Joining A's, Jenny Cavnar is 1st female lead play-by-play voice in MLB history
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Jenny Cavnar was named the A's lead play-by-play announcer on Tuesday, taking on a role in which she will call the majority of the club's games starting with the 2024 season. Cavnar will become the first woman in MLB history to serve as a club¡¯s primary, regular play-by-play voice.
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"It is a dream come true to join the broadcast team for the Oakland A¡¯s and their rich baseball history," Cavnar said in a statement. "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. 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."
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Cavnar was previously the Rockies' backup play-by-play announcer, pre- and postgame host and regional TV reporter, covering Colorado for the last 12 years. She also covered the Padres as a reporter and anchor. Cavnar is a five-time Emmy Award winner and was named Colorado Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sports Media Association in 2021.
"Jenny is a very talented announcer with significant experience covering baseball," said NBC Sports California and NBC Sports Bay Area president and general manager Matt Murphy. "She¡¯s been a groundbreaking professional who¡¯s earned the admiration of fans and her peers throughout her career. We¡¯re very excited for her to join our excellent team and lead our A¡¯s coverage starting this season."
Cavnar has been breaking barriers for women in baseball for a long time. On April 23, 2018, she became the first woman since 1993 to broadcast play-by-play on a Major League telecast when she called a Rockies game against the Padres. In 2015, she became the first woman to do radio analysis for a National League series.
Cavnar is part of a group of female TV and radio announcers in baseball that includes others like Orioles play-by-play announcer Melanie Newman, Yankees radio commentator Suzyn Waldman and ESPN analyst Jessica Mendoza.