The Seattle Mariners are helping shine a spotlight on the important role women play in the game of baseball with the Second Annual Women in Baseball event. On Tuesday, August 21, before the Mariners meet the Houston Astros, fans will have the chance to hear from an accomplished group of women with a diverse background in baseball.
Women In Baseball
The August 21 event is the part of the Beyond the Baselines series that highlights various aspects of the game that might not be apparent to casual observers or even avid fans.
Specially priced tickets are available starting at $27 exclusively at Mariners.com/Women. The ticket package includes a coupon for a free drink, View or Main Level game ticket and admission to a pregame event at the Outside Corner, which begins at 5:10 p.m. The program features a panel discussion among a group of women who work in various capacities in baseball. Deadline to purchase tickets is Monday, August 20 at 5:00 p.m. The panel will also be streamed on Facebook Live.
Pregame Panel
Moderated by The Hardball Times managing editor Meg Rowley, the panelists include Amanda Hopkins, Mariners area scout, Leslie Manning, Mariners Coordinator of Professional Development, Angie Mentink, ROOT SPORTS anchor/reporter, and Frances Traisman, Mariners Sr. Vice President of Sales.
Panelist Bios
Panel moderator Meg Rowley is Managing Editor for The Hardball Times and a contributing writer for FanGraphs. Her work has also appeared at Baseball Prospectus, Lookout Landing, Just A Bit Outside, and Vice Sports. She won the 2017 Society for American Baseball Research Analytics Conference Research Award in Contemporary Baseball Commentary for her piece "Let Ballparks Get Old." Meg became a fan of baseball when she was introduced to "the late-90s Mariners," a team that taught her "about the joy of winning, but also the thrilling disappointment and the small moments that snuff out a season." She lives in Seattle.
Amanda Hopkins, a former Central Washington University softball player, is in her third season as Mariners scout for the "Four Corners" area of Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. Prior to being hired in December 2015, Hopkins served as an intern in the Mariners scouting department. Hopkins, who played four years of softball at CWU, where she was team captain during her senior year, is the daughter of Ron Hopkins, assistant to the general manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Baseball America has reported that Hopkins is believed to be the first full-time female scout hired by a Major League team since the 1950s.
Leslie Manning, Mariners Coordinator of Professional Development, specializes in coach to athlete connection, personnel education, strategic decision-making and a holistic approach to clubhouse culture. She leads players, staff and executives to become the best version of themselves by providing tools, resources and metrics to refine their purpose, vision, goals and habits with intentional focus. Prior to joining the Mariners, she founded the company NextStep Baseball, worked for the Labor Relations Department at the MLB Office of the Commissioner in New York and in Baseball Operations for the Arizona Diamondbacks. She was honored in 2011 as the Minor League Baseball NYPL Executive of the Year.
Angie Mentink worked her way up from intern to Emmy Award-winning reporter and anchor for ROOT SPORTS. Angie's career in sports broadcasting came after an accomplished athletic career as an All-American softball player in college and with the Colorado Silver Bullets professional baseball team. While at the University of Washington, Angie became the first Husky softball player to earn All-Pac 10 and All-American honors while topping the Pac 10 in hits, runs and stolen bases. Her single-season records for batting average (.472), stolen bases (59) and career batting average (.429) are records that still stand, and earned her a place in the Husky Hall of Fame.
Frances Traisman, Mariners Sr. Vice President of Sales, is in her 23rd season with the team. She directs Mariners corporate business including sponsorship, business development, ticket sales and analytics. Frances worked her way up through the ranks of the Mariners business operations starting as a sales account executive in 1996. During her years at the Mariners, she has been instrumental in planning, development and marketing of various improvements to the Safeco Field fan experience including The 'Pen, Press Box Suite and All-Star Club. She also works closely with Major League Baseball on online initiatives to enhance the fan experience.