Bernice Gera
Encyclopedia
Bernice Shiner Gera was the first female umpire
in professional baseball
.
Born in Ernest
, Pennsylvania
, Gera loved baseball as a child, but never considered a career in baseball until she was already in her mid thirties, married, and working as a secretary
. According to a Time Magazine article, the idea to become an umpire just suddenly hit her one night. Gera sold her husband on the idea and enrolled in the Florida Baseball School in .
As umpiring had been a strictly male profession up to that point, the school had no facilities for Gera, and she spent much of the six-week program living in a nearby motel. By several reports, she excelled in her training, yet Gera was rejected by the National Association of Baseball Leagues (NABL)
, which claimed that she did not meet the physical requirements of the job.
Undeterred, Gera fought the NABL in court for several years. On January 13 , Gera finally won a discrimination suit against the NABL, opening the door for her to become the first female umpire in professional baseball. On June 24, 1972, she gained national attention when she umpired the first game of a Class A minor league double header between the Geneva Rangers and Auburn Phillies of the New York-Penn League.
In the fourth inning, Gera ruled Auburn base-runner Terry Ford safe at second on a double play
, then reversed her call. Auburn manager Nolan Campbell disputed the decision and said that Gera's first mistake was putting on an umpire's uniform, and that her second was blowing the call. Campbell was ejected from the game, but Gera still decided to resign between games, saying she became disenchanted with umpiring when the other umpires refused to cooperate with her on the field. "Bernice would always say, 'I could beat them in the courts, but I can't beat them on the field,'" Steve Gera, her husband, quoted his wife as saying.
Although she stopped umpiring, Bernice Gera stayed in the game. She went to work for the New York Mets
in the team’s community relations and promotions from to before retiring to Florida.
Bernice died of kidney cancer
in 1992 in Memorial Hospital West in Pembroke Pines, Florida
at 61 years old. No woman has ever umpired in the major leagues.
Umpire (baseball)
In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump...
in professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
.
Born in Ernest
Ernest, Pennsylvania
Ernest is a borough in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 501 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ernest is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, Gera loved baseball as a child, but never considered a career in baseball until she was already in her mid thirties, married, and working as a secretary
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
. According to a Time Magazine article, the idea to become an umpire just suddenly hit her one night. Gera sold her husband on the idea and enrolled in the Florida Baseball School in .
As umpiring had been a strictly male profession up to that point, the school had no facilities for Gera, and she spent much of the six-week program living in a nearby motel. By several reports, she excelled in her training, yet Gera was rejected by the National Association of Baseball Leagues (NABL)
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
, which claimed that she did not meet the physical requirements of the job.
Undeterred, Gera fought the NABL in court for several years. On January 13 , Gera finally won a discrimination suit against the NABL, opening the door for her to become the first female umpire in professional baseball. On June 24, 1972, she gained national attention when she umpired the first game of a Class A minor league double header between the Geneva Rangers and Auburn Phillies of the New York-Penn League.
In the fourth inning, Gera ruled Auburn base-runner Terry Ford safe at second on a double play
Double play
In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....
, then reversed her call. Auburn manager Nolan Campbell disputed the decision and said that Gera's first mistake was putting on an umpire's uniform, and that her second was blowing the call. Campbell was ejected from the game, but Gera still decided to resign between games, saying she became disenchanted with umpiring when the other umpires refused to cooperate with her on the field. "Bernice would always say, 'I could beat them in the courts, but I can't beat them on the field,'" Steve Gera, her husband, quoted his wife as saying.
Although she stopped umpiring, Bernice Gera stayed in the game. She went to work for the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
in the team’s community relations and promotions from to before retiring to Florida.
Bernice died of kidney cancer
Kidney cancer
Kidney cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the cells in the kidney.The two most common types of kidney cancer are renal cell carcinoma and urothelial cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis...
in 1992 in Memorial Hospital West in Pembroke Pines, Florida
Pembroke Pines, Florida
Pembroke Pines is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. The city had a population of 154,750 at the 2010 census, making it the second most populous city in Broward County, the tenth most populous in Florida, and the 150th most populous in the United States...
at 61 years old. No woman has ever umpired in the major leagues.