism. But gender and color and things like that, no one can control those. I can see why people are talking about it, asking those questions, because of the rarity of women being involved. I'm just hoping it might inspire more girls and women to get involved. It's so much fun, and the men I've met in both Major and Minor League Baseball have been so wonderful and friendly.

"Everyone just wants to learn and get better. So that's where I'm at with these questions."

Pawol (pronounced "Powell") attended the 2016 Minor League Baseball Umpire Training Academy in Vero Beach, Florida, and her performance there led to a spot in the MiLB Advanced Course.

"Jen worked extremely hard during the Umpire Training Academy and proved herself during a very competitive Advanced Course to earn this assignment," Minor League Baseball director of umpire development Dusty Dellinger said in a press release.

"We are pleased to have someone of her talent joining the professional umpiring ranks and I'm confident she'll do a great job."

Pawol, a lifelong athlete, attended Hofstra University on a softball scholarship and later spent 10 seasons playing at the Amateur Softball Association Major Fast Pitch level.

"I've been umpiring now for 11 years," she said. "I was a catcher, and six years ago, I decided to stop playing competitively and go into umpiring. I decided I wanted to do this full-time as a pro umpire and took a more aggressive approach."

A resident of Binghamton, New York, Pawol joined New York's Endicott Umpires Chapter, and later, the Central Florida Officials Association. She has since umpired extensively in both states, saying working college softball games soon created "a pathway of opportunity to the Big 10."

"I took an aggressive approach to pushing my future doing all kinds of games, all kinds of tournaments. So I'm pretty well-rounded as an umpire. I just love it, I absolutely love it. ... Where as a player you're making the game happen, as an umpire it passes through you. I thought that was amazing, and I love the camaraderie and the friendships that I've made. The umps I've met all these years are just the best people ever, very dear friends, and these are friendships I don't think would have developed otherwise. It's just different and very rewarding."

Pawol also runs a training facility near her home, working with kids to develop their baseball and softball skills, and in some cases, their umpiring skills as well.

"Once they get their driver's license, I teach them how to ump for baseball and softball," she said. "I'm really proud of the kids who have come through, especially the one that go into umpiring. They didn't think they could do it. Well, 'Come with me! Come with me!' They're now making money doing something that they love."

Pawol also is making money doing something she loves. But she knows that the road from the Gulf Coast League -- a circuit that plays its games on Florida's Spring Training backlots -- to "The Show" will be a long one.

"I'm not getting younger, so let's see if I can do this," she said. "I'm in good shape still and have the personality to be on the road and like it. The travel. Being on my own. I'll give it my best shot. If it turns into more, great. If not, I'm still getting to learn from the best umpires. … Each and every umpire that has crossed my path, especially in professional baseball, is dear to my heart. Being around men who are so elite in the field, when you rub shoulders with them, stuff comes off."

When asked whether she thinks being a woman within an overwhelmingly male sphere will be a hindrance to her progress, Pawol deferred.

"Maybe ask me that in a few weeks. Up until now, I can only talk about what has happened," she said. "I've noticed over the years that the players and coaches just appreciate the hustle and athleticism and that I take the game seriously. Once they see that, the first impression is over, so to speak. If I give them respect and they give me respect, then it's just like any other job where men and women are working together."

So why should the Gulf Coast League be any different?

"At this level, getting the call right has to be the focus. All the time! And this is very hard," said Pawol with a laugh. "Even for people who've done it, guys who've done the World Series multiple times, they admit that they never stop learning. They never think they know it all, because something is going to happen that they've never seen before. So just stay humble and stay focused.

"I'm extremely excited, and I feel really prepared and confident. I think it's time to get on the field now. Let's get the games in. Let's do it."