For 146 years that the MLB was founded, only one female umpire has ever been hired. Her name is Bernice Gera.
Gera was working as a secretary, and married. Until one night in her mid-thirties, she had an idea to become an umpire. And in 1967 she enrolled in the Florida Baseball School. During this time, umpiring was strictly a male profession, so while she was at this school, she had to stay at a motel since there was no room for her. Even excelling her courses and training, she was rejected by the National Association of Baseball Leagues.
She then went to court to fight with the NABL. On January 13, 1972, she won the case and ended the discrimination which opened the doors to becoming the first female umpire.
However, on her first game she reffed she reversed a call she made, leading people to say that her first mistake was putting on the umpire uniform. She later quit because the other umpires that worked with her wouldn't cooperate with her.
Her husband, Steve Gera quoted his wife, "Bernice would always say, 'I could beat them in the courts, but I can't beat them on the field."
To this day, there hasn't been another female umpire in all the history of the game.
Gera was working as a secretary, and married. Until one night in her mid-thirties, she had an idea to become an umpire. And in 1967 she enrolled in the Florida Baseball School. During this time, umpiring was strictly a male profession, so while she was at this school, she had to stay at a motel since there was no room for her. Even excelling her courses and training, she was rejected by the National Association of Baseball Leagues.
She then went to court to fight with the NABL. On January 13, 1972, she won the case and ended the discrimination which opened the doors to becoming the first female umpire.
However, on her first game she reffed she reversed a call she made, leading people to say that her first mistake was putting on the umpire uniform. She later quit because the other umpires that worked with her wouldn't cooperate with her.
Her husband, Steve Gera quoted his wife, "Bernice would always say, 'I could beat them in the courts, but I can't beat them on the field."
To this day, there hasn't been another female umpire in all the history of the game.