Kelsie Whitmore & ‘The Thing’ take on the Atlantic League

By JAKE SEINER
AP Baseball Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Kelsie Whitmore has known for years that without a pro women’s baseball league, her goal of playing ball for a living would require her to hang with the men. She’s spent years searching for ways to close the gap, a quest that led her to develop “The Thing.” The unique pitch is technically a knuckle-changeup, and it has impressed coaches and teammates since she joined the Staten Island FerryHawks this season, becoming the first woman ever in the Atlantic League. Pitching coach Nelson Figueroa calls it “the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen.” He also says that if Whitmore were 6-foot-5, she’d already be in the majors because of her work ethic.