The first episode of the 2022 series of the WBSC Global Game Podcast features Genevieve Beacom, the 17-year-old pitcher who became the first woman to sign a professional contract in Australia, when she joined the Melbourne Aces.
Beacom told host Tyler Maun how she got involved with the Aces.
"I was training with the Aces Academy, which is not really associated with the Melbourne Aces. Pete [Moylan] watched me one day, then came back the day after and made me an offer to play for the Aces as a development player. I couldn't believe the opportunity to play for my home town. It's absolutely amazing. I grew up watching all these guys. Just to be given the offer to play was amazing."
Beacom said the weeks after her pro debut have been "crazy".
"Before I pitched [in my pro debut], I was just a 17-year old," she added. "Now it seems like the whole baseball world knows me. It's crazy. When I go to sleep at night, I'm still the same person. I've had all these interviews, all this publicity. [It's] absolutely crazy," she added.
Moylan, now 43, enjoyed a 12-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career as a pitcher, appearing in 499 big league games. He welcomed Beacom to the Aces' roster, saying: " I have watched this young lady develop as a baseballer from her junior days, including playing for Victoria and Australia and doing more than holding her own against the top baseballers in the country and from around the world. If anyone thinks this is just a token selection, then they need to think again because she has 100% earned her spot on the development list with the Melbourne Aces."
Beacom is excited about the possibility of working with Moylan and his pitching coach Graeme Lloyd, who pitched in 568 MLB games, helped the New York Yankees win the 1996 and 1998 World Series and also helped Australia earn the 2004 Olympic silver medal.
"You can trust that they know what they are talking about. They want to get you better as a ballplayer," commented Beacom. "It's been only a couple of weeks, but I'm definitely looking forward to working with them all because they have so much baseball knowledge and experience."
When Maun asked Beacom if she had a pitcher who inspired her, Moylan, a side-arm reliever, commented: "Not me."
"I never tried to copy exactly a pitcher's mechanics," added Beacom. "One I look a lot to is [New York Mets'] Jacob DeGrom. That guy is unbelievable. He can throw so hard and looks like he's not putting any effort into it at all. [The Yankees'] Gerrit Cole is probably my favourite pitcher, and watching him on the mound every time he gets up there looks like he knows nobody is getting at him. His presence is something I subconsciously I have taken."
You may also be interested in:
- Genevieve Beacom makes her pro debut
- Rachel Balkovec becomes first woman to manage in Minor League Baseball
