Watch CBS News

Her Story: 1st Time All-Female Broadcast Crew Calls MLB Game

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — There was history — and her story, too — in the broadcast booth at Tropicana Field on Tuesday night.

For the first time in Major League Baseball history, an all-female announcing crew called a game as the Tampa Bay Rays played the Baltimore Orioles.

The YouTube broadcast featured Melanie Newman on play-by-play with Sarah Langs as the analyst. Alanna Rizzo was the on-field reporter, and Heidi Watney and Lauren Gardner hosted the pregame and postgame coverage.

"This was so much FUN!" Langs tweeted after the Rays' 9-3 win.

"Honored to be part of a historic moment, but more than anything, just so overjoyed to get to work alongside" her colleagues, she said, praising them as "Strong, smart & inspiring WOMEN and PEOPLE!"

Newman is the Orioles' play-by-play radio announcer, Langs writes for MLB.com and Rizzo, Watney and Gardner are on air for MLB Network.

"It's not a novelty, it's about normalcy," MLB Network tweeted.

"Trailblazers" posted the official MLB Twitter account.

Tennis champion and social justice advocate Billie Jean King celebrated the broadcast by posting on Twitter: "It's a history-making night for #MLB."

(© Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.