The Red Sox have hired Katie Krall as its minor league coach, making the franchise the first to hire two women on their coaching staffs.
Last year, the club hired Bianca Smith, making her the first Black woman to coach professional baseball. According to the Boston Globe, she will be promoted to a full-time coaching role in Fort Myers (Fla.) this year.
Krall spent the 2020 and '21 seasons working as a baseball operations analyst for Boston's front office. Now, she's the new development coach for the Double A Portland Sea Dogs, per the Globe. Her twin sister, Annie Krall, confirmed the Globe's report of Katie's hiring as she tweeted, “Can’t wait to see Katie Krall in a uniform on the field!! In case anyone was still unsure… my twin sister is the coolest glass ceiling crusher out there! But maybe I’m a little biased.”
“I’m glad I’m able to be a resource to help," Smith told the Globe. “I’m excited to work with her. We’ve already talked about how we’ve got to get a picture when we’re together at spring training, because that’s going to be history in itself — that an organization has two women.
“It’s kind of sad that it’s still a big deal, but we’re both really excited about it.”
Eleven women will be coaching in affiliated baseball as of Friday, according to the Globe, eight of whom have been hired since the beginning of 2021. Earlier this week, Rachel Balkovec was introduced as the manager of the Tampa Bay Tarpons, the Yankees' Low A affiliate. Balkovec is the first woman to be hired as a minor league manager, signifying the change that's coming to the sport.
