Red Sox Hire Bianca Smith, First Black Woman To Coach Professional Baseball

The Boston Red Sox announced a historic hire on Monday (January 4.)

Bianca Smith will join the organization as minor league coach based at its development facility in Fort Myers, Florida, making her the first Black woman to coach professional baseball, the Red Sox confirmed on their official Twitter account.

“I think it’s a great opportunity also to just kind of inspire other women who are interested in this game,” Smith said in an interview with MLB Network after confirmed reports of her hiring. “This is not something I thought about when I was younger and I kind of fell into it being an athlete, so I’m excited to get that chance to show what I can do.”

Smith had most recently worked as an assistant baseball coach and hitting coordinator at Carroll University, a private liberal arts college in Waukesha Wisconsin, after having previously served roles for youth academies for the Cincinnati Reds and Texas Rangers organizations, as well as serving as an intern with the Major League Baseball corporate office, according to her LinkedIn account.

“She was a great candidate coming in,” Red Sox vice president of player development Ben Crockett told the Boston Globe. “She’s had some really interesting experiences and has been passionate about growing her skill set and development herself.”

Smith joins a growing number of women breaking baseball barriers over the past year. Last season, Alyssa Nakken became the first woman to coach a professional baseball game while coaching first base in an exhibition game for the San Francisco Giants in July.

In November, the Miami Marlins hired Kim Ng, who became the first woman and Asian American general manager in the history of Major League Baseball.

The Red Sox are scheduled to begin participating in spring training on February 27.

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