Jeanne Zelasko facts for kids

Jeanne Zelasko, born on October 26, 1966, is an American journalist and sportscaster. She has worked for several major sports networks. These include Fox Sports, MLB Network, and ESPN. She also reported for AM980 KFWB and Fox Sports West in Los Angeles.

Early Life and Education

Jeanne Zelasko began her broadcasting journey while studying at San Diego State University. She started by giving traffic updates on KCEO radio. She also hosted a talk show there. Her television career began in 1993 at KDCI-TV News in San Diego. She anchored the weekend news broadcasts.

Career Highlights

Early in her career, Zelasko helped host the San Diego Padres pre-game show. This was for Prime Sports West, a regional sports network. She also worked as a reporter for the network. She covered many different sports, including NFL, NHL, college basketball, and auto racing.

Working at Fox Sports

Fox Sports hired Jeanne Zelasko in 1996. She was part of the first team for the new Fox Sports Net's National Sports Report. She also worked as a sideline reporter for Fox NFL Sunday.

In February 2001, Zelasko joined NASCAR on Fox as a pit reporter. Later that year, in June, she became the studio host for Major League Baseball on Fox. She worked alongside baseball analyst Kevin Kennedy. Fox Sports stopped the Major League Baseball pre-game show after the 2008 season to save money.

MLB Network and Los Angeles Dodgers

In April 2009, Zelasko took on new roles at MLB Network. She did special assignments for MLB Tonight. On May 20, 2009, she made history. She became the first woman to do play-by-play commentary for a Los Angeles Dodgers game. For the rest of the 2009 season, she called online games. She worked with former Dodger player Mark Sweeney, who was an analyst.

Reporting for ESPN

In May 2013, Jeanne Zelasko started covering the NCAA Softball tournament for ESPN. This expanded her experience in sports broadcasting.

Appearances in Films and TV Shows

Jeanne Zelasko has also appeared in a few TV shows and movies. In 1997, she had a guest role in the TV series Diagnosis: Murder. In 2002, she played an anchorwoman in the Swiss movie Birdseye. She also played a reporter in the 2005 film Fever Pitch. From 2011 to 2013, she worked as a court reporter on the TV show Judge Joe Brown.

Personal Life and Health

Jeanne Zelasko was married to Curt Sandoval. He is a sports anchor and reporter for KABC-TV in Los Angeles.

In December 2007, Fox announced that Zelasko was getting treatment for thyroid cancer. Despite this, she was still scheduled to host Fox's pregame show. She also worked as a sideline reporter for the 2008 Cotton Bowl Classic and Orange Bowl broadcasts. Fox said they looked forward to her return to her MLB studio chair.