From First to Friar: Cristina Medina Persevered

Cristina Medina fell in love with baseball after a mere introduction.

“I remember there was a baseball field, right around the corner from my house,” Medina said. 

“I would walk by and see kids playing. For some reason, I was completely fascinated. I wanted to understand everything about the game. What were they doing? How were they playing and making certain plays? Everything. I like to think it was a little bit of destiny that there happened to be a baseball field so close to my home.”

Medina’s newfound calling came with challenges, though – the first being family tradition. 

“Nobody in my home played baseball,” Medina said. “You know, the culture in Mexico is more like futbol/soccer culture.”

Despite the lack of experience in her new favorite sport, Medina dove headfirst into the diamond. And amidst her ventures, her father supported her. 

“When I told my dad I wanted to play baseball, he was like, ‘Baseball? Where’d you get that?’” Medina said with a laugh. “That’s the good thing about my dad, though. He never refused to do something. He always told me to do some sport, whatever. It doesn’t matter what, but do something.”  

Her “something” was baseball, and the Medina family was all in. 

“My dad bought a glove and a ball and a bat, everything, and we started to practice,” Medina said. “My dad didn’t know anything about baseball, but he tried.” 

The two went to the local baseball field constantly. After she learned the basics, Medina’s father sought out a personal coach. That’s when Medina’s career almost ended before it got off the ground. 

Medina’s father explained their situation, hoping for expert input. 

Oh, the girls don’t play, the coach said. 

I’ll be the first one, a young Medina replied. 

After her initial baseball craze, Medina worked her way up the ladder and became the first female trainer in the history of the Liga Mexicana de Béisbol. She went from digging her cleats into a batter’s box to training the next crop of baseball talent. 

After her success in Mexico, Medina looked for her next challenge. Little did she know, it’d come through an MLB affiliation. 

“The day I was hired meant a lot, not just for me,” Medina said of her current position with the Padres. “I think it means a lot for my whole culture as a woman. I was the first female strength coach in Mexico. Now, I’m the first one coming from Mexico to work for a major league affiliate.” 

Medina’s former colleagues from Mexico were sad to see her go, but very excited for her incredible opportunity. 

“It was awesome for everyone, the whole country. I remember lots of players from the Mexican League. They called to congratulate me,” Medina said. “A lot of coaches, a lot of trainers, my team workers. Everyone was so happy. So that moment means a lot, not just for me, but for the rest of Mexican baseball.” 

One of the players Medina has been blessed to work with is Padres’ reliever, Bradgley Rodriguez. 

This regular season, Rodriguez held a 2.19 ERA and struck out 81 batters in 74 innings. He was part of one of baseball’s most intimidating bullpens. 

“I remember when I got him in the Dominican Republic, and he was pissed off because I was not ‘killing’ him, like, you know, pushing him. [He was like], ‘You can do more, come on, come on!’ When he got to the majors, he told me, ‘Cristina, thank you, thank you for not letting me be a freaking kid and just complaining about everything.’”

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Another player Medina recalls working with is Luis Gutierrez, a minor league southpaw for the Padres. The young lefty was sitting around 92-94 mph. 

“I remember he said, ‘Cristina, I can’t improve my [velocity].’ I said, ‘You can’t. You really can’t,’ [jokingly].” 

Medina worked with Gutierrez in different phases. Strength phase, speed phase, et cetera. After Gutierrez went through the wringer, he came out the other end with more giddy-up on his heater, sitting in the mid-90s.  

Medina’s philosophy benefited both players because it’s personalized. 

“I don’t believe it’s always about who works hardest or who does the most,” Medina said. “It’s about understanding each athlete. Identifying the details that might be limiting their performance and finding the right way to turn those weaknesses into strengths.” 

Medina found a way to turn her limitations into strengths – regardless of the circumstance.

As of 2023, 43 women held coaching and managerial positions across the major and minor leagues, an increase from 33 the year prior. 

“There were times when I felt people questioned my ability or my potential because I was a woman. But I don’t like to focus too much on those experiences because I never wanted to let them define me or control the way that I approach my career,” Medina said. 

Throughout her baseball journey, from being told no in her youth to coaching the MLB stars of tomorrow, Medina has learned a lot about perseverance. 

“Difficult moments in life are often the moments that shape our character the most,” Medina said. “Sometimes we don’t understand why an opportunity doesn’t come when we want it, or why things don’t work for us. But instead of only asking why it’s happening, I think it’s important to ask, ‘What can I learn from this? How can I challenge myself? How can I do a better job? How can I be better prepared for the next opportunity?’” 

For Medina, reaching MLB would be another milestone, but it isn’t the only way she measures success. 

“For me, success is not only about how far you can go; it’s also about the impact I can have while I’m getting there.”