Heidi Watney


Heidi Watney is an American sportscaster. She is a host and reporter for MLB Network. A graduate of the University of San Diego, her past sportscasting experience includes roles at New England Sports Network in Boston, Time Warner Cable SportsNet in Los Angeles, and two stations in Fresno.

Early and personal life

Watney attended Clovis West High School in Fresno, participating in hurdles, diving, gymnastics and cheerleading. She was a National Merit Scholar and attended the University of San Diego on an academic scholarship, where she graduated with honors in 2003. Watney has competed in the Miss California USA pageant, where she was the first runner-up in 2002.
Watney is the cousin of professional golfer Nick Watney.

Career

Watney's past positions include the Boston Red Sox on-field reporter, host of "The Red Sox Report" and "The Ultimate Red Sox Show" on Boston-based regional sports network NESN ; and prior to that, a sports talk radio host for ESPN Radio 1430 KFIG, and a weekend sports anchor for KMPH-TV; both based in Fresno.
In November 2011, she was hired away from the NESN network to work as a sideline reporter for the upcoming regional sports network Time Warner Cable SportsNet in Los Angeles. However, in September 2012 Watney left Time Warner to join MLB Network. She has hosted the MLB Network's show Quick Pitch weeknights since 2013, but missed the first half of the 2018 season while on maternity leave, she gave birth to a boy.
She appeared in the Dropkick Murphys music video "Going Out in Style". According to Andy Weir, the character Mark Watney's last name was taken from Heidi Watney due to her having been on television when he was writing the book in which the character appears, The Martian.
She appears in the video games MLB The Show 19 and MLB The Show 20 as the sidelines reporter.