Tampa Bay Rays Broadcasters

Dewayne anchors the Emmy Award-winning Bally Sports Sun telecast this year, his 48th season broadcasting major league baseball and 26th with the Rays. Dewayne has also handled play-by-play for FOX Sports national baseball coverage. He has broadcast more than 7,000 MLB games in his career, including nine no-hitters. Before joining the Rays, he spent three years calling play-by-play for a variety of ESPN sports broadcasts. He began his major league play-by-play career as the radio and TV voice of the Astros from 1977-84, then for the Cubs from 1985-89. He was the lead play-by-play announcer for the Yankees from 1990-94, and spent the 1994-95 seasons calling the action for The Baseball Network (ABC/ NBC). Dewayne began his baseball career as the radio voice of the Oklahoma City 89ers (1973-74). In 1975-76 he was sports director at KPLR TV in St. Louis and received an Emmy nomination. A 1975 graduate of SIU- Edwardsville, where he began his sports career with WSIE Radio, Dewayne earned Distinguished Alumnus of the Year honors in 1987 and was inducted into its Alumni Hall of Fame in 2010. Dewayne was named a finalist for the Ford C. Frick Award, presented annually by the National Baseball Hall of Fame, in 2012, 2013, 2016 and 2019. He was named the 2013 Florida Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. In 2015, Dewayne authored Position to Win: A Look at Baseball and Life From the Best Seat in the House, which chronicles his life and career in sports broadcasting. Dewayne was inducted into the Tampa Bay Sports Club Hall of Fame in 2018. In 2021, he received a Suncoast Sports Emmy Award for the broadcast of Wander Franco’s debut. He and his wife, Carla, support a number of causes, including military combat veterans via their 501(c)(3) charity W.A.R. (Warriors at Rest). He has two daughters, Stephanie Wheeler and Alexandra, and three grandchildren: Gabriel, 18; Zachary, 15; and Evie, 12.

Brian enters his 13th season as full-time television color analyst on Bally Sports Sun and his 15th season as part of the Rays broadcast. Brian previously served on the major league staff as assistant to the pitching coach, working under Jim Hickey from March 2008 through the 2009 season. He also filled in as broadcaster for the Indians on Sports Time Ohio and hosted a weekly highlights show while recovering from injury in 2007. Brian spent 13 seasons pitching in the majors with the Angels, Indians, Royals and Diamondbacks, and was a member of Arizona’s 2001 World Champion team. He was selected third overall by the Angels in the 1993 Amateur Draft and the following season was named the Sporting News AL Rookie of the Year. He was also selected by the Diamondbacks as their first pick in the 1997 Expansion Draft. Brian was inducted into the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame on Sept. 30, 2015, and made his acceptance speech by phone during the Rays broadcast. In 2021, he received a Suncoast Sports Emmy Award for the broadcast of Wander Franco’s debut. He and his wife, Jessica Marie, reside in Tampa. Brian has four children: Rylyn Mae, 18; Jackson James, 16; Harper Marie, 7; and Baker James, 4.

Rich enters his 10th season covering the Rays on television with the Bally Sports Sun broadcast team. He is a three-time regional Emmy Award recipient, including last year for his role in hosting the “Rays Live” pregame and postgame shows. He also won Emmys in 2021 for hosting a Lou Gehrig Day pregame special and in 2020 for hosting a “Salute to the Troops” pregame special. He began his broadcast career as a sports anchor with the ABC affiliate in Great Falls, Montana in 1995, then served as the sports director with Time Warner Cable (now Spectrum Sports) in Clearwater from 1995-97, where he received a CableACE award for the best local sports program. Rich was also host of “H.S. Sports Extra” for WTVT FOX-13 from 1996-98, the in-arena voice for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Tampa Bay Storm from 1999-2002 and a host for a variety of other regional programs. He spent a number of years as a national reporter for NFL Network as well. During the baseball offseason, Rich handles college basketball play-by-play duties on ESPN Networks. Rich earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University in 1993. A New Jersey native, Rich has called the Tampa Bay area home for 28 years. He and his wife, Jill, reside in St. Petersburg with their three children: Jason, 19; Lindsey, 17; and Bryan, 13.

