New women’s pro baseball league turns long-held dreams into reality at Red Sox spring home
Kelsie Whitmore stood near third base at JetBlue Park and looked around at her new norm. Women baseball players from around the world tossed balls back and forth, sharing laughs and taking pointers from major league coaches. In less than five months, they will play in the first women's professional baseball league in the United States in more than 70 years.
FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Kelsie Whitmore stood near third base at JetBlue Park and looked around at her new norm. Women baseball players from around the world tossed balls back and forth, sharing laughs and taking pointers from major league coaches.
In less than five months, they will play in the first women's professional baseball league in the United States in more than 70 years. “I never thought this would ever happen for me in my prime career,” said Whitmore, a standout pitcher and outfielder who has won multiple medals playing for the U. S.
women’s national baseball team. “I never thought it was ever going to happen, truly. ” Reality set in Wednesday for Whitmore and players from the Women's Pro Baseball League.
The upstart league is taking part in a two-day event in Fort Myers, Florida, at the spring training home of the Boston Red Sox in preparation for the launch of its eight-week season on August 1. The Red Sox have hosted women's baseball camps for a decade and welcomed several of the WPBL's stars for drills on Wednesday. Among them were veteran Japanese pitcher Ayami Sato and former Little League star Mo'ne Davis.