iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 17/10/2026

After their final home game of the season, I asked Legacy players Annie Karich & Sammy Smith how they would describe the vibe of a Boston Legacy game & what the fans bring to the stadium. cc @bostonisa.bsky.social

Sammy Smith 12:53
I mean, playing at home is always special for me because I have friends and family
that come to the game. My brothers are at every home game, and they're they're very loud. They have swan hats. If you guys didn't see the reminders in the fan section today, and I don't know, just in like Pawtucket where we're playing next season, Centerville is just a very intimate stadium, and it makes it even better. It makes it even louder. No one does it like Boston fans, and it's really just an amazing experience to play at home.

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 17/10/2026

lol as soon as I sent that, the stadium asked all fans exit the seating bowl and head to the concourses "due to severe weather in the immediate area.” No word yet on if this is an official rain delay but it looks that way.

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 15/10/2026

I’m so excited to have a story in the new issue of CULTURED x Art Arena. I spoke to the creators who are shaping the narrative around women’s sports. Read it here: www.culturedmag.com/article/2026...

Cover of ART ARENA x CULTURED: a black background with a black and white photo of Lindsay Vonn

Photo of my article: headshots of each of the 9 creators (Gal Pal Sports, Maddy Brown, Nicolette Mason, Cassie Chantel, Mariah Rose, Lacey Conine, Jackie Johnston, Auntie Nae, Ava Wood). Headline: “As women's sports break records for viewership and investment, a new wave of content creators explain the online culture fueling the boom-and how they've cracked the code.”

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 07/10/2026

How is it the league’s fault that Caitlin’s team lost? Like, are they supposed to rig all the games? Maybe the Fever should play better basketball if they want to make it further into the playoffs idk

A bit of good news for the WNBA: Instead of losing 55% of TV audience when Fever go out (info below), the drop for semis Game 1 vs Game 1 of Fever-Aces a week earlier is 44-47%:

2.11M Fever-Aces ABC

1.17M Liberty–Dream ABC

1.12M Aces–Valkyries NBC/Peacock

All Sun vs NFL games

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 06/10/2026

The fact that this "no cis, just... woman" hat actually works better for trans women is such a self-own. TERFs are not bright lol

maga barbie sophie cunningham wearing a brown hat that says "WOMAN"

promo image for the hat that says "WOMAN" on the front and "no cis, just..." on the side

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 01/10/2026

“Even in a space devoid of personality, Heideman managed to bring her own. An Aquarius Venus can’t live in a bland or boring or generic space, they need to make it their own. Moving to Seattle for a starting role with the Storm didn’t have to mean leaving her aesthetic behind.”

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 25/09/2026

the AI photos on this Zillow listing are actually insane. it doesn’t even look like the same house!! that kitchen photo 😭😭😭

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 23/09/2026

I get so much hate mail that it’s really nice to get notes like this every now and again.

Just listened to you on NPR I have to say I'm so very impressed at how articulate and precise you are, I'm not into women's sports but I do listen to NPR and you were amazing!

Thank you!

Btw I'm 72

Luv when the younger generation are leading in the correct direction

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 18/09/2026

I'm really glad that Code Switch included this part of my interview, because I think these are the points that so often get lost in the discussion of trans panic and why the WNBA might be an ideal target for those anti-trans groups to latch onto. www.npr.org/2026/09/15/n...

We're talking about actual bigotry and the belief that this group of people shouldn't have, like, the same human rights as another group. It legitimizes them. And so the WNBA is a big platform for them to be able to do that. But I think what's actually really insidious about being the target is that transphobia is rooted in white supremacist ideas of who is allowed to be a woman and what a woman should look like. Those beliefs have, you know, negatively impacted Black and brown and non-Western women throughout history.

So what you have is a league in the WNBA that is full of Black women, 7-foot-tall women, masculine women, women who don't fit kind of the traditional markers of conventional white Western ideas of womanhood. And so I don't think it's surprising that transphobic ideas around the acceptable kind of woman are coming and impacting this league.

And I think the last piece that I will say is, I think, in some ways, the lack of visibility that the league had for a lot of years really protected it. Like, it wasn't as successful as it should have been because of racism and homophobia and misogyny. And once it becomes successful, the flip side of that is it really does become a different kind of victim of those ideas. And the fact that you have a league that is all women, predominantly Black women, largely queer women who have been successful and they don't need men to do it, and their product is not necessarily for men. I think that's a threat to the status quo. And so it's not just about protecting women's sports. It's actually about dismantling them from the inside.

