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| Kelsie Whitmore, the No. 1 pick of the Women's Pro Baseball League, makes history. |
Folks, every so often, a story comes along that makes you pause and take notice. And this one is it. Her name is Kelsie Whitmore, and if you haven't heard of her yet, you will.
She's a professional baseball player, a pitcher and an outfielder, and she just made history as the very first overall draft pick in the new Women's Pro Baseball League. That's "baseball," not softball. She was the No. 1 pick by the yet-to-be-named team that will be based in San Francisco.
Whitmore’s name will now forever be linked to the start of the WPBL. Her journey—from the only girl on youth teams, to representing the US on the global stage, to pitching professionally against men—makes her the ideal athlete to be the face of the new league.
Now, that's a great story on its own. But dig a little deeper, and you find something that resonates a little closer to home for many of us.
Whitmore, 27, is a Filipino American, and her mother, Mirasol, hails from the Philippines. In 2024, when she received an award from Silayan Filipina, she posted on Instagram: "Forever proud to be a Filipino American woman, while representing the sports world through my culture."
In a sport where representation is still evolving, a player like Kelsie stepping into the spotlight is a big deal. She's not just playing for her team; she's carrying her culture with her, a point she makes with pride, from her words to the Filipino imagery tattooed on her left forearm.
Whitmore's success is a familiar story, isn't it? That mix of American opportunity and deep-seated Filipino heritage. It’s the story of so many families who have made a life for themselves here while holding on to their roots.
Before the Women's Pro Baseball League, the San Diego-born Whitmore was already a barrier breaker. She played for independent clubs like the Staten Island FerryHawks and the Oakland Ballers, the latter of which won the Pioneer League's championship this season.
Her time with the US women's national baseball team brought home medals, including a gold at the Pan American Games. And don't forget her college days, where she was a star softball player for Cal State Fullerton, even earning the conference's Player of the Year award in 2021.
The startup league had a four-day tryout camp in Washington this summer with more than 600 hopefuls on hand.
The WPBL was co-founded by Justine Siegal, who became the first woman to coach for an MLB team with the Oakland Athletics in 2015.
Whitmore's success is a familiar story, isn't it? That mix of American opportunity and deep-seated Filipino heritage. It’s the story of so many families who have made a life for themselves here while holding on to their roots.
Before the Women's Pro Baseball League, the San Diego-born Whitmore was already a barrier breaker. She played for independent clubs like the Staten Island FerryHawks and the Oakland Ballers, the latter of which won the Pioneer League's championship this season.
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| Kelsie Whitmore wears her heritage on her forearm with a Philippine-inspired tattoo. |
The startup league had a four-day tryout camp in Washington this summer with more than 600 hopefuls on hand.
The WPBL was co-founded by Justine Siegal, who became the first woman to coach for an MLB team with the Oakland Athletics in 2015.
It will be the first pro baseball league for women since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League -- immortalized in the film "A League of Their Own" -- dissolved in 1954.
For the first league's first season, the WPBL is scheduled to play all of its games at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois. Teams will be based there over a seven-week season, split up into a four-week regular season, a week for all-star activities and a two-week playoff.
But what I find most compelling, from my view here on the edge, is that Kelsie Whitmore is more than just a ballplayer. She’s an advocate, and her apparel brand, "BE YOU," carries a powerful message of individuality and self-acceptance. In her career and through her platform, Whitmore is showing a generation of young people that they can be proud of who they are and where they come from. And that, my friends, is a story worth telling.
Whitmore’s name will now forever be linked to the start of the WPBL. Her journey—from the only girl on youth teams, to representing the U.S. on the global stage, to pitching professionally against men—makes her the ideal athlete to carry the league’s first spotlight.
For San Francisco and the WPBL, she becomes the foundation of a franchise.
For the Filiipino American and Asian American communities, she becomes a symbol of what’s possible.
For the first league's first season, the WPBL is scheduled to play all of its games at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois. Teams will be based there over a seven-week season, split up into a four-week regular season, a week for all-star activities and a two-week playoff.
But what I find most compelling, from my view here on the edge, is that Kelsie Whitmore is more than just a ballplayer. She’s an advocate, and her apparel brand, "BE YOU," carries a powerful message of individuality and self-acceptance. In her career and through her platform, Whitmore is showing a generation of young people that they can be proud of who they are and where they come from. And that, my friends, is a story worth telling.
Whitmore’s name will now forever be linked to the start of the WPBL. Her journey—from the only girl on youth teams, to representing the U.S. on the global stage, to pitching professionally against men—makes her the ideal athlete to carry the league’s first spotlight.
For San Francisco and the WPBL, she becomes the foundation of a franchise.
For the Filiipino American and Asian American communities, she becomes a symbol of what’s possible.
"Oftentimes, we get caught up in chasing who we acturally are and what we do that we forget who are deep down inside," the Silayan Filipina Pamana 'Legacy' awardee said. "I want to encourage you all to chase the version of yourself that you were always meant to be. When you find that version, be the best version of yourself every single damn day."
EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge.
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