The Red Sox are hiring Bianca Smith as a minor league coach, making her the first Black woman to serve as a professional baseball coach in the sport’s history.
Smith will work with the minor league club in Fort Myers, Fla., and her focus will mainly involve position players.
“She was a great candidate coming in,” said Red Sox vice president of player development Ben Crockett, who helped spearhead the hire. “She’s had some really interesting experiences and has been passionate about growing her skill set and development herself.”
Smith comes with a track record: She played softball at Dartmouth College (2010-12), was director of baseball operations and a graduate assistant at Case Western Reserve (2013-17), and served as an assistant coach at the University of Dallas (2018).