MLB’s First Female Primary play-by-play
Jenny Cavnar for the Oakland Athletics
It’s a historic day, as MLB’s first female primary play-by-play announcer has been hired. NBC Sports Bay Area has hired Jenny Cavnar as the new primary play-by-play voice for the Oakland Athletics. Cavnar will become the first woman to be a primary play-by-play voice in MLB history.
“It is a dream come true to join the broadcast team for the Oakland A’s and their rich baseball history,” Cavnar said. “Growing up the daughter of a baseball coach, I have loved the game from a young age, along with the stories, history, and relationships the game provides.” Cavnar spent the past 12 seasons as a pregame and postgame host as well as backup play-by-play announcer for the Colorado Rockies.
“I’m excited to start my 18th season as a major league broadcaster with my good friend Dallas Braden and share our experiences with the loyal fans of the Athletics as we go on this ride together,” Cavnar added.
Jenny Cavnar has been hired as the A’s primary play-by-play announcer, per @NBCSAthletics
She will be the first female primary play-by-play voice in MLB history 🙌 pic.twitter.com/HUpBR8ih12
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) February 13, 2024
Cavnar had served as the backup play-by-play announcer for the Colorado Rockies MLB team for the past 12 years, as well as pregame and postgame host. She has also worked on TV and radio networks covering men’s and women’s college basketball games.
According to NBC, Cavnar was the first woman to call TV play-by-play for an MLB game in 25 years, which she did in 2018. In a statement, NBC Sports California President Matt Murphy praised Cavnar, calling her a talented and groundbreaking professional who has earned the admiration of fans and peers throughout her career.
Women gaining some ground in sports
In recent years, women have been playing an increasingly important role in sports broadcasting, particularly in baseball. Suzyn Waldman has been working as the Yankees’ radio broadcast color commentator since 2005, while Jessica Mendoza became the first woman to call a World Series game for a national audience in 2020, serving as a color commentator for ESPN’s national broadcasts of “Sunday Night Baseball” for several years.
Doris Burke is among the NBA’s most respected color commentators, having broadcast national games for ESPN for 11 years. Amazon’s 2018 NFL broadcast also featured an all-woman booth, with Andrea Kremer and Hannah Storm calling the game. Other sports, such as tennis and soccer, regularly feature women calling professional men’s matches, with former players like Chanda Rubin and CoCo Vandeweghe rotating on the Tennis Channel, and Sky Sports regularly featuring women calling English Premier League soccer matches.