NESN's all-female broadcast booth ready for Tuesday's Red Sox game: ‘Once the first pitch is thrown, we just do our job'
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In other words, she's there to do her job. Just like Tiedemann.
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These women get it: This particular iteration of their professional life is noteworthy. It is the first all-female broadcast team and all-female broadcast booth for a complete game in Red Sox history, a crew specifically hired by NESN for Women's Celebration Night at Fenway Park that includes Kasey Hudson at field level, Natalie Noury and Jen McCaffrey in the studio, and Amy Kaplan and Anna Gregoire in producer roles. But for all of them, the 'job' part is what matters most.
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'It's exciting and some may think it's unique, but for us, if you look at our résumés collectively, we have decades of experience, and once the first pitch is thrown, we just do our job,' Rizzo said. 'Emma's calling the game, I'm doing my tidbits. We love the game, we do the work, and it's important to recognize that we appreciate the opportunity.
'But I can't wait till it's not a big deal anymore.'
Ditto for Tiedemann, whose first foray into calling a game came by the side of her grandfather, Texas sportscaster Bill Mercer, but was honed by hard work, beginning with a post-college job doing play-by-play for the Mat-Su Miners of the Alaskan summer league to her current job calling games for the Portland Sea Dogs, the Red Sox' Double A affiliate.
'I started loving all sports as a little girl, but I really came to love baseball through play-by-play and calling games every day for a season up in Alaska, that's how I fell in love with the sport itself, learning from players, learning about the art of broadcasting,' she said. 'The groundbreaking stuff has come along with it, but the forefront for me is putting on a headset.'
Emma Tiedemann has been the radio play-by-play voice of the Portland Sea Dogs since 2021.
Jim Davis/Globe Staff
She's right. But for now, we still mark, notice, and celebrate nights such as this, because they are what make the vision of a different, less-notable future seem possible, perhaps even inevitable. Only with intentionality such as NESN is showing here, efforts such as their Women of NESN initiative to broaden opportunity for those long shut out from this male-dominated field, are new habits formed. Habits where viewers and/or listeners don't judge by the sound of the voice they hear, but by what they are saying instead.
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'I'm a sucker for a pitchers' duel,' Tiedemann said. 'I love that game of chess, the pitcher having to adjust on the mound. On the Double A level [in Portland], pitching seems to take a leap, seeing a guy work the second or third time through the lineup, leaning on the fastball the first time through, the curveball the second time through. I love pitching.
'But we also have been very fortunate with Ceddanne Rafaela's defense, seen multiple home run-robbing catches. He's the only player that has changed the way I call fly balls to center field, where I've had to adjust to a player's defense. Balls that were doubles for most players, Ceddanne was making catches. He made me fall in love with that first step on a fly ball.'
For Rizzo, 'it's more about the storytelling and relationships of players. I'm drawn to finding out what makes this person unique off the field, to take viewers someplace they're not allowed to go. Yes, they're millionaires who make a lot of money, but they're humans, not robots, and I love the human interest side of things. There are only 780 people that start on a major league roster every season — they are one of the 1 percent. It's difficult to do what these guys do and that's more of what draws me to the sport, the storytelling, being the liaison between the players on the field and the fans at home.'
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That path, from the ballpark to your living room, is the one that drives them most. But another path, from those who've gone before them to those who dream of following in their footsteps, that one matters so much, too.
Tara Sullivan is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at
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Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
Well-respected Royals catcher Salvador Perez can draw a crowd, even among opponents
He was 8 of 22 in that series with two doubles and struck out once in 23 plate appearances. 'He's a leader, a part of a championship team, and a great person,' Cora said. 'He can play first [base], but what he does behind the plate is pretty amazing and what he does in the clubhouse, from everything I hear, is the same. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'He's a guy that I respect.' Advertisement Like Perez, Red Sox catcher Carlos Narváez is from Venezuela. He had just signed with the Yankees as a 16-year-old when Perez led the Royals to their first championship since 1985. 'As a kid, that's who I wanted to be,' Narváez said. 'His being from Venezuela and doing what he did, it was an inspiration. And he's still one of the best catchers in the game. 'Everybody talks about wanting to have a long career, but he's somebody who had done it. It was exciting for me to play against him.' Advertisement Perez smiled when that comment was read back to him. 'That makes me feel good, like I did my job the right way,' Perez told the Globe. 'When I was young player, I looked up to Yadi Molina . I'm glad to hear [Narváez] say that. I've watched him. He's going to be a good player. He's a big part of the group Boston has.' Perez also is proud of the 'C' on the front of his uniform. He and Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge are the only team captains left in baseball. 'That's why I like seeing Varitek when we play the Red Sox,' Perez said. 'He was their captain and he was a guy I learned a lot from. To be associated with somebody like that means a lot. 'The way he ran the game, the way he played, I tried to follow that when I got to this level. I told him that when I saw him on the field, that I appreciated what he did and thanked him for everything he has done in this game.' The Royals went eight years without making the playoffs — or even having a winning season — after winning the '15 World Series. They broke that slump last season when they beat the Orioles in the Wild Card round then fell to the Yankees in the Division Series. The Yankees won in four games but outscored the Royals by only two runs. 