The Boston Red Sox are promoting two prospects from their farm system, Rylee Pay and Emma Tiedemann.
Red Sox fans who don’t recognize the names, don’t fret. Pay and Tiedemann are the broadcast duo for Boston’s Double-A affiliate, the Portland Sea Dogs. But they’re getting the call to the Big Leagues, to announce Boston’s Aug. 26 game against the Toronto Blue Jays.
They’re only the 2nd dual female sport commentators in baseball history, and now the Portland Sea Dogs’ own Rylee Pay and Emma Tiedemann have been called up to help call play-by-play action between the Red Sox and Blue Jays this month. Story at 5:30. @WGME pic.twitter.com/EzD25wy9wb
— WGME Photojournalist 🎥📡 (@MENewsPhotog) August 9, 2024
They’ll be working in the NESN booth alongside regular play-by-play announcer Dave O’Brien and analyst Lou Merloni. They got a preview of what’s to come in a recent visit to Fenway Park.
“Having that moment where you sit down and put on the headphones and sit alongside Dave O’Brien and Lou Merloni, and just looking at Fenway Park, I think was the coolest moment, looking down and seeing a major league field and seeing it from that perspective,” Pay said (via WGME Portland).
“This is something that is on everyone’s bucket list who calls a minor league game, is to one day be at the highest level and call a major league game one day, and to have been given that opportunity with NESN at Fenway Park, it’s just an absolute dream come true,” Tiedemann told the station.
Just like MLB teams will drop social media posts about minor league prospects, NESN has shared highlights of Pay and Tiedemann in action for the Sea Dogs.
Nothing like a good walk-off call! 🎙️
Emma Tiedemann and Rylee Pay of the @PortlandSeaDogs teach us how to deliver the best walk-off call.
Brought to you by @DICKS Sporting Goods House of Sport. Sport Happens Here. pic.twitter.com/Xu0H6OqHYr
— NESN (@NESN) August 1, 2024
Tiedemann and Pay have already been hailed as one of only two all-female booths in pro baseball history. A number of women broadcasters have made an impact at the MLB level in recent years. Earlier this season, Jenny Cavnar and Julia Morales made history when they became the first female play-by-play announcers to call a regular-season game on the home and road broadcasts when the Oakland Athletics played the Houston Astros.
“Hopefully little girls can tune into NESN and see us in the booth and hear female voices and think ‘Wow, maybe this is a career opportunity for me and I love baseball and I want to talk about it too,’” Tiedemann told WGME.
[WGME]
