The Athlete Whisperer: An Improbable Voice in Sports

Andrea Kirby was not a former athlete and had no ties to television. Still, in 1971, this single mom talked her way onto a small television station as a sportscaster. A rare female in the all-male culture of her beloved sports, she was harassed and discriminated against, but she wasn't deterred.

Kirby excelled at her first break and then moved to a bigger market in sports-rich Baltimore. Male colleagues said she didn't belong, but fans loved her, teams respected her, and networks noticed he...