'That was a good experience for our young guys,' Perez said. The Royals obtained Mike Yastrzemski and pitchers Ryan Bergert , Bailey Falter , and Stephen Kolek at the trade deadline this season hoping to make another run at the postseason. Advertisement Perez believes it's possible given the solid base of talent led by All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr . 'I want to get back to the World Series again,' Perez said. 'That's my goal. You look at this team with the young talent, and I think we can do it as we get better.' Perez readily acknowledges that he wants to stay in the game to burnish his Hall of Fame credentials. That's another goal. 'Of course,' he said. 'I would love to do that. That would be the greatest thing for any baseball player.' Perez's 293 home runs are the third-most for a catcher with a single franchise. Only Johnny Bench (389) and Yogi Berra (358) had more. Related : Among catchers, his five Gold Gloves and five Silver Sluggers are topped by only by Hall of Famer Ivan Rodriguez , who combined for 20. Perez compares statistically to Posada, Brian McCann, and Javy López , who all lasted one year on the BBWAA ballot. But reaching 300 home runs and adding to his postseason résumé could make a difference. Perez believes he can play another four or five years because of the offseason work he has done with Aroldis Chapman . Chapman played for the Royals in 2023 and became close with Perez. The pitcher, a workout fanatic, counseled Perez on improving his nutrition and how to use weight training to stay more flexible. 'We live near each other [in Florida] and he's helped me a lot,' Perez said. 'We're super close. I thank God I met him. The way he prepares himself and how hard he works, he's still hungry to do more in the game and I feel the same way.' Related : Advertisement Perez singled off Chapman at Kauffman Stadium in May, something both players laughed about. 'Maybe I showed him too much,' Chapman said. 'But Salvy is a great player and getting to know him and be his friend means a lot. I hope he plays as long as he want to play. It's good for baseball.' Salvador Perez slides safely into home, beating a tag by Connor Wong at Fenway Park. Brian Fluharty/Getty On the run Red Sox employing speed as a weapon Through 116 games, the Red Sox were sixth in the majors with 97 stolen bases and fourth in extra bases taken at 46 percent. That statistic accounts for how many times a runner took more than one base on a single or more than two bases on a double. 'We're kind of creating some havoc on the bases,' Jarren Duran said. 'We have so many guys that have the ability to stretch singles into doubles [and] doubles into triples. We even put the pressure on the routine ground ball.' To be sure, personnel plays a big role in stealing bases. Duran, David Hamilton , Ceddanne Rafaela , and Trevor Story have 69 of those 97 steals. But Wilyer Abreu , Romy Gonzalez , and Rob Refsnyder have run the bases well without necessarily having blazing speed. Credit the Detroit Tigers, oddly enough. The Tigers lead the majors with 54 percent of extra bases taken. Alex Cora saw an article about their efficiency and asked third base coach Kyle Hudson and the research staff to dig into it. 'There are certain plays that they maximize base-running wise that we noticed,' Cora said. 'We recognized them. We showed our players, and we're doing a better job with it. I think we've been more aggressive [going] first to third.' The decisions are based on how the outfielders are positioned. There are shift rules for infielders but not for outfielders and teams often have their center fielder deep into a gap against certain hitters. Advertisement If a single or double goes to the opposite gap, it creates an opportunity to get an extra base. 'That's something we learned from [Detroit],' Cora said. 'And when you start going first to third, putting pressure on the opposition, it opens the door to steal second, because most of the teams don't like throwing to second when men are at third. 'So it's been fun. It actually started when I noticed it [the article] and I was jealous, to be honest with you.' Cora's brother, Joey , is Detroit's third base coach. But while the brothers talk about baseball all the time, they don't share trade secrets. The Sox players have embraced the idea. 'I think it's just kind of something we've kind of put our best effort towards is that we know we're athletic and we know we're fast,' Duran said. 'We're just playing aggressive and causing pressure. 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The Sox obtained him in the 2024 trade that sent John Schreiber to the Royals during spring training. ▪ Pointed out by loyal reader Eddie from Fairhaven: The Sox retired Carl Yastrzemski's No. 8 on Aug. 6, 1989. Thirty six years later to the day, on Wednesday, his grandson was 2 for 3 with a double and made a terrific catch in right field for the Giants at Fenway. Mike Yaz is 10 for 28 (.357) in nine career games in Boston with four doubles and two home runs. He was on the concourse outside the visitors' clubhouse in full uniform after the game on Wednesday spending time with his family. Related : ▪ Wilyer Abreu said he is open to playing for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic next year but he has yet to speak to general manager Jose Yepez . ▪ Mitch Moreland , one of the 2018 champions, is the new coach at Helena (Ala.) High School. It wouldn't be much of a surprise if Moreland returned to the majors as a coach someday. 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He has a 1.95 ERA and an 0.93 WHIP in 47 career starts … Terry Francona moved past Leo Durocher when he won his 2,009th game last week. He's now 12th all time and closing in on Walter Alston , who finished with 2,040 wins. All 13 managers with at least 2,000 wins are in the Hall of Fame except for Francona, Bochy, and Dusty Baker … Chris Sale had a 30-pitch simulated game Thursday and his next step should be a minor league rehab game. The lefthander has been on the injured list since June 19 when he fractured some ribs diving to make a defensive play. Sale was 5-4 with a 2.52 ERA for the Braves at the time of his injury … Bo Bichette drove in 10 runs in Toronto's three-game sweep of the Rockies in Colorado this past week. The Blue Jays scored 45 runs on 63 hits and hit 13 home runs. Their team OPS climbed from .747 to .768. The Rockies have allowed an average of 7.5 runs at home and opponents have scored 10 or more runs 15 times … Happy birthday to Brandon Lyon , who is 46. The righthanded reliever appeared in 49 games for the 2003 Red Sox, posting a 4.12 ERA and picking up nine saves. Lyon was then traded to the Diamondbacks as part of a four-player package for Curt Schilling . Lyon spent 12 seasons in the majors. He returned to the Red Sox as a free agent during the 2013 season and appeared in four games for Triple A Pawtucket before being released. Peter Abraham can be reached at
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