Former Los Angeles Dodgers reporter Alanna Rizzo reprised that role last week for an exclusive YouTube broadcast of a matchup between the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays.
It marked a second time this season Rizzo served as a reporter for game coverage — which she did for the Dodgers from 2014-2020 — but it was notable in that she was part of the first all-female broadcast in MLB history.
Melanie Newman handled play-by-play duties, as she does normally for the Orioles; MLB.com’s Sarah Langs was an analyst; and MLB Network’s Heidi Watney and Lauren Gardner handled pregame and postgame shows.
The all-female crew made national headlines, but that initially wasn’t on their radar. “What was so funny about it was we all were asked to do it, or saw it on our schedules, and we didn’t know it was an all-female broadcast,” Rizzo told DodgerBlue.com.
“I didn’t know it was an all-female broadcast until about four days before the game. I was asked by the MLB Network PR department for a quote, and I didn’t know why they wanted a quote. But then I realized it was that game with that crew, and was like, ‘Oh wow.’
“I don’t think I really recognized the moment until the day before and all of the interest the story was garnering with national media outlets. We have been on this media circuit for days now, which has been great. The response has been really positive, it’s been widely accepted and widely of interest to people.
“Once the game started, it was finally just baseball. That was the easiest part of the day — actually doing the game — just because of all the different directions we had been pulled in. The further away I get from the broadcast, the more I realize and appreciate how important it was and what a moment it was to honor and recognize. But also hoping it gets to the point where this is commonplace and nobody bats an eye at an all-female team.”
In addition to being part of history, Rizzo enjoyed the chance to experience a sense of normalcy. “It was awesome. To be able to actually be on the field again for the first time since pre-COVID was awesome,” she said.
“All of last year we were not, and even after they won the World Series, I had to wait an hour to get a player and I was doing it from a suite. So that was very impersonal and not great. So just to be back on the field and have the ability to have conversations with players, coaches and managers was really good. It was nice to have the fans back too.
“I hadn’t experienced that in a year and a half. It was good. It was really good to be back in my element.”
Rizzo keeping off-field mission alive
In July 2019, Rizzo officially launched Guidry’s Guardian Foundation with a focus on saving dogs in the greater Los Angeles area. Permanently moving to the East Coast last year hasn’t had an impact on her efforts.
“It’s going well. It’s still just me doing it. The need is always greater than the resources, but I’m very thankful for our most recent campaign with Baseballism,” Rizzo said. “They have created a ‘Bow Wow’ line that 10% of any items that are sold from that particular line that features four different breeds of dogs with the baseball in their mouths, goes to Guidry’s Guardian.
“We launched that on May 15, and it’s the first real partnership I’ve had with a corporation that benefits the foundation. We just constantly encourage people to foster and adopt because there’s thousands and thousands and thousands of dogs that get euthanized on a daily basis. People just throw away their animals like trash, and it’s infuriating.
“If we can continue to encourage people to adopt and foster, save a life, hopefully we’re making a difference. Most of what I do still is in Los Angeles. I will always continue to support all of the needs in L.A. because that’s where the foundation was launched and it has a huge place in my heart.”
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