As New York, Tampa Bay Are Starting Three Game Series Friday Night In Bronx New York Gerrit Cole Is Returning Is Starting Is Opposing Nick Martinez

As New York the team that wears the pinstripes, Tampa Bay are starting three game series Friday night in Bronx New York Gerrit Cole is returning is starting is opposing Nick Martinez.

Where?

On the mound!

Gerrit Cole is returning from Tommy John Surgery!

Ahead of Gerrit Cole returning from Tommy John Surgery opposing Tampa Bay Nick Martinez manager Aaron Boone shared his thoughts by saying We just felt like he has done everything he needs to be ready to compete now at this level,”So I’ll be really excited to get him back. I’m excited for him, knowing the long road that it’s been -- the blood, sweat and tears you put in the rehab process to get back.”

Though,

Aaron Boone wasn’t the only to share his thoughts about Gerrit Cole returning from Tommy John Surgery ahead of his start against Tampa Bay, Nick Martinez as Gerrit Cole did as well by saying It’s just a blessing to play the game,”You get a better sense of that once you’re removed from it. Getting back into that environment and not having taken that for granted, it’s exciting, for sure. That’s probably what I’m most excited about.”

Gerrit Cole had Tommy John Surgery on March 11, 2025! Prior to having Tommy John Surgery Gerrit Cole started two games this spring, giving up seven runs across six innings. On Thursday, he gave up six runs on five hits, including two home runs, over 2⅔ innings to the Minnesota Twins. He said he felt an "alarming" amount of pain that night into Friday morning, prompting him to notify the team and undergo imaging tests, which revealed a torn ulnar collateral ligament.

According to Jorge Castillo ESPN article https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/44197050/new-york-yankees-ace-gerrit-cole-tommy-john-surgery

What is Tommy John Surgery?

UCL reconstruction is a surgery commonly used to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament inside the elbow by replacing it with a tendon from elsewhere in the body. The goal of the surgery is to stabilize the elbow, reduce or eliminate pain and restore stability and range of motion. This procedure was introduced and first performed by Frank Jobe, M.D., on baseball pitcher Tommy John in 1974—hence the colloquial name Tommy John surgery.

According to https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/tommy-john-surgery-ulnar-collateral-ligament-reconstruction

Ahead of Tommy John Surgery Gerrit Cole shared his thoughts in an Instagram post saying From the time I first dreamed of wearing the Yankees uniform, my goal has always been to help bring a World Series championship to New York. That dream hasn’t changed—I still believe in it, and I’m more determined than ever to achieve it.

"Today, the most respected medical experts in the field recommend that I undergo Tommy John surgery. This isn’t the news any athlete wants to hear, but it’s the necessary next step for my career.

From the time I first dreamed of wearing the Yankees uniform, my goal has always been to help bring a World Series championship to New York. That dream hasn’t changed—I still believe in it, and I’m more determined than ever to achieve it.

"Today, the most respected medical experts in the field recommend that I undergo Tommy John surgery. This isn’t the news any athlete wants to hear, but it’s the necessary next step for my career.

According to https://www.instagram.com/p/DHCSrq6xWcq/?igsh=MWhlZnlzNWY2c3Q5aA==

Before having Tommy John surgery before missing the entire 2025 season in 2024 season Gerrit Cole finished with record of 8-5 with an earn run average 3.41.

In 2026 season Nick Martinez has a record of 4-1 with an earn run average of 1.51 because on Saturday May 16, 2026 when opposing Miami batters Nick Martinez pitched 6.0 innings surrendering 5 hits, 0 earned runs 1 walk while striking out 4 Miami batters.

According to https://www.mlb.com/player/gerrit-cole-543037

https://www.mlb.com/player/nick-martinez-607259

Gerrit Cole, Nick Martinez are alike because they’re both right handed starting pitchers!

Though,

Could mother nature prevent Gerrit Cole from returning on schedule from opposing Tampa Bay, Nick Martinez on schedule?

There is a little possibility of that happening because at first pitch it’s cloudy with 2% chance of rain before it continues be cloudy as rain chances increase to 5% at 8:00pm, 9:00pm, 10:00pm

According to Accuweather on ESPN App

New York the team that wears the pinstripes comes into the game with record of 30-21 is 4.5 behind Tampa Bay who is leading the American League East because following winning first two games of four game series against Toronto New York the team that wears the pinstripes lost the final two games of four game series including finale 2-0 If New York the team that wears the pinstripes doesn't score runs chances are they aren’t going to win the game.

