Philly Leader

Beth Greenwood, at 24 years old, is the only on-field woman in the Phillies’ organization and also its youngest member. Her journey through baseball has been marked by numerous challenges, serving as a testament to perseverance and authenticity. "Also as a gay woman," Greenwood stated, "I've exposed a lot of my players to some of the stuff that is harder and doesn't get talked about all the time. So I think it's been huge in their development, not just on the field, but as people."

Greenwood’s role as a Minor League development coach since February involves preparing her players for their professional careers by introducing them to diverse backgrounds they will encounter. "I think it’s [about exposing] them to different types of people, different perspectives and backgrounds," she explained after Team USA's 11-1 win over Mexico in the Women’s Baseball World Cup finals.

During her time at the University of Rochester, Greenwood aspired to play all four years of college baseball and aimed for the USA National Team. Despite being cut after her freshman year, she persisted. "I made a promise to myself in college that I owed myself four tries -- I was going to try out four times," she said.

Her persistence paid off when she made the team again the following year and continued playing throughout college. In 2018, she tried out for the National Team for the first time but faced repeated setbacks before finally making it onto the 20-person roster last year.

Reflecting on Team USA's journey from a fourth-place finish in 2018 to their current success, Greenwood remarked, "To think back at how far we've come, hopefully this puts the USA Women's National Team back on the map a little bit more."

In addition to her coaching duties, Greenwood actively promotes gender equity in baseball through her involvement with Baseball For All (BFA). Speaking at BFA Nationals Opening Ceremonies, she addressed over 500 young female ballplayers and their parents about opportunities in baseball beyond playing.

While still figuring out her long-term career plans with a degree in mechanical engineering, Greenwood remains focused on growing women's visibility in professional baseball. "I think being able to have the visibility of women playing on the National Team and women working in professional baseball is so important," she emphasized.

Day 4 at Port Arthur Stadium saw Japan stay undefeated with Misaki Namai leading with four hits and five RBIs against Mexico. The USA shut out Chinese Taipei with Elise Berger's four strikeouts over four innings. Canada returned to form with Lucie Anctil's grand slam contributing to their 10-0 victory over Venezuela.