Dodgers: Alanna Rizzo Reacts to the News of LA's New Broadcaster
Alanna Rizzo spent eight years working for SportsNetLA as a Dodgers insider, from 2013 through 2020. Almost exactly two years ago, Rizzo left the Dodgers and went back to work for MLB Network, where she had spent a couple years before LA.
Along the way, Alanna has crossed paths with a lot of broadcasters, and the new guy the Dodgers just hired is one she's very high on.
The Dodgers are Nelson's first gig with an MLB team, having previously worked a few NHL games and several national baseball broadcasts as part of Apple TV's Friday Night Baseball. Nelson is half-Japanese on his mother's side, and he is now the only Asian American play-by-play broadcaster working for a major-league team.
Nelson will fill in when Joe Davis is busy with his duties for Fox Sports. The Dodgers announced that Nelson will call more than 50 games, which is more than Davis missed last year, so it seems like Joe might be taking a little more time for his Fox duties, even if it's just an extra prep day beforehand.
Rizzo has remained close to Dodgers fans since her departure and has championed her replacement, Kirsten Watson. She and Nelson are both MLB Network employees, as Nelson is the co-host of MLB Network's Intentional Talk with former big-leaguer Kevin Millar. He took over that role when MLB Network didn't renew the contract of Chris Rose in 2021. Alanna is a regular contributor to Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo's High Heat show on MLB Network.