That was the case Thursday night when New York the team that wears the pinstripes was shutout 2-0 to Toronto in finale of four game series in Bronx New York where they had to settle for split with Toronto following winning first two games. Ben Rice who was designated hitter who is first baseman was 1-4 contributing offensively 0 runs, 0 home runs, 0 runs batted in . Aaron Judge who is captain, right fielder who was 0-4 contributing offensively 0 runs, 0 home runs, 0 runs batted in. Cody Bellinger who is left fielder who was 0-2 contributing offensively 0 runs, 0 home runs, 0 runs batted in. Jazz Chisholm Jr. who is second baseman was 0-2 contributing offensively 0 runs, 0 home runs, 0 runs batted in . Paul Goldschmidt who is first baseman was 0-4 contributing offensively 0 runs, 0 home runs, 0 runs batted in . Spencer Jones who was center fielder was 1-3 contributing offensively 0 runs, 0 home runs, 0 runs batted in . Ryan McMahon who is third baseman was 1-3 contributing offensively 0 runs, 0 home runs, 0 runs batted in . Anthony Volpe who was shortstop was 0-3 contributing offensively 0 runs, 0 home runs, 0 runs batted in . J.C Escarra who was catching was 0-2 contributing offensively 0 runs, 0 home runs, 0 runs batted in . Offensively New York the team that wears the pinstripes was unable to provide any run support for Carlos Rodon who started who pitched 5.0 innings surrendering 3 hits, 1 earned run , 3 walks while striking out 7 Toronto batters . Yovanny Cruz who came on in relief of Carlos Rodon who pitched 0.1 innings surrendering 1 hit, 0 earned runs, 0 walks while striking out 0 Toronto batters. Brent Headrick who came on in relief of Yovanny Cruz who pitched 1.0 innings surrendering 0 hits, 0 earned runs , 0 walks while striking out 0 Toronto batters . Paul Blackburn who came on in relief of Camilo Doval who pitched 2.0 innings

With the 2-0 loss to Toronto New York the team that wears the pinstripes now has a record 30-21 on 2026 regular season are 4.5 games behind Tampa Bay who is leading the American League East who they start a three game series with Friday night in Bronx New York.

Following New York the team that wears 2-0 loss to Toronto Thursday night in Bronx New York Aaron Boone shared on Aaron Judge who is captain, right fielder who was was 0-4 contributing offensively 0 runs, 0 home runs, 0 runs batted in by saying Usually anytime a hitter goes through it, it’s a little timing related,”“I think that’s all it is. He’ll get through it, and somebody will pay the price real soon.”

Though,

New York the team that wears the pinstripes manager Aaron Boone wasn’t the only one to share his thoughts on Aaron Judge performance at the plate offensively as Aaron Judge did as well by saying Anytime you’ve got a hot team coming in, it’s going to make it tough,”“Especially a team like that, where they took care of business in Tampa when we just saw them. We’ve just got to tighten up a couple of things here with us and we’ll be right where we need to be.

According to Bryan Hoch MLB article https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/aaron-judge-rbi-drought-hits-career-long-10-games

While New York the team that wears the pinstripes had to settle for split with Toronto Tampa Bay meanwhile Tampa Bay swept Baltimore in three games including winning finale 5-3 on Wednesday in St. Petersburg Florida where in the top of 6th inning Hunter Feduccia who is catcher hit home run to center 421 feet giving Tampa Bay 1-0 . In the top of 8th inning Jonathan Aranda who is first baseman doubled to center scoring Oliver Dunn who was pinch hitting who was playing third base Chandler Simpson evening the game at 3-3 following Pete Alonso who is first baseman hit home run to right 374 feet giving Baltimore a 2-1 lead before Samuel Basallo who is catcher who was designated hitter hit home run to right extending Baltimore’s lead over Tampa Bay 3-1.

Following Tampa Bay sweeping Baltimore in St. Petersburg Florida Jonathan Aranda who doubled to center scoring Oliver Dunn who was pinch hitting who was playing third base Chandler Simpson evening the game at 3-3 in bottom of 8th inning shared his thoughts by saying I was really concentrated going into it, obviously. You know this is kind of the at-bat of the game for me, so I had to be prepared,”“I was thinking, you know, 'This is the one I'm going to be thinking about all day, so I've got to come through.'”

