ST. PETERSBURG — What otherwise might seem a mundane Tuesday night Rays game at Tropicana Field against the last-place Orioles will be historic before the first pitch is thrown.
That’s because it will be the first major-league game called by an all-female broadcast team, per Major League Baseball and YouTube, which will show the game exclusively.
Melanie Newman, a member of the Orioles’ broadcast crew, will handle play-by-play duties, her second national YouTube game appearance. Sarah Langs, an mlb.com reporter who specializes in analytics and advanced stats, will be the analyst. Alanna Rizzo, an MLB Network host who previously worked on the Dodgers broadcasts, will be the in-game reporter.
In addition, Heidi Watney and Lauren Gardner of MLB Network will be the co-hosts of the MLB Game of the Week Live on YouTube’s pregame and postgame shows.
“I’m looking forward to working with these talented and amazing women on this broadcast,” Watney said in a news release. “Baseball is for everyone, and my hope is that this broadcast helps show young women that they too can be a part of this great game in any way they want.”
The historic game could have had more of a local angle, as Rays in-game reporter Tricia Whitaker was invited to be part of the crew but was not allowed due to Bally Sports Sun rules. Two Bally officials did not respond to requests for comment.
“It is a great honor to be included in a broadcast with so many accomplished and talented broadcasters,” Rizzo said in the release. “The fact that the entire on-air team is female shows you that baseball is a game for everyone. I am looking forward to being a part of this historic, inaugural event but looking more forward to when this is the norm versus the exception.”
The game can be watched on mobile devices, computers and smart TVs through the YouTube app.
The broadcast will feature several interactive elements, including fan voting for the player of the game.
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