Former World Series champs, All-Stars among those managing in 1st WPBL season

The Women’s Pro Baseball League, the only professional women’s baseball league in the United States, will begin its inaugural season on Aug. 1 at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Ill.

And the managers for the four inaugural teams of the WPBL -- the Boston Hunters, Los Angeles Queens, New York Heights and San Francisco Firebells -- are notable baseball figures who bring a wealth of playing and coaching experience to their respective clubs.

Former Major League players Keith Foulke, Matt Williams and Eric Young, as well as women’s pro baseball pioneer Rachelle “Rocky” Henley, will be at the helm during the WPBL’s historic first season.

“We are thrilled to assemble a world-class group of leaders who can elevate the game and inspire the next generation of ballplayers,” said WPBL Commissioner Justine Siegal. “With Matt, Keith, Eric and Rocky, we have a mix of unmatched Major League experience and true pioneers of women’s baseball. This is going to be a historic season.”

Foulke will manage the Boston Hunters. He was a reliever for the Giants, White Sox, A’s and Red Sox over an 11-year Major League career from 1997-2008, posting a career 3.33 ERA with 191 saves. He is remembered for closing out Game 4 of the 2004 World Series for Boston, securing the franchise’s first World Series championship in 86 years.

Williams will take the helm for the San Francisco Firebells. He was a five-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove Award winner as a third baseman from 1987-2003. He spent the first 10 seasons of his MLB career with the Giants, then one season with Cleveland and six with the D-backs, helping Arizona win the World Series in 2001.

Williams then became a coach and later managed the Nationals in 2014 and ’15, winning the National League Manager of the Year Award in 2014. He was most recently the third base coach for the Giants.

Young will manage the Los Angeles Queens. He was a second baseman and outfielder in the Majors from 1992-2006, playing for the Dodgers, Rockies, Cubs, Brewers, Giants, Rangers and Padres. He was a 1996 All-Star and Silver Slugger Award winner with Colorado, also leading the NL with 53 steals that year.

Following his playing career, Young became a coach, most recently serving as first base coach for the Braves.

Henley will lead the New York Heights in the next chapter of a pioneering career in which she has been a player, coach and mentor in women’s baseball. She played for the Colorado Silver Bullets, a women’s pro team coached by Hall of Famer Phil Niekro from 1994-97, and then became a highly respected coach and mentor in the Bay Area.

“I am honored and blessed for being in this position as the first female to manage in the Women’s Pro Baseball League,” Henley said. “I want to commit to this role not only to be a role model for girls, but also show that this can be a pathway for other women in baseball. … I thank the women who came before me who did not have this amazing opportunity -- it has not gone unnoticed.”

Former Major League starting pitcher Dave Stewart, who pitched for the Dodgers, Rangers, Phillies, A's and Blue Jays from 1978-95 and was named the MVP of the 1989 World Series, is an official advisor to the WPBL and will support the new managers and provide strategic advice to the league on an ongoing basis.