Following Tampa Bay sweeping Baltimore in St. Petersburg Florida manager Kevin Cash shared his thoughts on Jonathan Aranda by saying Jonny's probably the right guy to come up there with guys on base, game on the line,”We've got a bunch of guys that are coming through in those moments right now. Things are going well.”

So, of course, the rally wasn’t over.

According to Adam Berry MLB article https://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-rally-with-four-run-eighth-to-sweep-orioles

First pitch is set for 7:05pm Eastern Time from Yankee Stadium!

The game is going to be televised on Yes, Rays. TV!

On Yes Michael Kay or Ryan Ruocco alongside rotating analysts David Cone, Paul O Neill, Joe Girardi, Meredith Marakovits are going to be commentating!Michael Kay is the Emmy Award-winning Yankees play-by-play announcer for the YES Network who also hosts the network’s CenterStage series and its various programming specials. The 2025 season will be his 34th year broadcasting Yankees baseball: the first 10 years on radio, the latter 24 on YES.

Kay was a part of YES’ Yankees team that won a 2024 New York Emmy Award for its season-long coverage, a 2023 Emmy Award for its pre-game shows and a 2022 Emmy Award for Single Game Coverage.

Kay’s Centerstage show won a 2020 New York Emmy for best Interview/Discussion show. He also won a 2015 New York Emmy Award for his play-by-play work on YES’ Yankees telecasts, and a 2017 New York Emmy for his CenterStage hosting duties. In total, Kay has earned 19 Emmy wins while at YES. He also won CableFAX Program Awards in 2011 and 2013 for his CenterStage hosting duties.

From February 2014 to December 2024, Kay co-hosted The Michael Kay Show, a sports talk show heard weekdays from 3 to 6:30 pm ET on ESPN Radio in New York, which was simulcast live on YES. On January 6, 2025, Kay began solo hosting his new eponymous show on the same station from 1-3 pm ET weekdays.

During the 2022 and 2023 MLB seasons, Kay co-hosted, with former Yankee Alex Rodriguez, special “KayRod Casts,” alternate broadcasts on ESPN2 that aired alongside ESPN’s traditional Sunday Night Baseball broadcasts.

In November 2016, Kay was inducted into the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the New York State Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in October 2018. The following month, he was awarded the Lou Gehrig Sports Award by the Greater New York Chapter of the A.L.S. Association.

Kay received the Vin Scully Award for Excellence in Sports Broadcasting from WFUV Radio in November 2018; WFUV is the radio station for Fordham University, Kay’s alma mater. Previous recipients of the Vin Scully Award include Dick Enberg, Ernie Harwell, Bob Costas, Al Michaels, Verne Lundquist, Pat Summerall and Mike “Doc” Emrick.

He was inducted into the inaugural Hall of Fame class of the prestigious Bronx High School of Science in February 2018. Kay was awarded the Italian American Baseball Federation Media Award in December 2022. In 2005, Kay was honored in his home borough of the Bronx with an honorary street sign erected on the Grand Concourse in his name. In December 2023, Kay was honored as a National Honoree by the Stamford (Ct.) Old Timers Athletic Association.

Kay handled play-by-play duties for ESPN’s coverage of the Astros-Tigers and the Blue Jays-Twins American League Wild Card Series in 2024 and 2023, respectively. He also did play-by-play on the ESPN Radio Network for the 2016 Blue Jays-Rangers American League Division Series, the 2013 Tigers-Athletics American League Division Series and the 2008 Phillies-Brewers National League Division Series. He also was a frequent contributor to ESPN’s Emmy Award-winning Sports Reporters television show.

Before joining the YES Network in 2002, Kay worked at the MSG Network since 1989 as a Yankees reporter. In 1992, he added Knicks locker room reporter to his responsibilities and continued in that role until the 1998-99 season.

Kay was awarded the Dick Young Award for Excellence in Sports Media by the New York Pro Baseball Scouts in 1995. In 1998, he was on the MSG Network team that won a New York Emmy for “Outstanding Live Sports Coverage – Series.” In 1996 and 1997, he was a member of the MSG Network team that won New York Emmys for “Outstanding Live Sports Coverage - Single Program” for Dwight Gooden’s no-hitter and “The Battle for New York: Yankees vs. Mets.” He was also part of the Yankees/MSG Network production team nominated for New York Emmy Awards for six consecutive years.