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 18/09/2026

This is a wild way to treat your athletes (WPBL players need a union!!!) frontofficesports.com/article/wpbl...

Earlier this summer, athletes scheduled a meeting with the league intending to speak with Stein about their concerns ahead of the season. He never joined; only Stein’s right-hand man, Berman, joined the video call late, but kept his camera off. Berman has a single-digit stake in the league, according to Stein.

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 17/09/2026

shoutout to Diane, would love to keep writing for @defector.com 🫡

“Keep the Frankie bylines coming, Defector!”

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 09/09/2026

The Boston Legacy supporters have embraced the honking. www.theguardian.com/football/202...

And then there is the honking. Chant leaders hold megaphones and yell, “If you’re not honking, you’re not Boston”, and then the supporters yell “honk” in an increasingly fast tempo. It is, of course, meant to mimic the sound a swan makes, but it is also incredibly annoying – in the way swans (and sports fans) can be. That identity carries to the pitch; swans are an aggressive bird and the Legacy are an aggressive team, leading the NWSL in yellow cards this season.

“We want people to come to Boston and hate it,” Murphy said in a postgame presser in March. “Regardless if we win or lose, we want them to hate playing us.” Defender Bianca St-Georges echoed that sentiment after a game in May. “Fouling is not an issue for us. It’s just us,” she said. “We’re not scared.”

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 03/09/2026

Completely coincidentally, today I am looking through old NWFL game programs from my book research. In a 1976 Detroit Demons program, there's an ad for the "Feminist Women's City Club." I googled it & it turns out it was opened by Gloria Steinem. May her memory be a blessing.

Feminist Women's City Club
2110 Park Ave. Detroit 48201
$100 membership (per year) offers access to an Olympic-sized swimming pool, cocktail lounge, hotel, cafe, programs, and more!
Comes see us and our other 10 feminist businesses
THE ONLY FEMINIST CLUB IN THE WORLD

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 03/09/2026

trying to write but my dog has other ideas

Photo of my red mini dachshund, Regina George, curled up In my lap on my bed, with my computer just out of my reach

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 29/08/2026

had a tantrum, fell asleep, woke up to this

Charcuterie spread when many meats and cheese and pickles and champagne

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 20/08/2026

a list of his columns that had been killed by management include:

"supporting the separation of biological females & males doesn’t automatically make you transphobic," "questioning whether players for the USWNT were really the victims of discrimination in their equal-pay lawsuit," & "a column written shortly after George Floyd’s death... urging the public not to stereotype cops"

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 19/08/2026

Turning Point USA aligning themselves with Cunningham should answer any lingering questions abt the impact of her statements & the groups who are rallying behind her. Somehow, I still don't think people will wake up to the reality bc transphobia is still an acceptable form of bigotry to most people.

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 19/08/2026

48 hours before the start of the season, WPBL announced a broadcast deal with ESPN. The only problem? ESPN Select, where the games were airing, wasn’t available for commercial streaming, meaning bars that had planned to stream the games couldn’t legally do so. defector.com/the-new-wome...

For months prior to the season, the league advertised that its games would be available to stream on YouTube. But just two days before the season was set to begin, the WPBL announced a media rights deal with ESPN and Scripps Sports Network to air games. The games would be streaming on ESPN Select for fans in the United States. Anyone outside the U.S. could still watch on YouTube.

Fans expressed their frustration at the games being less accessible than previously thought, but this announcement left bars that hoped to show the games in a particular bind. The league had announced that women's sports bars across the country would be airing games on Opening Weekend. The games could be watched by fans at home on their ESPN+ accounts, but that wouldn't be of use to sports bars that wanted to show the games, as ESPN Select wasn't yet available for commercial streaming.

Broadcast TV rights for public viewing, like at a bar or restaurant, are separate from at-home viewing. Moving the games to broadcasting services not included in any commercial streaming packages meant that bar owners who relied on it said they couldn't legally show WPBL games.

One bar owner said that when they reached out to the league to ask for guidance, they were given written permission to air the game—though they expressed doubts that the WPBL could legally do that—and were reassured that there were "certain games available for commercial broadcast."

Another bar owner told Defector: "It was wildly stressful and added extra work for us to try and figure it out during service … This put bars in a difficult position because schedules and watch parties are advertised in advance."

Finally, on Aug. 7, bar owners said they were able to access WPBL games through their EverPass accounts, a streaming service used by bars all over the country to show live sports.

