Female umpiring crew makes history in Cuba's Baseball National League
Janet Moreno (left), Yalili Acosta, Miroslawa Cumba (pictured) and Milagros Quinones umpired Industriales-Pinar del Rio of the 62nd edition of the top baseball championship on the island.
The game between Industriales and Pinar del Rio made history in the 62nd Cuban National League. The umpiring crew was all women for the first time.
Janet Moreno (49), who broke ground in 2015 and had been the only female since, umpired with Miroslava Cumba, Yalili Acosta and Milagros Quinones.
"Things are starting to change," said Moreno to the international press. "This is the first time in the Americas that a team of women work the country's top league."
"The players have shown great respect," said Oscar Valdes, an official scorer. "What matters is not your gender but who you are on the field and your passion for excellence."
“I stay focused on my work on the field. I blank out what’s going on in the stands,” added Cumba, 43, who spent eight years previously umpiring youth baseball.
Moreno, who dreams of someday umpiring the Olympics or World Baseball Classic, joked that her newfound fame does not mean she must relinquish her femininity.
"When we go out (to umpire), we wear perfume so that it feels like there is a flower on the field, and the flower should not be mistreated," said Moreno.
Cuba's National League games are streamed live on WBSC OTT platform GameTime.