ricia begins her fifth season on the Bally Sports Sun telecast as the in-game reporter and host of select feature episodes. In addition to her Rays coverage, Tricia heads into her second season as a reporter for Apple TV+ national MLB games on Friday nights. She is a six-time regional Emmy Award recipient, receiving two nods in 2022 for her work on the “Rays Live” pregame/postgame show and for hosting a “Rays All-Access” episode that remembered bullpen catcher Jean Ramirez and raised awareness for mental health. She received previous accolades for a 2021 Lou Gehrig Day pregame special, Wander Franco’s debut in 2021, for hosting 2020’s “Salute to the Troops” pregame special, and for a 2018 production on the legacy of Peyton Manning. Prior to joining the Rays broadcast, the Stuart, Fla. native spent four years covering local sports with the CBS affiliate in Indianapolis, including the Indiana Pacers, IndyCar racing, college basketball and the Indianapolis Colts. Her career experience also includes a two-year stint covering professional and collegiate teams, including the Milwaukee Brewers, for the ABC affiliate in Green Bay. Her professional career began as a web reporter with the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever. Tricia graduated from Indiana University with a degree in communications. She has returned to teach sports broadcasting at IU’s media school as an adjunct professor for the past six years.

Doug begins his ninth season providing in-depth pitching analysis as a member of Bally Sports Sun’s pregame and postgame shows. He received his third regional Emmy Award in 2022 for his role on the “Rays Live” coverage before and after games. He also won Emmys in 2021 for a Lou Gehrig Day pregame special and in 2017 for “Demo Day,” a special program that aired during a Rays home game. Doug is a St. Petersburg native and a graduate of Northeast High School. Prior to being selected out of high school by the Devil Rays in the third round of the 1999 Amateur Draft, he had signed a letter of intent to play football at the University of South Florida. With his 2003 debut, he became the first St. Petersburg native to play for the Rays. He remains one of three Rays players born in St. Petersburg, along with Casey Kotchman and Ryan Weber. In his first major league start, on Sept. 3, 2003, at Tropicana Field, he pitched a 2-hit shutout against the Mariners. He spent six years in the majors with the Devil Rays, Marlins and Royals and 11 seasons overall in professional baseball. Doug coaches his two children, Kaden (15) and Karsyn (13), in baseball and softball, and is a realtor in the Tampa Bay area. In 2004, he was presented with a key to the city of St. Petersburg by Mayor Rick Baker. Doug and his wife, Kristin, reside in St. Petersburg with their children.

A special assistant in the Rays’ baseball operations department since 2021, Denard begins his first season as an analyst on Bally Sports Sun’s “Rays Live” pregame and postgame shows. After starring at Hillsborough High School and Tampa Catholic High School, Denard was a first-round pick (20thoverall) of the Minnesota Twins in 2002 and spent 11 seasons in the Majors. The speedy outfielder led the American League in triples in 2009, the National League in triples in 2013, and he led the NL with 184 hits in 2014. He played 43 games for his hometown Rays in 2018, his final big league season. Raised by his mother, Wanda Wilson, Denard in 2014 founded the nonprofit Denard Span Foundation, which serves and empowers single-parent families in the Tampa Bay community and in other cities where he played. Money raised by the foundation goes directly to providing reliable cars for families in need. Denard also enjoys serving his community through his church and spending time with his wife, Anne, and their three young children, DJ, Jace, and Jada. They live in Tampa.

Ryan enters his second season with the Bally Sports Sun broadcast team as an in-game reporter and occasional host of the “Rays Live” pregame and postgame shows. Ryan has covered sports in the Tampa Bay area for nearly a decade, serving as the sports director and main anchor for CBS WTSP-TV from 2016 to 2022 and as a sports reporter, host and play-by-play broadcaster with Bright House Sports Network from 2012 to 2015. In addition to his role on Rays broadcasts, Ryan reports on a variety of topics as a national correspondent for NewsNation TV. Ryan also does some freelance work with the Tampa Bay Sports Commission. Prior to his second stint in Tampa Bay, Ryan was a national host for CBS Sports based in Fort Lauderdale, anchoring shows including the award-winning Fantasy Football Today and Daily Fantasy Live. He began his TV career in Davenport, Iowa, anchoring for the Independent News Network in 2011. Ryan is a proud UCF Knight, graduating with a journalism degree. He was born and raised in Miami but has strong ties to the St. Petersburg area, as his father, Steve, attended St. Petersburg High School. Ryan currently lives in Downtown St. Pete and also spends much of the offseason in Nashville, Tennessee.

