| Date / Year | Matchup & Location | Pay / Game | Key Officiating Call | Crowd / Press Verdict | Historical Significance |
|---|
Wearing her self-designed dark uniform with "UMPIRE" across the chest. At age 16, she earned up to $25 per game—paying for her college education.
Officiating required total command over intense semi-pro rivalries across the Midwest.
The Legacy of "World Champion Woman Umpire"
Born in Hudson, South Dakota in 1888, Amanda Clement grew up playing baseball with her brothers. In 1904, while attending a local game in Hawarden, Iowa where her brother Hank was pitching, the hired umpire failed to show up. 16-year-old Amanda stepped out of the stands, took position behind the pitcher, and called a flawless game.
— The Cincinnati Enquirer, 1906
Word spread quickly of her exceptional eye for balls and strikes. Teams across South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and North Dakota specifically demanded Amanda Clement as their headline umpire. She officiated roughly 50 to 60 games per summer between 1904 and 1910, earning $15 to $25 per game—a formidable sum that fully funded her university education at Yankton College and the University of Nebraska.
Beyond her razor-sharp rules knowledge, Clement was a pioneer in athletic independence. She was an expert tennis player, track athlete, gymnast, skater, and basketball referee. Her trailblazing career shattered early 20th-century gender barriers in American professional sport.
Officiating Statistics (1904–1910)
- Total Career Games Officiated: ~350+ matches
- Ejection Rate: < 0.5% (Players respected her commands instantly)
- Officiating Honorarium: Highest-paid amateur/semi-pro umpire in the region
- Title Bestowed: "World Champion Woman Umpire"