Oakland Ballers sign Kelsie Whitmore, who would be first woman to play in Pioneer League (2024)

Kelsie Whitmore — the first woman to sign a contract with an Atlantic League team in 2022 — is set to make history again. Whitmore has signed with the Oakland Ballers for their inaugural season and is poised to be the first woman to play in the Pioneer League, which began operations in 1939 and is currently an MLB partner league.

Whitmore, who was one of three players the Ballers signed following their open tryout in Oakland, Calif., on April 6, starred collegiately for Cal State Fullerton in softball and has been a member of the USA national women’s baseball team since 2014 as an outfielder and pitcher. In 2022, she was named USA Baseball Sportswoman of the Year. A native of Temecula, Calif., Whitmore first played professionally in 2016-17 for the Sonoma Stompers of the Northern California-based independent Pacific Association.

In 2022, she made history as the first woman to sign with an Atlantic League team when she agreed to a contract with the Staten Island FerryHawks. Whitmore played two seasons for the FerryHawks as both an outfielder and pitcher.

Whitmore was in talks with another team for the 2024 season when Ballers director of baseball operations Don Wakamatsu reached out. The longtime major-league manager and coach had heard about Whitmore through contacts and wanted to let her know about his team’s upcoming tryout. He wasn’t calling with an offer but instead, an opportunity to prove she could compete at the Pioneer League level. Never afraid of a challenge, Whitmore jumped at the opportunity.

“I actually really respected that because I wanted a fair shot to prove myself physically while competing,” she said. She and her dad spent the last month preparing for the tryout. When the day came last Saturday, she was confident she was ready to perform.

“To be honest, I wasn’t nervous one bit. I prepared mentally and physically to the point where I just felt ready,” she said. “There was no pressure within me. I’ve been in so many pressure moments, you get used to it. And all you can do when the moment comes is go all out and don’t overthink where your body needs to be, you just compete.

“I’m a firm believer in God. And so I just told myself, don’t be afraid of what you’re walking into, which is this tryout and you have all eyes on you. Just remember God’s with you no matter what, and you’re gonna be fine.”

Ballers manager Micah Franklin had never seen Whitmore play before the tryout, but as soon as he saw her pitch, he was thrilled.

“I’m so happy. I’m pumped,” Franklin said. “As soon as I saw her getting outs, I was like, ‘Hell yeah, I want her on our team.’ I’m a dad of three girls and I think it’s very, very important to show that you can do it.”

Franklin said signing Whitmore was about making the team better. He said Wakamatsu and team owners Paul Freedman and Bryan Carmel asked directly if the coaching staff believed Whitmore could compete in the league. Franklin was clear he believed she could.

“We didn’t sign her because of (her gender),” he said. “If I didn’t believe she can get outs, she wouldn’t have gotten signed.”

Whitmore is used to questions about whether she belongs on the same field as professional male baseball players. She said she’s learned over the years how to handle being the only woman on a team and the scrutiny that comes with it. She’s very aware of what she represents to younger women and girls looking to get into baseball and takes pride in setting a good example.

🇺🇸⚾ That Kelsie Whitmore pitch: *chef kiss* #BaseballWorldCupW pic.twitter.com/ddHdqZ5Urq

— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) August 12, 2023

“You want to give back and inspire,” Whitmore said. “I don’t think there’s any pressure with it. I just look at it as a privilege, as an opportunity to be able to encourage and empower and inspire and motivate individuals around me. And in this case, hopefully, all the younger girls that need it.

“It’s just a privilege to be a part of something like this, and I’m looking forward to it.”

Although Whitmore has been a two-way player for most of her professional career, she will be a pitcher only for the Ballers. Franklin envisions her coming out of the bullpen, where he believes she will be effective as a change-of-pace arm.

“I love the fact that she gives us a different look (out of the bullpen),” Franklin said.

Whitmore is looking forward to being able to concentrate only on pitching.

“When you’re focusing on a lot of things it’s hard to give 100 percent of yourself to all those little things,” she said. “I wanted to give all of me to one so I can be the best I can be at my job.

“I’m really looking forward to knowing that my role will be as a pitcher,” she added. “I can wake up, focus on that. I can fall asleep, focus on that and that’s it.”

In addition to Whitmore, the Ballers added infielder Andrew Martinez and right-hander Connor Caporale out of the tryout. The Ballers will open their inaugural season on May 21 at the Glacier Range Riders in Kalispell, Mont., and will play their home games at Raimondi Park in West Oakland. The historic field was where MLB legends Frank Robinson and Curt Flood (among others) played as youths. It’s currently undergoing a $1.6 million renovation set to be completed before the home opener on June 4.

Whitmore said one of the biggest highlights of her time playing for Staten Island was getting to know and become a part of the community there. She hopes to have the same opportunity in Oakland and is excited to be able to play in front of her Southern California-based family, including her grandparents, who haven’t seen her play professionally in years.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what I will be able to build now in the Northern California area,” she said. “Although it’s a new place, it’s still the same game.”

(Photo of Kelsie Whitmore with Staten Island in 2022: Al Bello / Getty Images)