SEATTLE (AP) — Amanda Hopkins is about to complete her second year as an area scout for the Seattle Mariners. She is the first full-time female baseball scout in more than 50 years. Breaking through the gender barrier required diligence on her end and willingness by the Mariners organization.

Hopkins, though doesn’t see herself as a trailblazer.

“I think if anything people are more shocked sometimes when I will go meet with a player in the office or something like that. Maybe they just know, hey the Mariners’ scout is coming in to meet with you today and they walk in and they’re like, ‘Oh.’ That kind of thing,” Hopkins said. “It’s usually more of like a shocked look. But then they’re more curious, they’re like, ‘How’d you get into this?’ And they kind of like want a brief rundown of how I got to where I am. All the players, all the coaches, are incredibly respectful to me.”

On Tuesday, Hopkins spoke on a panel on women in baseball before a game between the Seattle Mariners and the Baltimore Orioles at Safeco Field. Others on the panel included Mariners radio network reporter/host Shannon Drayer, Sarah Gelles, the director of analytics and major league contracts for the Baltimore Orioles and and Kelly Munro, the Mariners senior manager of baseball information.

Click here for the complete AP story from Tim Booth. 

(Story edited by KPUG)

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