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Post by vermontsox1 on Dec 31, 2020 12:42:37 GMT -5
Pretty cool.
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cdj
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Post by cdj on Dec 31, 2020 12:58:23 GMT -5
Nice to see the org breaking barriers. Almost makes up for not getting Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays!
In all seriousness this is terrific, she must be a pretty special person.
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gerry
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Post by gerry on Dec 31, 2020 13:36:19 GMT -5
Nice to see the org breaking barriers. Almost makes up for not getting Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays! In all seriousness this is terrific, she must be a pretty special person. Ends the Sox 2020 on a very high note. Awesome news on all sides and breaking through this particular glass ceiling is a point of pride for Sox fans. 2021 already looks a bit brighter. Go Bianca. Go Sox. |
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Post by Oregon Norm on Dec 31, 2020 13:42:49 GMT -5
Do we know where she'll be assigned? She's got experience as a hitting coach and I'm interested to find out who she'll be working with.
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Post by chr31ter on Dec 31, 2020 13:56:12 GMT -5
Well, that's pretty cool.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Dec 31, 2020 14:30:47 GMT -5
Do we know where she'll be assigned? She's got experience as a hitting coach and I'm interested to find out who she'll be working with. Article says Fort Myers. |
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cdj
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Post by cdj on Dec 31, 2020 15:31:01 GMT -5
We’ve seen the impact Ferreira has had on the org, excited to see what Smith brings to the table
Not to sound too nerdy or insensitive to the significance of this but there’s definitely a market inefficiency when it comes to women in sports and hopefully the Red Sox continue to take advantage of it. It’s not only the right thing to do- it’s the smart thing to do. Increase the talent pool to pick from.
It’s a nice thing to see a day after Becky Hammon was the head coach of the Spurs. Legitimate strides are being made
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Post by Oregon Norm on Jan 2, 2021 0:45:14 GMT -5
Do we know where she'll be assigned? She's got experience as a hitting coach and I'm interested to find out who she'll be working with. Article says Fort Myers. Had not read the article, so thanks.
With the Sox expanding their training regime in the GCL, that makes sense. It looks as if they're incorporating the staff skills they'll need when they bring new talent into the organization. |
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Post by carmenfanzone on Jan 2, 2021 12:13:04 GMT -5
So hate to be the one who asks, but does anybody know if she is any good as a coach? Have any of the hitters she had at her previous job shown improvement? Been drafted? I want the Red Sox to hire the best people available and do not care what race or sex they are. Do we have any reason to believe she is the best person availalbe?
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Post by incandenza on Jan 2, 2021 12:46:55 GMT -5
So hate to be the one who asks, but does anybody know if she is any good as a coach? Have any of the hitters she had at her previous job shown improvement? Been drafted? I want the Red Sox to hire the best people available and do not care what race or sex they are. Do we have any reason to believe she is the best person availalbe? The reason to believe that is that they hired her.
It's funny that when someone belongs to a group that is vastly underrepresented in a given field, it's their qualifications that get put under scrutiny, not the members of the group that are vastly overrepresented in the field. (How often do we question the qualifications of the Sox' minor league coaching hires?) But it stands to reason that the one belonging to the underrepresented group would be better at the job, all else being equal, right? Like, it's not a coincidence that Jackie Robinson was a very damn good major leaguer.
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Post by Don Caballero on Jan 2, 2021 13:17:18 GMT -5
So hate to be the one who asks, but does anybody know if she is any good as a coach? Have any of the hitters she had at her previous job shown improvement? Been drafted? I want the Red Sox to hire the best people available and do not care what race or sex they are. Do we have any reason to believe she is the best person availalbe? I understand where you're coming from, but that's a bad way to look at it since the question you asked in reverse makes a lot more sense. Do we have any reason to believe she is NOT the best person available? |
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gerry
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Post by gerry on Jan 2, 2021 13:22:17 GMT -5
Why would the Sox hire her unless they valued her skills and track record above all other considerations? And it’s about time. Bianca Smith is, in fact, a college hitting coach. She is moving up into pro ball because she is apparently good at it.
It is remarkable, to me, that despite the long success of women in all sports, as players and coaches, that only now has the door finally opened to coaching in pro baseball. Add the well documented wisdom, insights and skills of women in developing talented, responsible young men (as in moms, big sisters, teachers, for example) which has been overlooked in baseball until now.
I have no doubt that pioneer Bianca Smith is just the leading edge of personnel moves to improve the level of play and confidence of young Red Sox players in Ft. Myers, as well as of the crusty codger traditional coaches and staff. Between Ferreira, Ng and Smith, baseball has
finally engaged the power of the 21st century’s drive towards functional equality.
