Diamondbacks minor league affiliate promotes woman to become team’s

The Hillsboro Hops, the High-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, have promoted Ronnie Gajownik to be their manager for the 2023 season.

Gajownik is the second woman to be a manager in professional baseball — the New York Yankees’ Low-A Tampa Tarpons hired Rachel Balkovec to manage their club last year. 

Gajownik is now is the first woman to be a manager at the High-A level.

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“It feels great to this opportunity, especially with the Diamondbacks,” Gajownik said in a statement. “They saw my potential in me as a coach and as a person, and then obviously taking that chance with me last year. So this opportunity means a lot to me. Hopefully, everybody who’s been involved with me and also hopefully all the little girls and the women who are seeing this know that if you’re qualified, you can do it. And… that’s all you need to be. If you’re qualified, you can go ahead and do whatever it is you’re passionate about.”

“On behalf of the entire organization, we congratulate Ronnie on this significant milestone as she becomes the second female team manager in Minor League Baseball and at the highest developmental level,” said Arizona’s team president and CEO Derrick Hall. “We look forward to witnessing her continued growth within player development as she shapes and develops the future stars of the D-backs, while continuing to be a tremendous point of pride for the enterprise.”

Diamondbacks farm director Josh Barfield cited Gajownik’s leadership qualities and experience with baseball as to why she got the job. She served as a first base coach for the Double-A Amarillo Sod Poodles last year after original first base coach Javier Colina needed surgery.

General view of Chase Field in Phoenix before a game between the…