Meredith McFadden dedicated the summer to working with the Baltimore Orioles at their Dominican Republic Academy as a player development intern. This was a significant step towards her ultimate career aspiration of working in an on-field player development role at the Major League level. She firmly believes in the value of this opportunity and is grateful for it, as it wouldn't have been possible without MLB's Take the Field initiative.

Take the Field: A Gateway to Baseball Opportunities

In 2018, Take the Field was launched as a two-day event during MLB's annual Winter Meetings. It is specifically designed for women interested in various roles within professional baseball. The event offers a wealth of educational and networking opportunities with MLB and club personnel through panels, breakout sessions, and a resume and interview workshop.McFadden, an MLB Develops alum, attended the event for the second time in 2024. During her previous attendance in 2023, she had the chance to meet people within the Orioles organization. These connections, such as with Anthony Villa, the director of player development, directly led to her internship.Take the Field has witnessed remarkable growth since its first iteration in Las Vegas. The inaugural event received only 66 applications, but in 2024, MLB received over 500 applications, with the attendance increasing from 46 to over 100. For the second consecutive year, all 30 Major League teams sent representatives.This two-day event provides women with the chance to learn from current baseball employees in diverse areas like analytics, baseball operations, coaching, player development, replay, scouting, and umpiring.Julia Hernandez, MLB's coordinator of on-field operations, emphasized the importance of events like Take the Field. She stated that diversity can encompass various aspects, including having women in different roles within the sport and diverse thinking. People from different schools and backgrounds attend, each with something unique to contribute to the game.Courtis shared her unconventional path to baseball, which included years of considering a career in politics before venturing into baseball through ticket sales, administration, and finally operations. McFadden found Courtis' speech inspiring and realized that no two paths in baseball are the same.On the first day of the event, there were two panels. One focused on understanding baseball operations, while the other featured four Take the Field alums discussing their journeys. The second panel included Tigers assistant general manager Sam Menzin, Athletics assistant general manager Billy Owens, Diamondbacks director of baseball administration Kristyn Pierce, and Dodgers manager of player development Andrea LaPointe as the moderator. They explained the various jobs and responsibilities within a club's baseball operations department.During the first panel, participants like Sam Moss, Emma Legault-Laroche, Katie Mooradian, and Olivia Lord emphasized the significance of the Take the Field event. It actively works to grow the game and connect numerous women within the sport. All four currently have some form of involvement with MLB or a club.Just a few years ago, a panel like this would not have been possible. However, now, many Take the Field alumni return to speak, including Hernandez, who attended the event in the first two years and now manages the entire operation as MLB's coordinator of on-field operations.“It really is so beautiful to see people come back and talk about how their experiences at this event in this room has brought them into a new portion of their life, right?” Hernandez said. “This is not just the next thing. This is their livelihood, and it’s a beautiful thing to know that we were at least like a little part of it.”