MLB
Historic all-female broadcast makes waves in Cubs vs Angels game
This Sunday, the Chicago Cubs will field the first all-female broadcast team in franchise history as the trailblazers who came before are celebrated.
Marquee Sports Network is set to make history this Sunday with the first-ever all-female broadcast team for a Cubs’ game against the Angels. This landmark event is a testament to the incredible strides women have made in sports broadcasting.
Beth Mowins will bring her veteran play-by-play prowess to the booth, joined by Elise Menaker for in-game analysis. Meanwhile, Taylor McGregor will be patrolling the field as the team’s on-the-ground reporter. These three powerhouses have all been familiar faces on Marquee Sports Network in recent seasons, but this is the first time they’ll come together to create a historic broadcast.
A Dream Come True
“It’s a huge honor,” said Menaker. “When I first started in this industry, I couldn’t even imagine something like this. Now that it’s here, it’s massive. What’s cool is that we’re just doing what we normally do, but now we’re all together. There’s a lot of comfort in that. We know each other well, love working together, and there’s going to be an amazing energy because of it.”
Celebrating Women in Baseball
Marquee Sports Network plans to leverage this historic broadcast to shine a spotlight on women in baseball. The pregame and postgame shows will feature special segments celebrating their contributions, and the network’s social and digital platforms will be abuzz with this celebration. Fans will also have the chance to engage with the broadcast team on social media leading up to the game, and young Cubs fans will get a unique opportunity to contribute their own play-by-play calls.
Trailblazing Inspirations
Beth Mowins, who made history as the first woman to call a Cubs regular-season game in 2021, reflected on the influence of Phyllis George, a pioneering sportscaster she admired growing up. “Seeing Phyllis on The NFL Today showed me what was possible,” Mowins said. McGregor echoed a similar sentiment, noting how seeing Charissa Thompson and Alanna Rizzo on Rockies broadcasts fueled her passion for sports journalism.
“It was seeing women in those roles that made me realize, ‘Wow, I can do that too,’” McGregor shared. “Having a woman as a play-by-play announcer, analyst, and reporter is monumental. I hope it inspires young boys and girls to dream big and see the myriad of careers available in sports.”
Breaking Barriers and Building Dreams
Menaker’s journey from news reporting to sports was marked by her admiration for Jessie Garcia, Wisconsin’s first female sports anchor. “Jessie paved the way,” Menaker said. “When I got my sports reporting job at WTMJ, it was a reality check. Without her breaking that barrier, my job wouldn’t exist.”
The Sunday broadcast is a culmination of the paths paved by inspirational figures like Garcia, George, Thompson, and Rizzo, bringing this historic team together at Wrigley Field.
Looking Forward to a Historic Day
“I’m thrilled that we’ll have this opportunity to work together for this,” Mowins said in Marquee’s release. “It’s always an honor working in the Wrigley Field broadcast booth, and we’re all looking forward to this special broadcast.”
So, Cubs fans, make sure to tune in this Sunday for a game that’s more than just a battle on the diamond. It’s a celebration of progress, breaking barriers, and inspiring the next generation of sports broadcasters. This is history in the making!