Rizzo's strength was that she could get in the trenches, unafraid to do the hard work each season. "That broadcaster is the conduit from the fans to the game to the players," he said. "And, obviously, she's just a great person." Harry How / Getty Imagesĭodgers manager Dave Roberts, who spent 10 seasons in the major leagues as a player and is in his ninth year as a manager, knows broadcasters like Rizzo are a key connection between his clubhouse and the rest of the world. She knows baseball, she's great at what she does, she's a true professional, and she's one of the best in the business. "I think everyone loves Alanna," he added. after a midseason trade from Seattle in 2016. It's refreshing, it's like you're just having a conversation about baseball," said utility player Chris Taylor, who arrived in L.A. "As soon as I was traded over to the Dodgers and talked to her, I could tell she really understands the game. Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesĪnd Rizzo wasn't just gaining notice with the fans, as she also garnered respect within the clubhouse. It's one of the internationally most recognizable teams," she said. "I think what pushed it over the top and became my identity was the Dodgers. The Dodgers won the division every year during her eight-year tenure and went to the World Series three times, winning once. The club had a lot of eyeballs on it, not just because it was in a big city but because it was very good. Doug Pensinger / Getty Imagesīut those roles paled in comparison to her next move in 2013: in-game reporter for Spectrum SportsNet LA covering the Dodgers, the No. She then took a national role at MLB Network on "Intentional Talk" with Kevin Millar and Chris Rose. "You pay your dues," said Rizzo, who soon moved from Texas to Madison, Wisconsin, before graduating to Denver, where she covered the Rockies. She began in Wichita Falls, Texas, the 182nd-largest market in the U.S. I went back to school, took a second mortgage out on my house to pay for school, and went into journalism."Īfter graduating with a master's degree in journalism at the age of 28, she needed to work her way up from the bottom, or close to it. "I did that for about five years, and I was just bored out of my mind," Rizzo said. After graduating from the University of Colorado with a degree in international business, the Colorado Springs native pursued a marketing career in the beverage and hospitality industry. Sports broadcasting wasn't Rizzo's first career choice. "It was difficult because all of a sudden you feel like you're not as relevant, you're not as important." You're identified with and defined by what your job is," she said. "In this industry, you think you are what you do. The decision was even more excruciating considering the amount of work it took Rizzo to get the job with the Dodgers, a culmination of a lifetime of achievement. It was heart-wrenching because I loved that job, and I love living in L.A., and I loved the team, and the organization treated me with nothing but class." Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times / Getty Images … After a lot of anxiety, back and forth, and discussions with the Dodgers, I just decided it would be best for once to put my personal life ahead of my professional life and move. I even anticipated that maybe I do half the season, maybe I just do road games, maybe I do half the year to train my replacement. "I remember being back in Los Angeles in January 2021, doing some stuff for the network, and really trying to figure out what direction I was going to go. After a six-year long-distance relationship, Rizzo and Iannetta were ready to stop juggling schedules. With two young children in Massachusetts, he intended to make his full-time home base there. Her then-fiance, former big league catcher Chris Iannetta, was also on the brink of a career transition - retiring after 14 major-league seasons. "It was agonizing," Rizzo said, recounting the weeks at the end of 2020 and in early 2021 when she weighed her options. The intervening months have brought her to a place where she can still hold tight to the sport she so deeply regards while making space for love, family, and lots of Cuban cooking. It was a tough decision, but time has proven to Rizzo it was the right one. By almost anyone's account, Alanna Rizzo had it all: a successful career covering a perennial postseason contender, a comfortable home near the beach in Southern California, and the adoration of Dodgers fans who respected her vast baseball knowledge.īut Rizzo gave it all up two years ago to change jobs, move across the country, and prioritize someone she'd long neglected: herself.
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