The Impact of Latinas in the MLB
By Linda Alvarado, Owner, the Colorado Rockies
I grew up in a Hispanic family with five brothers, no sisters and parents that didn't let us stereotype ourselves by our race or gender. From a young age, baseball has been in my DNA. My dad told us, “If you have six kids and some balls, we have a team.” I said, “Dad, only five of us have balls.” He responded, “We have a team!” I started playing baseball in elementary school and then catcher of our team, the Zenitram (our last name Martinez spelled backwards), captain of the high school softball team, and offered a college scholarship for baseball.
Latinos Changed Baseball. Not the rules of the game, but the great success of Latino players changed Major League Baseball’s focus and greater global vision to scout more Latino players. This enabled Latinos’ opportunities with a level playing field to demonstrate their strengths and capabilities critical to winning games.
What has not really been recognized are the many contributions by the increasing growth in Latina MLB executives, management, operations, and leadership positions in important operation leadership roles and the essential positions. Who would have ever believed that the first Latino owner of an MLB team would not be a Latino and actually be a Latina?
The Rockies, MLB and other clubs are proactive in diversity programs, fellowships, and internships to create a similar level playing field for Latinas to also get into baseball. In the Commissioner’s office there are eight Latina Senior Executive Officers including Frances Isabel, VP Human Resources and Ariana Talai, VP Technology, and Infrastructure. Not just inside, but outside the stadiums - Jessica Mendoza, very first woman MLB commentator on ESPN and Leonor Color, Managing Director of Player Operations for the MLB Players Association.
I’ve invited Latina students in all grades and college to Rockies games personally taking them on detailed tours of Coors Field meeting men and women in the Rockies club operations and baseball side including the Executive suites, administrative offices, finance, conference rooms, IT/data, sales/marketing, ticketing, media broadcasting, food service, retail, and security. On the baseball side, the General Manager and coaches’ offices, the clubhouse, player pre-game prep areas, training rooms, data systems, locker rooms and dugouts. The students have opportunities to talk with some of our Latinas in Rockies Leadership – Ana Espinal, Administrator of the Dominican complex; Tig Vigil, Executive Administrator Community and Retail Operations; Amy Gomez, Executive Account Manager Client Services, and Luella Ozawa, IT Data Coordinator.
On the field looking up at the stadium, I ask, “Who sits in front rows?” They say, “Uh? . . . team owners, the successful and rich, businesses, men, and some famous people?”
You are VIP Latinas and that is where you will be sitting. As you watch the game in the front row open your eyes and widen your vision in your strengths, capabilities, possibilities, and many career opportunities to consider like in baseball and other sports that you could choose to pursue and take action in achieving your goals now and in your future.
It is getting into the game, learning new things, taking some risks and continue moving forward to succeed, knowing that just like in baseball, you will never get to second base if you keep your foot safely on first.
In 1992, Linda Alvarado made history as the first Latino owner of a Major League Baseball team, the Colorado Rockies. This also marked the first time a woman was in a bid for ownership of a major league franchise.
LATINAStyle Vol. 30, No. 2, 2024