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 19/08/2026

Hey, so I respect you and your work a ton but can I ask about the editorial decision to let Jennifer Sey be quoted unchallenged in this story? XX-XY Athletics is a hate group that spreads misinformation & she’s treated like an expert source here. That’s incredibly harmful

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 15/08/2026

Pulled starting lineups for today’s WPBL game between the Heights and the Firebells:

N
#15
NATSUKI YONETANI
RF
#19
•ELODIE CIAMARRO
2B
#2
DENAE BENITES

#22
KYLEE LAHNERS
1B
#13
ALYSSA ZETTLEMOYER
3B
#8
DIANA IBARRA
CF
#5
LONDON STUDER
LF
#7
JAIDA LEE
SP
#1
KEIRA IZUMI
SS
STARTING LINEUP
VS. SAN FRANCISCO

S
F
STARTING LINEUP
VS. NEW YORK
#5
AMANDA GIANELLONI
2B
#3
KELSIE WHITMORE
CF
#18
JILL ALBAYATI
SP
#16
ANDRÉANNE LEBLANC
1B
#21
SKYLAR KAPLAN
RF
#13
JOELY LEGUIZAMON
SS
#25
ELA DAY-BÉDARD
LF
#7
JUA PARK
ЗВ
#33
SAMANTHA GUTIERREZ C

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 14/08/2026

These are the rosters sent just now for today. They never note call ups/injuries

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 14/08/2026

I asked Hunters manager Jemile Weeks about the decision to call up Olivia Bricker and what he saw from her in relief tonight.

Well, the decision to call her up was kind of it was league-wide, a necessity to have Olivia come. I met Olivia yesterday, so we [took] the field. I saw what she could do. The team saw what she could do. I felt like I have an eye for the game. I saw what type of control things that she had, and I said this is going to work in the game, and if she feels up to it, we'll be able to give her some innings the next day. And she felt up to it and put her where we thought she was going to be effective, and she was.

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 14/08/2026

I asked Heights 3B/DH Alyssa Zettlemoyer about finding a role on this team, as a player who primarily plays catcher (but the Heights have Denae Benites, arguably the best catcher in women's baseball):

It's a good question. Obviously I've been a primary catcher for most of my life, but I have played every position on the field. So either way, I would have been prepared for wherever I needed to go. But that's actually a conversation I had with our head coach, Rocky. So she wanted me to have a position I could own, that I could be like, 'I play this spot. That's my position. I own it.' So she wanted to make me a third baseman because we didn't have a for sure third baseman. Because obviously, having the best catcher, in my opinion, in the league on our team, it's going to be a tough position for me because she's an amazing player. She hits like nukes. Obviously, she's an amazing catcher. Even tonight behind the plate. She did amazing, and there was no thought in my mind that I would never have an opportunity to catch, because I'm sure I will. But to be able to have the kind of depth that we have on our team, that we have that good of a starting lineup, and I'm in it is just a privilege to me. So being able to even just be a third baseman or second baseman, DH wherever they end up putting me, I'll own whatever spot they end up putting me in.

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 14/08/2026

Heights reliever London Studer on her outing tonight (she had four strikeouts over 3 IP). (Question @howardmegdal.bsky.social):

Honestly, I kind of just came out hoping to throw strikes. So swing and miss wasn't really on my mind. You know, in girls baseball you don't get a lot of swing and misses, where you notice the difference between playing against guys than playing against girls, and with girls we're completely disciplined versus everything because we're all girls and we played against each other forever so we know the stuff that we have and I think coming out and just hoping to throw strikes and having confidence in myself, that gave me the upper hand to be able to get that swing and miss stuff to actually work for me today.

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 14/08/2026

Tonight's starting lineups for the WPBL game between the Boston Hunters and the New York Heights

Boston Hunters Starting Lineup vs New York
#14 Lexi Hastings CF
#25 Edith de Leija 3B
#55 Molly Paddison RF
#2 Denver Bryant DH
#13 Ticara Geldenhuis LF
#4 Kate Blunt 2B
#18 Maika Dumais 1B
#7 Hyeonah Kim C
#3 Raine Padgham SS
#18 Alli Schroder SP

NY HEights starting lineup vs Boston
#15 Natsuki Tonetani RF
#4 Madison Willan 2B
#2 Denae Benites C
#18 Claire O'Sullivan 1B
#17 Katherine Murphy LF
#8 Diana Ibarra CF
#7 Jaida Lee 3B
#13 Alyssa Zettlemoyer DH
#1 Kiera Izumi SS
#21 Claire Eccles SP

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 12/08/2026

OK, an hour and a half to first pitch and we have lineups and a game day graphic.

