Why Women in Baseball is MIA

MAJOR BLOGS - www.majorblogs.net - OPINION - This is the slot where the nice story on the "Women in Baseball" meeting, a new event for MiLB, should have gone.

I say "should have gone," because coverage of the event was blocked by Steve Densa, the new PR honcho for the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues (the NA). The organizers of the event, who worked hard to get it on to the agenda, were delighted that we wanted to cover it. They just needed an okay.

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"Who do you know at our office?" said the nice woman at the door who wanted me to come in.

"Most everybody, but I've known Steve Densa almost the ten years that we've been operating," I told her.

"Well let me just check..."

There was a brief cell phone call, followed by a couple of "uh-huhs" and then I was told, with great apology, that I would not be admitted.

It was a shame. It was a shame for the all-female audience of the guest speaker, who I also understood to be a woman in the business. Honoring their achivements, and looking ahead to their success in the future of this business is an important story, part of NA president Pat O'Conner's vision of diversifying the front offices of MiLB, and one that I did not see Baseball Advanced Media (MLB.com/MiLB.com) chafing at the bit to cover. 

Shame on Steve Densa, for going all Baseball Kremlin again at the cost of a story on a groundbreaking event that makes MiLB look good.

To the Women in Baseball meeting organizers and participants: For all that you do, and have done, I truly salute you, and wish that we could have published a story about this very important first event at the Baseball Winter Meetings.

Comments

[Lairderg]

We were THAT close? Damn! I blog (and am working on a book) about the "underground" women's baseball movement in the United States. (www.open.salon.com, under Lairderg) The ground is shifting, and those powers-that-be will not be able to keep professional baseball from women too much longer. Thank you for your support.