Jenny Cavnar leaves Rockies to become first female primary play-by-play MLB broadcaster
Feb 13, 2024, 11:11 AM
Jenny Cavnar has been a bright spot of some dismal Rockies seasons, working on their television broadcasts. She’s been in the studio, as a reporter around Coors Field or — on occasion — as the play-by-play broadcaster filling in for Drew Goodman.
And it’s in the latter role that she drew the most attention. It led to other work, such as college-basketball play-by-play opportunities with FS1 and the Pac-12 Network. And now, it leads her to make history as the first female primary play-by-play broadcaster for a team in Major League Baseball history.
NBC Sports California announced Tuesday that Cavnar will become the primary voice of the Oakland A’s for that network’s broadcasts this season.
It’s a step for which Cavnar has put in the work and is more than ready. Prior to working the last 12 seasons with the Rockies, she served as part of the San Diego Padres’ broadcast team.
A TRANSITORY TIME FOR THE ROCKIES’ TV BROADCASTS WITHOUT JENNY CAVNAR
The departure of Jenny Cavnar comes at a moment when the Rockies’ broadcasts are in flux. Longtime broadcaster AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain — which traced its roots back to Prime Sports in the late 1980s — exited its contract when its owners, Warner Brothers Discovery, chose to shutter the network and abandon its contract with the Rockies.
Thus, the team has spent its offseason figuring out a broadcast home. Last month, the team’s broadcasters confirmed that they would return for another season at the mic, meaning that Drew Goodman, Jeff Huson, Ryan Spilborghs and other mainstays would be back.
But the lingering question is where. Last week, The Athletic reported that games would be available via MLB.TV, with MLB producing the broadcasts. But there is no word as to a local partner for over-the-air or cable/satellite broadcasts. Last year, MLB assumed the broadcasts of the Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks during the season. But those teams strung together local partners for satellite/cable coverage.
No matter what happens for the Rockies, it will take place without Jenny Cavnar, who became a beloved staple of their broadcasts. She’s on to bigger things — like making history.