STARTING LINEUP

VS. SAN FRANCISCO

#7
AMIRA HONDRAS
2B
#11
MAGGIE FOXX
LF
#1
ASHTON LANSDELL
3B
#20
JAMIE MACKAY
C
#27
MICHELLE ROCHE
RF
#25
SARAH EDWARDS
1B
#2
THAIMA MAXIMILIANA
CF
#58
SAMARIA BENITEZ
SS
#3
MO'NE DAVIS
DH
#18
AYAMI SATO
SP

S
#5
AMANDA GIANELLONI
2B
#3
KELSIE WHITMORE
CF
#18
JILL ALBAYATI
3B
#16
ANDREANNE LEBLANC IB

#26
ALEXIA JORGE
C
#21
SKYLAR KAPLAN
RF
#57
ROSI DEL CASTILLO
DH
#13
JOELY LEGUIZAMON
SS
#1
JORDAN EYSTER
LF
#10
LIZ GILDER
SP
F STARTING LINEUP
VS. LOS ANGELES
WPBL
WOMEN'S PRO
BASEBALL LEAGUE

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 12/08/2026

Also what do you mean by “hidden agenda” Sara Jane highposthoops.com/dallas-repor...

Sara Jane Gamelli, who is Afseth's managing editor at Ballislife, described him as someone who has "shown the
upmost professionalism" and "is one of the few interested in covering the basketball aspect without any hidden agenda." Gamelli appeared to feel

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 10/08/2026

Work today went from this… to this

A photo of the pitch at Centreville bank stadium for the Boston legacy game

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 09/08/2026

The team says the game is a sellout but it’s clear there are quite a lot of open seats—I’m assuming that means tickets distributed, not fans in attendance but am not sure. We’ve asked & I’ll update once I have an answer

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 09/08/2026

News from the supporters’ section: they’ve gotten a flag pole for the “brat” inspired “honk” flag

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 09/08/2026

I’m boots on the ground for Boston Legacy v Portland Thorns today

A view from the press box of the pitch at Centreville Bank Stadium

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 07/08/2026

The WNBPA (the players’ union, not the league itself) released a statement. I’m glad that it mentions transgender people by name. I wish the line about strengthening Title IX had been more clear about meaning to protect trans students & not to exclude them.

A MESSAGE FROM
WNBPA PLAYER LEADERSHIP
To everyone who loves this game: The WNBPA represents 200+ individual people with different lived experiences, cultures, lifestyles, and opinions.
We embrace justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Those are the values that unite this Union and allow it to protect women's sports while creating transformational change.
Hate, abuse, and demonization of any person or group of people, including transgender people, only fuel fear, division, and harm. We will continue to have hard conversations. But we will not be used as political pawns.
Support the Players. Support the Fans. At games, notify security if you witness hateful, violent, or abusive behavior. Online, report abusive posts and drown out the bots and bad actors. At home, tell your elected officials to strengthen Title IX.

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 07/08/2026

We are doing a poll on the OOYL Discord to see what the rooting interests of the members are & within 3 mins, these were the free response answers. I love this community so much, if you want to join us you can do it through a paid membership to my newsletter: www.thefrankiedlc.news/upgrade

Anything else you want to share?
-hi frankie its sydney
-No men's leagues? Misandry!
-I love the discord best discord
-Paralympics forever! Also I'd watch Zoe Boyd stare at paint drying.

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 05/08/2026

Imagine making Stephanie White the latest WNBA Coach of the Month... oh, wait lol

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 03/08/2026

This is the WNBA & Indiana Fever’s fault. This is from XX XY Athletics’ IG account—that’s Sophie Cunningham with Riley Gaines & Jennifer Sey. The worst transphobes. I haven’t written about it bc it’s gutting how unprepared the league was for this & now we have explicit hate visible at games.

