Dodgers' all-girls clinic bolsters effort to grow game

LOS ANGELES -- Historically, girls who play baseball age out of it around 9 years old, by some estimates, at which point they’re expected to transition to softball.

Organizations like the Ball Girls Baseball Corporation seek to ensure that baseball remains an option for all children, regardless of gender.

As part of the Dodgers Love L.A. Community Tour presented by Bank of America, the Dodgers on Tuesday hosted a baseball clinic for the nonprofit organization and all-girls baseball league while also making a donation to the group. Ball Girls Baseball was founded by Allie Lacey, one of the Dodgers’ ball girls.

The 70 attendees, aged 7-21, had the opportunity to participate in baseball drills and receive instruction from members of the Dodgers’ coaching staff. Will Smith and Justin Turner took part in the festivities, as did special assistant to the GM Ron Roenicke, first-base coach Clayton McCullough and third-base coach Dino Ebel, among others.

Both Smith and Turner pitched to the participants as part of a Home Run Derby, with Smith throwing to the older group and Turner to the younger group. Smith said he was impressed with the quality of the swings he saw, and he hopes that efforts like this ensure a future for the game that is more equitable.

“I thought it was a great opportunity to kind of grow the game,” said Smith. “We see more and more female coaches in the Major Leagues, Minor Leagues, managing, coaching and all that. It's important for the game to progress. For years down the road, kids are the future of this game. Eventually, they're going to be big leaguers, they’re going to be coaches, they're going to be staff, and they’re fans as well. So it's just growing the game to as good as it can be.”

Certainly, women’s involvement throughout all levels of professional baseball has increased in recent years. In 2020, Kim Ng was hired as Marlins general manager, making her the first woman to hold that title for any major North American men’s sports team. That same season, Alyssa Nakken, Major League assistant coach to Giants manager Gabe Kapler, became the first woman to become a full-time coach in the Majors. Rachel Balkovec became the first woman to serve as a full-time manager with an MLB-affiliated team this season when she took the helm of the Tampa Tarpons, the Single-A affiliate of the Yankees. And those are just a few examples.

As women continue to make their mark in the baseball world, one big question remains: Will we ever see women playing in the Majors?

“I’d be all for it,” said Smith. “There’s going to be a long road, but if they can play, they deserve to be here.”