{"id":48690,"date":"2025-04-16T09:37:25","date_gmt":"2025-04-16T09:37:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=48690"},"modified":"2025-04-16T09:37:25","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T09:37:25","slug":"report-news-braves-announcer-catches-heat-for-getting-womans-phone-number-on-air-during-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=48690","title":{"rendered":"REPORT NEWS: Braves announcer catches heat for getting woman\u2019s phone number on air during game"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Braves announcer catches heat for getting woman\u2019s phone number on air during game<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The Atlanta Braves have struggled on the field early in the season, and now team dugout reporter Wiley Ballard may be in hot water for his interaction with female fans Monday. (Jason Getz\/AJC 2023)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Braves dugout reporter Wiley Ballard has received some strong criticism for an on-air exchange with two women during the FanDuel Sports Network telecast of the Braves\u2019 game against the Blue Jays on Monday night.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n
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During the top of the fifth inning, Ballard, who often interviews fans from the stands at games, was talking with two women in a rooftop food and entertainment area at Rogers Centre in Toronto.<\/p>\n

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As part of his interaction with the women, he asked for their names and asked one of them, \u201cAre you a Braves fan now?\u201d<\/div>\n
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Her answer was, \u201cNot quite.\u201d Ballard then said, \u201cI\u2019m gonna go to work up here, guys. Good luck the rest of the way,\u201d to Braves announcers in the TV booth for the telecast, though Ballard\u2019s meaning at that point was unclear.<\/div>\n
Then came Braves announcer Brandon Gaudin\u2019s response: \u201cOK, Wiley. You have five innings \u2014 four innings \u2014 to get the numbers.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cI\u2019m on it,\u201d Ballard replied.<\/em><\/p>\n

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  • \u201cTo get some more Braves fans,\u201d announcer C.J. Nitkowski said.<\/em><\/li>\n
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    “I got the number. We’re good.”<\/em><\/p>\n

    (via\u00a0@FanDuelSNBraves)\u00a0pic.twitter.com\/AnPCBHXv5W<\/em><\/p>\n

    \u2014 B\/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff)\u00a0April 15, 2025<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n

  • The dialogue quickly turned to the announcers in the booth encouraging Ballard to get the women\u2019s phone numbers and Ballard saying, \u201cI\u2019m going to use that in the future. That\u2019s a pretty good move.\u201d<\/li>\n
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  • One of the women entered her phone number into Ballard\u2019s phone. Ballard then said, \u201cI got the number. We\u2019re good.\u201d<\/li>\n
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    Players of the game:<\/strong>
    \n1. Wiley Ballard
    \n2. Grant Holmes
    \n3. Austin Riley<\/p>\n

    Y\u2019all crushed it on X tonight. Your comments were hilarious<\/p>\n

    \u2014 CJ (@CJNitkowski)\u00a0April 15, 2025<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n

  • There was a strong reaction from people who thought that Ballard\u2019s actions and the urging from the other Braves announcers showed a double standard, saying that a woman announcer would face strong criticism for doing what Ballard did.<\/li>\n
  • Neither Ballard nor Fan Duel Sports Network had issued a statement addressing the backlash as of noon Tuesday.<\/li>\n
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    Example #28495 why men get away with the bottom of the barrel content because misogyny is alive and well in sports television. A woman could never and would never without losing their job over this.<\/p>\n

    Lazy, disappointing, offensive, grimey, I could go on. Yikes all around.\u00a0https:\/\/t.co\/JE1ijBpP7J<\/p>\n

    \u2014 Rachel Hopmayer (@rachelhopmayer)\u00a0April 15, 2025<\/p>\n

    Imagine if a female reporter did anything like this. Career over. Pretty brutal to see it glorified by the broadcast.\u00a0https:\/\/t.co\/01A5CAkpP1<\/p>\n

    \u2014 Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) April 15, 2025<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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