Shawn Nowlin photos
Blair Hoke and Allen Lawrence
She’s on First By Shawn Nowlin
Blair Hoke, Salem Red Sox’s first female Assistant GM says, “failure has never been an option for me.” Social norms were meant to be broken. Since the Cincinnati Baseball Club played its first competitive game on May 4, 1869, the vast majority of decision-makers behind sports franchises have been males. Across all sports, the sheer numbers are staggering: less than 15 percent of all current Presidents, General Managers and CEOs are females. The list of current female Minor League Baseball (MiLB) Assistant General Managers is a short one: there’s Blair Hoke and a handful of others. For Hoke, a Christiansburg native, overseeing all aspects of ticket sales for the Salem Red Sox is just one aspect of her occupation. She also provides leadership on community
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activities and assists in social media accounts, among other things. All MiLB teams, said Hoke - who joined the organization four years ago - essentially operate as a small business within the community. “Whether a team is Single-A or Triple-A, all clubs have the same operating expectations that cannot be made possible without a strong workplace dynamic and willingness to work as a team. It is important to have a front office willing to fill in critical roles in any department – and we have just that within our staff.” Those who work with Hoke say that she is class personified with a second to none
