ATLANTA — Jen Pawol felt love and support from fans, family, peers and players as she made history as the first female umpire to work a Major League Baseball regular-season game.
“It was amazing when we took the field,” Pawol said. “It seemed like quite a few people were clapping and calling my name. That was pretty intense and emotional.”
Pawol’s much-anticipated debut came as the first base umpire for Saturday’s first game of a doubleheader between the Atlanta Braves and the Miami Marlins. It was a smooth debut.
“She did a good job,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “You can tell she knows what she does.”
Pawol said she had a group of about 30 friends and family members, including her father, at the game, and she immediately identified a major difference of working in a major league stadium: Those familiar faces were not so easy to find at Truist Park.