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Tricia Whitaker, who has spent the last six seasons as the in-game reporter and a host for Tampa Bay Rays broadcasts has announced she will not be returning next season. Whitaker posted on her X account saying it is a bittersweet decision, but that she has decided to “prioritze things in life that matter most to me right now.”
Whitaker, who is also an adjunct professor of sports broadcasting at Indiana University, said with her new setup she will, “get to be home in the Midwest more with my family, students & my sweet nephew.”
“It is bittersweet to write this post,” Whitaker wrote on X. “But instead of all of a sudden not seeing me on your TV, I wanted you to hear it from me. I have some very happy life changes happening which means I won’t be back with the Rays next season.”
In addition to working with the Rays, Whitaker had done some work with AppleTV. Now that she has more available time on her hands, that role will expand. “I will still very much be in baseball & on MLB sidelines for Friday Night Baseball on AppleTV,” she continued. “In fact, I will now be with them every Friday, and being there every Friday night this coming season, will be a joy. We have some wonderful things in store on Apple! I’ll share additional things that are in my future at a later date.”
Witaker is a seven-time Emmy Award recipient, receiving two nods in 2022. Prior to joining the Rays broadcast, she spent four years covering local sports with the CBS affiliate in Indianapolis. Her career experience also includes a two-year stint covering professional and collegiate teams, including the Brewers and Green Bay Packers, for the ABC affiliate in Green Bay. Her professional career began as a web reporter with the Pacers and Indiana Fever.
To her crew she worked with at what is now known as FanDuel Sports Network Florida, she wrote, “The five of you are wonderful humans and you are the ones who make the broadcast what it is. You accepted me as a young reporter. You made me feel at home. To some of my favorite players I met and that have come through the clubhouse doors through the years, who either became my biggest supporter, my go-to interview or trusted me with their stories and getting to know their families: thank you. You know who you are, and you all are my favorites in the league, and I’ll continue to bug you for interviews when I’m doing your games on Apple! I truly can’t wait for this next chapter to start. See you on AppleTV every Friday and stay tuned for more.”
