Tacoma Rainiers name Rylee Pay new radio broadcaster: ‘Such a great landing spot'
Rylee Pay gravitated to baseball from her earliest years watching America's Pastime with grandparents and family, and she hasn't left.
A career path was born from the beginning: Pay studied sports journalism at UNLV, found a newfound love for play-by-play broadcasting in the Cape Cod Baseball League, and soon joined the radio booth for Double-A Portland, an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.
This year, she makes history in Tacoma.
The Rainiers announced Pay as the team's new radio voice in a release Jan. 29, set to become Triple-A Baseball's first female lead broadcaster when Opening Day arrives on March 28.
'It's definitely never been the reason that I've gotten into this job,' Pay said. 'I've just always loved baseball. Growing up, I just really felt the magic of it.
'I've been a part of some other firsts before, and for me, it's never the reason that you do it. But it is so exciting knowing that once there is a first, it won't be the last.'
Longtime Rainiers voice Mike Curto retired in November after 25 seasons in the Tacoma booth and 31 years in minor league broadcasting. Pay was eager to apply for the opening — for the opportunity, the market and the prestige of a Mariners farm system considered No. 1 in MLB. Two months and two interviews later, she received the congratulatory phone call and invitation to visit the stadium and city in late January.
Team president Aaron Artman and the Rainiers selected Pay from a pool of more than 250 applicants, considering her the best fit for the club's culture and brand. It's something they weighed heavily in their search for Curto's successor.
'There's a legacy here in Tacoma that is unique,' Artman said, 'and I look forward to Rylee adding to that legacy on the airwaves when we kick off the season on March 28.'
Pay studied an array of sports media at UNLV, ranging from public-address announcing to website building, and internship opportunities led her to the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League. Supervisors believed in her baseball eyes and offered Pay play-by-play duties.
'It was originally never anything that was on my radar,' Pay admitted. 'But I never say no to an opportunity even if it scares me just a little bit. So I said yes, and I was hooked with just the challenge of it. … It all took off from there, really.'
On Aug. 26, 2024, Pay and Double-A Portland voice Emma Tiedemann became the first female duo to broadcast a Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park, a 7-3 win for the visiting Toronto Blue Jays.
Across all levels of professional baseball, Pay's historic hire in Tacoma might be the last box to check, she said. Last year, Athletics broadcaster Jenny Cavnar became the first woman to lead play-by-play calls at the major league level.
'It's pretty neat from a broadcast standpoint when you get to move up, as the players do, too, and make that next step,' Pay said.
Her favorite broadcaster to listen to growing up?
'Vin Scully,' Pay replied, referring to the late legend and voice of the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 1950-2016. 'I think that he's just such an elite storyteller, and that goes without saying. He's just one of the best.
'To be able to entertain in that way… and in a way, bring in the personalities of the players and convey that to the fans. … And then also throwing in a little bit of humor and just being entertaining, because baseball obviously can be two and a half hours, three, so you never really know. You want to keep people entertained.'
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