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 02/08/2026

Maybelle Blair mascot is incredible, 10/10 no notes

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 01/08/2026

I know people were asking about WPBL final rosters yesterday because they weren’t available on the website. I’ve got them here, starting with the Los Angeles Queens:

#
NAME
Brittany Apgar
1
Ashton Lansdell
Thaima Maximiliana
3
Mo'ne Davis
7
Amira Hondras
8
Suzu Naraski
10
Isabella Villareal
11
Maggie Foxx
13
Meggie Meidlinger
17
Adelaide Frank
18
Ayami Sato
19
Ayuri Shimano
20
Jamie Mackay
23
Emi Saiki
25
Sarah Edwards
27
Michelle Roche
29
Caitlin Eynon
58
Samaria Benitez
POS
CF
3B
SS
CF
IF
CF
2B
C
RHP
1B
RHP
RHP
SS
1B
RHP
SS
SS
COACHING STAFF
MANAGER: Eric Young
ASSISTANT COACHES: Jemile Weeks and Emma Charlesworth-Seiler
BATS
R/L
R/R
S/R R/R
L/R
R/R
R/R
R/R
R/R
L/L
R/R
L/R
R/R
L/R S/L R/R
L/R R/R
2026 ROSTER
DOB
HOMETOWN
8/8/2003
Greensboro, N.C.
2/22/2001
Marietta, Ga.
10/1/2007
Curaçao
6/24/2001
Philadelphia, Pa.
5/27/2008
South Holland, III.
5/17/1999
Setouchi City, Japan
7/30/2006
Newport, Mich.
12/1/2005
Bedford, N.H.
11/9/1987
Sterling, Va.
5/19/2008
Oakville, Missouri
12/21/1989
Tokorozawa, Japan
2/20/2004
Osaka, Japan
4/28/2003
Laguna Beach, Calif.
8/13/2001
Kagawa, Japan
6/26/96
Bay Shore, N.Y.
8/18/2005
British Columbia, Canada
5/13/2003
Perth, Australia
8/30/2002
Nayarit, Mexico
COLLEGE
Greensboro
Mississippi
N/A
Hampton
N/A
N/A
Eastern Michigan
Brown
Va. Tech
N/A
N/A
N/A
Mississippi
N/A
Hofstra
British Columbia
N/A
N/A
FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICKS
#2, Ayami Sato, RHP, Tokorozawa, Japan
#7 Ashton Lansdell, 3B, Marietta, Ga.
#10 Mo'ne Davis, CF, Philadelphia, Pa.
#15 Meggie Meidlinger, RHP, Sterling, Va.
#18 Thaima Maximiliana, SS, Curaçao

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 01/08/2026

Looks like a decent number of international players haven’t made it to Springfield yet, which raises questions about how the WPBL has handled travel & accommodations for its players.

AVAILABILITY REPORT

The following players are not available for opening weekend.

Maria Jose Valenzuela (BOS) - Knee

Suzuka Yamamoto (BOS) - Travel

Suzu Narasaki (LA) - Travel

Ayuri Shimano (LA) - Travel

Emi Saiki (LA) - Travel

Samaria Benitez (LA) - Travel

Hinano Beppu (SF)- Travel

Ayaka Yamamoto (SF) - Travel

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 22/07/2026

For people wondering about rules for the new women’s professional baseball league, the WPBL will be using MLB rules with a few differences. This is the rulebook I received from the league:

WPBL PLAYING RULE DIFFERENCES
FROM MLB OFFICIAL BASEBALL RULES
#
RULE
WPBL
1
Defensive Trips to the Mound
Three (3) free trips
2
Designated Hitter
Designated hitter is optional.
3
Two way player rule
Following WBSC guidelines: Rule 9.3.8 - 9.3.14
4
Bats
Metal, composite or wood bats
5
Regulation game
7 innings
A regulation game consists of seven innings, unless extended because of a tie score.
6
Called game considered a regulation game
A game is considered a regulation game -- also known as an "official game" - once the visiting team has made 12 outs (four innings) and the home team is leading, or once the home team has made 12 outs regardless of score.
7
ABS - Automatic Ball Strike
Challenge System
No

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Frankie de la Cretaz @thefrankiedlc.news · 21/07/2026

Irresponsible reporting to let this quote stand without pushback from the reporter on the fact that there is demonstrably no danger for cis girls who are in locker rooms or sports with trans girls. (Notable that the word “trans” is not followed by “people” or “women.” Dehumanizing language.)

You say she's a "MAGA Barbie," as some corners of the internet have taken to calling her?
Projection, she says, because of what she looks like and where she's from. She'll weigh in on how to "protect women's sports," she says, because she's in that world and feels qualified to speak to that world. "I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I'm like, 'I never once said that," she says. "I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn't have to go against biological men."

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