Umpire in a Skirt: The Amanda Clement Story Marilyn Kratz. Hector Curriel (illustrator). Print-version Price: $9.95 Tweet Paper 48 pages 6 x 9 inches color illustrations ISBN: 9780984504121 The story of baseball's first paid female umpire Just over one hundred years ago, women did not play baseball, and they certainly did not umpire the games. But one young woman in South Dakota changed all that in the summer of 1904. Quickly becoming a national sensation for her umpiring, she even met the president. That summer Amanda Clement became the first paid female umpire in the United States. She might have worn a skirt, but players respected her, and fans paid to see her call games. She umpired fairly, never backed down from rude players, and helped to show that girls can do anything that boys can do. This is her story. "Marilyn Kratz and Hector Curriel hit a grand slam telling the story of Amanda Clement. Amanda is an inspirational part of South Dakota's history, and children everywhere can learn from her determination, passion, and perserverance in pursuing her dream of being a baseball umpire."—Mel Antonen, Sirius-XM Radio baseball analyst and former USA Today baseball correspondent "Umpire in a Skirt is a fine read that will entertain many a young sports fan. Highly recommended."—Midwest Book Review Read the whole review, here. "It’s rare to find short children’s books that contain this combination of historical substance and stereotype-busting gender depictions."—Local F/M Books blog Read some reviews of this book from LibraryThing.com. Click here to listen to an interview with Marilyn Kratz. Click here to read a short article from South Dakota Magazine about Marilyn's book. Read an article from the Sioux Falls Argus Leader about Marilyn's book. Listen to an interview with Marilyn Kratz on South Dakota Public Radio. Marilyn Kratz is a retired teacher and a member of the Honored Educators of South Dakota. She has written extensively for children's magazines including Highlights and Cricket. Become a friend of Marilyn Kratz on Facebook. Read Marilyn's blog. Click here to read a blog review of this book. Born in Lima, Peru, artist Hector Curriel now lives in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he draws cartoons and illustrations for numerous newspapers across the United States. Become a fan of Hector Curriel on Facebook. Visit Hector's website. To learn more about baseball and umpiring, check out the following websites. The SDSHS Press is not responsible for the content of external websites. Early rules of baseball Modern-day baseball rules Youth Baseball Women’s Sports Foundation National Women’s Baseball Hall of Fame Science of Baseball: The Girls of Summer All-American Girls Professional Baseball Team Baseball for All Girls and Baseball How to call balls and strikes Baseball Hall of Fame What is a strike? Baseball Basics: What constitutes a 'strike' call in baseball? Watch a short video and listen to the original and classic baseball song, "Take Me Out To The Ball Game." Associated Files Marilyn_Kratz_Interview.wma SD_Magazine_Piece_030911.pdf - Read a small article about this book from South Dakota Magazine. Umpire_in_a_skirt_press_release.pdf Midwest Book Review 061711.pdf