She Rox

BROCKTON -- It was the top of the first inning Tuesday night at Campanelli Stadium, two down, Ed Ovalle at bat for the American Defenders of New Hampshire against Brockton Rox pitcher Wayne Lundgren, a 6-foot-7, 220-pound right-hander.

Ovalle smacked a hard liner up the middle that had the look and sound of a sure single. But Rox shortstop Dominic Ramos -- a former Red Sox [team stats] minor league prospect -- deftly glided to his left and made a spectacular leaping catch, ending the inning. The hometown Rox were coming to bat.

But while the crowd cheered as Brockton leadoff hitter Chris Valencia was announced, there was a special buzz as the Rox first-base coach settled into position.

The first-base coach, looking toward the plate, didn’t seem to notice.

But who cheers, or boos, or even notices, the first-base coach? Like umpires and television meteorologists, baseball’s base coaches get attention only when something goes wrong. Otherwise, they comprise the blue-collar brigade of professional baseball, hitting fungos, throwing batting practice and performing myriad other tasks that go unappreciated by most fans.

But it’s hard not to notice the Brockton first-base coach’s long, brownish-blond hair. Yes, that’s a woman in the coach’s box, and she’s not there as part of some funky minor league promotion. Her name is Justine Siegal, and, as near as the Rox can figure, she is the first female coach in men’s professional baseball.

Amazingly, nobody seems worried that Siegal, 33, who is married and has an 11-year-old daughter, is going to bring about the ruination of society by coaching independent minor league baseball. There have been no reports of local pastors delivering fiery condemnations from the pulpit. No player petitions, no protests outside the ballpark.

Even 69-year-old Brockton bench coach Ed Nottle, a crusty, tell-it-like-it-is baseball lifer who has been in the game since 1959, goes with the flow.

“Over the years I’ve had to make some changes, and some of them didn’t fit my love of the game,” Nottle said. “But people have to be given opportunities. No matter how this turns out, I think it’s going to mean a lot to all the young girls out there. For that reason alone, I’m behind her.”

After joining the Rox last month, the former pitcher/third baseman took the attitude that she’d simply introduce herself to the players, and then let them make the next move. The first player she greeted was Ramos.

“I never had a female coach,” he told Siegal.

Siegal waited anxiously to hear what Ramos would say next.

“That’ll be cool,” he said, so matter-of-factly that Siegal believed she was going to fit in.

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Blending right in