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Jeff PassanESPN
In a letter pointed out to teams last week, Major League Baseball said many clubs’ stadiums “fall below the shamefully high standards” needed for women to join teams. travel to the game to do their job, creating an “uncontrollable work environment” and that organizations must soon reconfigure their facilities to overcome what is associated deemed “unacceptable,” according to a copy of the memo obtained by ESPN on Thursday.
The letter, sent on May 20 by MLB Senior Vice President of Field Operations, Michael Hill, to executives, assistant general managers, and several field operations staff, emphasizes: issues of many women – including coaches, coaches, analysts, interpreters. , mental health professionals, massage therapists, player development staff and others – faced with substandard facilities. MLB regulations put in place March 16, 2021, require female staff members for home and long-distance teams to receive a clean changing room space close to the main clubhouse, is private and includes toilets and showers.
“During the first six weeks of the season,” the memo said, “it became clear that a number of Clubs did not comply with these requirements, particularly with regard to the hosting of women’s teams. “
The memo echoes the feelings of many women affected by substandard facilities who spoke to ESPN on condition that they not be named. Because they often have to walk to other areas of the stadium to go to the bathroom, the women said they spend a disproportionate amount of time planning trips to other areas. stadium, impeding access for players and staff. One woman said a female colleague’s response when someone asked her what was the most difficult part of her job: “Finding the bathroom.”
The women said that, in addition to the logistical problems of the restroom and workspace, were problems on their own. Traveling female staff are often housed in ancillary media areas, rooms designed for hosting family visits, or other spaces away from the main dressing room – places that are completely secluded. with the area near the clubhouse where the teams gather. The long-term goal, many women said, is to eventually start a conversation about the use of clubhouse space and the ability to re-imagine it to help mitigate such problems.
Sources said that while some women in the game have quietly questioned the injustice, others have registered concerns with the federation about facilities at many stadiums, prompting MLB issues memo. According to sources, between a dozen and two dozen women are thought to regularly travel and use the stadium’s facilities, although not all 30 teams have women on the tours. their calendar.
“It is unacceptable that women traveling as part of the away team are not provided with accommodation that can afford to allow them to do their jobs to the same level as their male and female counterparts, ” the federation’s memo said. “Many of the Club’s women’s facilities fall shamefully below a high standard to accommodate members of a visiting tour group of a major League organization. They also create creating an unacceptable work environment for women, some of whom currently choose not to travel to certain cities with them. providing appropriate workplace accommodations to employees regardless of gender violates MLB regulations, directly deprives women of equal access to participate in our great game, and discourages encourage women to qualify for baseball roles traditionally played by men.”
Although Alyssa Nakken, San Francisco Giants‘assistant hitting coach, the only woman on the coaching staff of a major league, others in different roles accompany teams and claim access to facilities. More than half a dozen women have full-time coaching positions on the league’s minor teams, including Rachel Balkovec, the manager of the league. New York Yankees‘Single-A Tampa Branch. Smaller football teams, which are smaller in size and stadium coverage than those in major leagues, are expected to have a similar capacity for women, according to a federation official. of the union. Sources said that, in some minor league stadiums, a room is reserved for all women participating in games, potentially leading to situations where staff from both teams and weights finance will be forced to share the space.
Many major league stadiums, women who attend traveling parties told ESPN, do not provide facilities conducive to their work. In one case, a source said, the bathroom next to the aisle didn’t have a lock, prompting a female employee to open the door multiple times while using the room.
The gold standard, they say, in Texas Rangers‘the stadium, Globe Life Field, opens in 2020 and is planned for the main clubhouse space to be large enough for multiple women and have en suite bathrooms and showers.
The MLB did not state any potential consequences for teams that failed to comply with the regulations, but in the memo it did ask teams to provide detailed floor plans, descriptions and photos of the changes. Changes may occur before June 3.
“We understand that space constraints at some football fields may limit the ability of Clubs to comply with these requirements,” the memo said. “However, we expect all Clubs to make the necessary sacrifices to provide satisfactory facilities for all female employees.”
