Béisbol on the Air

Both the U.S. population and Major League Baseball rosters have seen dramatic demographic changes over the past 50 years. The nation and the sport are becoming multilingual, with Spanish the unofficial second language. Today, 21 of 30 MLB teams broadcast at least some games in Spanish.
Filling a gap in the literature of baseball, this collection of new essays examines the history of the game in Spanish, from the earliest locutores who called the plays for Latin American audiences to the League’s expansion into cities with large Latino populations—Los Angeles, Houston and Miami to name a few—that made talented sportscasters for the fanaticos a business necessity.

Jorge Iber is an associate dean and a professor of history at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. He is the author of numerous works on the role of Latinos and Latinas in U.S. sports.

Anthony Salazar is the chair of the Latino Baseball Research Committee of SABR and has worked on various projects dealing with this topic.

Edited by Jorge Iber and Anthony R. Salazar
Foreword by Curt Smith
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 217
Bibliographic Info: 15 photos, notes, index
Copyright Date: 2024
pISBN: 978-1-4766-8767-4
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4937-5
Imprint: McFarland

Foreword
Curt Smith 1
Introduction
Jorge Iber and Anthony R. Salazar 9
1. Legends
Buck Canel
Luis Rodríguez-Mayoral 21
René Cárdenas
Francisco Romero and Jorge Iber 25
Jaime Jarrín
Richard A. Santillán and Frank C. Moreno 32
Felo Ramírez
Lou Hernández 57
2. Veterans
Eduardo Ortega
Jorge Iber 71
Orlando ­Sánchez-Diago
Jorge Iber 81
Amaury ­Pi-González
Jorge Iber 92
Uri Berenguer
Bill Nowlin 102
Luis ­Rodríguez-Mayoral
Lou Hernández 124
Héctor Molina
Juan Jose Rodríguez 135
Tony Oliva
César Brioso 144
Jorge Jarrín
Scott Melesky 153
Pepe Yñiguez
Scott Melesky 164
3. Newer Voices
Francisco Romero
Jorge Iber 175
Junior Pepén
Bill Nowlin 181
Jessica Mendoza
Roberto Avant-Mier and Patrick J. McConnell 186
Conclusion
Jorge Iber 195
About the Contributors 199
Index 203

“This book contextualizes the history and importance of Spanish-language baseball broadcasters in the United States. The editors organized the text into three major sections: broadcaster legends, veterans, and newer voices. Their scholarship challenges mainstream sports perspectives on the foundational role of broadcasters in professional sports production. The authors’ findings are based on historical accounts, oral interviews, and primary materials, which makes this book original and organic. Béisbol on the Air is the first book that examines this critical subject matter at the scholarly level. It will result in major contributions for future research and scholarship on this subject. Every library should obtain a copy for their Chicana/o and Latina/o studies, sports, and history collections. Highly recommended.”—Choice