In addition to his television work, the Bronx, NY, native worked as a Yankees analyst on WABC Radio from 1992 through the 2001 season, which concluded with the classic Yankees-Diamondbacks World Series. Kay was a winner of “Best Sports Reporter” honors at the 2000 New York Metro Achievement in Radio Awards. In 1998, Kay also began co-hosting Sports Talk with John Sterling and Michael Kay, a nightly sports radio call-in show which aired on WABC Radio during the winter months.

Shortly after graduating from Fordham University in 1982 with a B.A. in Communications, Kay worked at SportsPhone and as the public address announcer for the New York Pro Summer Basketball League.

In 1982, Kay landed the job as general assignment writer for the New York Post. Two years later, he began covering college basketball (1984-85) and then spent two years as the writer covering the New Jersey Nets. In 1987, he moved to baseball at the Post, serving as the Yankees beat reporter. While he was in that position, he got his first television job with MSG Network as host of the Hot Stove League segment of MSG’s SportsNight.

In 1989, Kay moved to the New York Daily News, where he was the Yankees beat reporter before taking the job as a Yankees broadcaster on WABC Radio in 1992. With that jump, Kay became the first newspaper reporter in any sport to make the move into the broadcast booth full-time, performing both play-by-play and analysis.

Kay stayed on the radio for 10 years, broadcasting the Yankees’ four World Series championships during that time, before moving to the television side to become the lead play-by-play man for YES in 2002.

Kay has been involved in the Baseball Assistance Team (B.A.T.), a charitable organization whose mission is to assist baseball community members. He co-hosted the 2013 B.A.T. fundraising dinner in New York. Kay also was master of ceremonies at the 2013 Thurman Munson Awards fundraising dinner in New York.

Kay is active with the Alzheimer’s Association in memory of his mother, Rose, who passed away from the disease in 2006. He also teamed up with former Yankees manager Joe Girardi and Girardi’s Catch 25 Foundation to organize annual charity dinners to raise money for Alzheimer’s research.

Kay and his wife Jodi Applegate have a daughter, Caledonia Rose Kay, born in January 2013, and a son, Charles Applegate Kay, born in November 2014.

Ryan Ruocco, who joined YES in 2007 as a statistician for the network’s New York Yankees telecasts, holds down various roles within the network’s Yankees coverage. He backs up YES’ play-by-play man Michael Kay, fills in hosting YES’ Yankees Pre- and Post-Game Shows and periodically handles clubhouse reporting duties. Ruocco also shares play-by-play duties with veteran Ian Eagle on YES’ Brooklyn Nets telecasts.

Ruocco has won six Emmy Awards while at YES. He was a part of the YES team which won a 2024 Emmy in the Live Sporting Event/Season category and was a member of the YES team which won a 2022 Emmy in the Live Sporting Event/Game category. Ruocco also earned individual New York Emmy nominations in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 for his work at the network.

In addition to his YES work, Ruocco is one of the primary NBA play-by-play voices on ESPN, is the lead play-by-play announcer for the network’s women’s college basketball package and is the lead play-by-play announcer for the WNBA on ESPN. Ruocco is also executive producer of the 2024 documentary Sue Bird: In the Clutch.

He also handled periodic NFL play-by-play on ESPN Radio, college football and college basketball play- by-play on ESPN’s television networks, and he co-hosted ESPN Radio New York’s mid-day show.

Ruocco also co-hosted the popular R2C2 podcast with former Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia from 2017 to 2023.

Prior to joining YES, Ruocco handled basketball and football play-by-play at WFUV, Fordham University’s radio station while he was a student there. He also hosted WFUV’s One on One, New York’s longest-running sports call-in show. In 2008, he received Fordham’s prestigious Marty Glickman Award, named for the legendary play-by-play announcer.

Ruocco, who grew up in Fishkill, N.Y., graduated on the Dean’s List from Fordham in 2008 with a B.S. in Communications.

David Cone, the strikeout artist who endeared himself to New York Yankees fans for his numerous clutch performances and for hurling a perfect game in 1999, initially joined YES as a Yankees analyst in 2002. After pitching for the Mets in 2003 and then retiring from baseball, he re-joined YES as an analyst for the 2008 and 2009 seasons. After a year away from the mic, he came back again to YES in 2011 and has been with the network ever since. Cone has won five New York Emmy Awards while at YES.

