Amazon and "A League of Their Own" Are Teaming Up For Female Baseball Players

Story time. I once was a part of a co-ed baseball team when I was a little kid. Not only was the only girl on a team full of boys, but I was one of two girls in the entire little league period. While there were challenges and discrimination against young women in the league (yes even at the tender age of 9), the experience itself helped me developed the toughness and mental fortitude that I would need to eventually be a young woman working in the predominantly male dominated sports industry.

That experience, along with time playing tennis and basketball, is also the reason I was so attracted to this new project that Amazon Prime and A League of Their Own are teaming up on to honor female athletes.

Following the first pitch that was thrown by Maybelle Blair to Abbi Jacobson, the teams faced off on the diamond with professional softball players, Haley Cruse Mitchell, Rachel Garcia, Paige Halstead all playing ball. They were joined by Kelsie Whitmore, the first women to appear in the starting lineup of an Atlantic League baseball game, and Olympians, Amy Rodriguez, Ilona Maher, Tamyra Mensah Stock and Ibtihaj Muhammad, along with other inspiring athletes.

The letter was created in partnership with Prime Video and Baseball for All, a girls’ baseball nonprofit organization that builds gender equity by creating opportunities for girls to play, coach, and lead in the sport. Prime Video’s commitment to the organization will help communities grow girls’ involvement in youth baseball leagues and help girls deal with the discrimination that they face when entering into the male-dominated sport.  

Now let’s take a minute to talk some numbers here:

We’re all here to help dismantle that notion. We spoke with Jazmine Chase, Influencer Marketing Manager at Amazon Prime Video & Studios, to learn more about the project.

ONE37pm: What are some of the stereotypes that you guys hope to dismantle in terms of girls playing baseball?

Chase: The biggest stereotypes? I would say “no crying in baseball.” You really do cry! Whether it’s after a loss or celebrating your wins. Baseball is really for all of us.

ONE37pm: Okay, let’s talk about the letter. What sparked the idea and how important do you think it is in terms of current and future impact?

Chase: It’s really important! We were brainstorming marketing initiatives for A League of Their Own, and we realized that much hasn’t changed. There’s still no specific Major League Baseball team that has a woman on it. So we want to rally cry, and we are standing with women athletes more frequently.

We recently partnered with a youth baseball league for all of the different little league teams, and we placed 30,000 balls on the field. The Letter is something that all can come together to see their favorite teams in action, and get a glimpse of what their future holds. It was inspiring!

ONE37pm: Are there any other projects in the works that you can share?

Chase: All I can say is…stay tuned!

Be sure to watch A League of Their Own on Amazon Prime.