First female announcer in baseball
There are few sports as traditional as that of baseball. The game has been played for hundreds of years and is a highly recognised sport in America with millions of people enjoying the game on a daily basis.
However, like many mainstream sports, it’s often a male-only affair. But this August many baseball fans would have been surprised to hear a female voice commanding the airwaves for the first time.
Major League breakthrough
On the Monday night meeting between Arizona Diamondbacks and St Louis Cardinals, the top sports broadcaster ESPN began affairs as normal. But once the sound switched to the broadcast booth, the voice of Jessica Mendoza was heard and signalled the very first time that a female voice has been used to provide analysis on this much-beloved sport.
And what’s surprising is how long this has taken to happen. Especially in light of FIFA 16 recently introducing female teams for its video games, and Becky Hammon becoming the first coach of an NBA summer team. However, with Royal Vegas Casino offering a Hotshot baseball game on its gaming site, it looks like the sports appeal is starting to reach new audiences. Royal Vegas Casino provides a wide range of sports-themed slots games such as Cricket Star and Football Star that all offer some impressive payouts whilst broadening the appeal of these popular sports.
Mendoza’s history
And whilst the female analyst might be new in the realms of baseball broadcasting, Mendoza’s love of the game is well documented. From being the only girl on her school baseball team, to becoming one of the greatest softball players ever, the California native has always shown a deep fascination for the game that was more than amply displayed when commentating on the Monday night match.
Unfortunately, Mendoza has had to put up with a degree of online abuse as the result of her television debut on the Baseball Tonight TV show. However, the star has managed to shrug off such backwards thinking and is looking forward to continuing her respected career in the game.
Already she’s pencilled in to cover further matches in the Major League Baseball series where she’ll get her first taste of Sunday League Baseball action as the events on the field heat up towards the end of the season.
And whilst the sound of a female voice in the baseball broadcasting booth might have unsettled a few more traditional fans, it’s undoubtedly looking to be a great way to introduce this fantastic sport to a much broader audience.
