Медсестра из Питтсбурга баллотируется в команду бейсбольных девушек на матч всех звезд

PITTSBURGH -- Sarah Johnson’s shifts as a Pirates ball girl often close out a 24-hour workday. Johnson will begin her day – or night – by working the night shift at AHN Wexford Hospital from 7 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. After a quick sandwich and some coffee, she’ll make her way to PNC Park for a day full of baseball festivities. “If I have the availability to [work as the ball girl], but maybe not sleep for a solid 24 hours, I'll do it,” Johnson said. Johnson, 26, balances her job as a registry nurse with being Pittsburgh’s longest-tenured ball girl. At AHN Wexford Hospital, Johnson moves between floors covering pediatrics, critical care and more as a swiss-army knife. She hopes to take her ball girl talents to Philadelphia for this year's All-Star Ball Crew. Johnson was one of six ball girls nominated for the Midsummer Classic. Fans have the opportunity to vote for Johnson from Sunday, July 5, through Tuesday, July 7, and the winners will be announced on Wednesday, July 8. “She's insane in the best way possible,” said Celina Halt, the Pirates' ball team manager. “She'll come in her scrubs after a night shift, and I'll look at her, and I'll be like, ‘Sarah, did you schedule yourself after a night shift again?’ And she goes, ‘Yeah, I was already up, I already have my coffee, so we're fine.’ And she'll just sit and watch some batting practice before the game starts, and then she'll just be ready to rock and roll by the time first pitch rolls around.” “I tend to just think not everyone gets this opportunity, so I don't take it for granted,” Johnson said. “If I’m able to get to both, and then I'll have the next day off, then I'll do what I can to make both things happen, because I love helping people at the hospital, and then going and helping kids have a great time at the ball field is also rewarding.” 2026 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard • In City of Brotherly Love, AL rides 3-run 1st to win All-Star Game • Box score: AL 4, NL 0 • ASG’s best moments | Key stats and facts | Team-by-team breakdown • Bellinger becomes 4th Yankee to win All-Star Game MVP • All-Stars share touching moment with young fans during 'America the Beautiful' • Baseball pays tribute with poignant Stand Up 2 Cancer moment • All-Stars walk red carpet dressed to nines, with meaning behind every stitch Johnson began balancing her nursing aspirations with her love of sports at Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pa. Johnson, who moved from Highlands Ranch, Colo., to play for the Division III softball powerhouse, blossomed into the NCCAA National Player of the Year across five seasons. Geneva College head softball coach and chief athletics officer Van Zanic said Johnson made it clear throughout the recruiting process that she wanted to be a nurse. Zanic often preps prospective players about the difficulty of balancing athletics and school, especially with programs like biology, engineering and nursing. Geneva’s nursing program allows students to do their clinical work in years two and three, taking classes in the first and fourth. Johnson balanced the two while also becoming a Pirates ball girl in college, using her precise scheduling to manage her time. “I use Sarah now as I'm recruiting as an example,” Zanic said. “Because girls will ask me, ‘Hey, can I do this in a good way? Can I be a nurse? Can I play softball?’ And I will always use Sarah as an example. I say, ‘Well, the two-time All-American did it really well.'” Johnson sees the correlation between both nursing and acting as a ball girl boiling down to helping people. Halt said Johnson’s job is to create “wow” moments and memories for the fans. Ever since MLB began the initiative of sending ball girls to the Midsummer Classic in 2024, Halt and the Pirates have attempted to find ways to send a member of their team. Johnson saw the ballot last year and asked Halt about the opportunity. Now, just a few votes away from getting Johnson on one of the game’s biggest stages, Halt feels she’d be the perfect “trailblazer” for Pittsburgh’s organization. “That opportunity, going to an All-Star Game in general, is something that has always been a dream of mine,” Johnson said. “But let alone being able to be a ball crew member would be something I've never even imagined would be possible.”