I
t’s often been said that the sports industry is something of an old boys’ club. And then there’s the realm of minor league baseball. Arguably even more tradition-bound, the affiliated minors did not have a female league president for its first 111 years of its existence. Until last year.
Lori Webb made history by becoming president of the Class AA Southern League, succeeding the late Don Mincher. Webb started with the league in 1994 as an executive assistant. Steadily, she rose through the leadership ranks, and when Mincher died early last year, Webb had become the natural choice to succeed him. She has since been part of a sweeping series of shifts in the affiliated minors that have included numerous affiliation and team ownership changes and a new embrace of national marketing strategies.
“Things are changing very rapidly in our business right now, and it’s very exciting,” Webb said. “What we’re doing now is going to bring us a lot more national recognition, but the important thing is to also not lose the things that make minor league baseball special.”
— Eric Fisher
“I’ve been very impressed with her thought process and her demeanor, the way she works through problems and issues. She is extremely capable.”
— Pat O’Conner | President | Minor League Baseball
