The Renville and Hawarden teams involved actually had to persuade her mother to let her umpire when the ump was a no show. Her mother relenting, Amanda took her place behind the pitchers mound. Clement immediately put all doubts to rest. She expertly covered all four bases as well as the strikes and balls. Hired on the spot, she began a successful career as a professional umpire for the next six years.

Earning between $15 and $25 a game and averaging over 50 games each summer, she earned enough money to put herself through college. Serious about her work as the sole decision maker on field, she was not afraid to eject a player in order to maintain control of the game. She estimated having ejected approximately half a dozen players over the years, yet said she was always treated with the utmost respect. Amanda felt her gender was an advantage in regards to umping since it was socially unacceptable at the time to insult a lady, either verbally or physically.

Word of her Umping prowess spread quickly as she became the new novelty in the popular sport of baseball. Players and Sports reporters alike dubbed her “The Only Lady Umpire in the World” and “The Lady in Blue,” saying she was “death on balls and strikes”. Amanda could play just as well as she umped, and in 1912 threw a baseball 279 feet – a world record for a female. She may have been the first woman to referee basketball games professionally as well, but due to poor record keeping regarding women in sports, this cannot (yet) be proven.

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