Since 2022, Cone has been a game analyst on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball telecasts in addition to his YES duties. In 2019, he collaborated on a book with YES colleague Jack Curry called Full Count: The Education of a Pitcher, which was a New York Times best-seller.

Cone compiled a 194-126 record, 3.46 ERA and 2,688 strikeouts in his 17-year Major League career. He captured the American League Cy Young Award in 1994 and was a five-time All-Star (1988, 1992, 1994, 1997 and 1999). The Kansas City, Mo. native, known for coming up big in critical games, posted an 8-3 postseason record and played on five world championship teams: the 1992 Blue Jays and the 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000 Yankees.

The flame-throwing right-hander was drafted by his hometown Kansas City Royals in the third round of the 1981 amateur draft and made his Major League debut with the Royals in 1986. He played the next five and a half seasons with the Mets; in 1988, he ran up a 20-3 record, 2.22 ERA and 213 strikeouts, and on October 6, 1991, he struck out 19 Phillies in a game.

After short stints with the Blue Jays and the Royals (again), he joined the Yankees in 1995. His finest season in pinstripes was 1998, when he was 20-7 with a 3.55 ERA and 209 strikeouts. A year later, on July 18, 1999, he hurled a perfect game against the Montreal Expos, only the second inter-league perfect game in Major League history. Fellow Yankee Don Larsen’s World Series gem in 1956 was the first.

While with the Yankees from 1995-2000, Cone was 64-40 with a 3.91 ERA and 888 strikeouts. He pitched for Boston in 2001, sat out the 2002 season, and pitched briefly for the Mets in 2003 before retiring.

Paul O’Neill is in his 24th season as a New York Yankees analyst for the YES Network. He has earned five New York Emmy Awards for his work at YES.

O’Neill played Major League Baseball for 17 seasons, from 1985 to 2001. He appeared in six World Series and earned five World Series rings, one with the Cincinnati Reds and four with the New York Yankees. He also played in five All-Star games.

The Yankees honored him on August 21, 2022, by permanently retiring his No. 21 during “Paul O’Neill Day” at Yankee Stadium.

O’Neill began his MLB career in 1985 with the Reds. After eight seasons with Cincinnati, O’Neill joined the Yankees in 1993, with whom he won the American League batting title in 1994 with a .359 average. From July 23, 1995, until May 7, 1997, O’Neill played 235 games in right field without making an error. In 1997, he led the American League in hitting with men on base with a .429 average. On Aug. 25, 2001, O’Neill became the oldest Major Leaguer to steal 20 bases and hit 20 home runs in the same season.

He was inducted into the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame in November 2017. In 2008, O’Neill was named “Father of the Year” by The National Father’s Day Council at its 67th Annual Father of the Year awards dinner in New York.

Former New York Yankees catcher Joe Girardi, who helped lead the Yankees to three World Championships in the 1990s as a player and later guided the team to the 2009 World Championship as a manager, re-joined the YES Network as a Yankees analyst in advance of the 2024 season. He previously had been a Yankees analyst for YES in 2004 and 2007.

In addition to managing the Yankees from 2008 to 2017, Girardi managed the Philadelphia Phillies from the 2020 season until June of 2022, and he also held that role with the Florida Marlins in 2006, with whom Girardi earned the National League Manager of the Year Award. Girardi also was the Yankees’ bench coach under manager Joe Torre during the 2005 season.

From 2022-24, Girardi served as a Chicago Cubs analyst on the Marquee Sports Network. Previously, he was an analyst with the MLB Network in 2018 and 2019. In addition, he was an analyst during the 2003 National League Division Series for ESPN Radio and provided the 2007 World Series pre-game analysis for FOX Sports.

In addition to his analyst work during his previous stints at YES, he won a New York Emmy Award for his hosting efforts on the network’s Kids on Deck series and was the star of The Joe Girardi Show.

A Peoria, Ill. Native, Girardi graduated from Spalding (Ill.) Institute in 1982 after earning All-State honors in baseball. He then played at Northwestern University, where he was a two-time All-Big Ten selection and three-time Academic All-American. He received his bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Northwestern in 1986.

He was drafted by the Cubs in the fifth round of the 1986 amateur draft. He broke into the majors in 1989 with the Cubs and later played three seasons for the Colorado Rockies (1993-1995). Girardi was acquired by the Yankees prior to the 1996 season and played key roles as New York won the World Series in 1996, 1998 and 1999.

