LAKELAND, Fla. -- Rachel Balkovec signed some autographs, drew a nice ovation when she was introduced and posed for a picture at home plate.
Then it was time to get to work. The manager of a New York Yankees minor league team had a game to run.
But on this Friday night, the fact that Balkovec had become the first woman to manage an affiliate of a Major League Baseball team called for even more recognition. So as she ran from the dugout of Class A Tampa Tarpons to coach first base before the top of the second inning, a chant broke out at Joker Marchant Stadium.