Yanks' Balkovec living 'American dream' with manager role | KOB 4

In the clubhouse? She hasn’t seen any of that toxicity there. Balkovec was introduced Wednesday as manager of the New York Yankees’ Low A affiliate in the Florida State League. In taking over the Tampa Tarpons, Balkovec will become the first female manager in the history of affiliated baseball, an appointment 10 years in the making for the former college softball player. “If you know my story and you have a pulse, I think it’s pretty hard not to get behind what’s going on here,” she said. Nearly a decade after changing her name on resumes to disguise her gender and break into baseball, the 34-year-old has smashed several barriers en route to this title. She was the first woman to serve as a full-time minor league strength and conditioning coach, then the first to be a full-time hitting coach in the minors. This promotion – a year after former Yankees employee Kim Ng became the majors’ first female general manager with the Miami Marlins – is different. Balkovec will run the clubhouse in Tampa, charged with overseeing the development of future big leaguers for one of the most famous sports franchises in the world. “The players that I’ve worked…
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