Sports
A WPBL crash course, and the highs and lows of a brand-new league
The Windup Newsletter 
Maybe you’ve heard of it. Maybe you haven’t. Either way, we’re talking about it today.
Before you ask, no, it’s not the leadoff-to-walk-off-home-run pipeline (x2!), nor the long-awaited explanation for why Julio Rodríguez insists on playing catch with fans midgame. (What a see-saw ride life is for Mariners fans right now — but isn’t it always?)
It’s the Women’s Professional Baseball League.
Based out of Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Ill., this brand-new venture hopes to become the most successful women’s pro baseball league since World War II. But can this startup sustain itself on a remote fan base and television viewership, without a preexisting player pipeline or MLB support, all while navigating a fresh court filing and the many other — ahem, curveballs — that come with being built from scratch?
I’m Emily Ohman, your designated hitter today while Levi enjoys his vacation — welcome to The Windup!
Standings Check: How these teams stack up
The WPBL just launched at the beginning of August, but the 15-game regular-season schedule for each team (30 games overall) is already nearly over. The league’s four teams — the San Francisco Firebells, Los Angeles Queens, New York Heights and Boston Hunters — will all advance to the playoffs, where they’ll play a three-game semifinal series to set the championship field. The respective winners will face off in a five-game series for the first WPBL title.
Quick aside — these team names have real significance to them. One of the more thoughtful naming systems I’ve encountered, the names honor not only the foremothers of women’s baseball, but also early champions of women’s rights around the country.
Regular-season standings will determine semifinal seeds: The team with the best record will play the team with the worst, and the two middle teams will face each other. San Francisco (6-4) currently leads the table, with Los Angeles and New York (5-5) on its heels. (Classic rivalries seem to be translating here, too — I spotted at least one “Beat L.A.” sign, akin to what you would see at a Giants-Dodgers game, in the crowd for a recent Firebells-Queens matchup.)
Boston rounds out the standings at 4-6. The Hunters play again tonight, kicking off the Wednesday-Sunday league week.
Playoffs start Sept. 9, and you should tune in (all games are on ESPN+). More on why later, but first, you’ve got to see this league’s mascot, the iconic Maybelle Blair:
Under the Hood: Players wearing many hats (and helmets and headsets)
The offense has been excellent so far. Nine players — 43 percent of qualified hitters — have homered, with Denae Benites of the Heights and Kelsie Whitmore of the Firebells each connecting for eight in 10 games. Benites is slashing a league-leading .658/.682/1.316. Whitmore, also a pitcher, is hitting .500/.550/1.235.
Whitmore has been a trailblazer for women in professional baseball for some time, making history as the first woman to appear in a starting lineup in the Atlantic League and to appear in and to start a Pioneer League game, among other feats.
Hitters can use aluminum, composite and wood bats, which makes for some incredible highlights (and even better cellys).
There have been many impressive debuts, but the hitting has been well ahead of the pitching thus far. Three of the top five draftees were listed as pitchers, and they have allowed a collective 34 earned runs through 10 games.
No. 2 draft pick Ayami Sato, an acclaimed Japanese national pitcher who played professionally on a men’s team in Canada, has not had the campaign she pictured in her American debut thus far. She’s allowed a league-high 28 hits over 17 2/3 innings for an ERA of 3.96. Although Sato trails New York’s Jaida Lee for the second-most strikeouts, with 13 to Lee’s 19, she is determined to flip the script on her season.
“Yesterday against the New York Heights, we lost, and I’m honestly so disappointed. … But I don’t want to let this disappointment end as just disappointment,” Sato said in an Instagram post Sunday.
“I truly believe this team is getting stronger. I want to carry this good momentum into today’s game and play with pride in being a Queen, fighting all the way to the end.”
Even though the pitching hasn’t been lights-out, starters in this league are taking on more than what’s typically associated with the role.
The WPBL is abundant in three-way players — ones who pitch, hit and play a defensive field position. On the Queens alone, catcher Maggie Foxx hits, pitches and dabbles in color commentary (I’ll explain later) while right-hander Jamie Mackay (shown below) plays catcher, too — and is third in the home run race with five of her own.
From Denver Bryant of the Hunters to Claire Eccles of the Heights to Brittany Apgar of the Queens (who’s also learning to use a custom arm prosthetic), the list of two- and three-way players goes on. To paraphrase the Heights’ social media manager: Get you a player who can do it all.
Growing Pains: League debut shortcomings?
The on-field product has produced plenty of highlights, but the league is showing its youth in other ways, especially off the field.
As reported by Defector, the WPBL has struggled with communication with both fans and players. According to the article, many drafted players who did not sign or were not offered contracts received little communication from the WPBL in the months following the draft, leaving them in limbo. Many received updates indirectly from the league on social media rather than league spokespersons.
The article also describes frustrations over streaming legality issues, as games were not initially available to air commercially in public places like bars.
There’s also been heavy turnover in the broadcast booth: In-game announcer roles have changed hands multiple times with no formal explanation from the league. The sideline reporter, managers and players, like Foxx — as well as her father, who called a full game doing play-by-play — have had to make multi-inning cameos throughout the season to assist. In the dugout, Boston parted ways with its initial manager, former MLB reliever Keith Foulke, after just three games with little explanation (to him or fans) other than it being a “baseball decision.”
With most fans tuning in from home, they are noticing those details.
Then there are potential issues with financing. Players are already paid very modestly, and on Monday, a WPBL investor and board member filed a demand in a Delaware court for financial records from the league.
Are these problems serious enough to derail the WPBL’s long-term goal to sustain itself, or are they common growing pains for a new league? We’ll have to keep tuning in to see.
Handshakes and High Fives
Cooper Pratt failed to run hard out of the batter’s box following a popup. Once he reached first base for a single, Brewers manager Pat Murphy took him out of the game.
Chandler Rome has six thoughts on where the Astros go from here, after parting ways with GM Dana Brown.
A Padres minor-league catching coordinator, who was taken into custody by ICE over a week ago, was released on bond Monday.
For the first time since May, Dodgers SP Tyler Glasnow took the mound. After a shaky first inning, his resolve shows change.
The two biggest things coming out of deals between MLB teams and prediction markets: money and exposure. Will all 30 franchises get involved?
Most-clicked in our last newsletter: Aaand it’s Kyle Schwarber, again! Walk-off homer + unlikely comeback = NBD.
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