Betsy M. Ross knows what it’s like to be a woman in the male-dominated world of sports and sports journalism, and now she has a book out. The former anchor at ESPN has penned “Playing Ball with the Boys,” an in-depth look at some of the pioneers in the field.
Many of the individuals featured in the book are actual female athletes, such as tennis great Billie Jean King, Indianapolis 500 driving Janet Guthrie.
Others represented breakthroughs in other areas of the sporting world, such as Dr. Michelle Andrews, who was the first female Major League Baseball trainer, working with the Baltimore Orioles.
Among the female sports pioneers featured in the book are WFAN’s Ann Ligouri, CBS’ Lesley Visser, ESPN’s Pam Ward, USA Today’s Christine Brennan and Sports Illustrated’s Selena Roberts.
The Ross resume includes many media stops, including the South Bend Tribune, CBS, NBC and FOX television affiliates in Cincinnati, and ESPN, where she was an anchor for five years for ESPNews and SportsCenter.
“These women have made it possible for me to pursue my passion for sports,” said Ross. “Their inspirational and successful stories remind us that it’s not always easy to ‘play ball with the boys,’ whether in sports or in business.”
