Somebody screwed the pooch. The message from the Commissioner’s Office was gentle, but none the less admonishing. Yuma had nominated an ineligible player for its Minor League Player of the Year Award.

From: The Office of the Commissioner
To: The Yuma Bulldozer Organization
Re: Mathieu Bouchard

Sirs,
We would like to respectfully point out that your appointment of Mr. Bouchard as your Minor League Hitter of the Year does not meet the Leagues formal requirement of being a member of the organization as of Opening Day, April 2, 2029.We request that you make another selection. 

Thank you,
Harry Castle
Commissioner
Planetary Extreme Baseball Alliance

The “Sirs” really stung. With the exception of the recently hired mail clerk, the Front Office of the Yuma Bulldozers was staffed entirely by women. Partly this was a legacy of the Pam Postema era, when Acting GM Postema had surrounded herself with capable women. But partly it was the nature of the work—office work that men sometimes felt was beneath them. Certainly most men in the baseball industry.

“Doesn’t the Commish know who’s running this ballclub?” office manager Roberta Tipitina asked, rhetorically.

“Maybe he sent a copy to the owners too?” assistant Denise Stevens added tentatively.

“There’s women in that crowd too,” rejoined Tipitina. She ticked them off on her fingers. “Tammy Boomershine, Shirley Landshark, Cindy Plantars, Karen Koolchuk and … and what’shername, the cattle rancher.”

“Bovinery,” said Stevens.

“Patsy Bovinery, right,” smiled Titpina. “How’d you know?”

Denise Stevens pointed at the computer screen. “They’re listed on the website.”

• Yuma Bulldozer Consortium of OwnersJimmy Doolittle, owner of the aviation company Let’s Fly
  Tammy Boomershine, owner, AMF Inca Lanes
  Charlie and Shirley Landshark, owners, Fisher’s Landing Resort
  Mark and Cindy Plantars, owners, Main Street Physical Therapy
  Patsy Bovinery, owner, McElhaney Cattle Co.
  Karen Koolchuk, owner, Morris Ag Air & Sons Inc.
  Max Grain and Mark Woods, owners, Yuma Lumber Co.
  Donald Soldwell, former owner of the Yuma Sun
  Lee Allen, owner, Lee Allen Builders & Bulldozers
  Mayor Alan Krieger, owner, Al Krieger Construction Services

“Smart girl. Can you get me their phone numbers? We need to organize an owner’s meeting.”

Roberta didn’t know it yet, but that meeting wasn’t happening.