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Post by vermontsox1 on Jan 2, 2021 13:28:50 GMT -5
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Post by Oregon Norm on Jan 2, 2021 14:20:32 GMT -5
This is interesting. Her background and interests in baseball - and sport in general - go far beyond coaching. It's easy to predict that with her educational background she'll be moving up in the organization, probably into the front office at some point. This is probably a way to get her familiar with the organization at all stages of what will be a more tightly managed minor league system given the recent changes to MiLB. She's a perfect candidate because she also has coaching experience. That should facilitate her transition into that position with the Sox. She obviously had a plan and has been working through it. |
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Jan 2, 2021 15:08:11 GMT -5
Again, read the article, people.
She's being brought in as something like a GCL assistant hitting coach. It's not like they're handing her the keys to the future of the organization. Because, to be fair, she doesn't have the longest resume.
This hiring is a good thing because expanding hiring in baseball beyond "white, Ivy League-educated male" is a good thing. Expanding the base of viewpoints and experiences leads to a better hiring base and better hires. That the organization is willing to be progressive and hire outside that box is a positive sign.
I knew we'd eventually get the "but is she any good?" response because someone was eventually going to miss the point. Nobody is saying that Bianca Smith is going to turn around the fortunes of the organization's hitting prospects. The point is that her hiring is a very positive indicator that the Red Sox are going to look wherever they need to in order to make the best hires possible. That hasn't always been the case for this organization or in the game writ large. The important thing here is what the hiring represents.
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Post by carmenfanzone on Jan 2, 2021 15:21:04 GMT -5
Again, read the article, people. She's being brought in as something like a GCL assistant hitting coach. It's not like they're handing her the keys to the future of the organization. Because, to be fair, she doesn't have the longest resume. This hiring is a good thing because expanding hiring in baseball beyond "white, Ivy League-educated male" is a good thing. Expanding the base of viewpoints and experiences leads to a better hiring base and better hires. That the organization is willing to be progressive and hire outside that box is a positive sign. I knew we'd eventually get the "but is she any good?" response because someone was eventually going to miss the point. Nobody is saying that Bianca Smith is going to turn around the fortunes of the organization's hitting prospects. The point is that her hiring is a very positive indicator that the Red Sox are going to look wherever they need to in order to make the best hires possible. That hasn't always been the case for this organization or in the game writ large. The important thing here is what the hiring represents. |
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Post by carmenfanzone on Jan 2, 2021 15:43:16 GMT -5
Below is from her page at the Carroll University baseball web site. The line about coaching with the Reds and Rangers indicates she may have some experience. Would have been nice to read that Carroll University lead the league in hitting or something like that but I couldn't find any stats on the web page.
Bianca Smith will begin serving as the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance and Administration on August 15, 2019.
Previously, Smith served as the Athletics Compliance Assistant at Case Western Reserve University from July 2015 to May 2017. Smith assisted their athletic department transition files and records to an electronic database, ran annual team compliance meetings, created monthly compliance newsletters, and ensured all student athletes were remaining NCAA and CWRU compliant. Other experience includes coaching and assisting with the Cincinnati Reds and the Texas Rangers organizations, and as an intern with the Major League Baseball corporate office.
Smith obtained a Masters of Business Administration in sports management and an emphasis in organizational behavior from Weatherhead School of Management in Cleveland, Ohio. She also received a Doctorate of Jurisprudence with an emphasis in sport law from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in May of 2017. During her education, Smith worked on research projects regarding NCAA anti-trust laws, diversity in baseball, Major League Baseball salary caps, and more. Smith also served as a graduate assistant with the Case Western Reserve baseball team.
Smith now resides in Waukesha.
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Post by incandenza on Jan 2, 2021 16:25:23 GMT -5
This is interesting. Her background and interests in baseball - and sport in general - go far beyond coaching. It's easy to predict that with her educational background she'll be moving up in the organization, probably into the front office at some point. This is probably a way to get her familiar with the organization at all stages of what will be a more tightly managed minor league system given the recent changes to MiLB. She's a perfect candidate because she also has coaching experience. That should facilitate her transition into that position with the Sox. She obviously had a plan and has been working through it. Yeah, it's a fascinating path she's on. I would definitely be interested in taking whatever the Vegas odds are of her becoming a GM some day, which is not something you could say about any old minor league hitting coach. (And goes back to my point about how members of underrepresented groups are likely to be more qualified than their peers...)
Also is it just me or does she look a little like Pedro Martinez?
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