Does Jen Pawol Have a Baseball Card? YES!
Jen Pawol made history on August 9, 2025, as the first female ever to umpire an official Major League Baseball game. Her debut was in some sense 127 years in the making, as beautifully covered by this official MLB video narrated by broadcast legend Keith Olbermann.
Thanks to @MLB for posting my history of Jen Pawol and the giants on whose shoulders she stood in finally breaking baseball's glass ceiling for women in on-field game-deciding positions https://t.co/kvud9OSTir
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) August 9, 2025
Naturally, collectors were hopeful that Pawol's debut might also prompt her first official baseball card, presumably in the form of a Topps NOW card. Still, there has been so sign of a card from Topps, at least not yet, and the lack of a trading card agreement between Topps and the Major League Baseball Umpires Association may even prevent such a card entirely, even as Topps would be free to negotiate an agreement with Pawol directly.
Meanwhile, no small number of collectors have searched the Web or Hobby sites such as Trading Card Database, perhaps wondering if Pawol might have made it into a Hofstra Softball set or minor league issue. However, such searches would have all turned up empty...until now!
In this Hobby exclusive, Collectibles on SI is pleased to share the first public images of a rare Jen Pawol trading card from 2004. All images and information have been provided by the card's owner, Tim Wiles, who has amassed what may be the Hobby's top collection of women on baseball cards, numbering to more than 2000.
Though the card was issued in 2004, the card commemorates the 2001 Women's World Series that Pawol starred in. Her age and the card's bio reflect 2001 as well.
Wondering how rare this baseball card is? Tim's got you covered on that front as well, thanks to the official letter of authenticity he received with his baseball card set more than two decades ago. The letter's third paragraph notes a print run of only 200 sets, though it's possible far fewer than that ever made it out to the public.
So there you have it, collectors. Jen Pawol really does have a card, even if there aren't many of them out there. (And in case you're wondering, Tim's not selling!) But wait, there's more! Tim has also provided photos of a second Jen Pawol card, this one issued in 2016 by the Minnesota Girls Baseball Association.
And for those of you wondering about Jen's hobbies, at least back in 2016, here's the card back.
Best of luck, Jen Pawol, in turning a historic debut into a permanent assignment. And best of luck, collectors, in tracking down either of these elusive Jen Pawol cards. Of course, anyone reading this far in the article may have a slight edge, thanks to another hot tip from Tim. He believe the second of these cards may still be available through the Minnesota Girls Baseball Association. Shh, don't tell anyone, as these could go VERY fast!
Jason A. Schwartz is a collectibles expert whose work can be found regularly at SABR Baseball Cards, Hobby News Daily, and 1939Bruins.com. His collection of Hank Aaron baseball cards and memorabilia is currently on exhibit at the Atlanta History Center, and his collectibles-themed artwork is on display at the Honus Wagner Museum and PNC Park.