Andy returns to the booth for his 17th season with the Rays broadcast team, which was voted tops in the American League by subscribers of The Athletic in 2020. He joinedthe Rays after serving as the voice of the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox for four seasons. Andy was also the voice of the Double-A Trenton Thunder (Red Sox) for five seasons (1996-2000) and was inducted into the Trenton Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018. He began his play-by-play career with the St. Lucie Mets of the Class-A Florida State League in 1994-95. Andy’s baseball radio career began as a broadcast assistant with the Orioles flagship station WBAL conducting postgame interviews for all home games during the 1990-93 seasons. His other play-by-play experience includes college basketball for ESPN Regional (2004–present), Providence College (2003-05) and Rider University (1996-2001). He also broadcast for The College of New Jersey football and Baltimore Spirit soccer. Freed is a graduate of Towson State (Md.) University, where he called basketball, football and lacrosse during his time at school. Andy was named 2015 Florida Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. He enthusiastically works with the ALS Association. In addition to reciting Lou Gehrig’s famous speech at Tropicana Field every year on “ALS Night,” he emcees various local events, including their annual "Ride to Defeat ALS." He and his wife, Amy, reside in Bradenton, Fla. with their daughter Sarah, 18, twins Casey and Maddie, 11, and rescue dog, Charlie.

Neil begins his 12th season on the Rays Baseball Network, where he hosted the pre- and postgame shows, This Week in Rays Baseball, other team podcasts and was fill-in play-by-play voice over the past 11 seasons. In 2021, he was awarded the Rays Joyce Smith Community Spirit Award, which annually recognizes one employee who makes significant societal contributions beyond their professional responsibilities. Before join- ing the Rays, Neil was the radio voice of Triple-A Durham from 2004-11 and filled in on the Rays pre- and postgame show from 2010-11. With Durham, he broadcast the Triple-A All-Star Game and Triple-A National Championship Game to a nationwide audience. Before the Bulls, he broadcast for Class-A Lakewood (Phillies) and Class-A Quad City (Twins). He was part of the TV broadcast for the Olympic baseball qualifier Premier12 in South Korea in 2019, and he has done other freelance work for regional and college TV and radio networks. Neil attended Rutgers University, where he received a bache- lor’s degree in English. He and his wife, Sari, reside in Palm Harbor with their daughters, Emily and Abby.

Enrique returns for his 23rd season as color analyst on the Rays Spanish broadcast. He received the Alexis Arguello Award, given to the top sports figures in Nicaragua, and the Nicaraguan Sportswriters Association Award for his accomplishments in the world of sports during the 2016 season. In February 2009, Enrique was inducted into the Florida College Sports Hall of Fame for his impact on the college and in life. He is the subject of the award-winning 2009 documentary Henry O!, filmed by Boston-based Rosemont Productions during the 2007 season. Born in Nicaragua, Enrique came to the United States at age 10 and attended the St. Augustine School for the Blind. He called his first professional action in 1989 for the Jacksonville Expos, and then served as color commentator for the St. Petersburg Pelicans of the Senior Professional Baseball League. Prior to that, he was the public address announcer for seven years for Florida College baseball in Tampa. He also appeared as a regular contributor on Solamente Pelota (“Only Baseball”) on SiriusXM, hosted his own show on WQBN 1300 AM and has been a guest analyst on USF Spanish broadcasts and on baseball broadcasts and talk shows in Managua, Nicaragua. He has also called action for the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League (2003-05) and served as the Spanish voice for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002-03. Enrique owns a communications degree from the University of South Florida. He delivered the keynote address at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind’s 100th commencement in May 2014. His wife, Debbie, closely assists him on the broadcasts. The two reside in St. Petersburg.

Ricardo begins his 19th season calling play-by-play on the Rays Spanish broadcast. Taveras has more than three decades of radio experience. He has also worked locally as a sportscaster for Mira TV Tampa. Ricardo began as a sports commentator in his native Dominican Republic and was program director for HIVG 870 AM and HIVP 970 AM from 1990-92. He also served as assistant program director for WRIV in Providence, R.I., for three years, and as a sales executive for Telemundo Tampa from 2011-13.