Oakland A’s fans will have a new voice to listen to during TV broadcasts this season.
NBC Sports California announced on Tuesday that Jenny Cavnar, who covered the Colorado Rockies for the last 12 years, would become the A’s new primary play-by-play announcer.
Cavnar, a five-time Emmy Award winner, will become the first woman ever to be a primary play-by-play voice for an MLB team.
“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.”
Cavnar will replace A’s radio broadcasters Johnny Doskow and Vince Cotroneo, who were rotating into the TV booth after the A’s fired longtime broadcaster Glen Kuiper for uttering a racist slur on live TV last May. Doskow and Cotroneo are expected to return to the radio booth.
Cavnar will join former A’s pitcher Dallas Braden, the club’s color analyst, to form a unique duo in what could be the last season of A’s games in Oakland. The A’s have yet to announce where they’ll play after their lease at the Coliseum expires at the end of the year.
Cavnar played lacrosse at Colorado State University before beginning her media career at local TV and radio stations in Colorado. She moved to Los Angeles to serve as an assistant coach with the UCLA lacrosse team while continuing her media career. She served as a host covering the Anaheim Ducks, co-hosted an Olympics show and spent five years as a sideline reporter covering San Diego State and the San Diego Padres before joining the Rockies broadcasts.
While covering the Rockies she became the first woman in 25 years to serve as a play-by-play TV voice for an MLB game in 2018. She regularly served as the backup play-by-play announcer, pregame and postgame host, and reporter.
In 2021 she became the first woman to be named Colorado Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sports Media Association (NSMA).
The A’s will kick off spring training in Arizona on Wednesday, when pitchers and catchers are due to report. Their first spring training game is on Saturday, Feb. 24, vs. the Rockies.