One month after departing the Yankees as a free agent in November 1999, Girardi signed with the Cubs and played three additional seasons for Chicago, making the National League All-Star team in 2000.

He played one season for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2003 before signing with the Yankees as a free agent in February 2004. Girardi retired at the end of spring training, then joined YES.

Emmy Award-winning Meredith Marakovits was named the YES Network’s New York Yankees clubhouse reporter in March 2012. She reports on the team within the network’s Yankees game telecasts, pre- and post-game shows, Yankees Batting Practice Today and Yankees Hot Stove. She also periodically hosts the network’s Brooklyn Nets pre- and post-game shows.

On Rays. TV Dewayne Staats , Brian Anderson, Ryan Bass, Kendra Douglas commentating!

Dewayne anchors Rays TV this year, his 51st season broadcasting major league baseball and 29th 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 10 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 on the radio and TV for 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 won an Emmy Award as the sports director at KPLR TV in St. Louis. Dewayne began his sports career with WSIE Radio before graduating from SIU-Edwardsville in 1975. He 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. In 2018, Dewayne was inducted into the Tampa Bay Sports Club Hall of Fame, and he received a Suncoast Sports Emmy Award in 2021. 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, Zachary, and Evie.

Brian enters his 18th season as the full-time television color analyst on Rays TV. 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 a broadcaster for Cleveland 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, Cleveland, Royals and Diamondbacks, and was a member of the latter’s 2001 World Champion team. He was selected third overall by the Angels in the 1993 First-Year Player 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 to the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame on September 30, 2015 and made his acceptance speech by phone during the Rays broadcast. He is a member of the inaugural class of the Summit League Conference Hall of Fame, as well as a member of the Wright State Hall of Fame, where he had his number 34 retired. He was most recently inducted into the Buffalo Bisons (Triple-A affiliate of Toronto Blue Jays) Hall of Fame in 2025. In 2021, he received a Suncoast Sports Emmy Award for his work on the Rays broadcast. He resides in Tampa. Brian has four children: Rylyn Mae, Jackson James, Harper Marie and Baker James.

Ryan enters his fifth season with the Rays TV broadcast team, serving as the club’s in-game reporter and pre- and postgame host. A familiar presence in Tampa Bay sports for nearly a decade, he previously served as sports director and lead anchor at CBS affiliate WTSP-TV, and as a reporter, host, and play-by-play broadcaster with Bright House Sports Network, telling the stories of teams across the region. 

In addition to his role with the Rays, Ryan is also a national correspondent for NewsNation, where he covers major stories spanning news, politics, weather, and sports. He also serves as the Media Director for Otter PR and freelances for CBS Sports HQ, the Tampa Bay Sports Commission and other major networks. Before returning to Tampa Bay in 2016, he hosted national programs for CBS Sports in Fort Lauderdale, anchoring popular shows including Fantasy Football Today and Daily Fantasy Live.

Originally from Miami, Ryan has strong ties to Tampa Bay — his father, Steve, attended St. Petersburg High School — and he is a proud UCF Knight, earning his bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Central Florida.

Kendra Douglas is a two-time Edward R. Murrow Award winner and team reporter and host for the Orlando Magic on FanDuel Sports Network. She also leads coverage through a podcast and pregame show across the team’s digital platforms and serves as a fill-in in-game reporter for the Tampa Bay Rays. In addition, Kendra has worked as a sideline reporter for ESPN’s college football coverage on the ACC Network. Previously, Kendra was the weekend sports anchor and reporter at WESH 2 News in Orlando, where she covered Tom Brady’s Super Bowl run with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Orlando Magic’s journey from the NBA bubble to Paolo Banchero’s Rookie of the Year season, and a wide range of Central Florida sports. Her reporting earned a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for a feature on former NFL player HaHa Clinton-Dix and his hometown of Eatonville. Before moving to Florida, Kendra was the weekday sports anchor at KSN News 3 in Wichita, Kansas, covering the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl season and award-winning high school football coverage. She began her career in Wilmington, North Carolina, reporting on high school athletics and UNC Wilmington’s NCAA basketball tournament run. In 2016, she worked as a flash quote reporter for the Olympic News Service at the Rio Olympic Games. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in Media and Journalism, Kendra has been recognized with an NABJ Sports Reporting Award and was honored by the Governor of Kansas in a 2025 proclamation recognizing women in sports broadcasting.

According to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/team/broadcasters

According to https://www.mlb.com/rays/team/broadcasters