In late August 2012, Southern Californians and baseball fans worldwide breathed a sigh of relief as Hall of Fame Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully announced he would return for an unprecedented 64th season with the organization. Said Scully: "The new ownership of the Dodgers has revitalized the city, the team, the fans and myself. I am so convinced of their great purpose and leadership that I eagerly look forward to joining them in pursuit of the next Dodgers championship." Scully continues to rewrite the record book of his trade each and every time he goes on the air. With awards and accolades beyond comprehension, Scully's standing as the greatest sportscaster of all time was reaffirmed by the American Sportscasters Association (ASA), which at a 2010 event put his name atop the list of the 50 greatest to ever sit behind a microphone. The Hall of Famer's 63 years of consecutive service with the Dodgers is the longest of any sports broadcaster with one team. Scully will call all Dodger home games and road games in California and Arizona for PRIME TICKET, KCAL and KLAC.
In January 2013, he was bestowed with the Allan H. "Bud" Selig Executive Leadership Award at the annual Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation dinner, which is given to those who have made great contributions to the game of baseball.
The ASA, a non-profit organization that recognizes achievements in sports broadcasting, also elected Scully as the top sportscaster of the 20th century in a vote by more than 500 national members of the organization in 2000, topping such broadcasting icons as Howard Cosell, Mel Allen and others. And while the latest poll by that organization put the "Voice of the Dodgers" atop the list of all-time greats, that group is not alone. In the 2005 book "Voices of Summer," Scully was named as baseball's all-time best broadcaster based on "longevity, continuity, network coverage, kudos, language, popularity, persona, voice knowledge and miscellany." Each criterion was rated from 1-10, with the perfect score being 100. Scully was the only broadcaster to reach that number.
Scully, whose vivid yet simplistic description of a baseball game has thrilled fans for years, joined Hall of Fame announcer Red Barber and Connie Desmond as part of the Brooklyn Dodgers' broadcast team in 1950, just a year after graduating from Fordham University. Scully, who played outfield for two seasons on Fordham's baseball team, called baseball, basketball and football games for the University's radio station. In 1982, 32 years after he first became a Dodger broadcaster, he reached the pinnacle of his sparkling career in baseball when he was inducted into the Broadcaster's wing of the National Baseball Hall of Fame as the Ford C. Frick Award recipient.
In 2009, Scully was inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, which recognizes individuals and programs that have made a significant and lasting contribution to the broadcasting industry. The NAB represents more than 8,300 radio and television broadcasters before the Federal Communications Commission and Congress and a plaque in his honor will be permanently displayed at the NAB building in Washington, DC. Previous inductees to the NAB Radio Hall of Fame include Mel Allen, Gene Autry, Red Barber, Jack Buck, George Burns, Harry Caray, Bing Crosby, Herbert Hoover, Bob Hope, Casey Kasem, Larry King, Rush Limbaugh, Edward Murrow, Ronald Reagan and Orson Welles.
Also in 2009, The American Sportscasters Association selected Scully as the Top Sportscaster of All-Time. The same organization previously honored him as the Top Sportscaster of the 20th century in 2000 and inducted him into the American Sportscasters Association's Hall of Fame in 1992.
During the 2008 calendar year, Scully was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in New York City as well as the California Sports Hall of Fame. He was honored on the field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum before the team's record-setting game in March and a plaque was unveiled in his honor at the historic venue. He received the Art Gilmore Career Achievement Award from Pacific Pioneers Broadcasting and was honored by WFUV, the radio station he helped form at his alma mater Fordham during its 60th anniversary celebration. Scully received an honorary Doctor's of Law degree from Pepperdine, the university's highest honor.
When Scully first began broadcasting in 1950, the Dodgers had yet to win a single World Series and were known affectionately as "Dem Bums." Gasoline cost 27 cents a gallon, a postage stamp was just three cents and the minimum wage was only 75 cents per hour. Three years later, at the age of 25, he became the youngest person to ever broadcast a World Series game and in 1955, he had his most memorable moment behind the microphone, as he called the Dodgers' first and only championship in Brooklyn. The following season, Scully once again found himself in the enviable position of calling what he would later say was the greatest individual performance he had seen - Don Larsen's perfect game in the World Series - a broadcast that made national news again in 2009 when the MLB Network launched on January 1 with the rare footage of that game.
Though he cut his proverbial teeth on radio, Scully is often known for letting the pictures tell the story on television. His most memorable call for Dodger fans likely came in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, when a hobbled Kirk Gibson's two-out, two-strike, two-run homer gave the Dodgers a victory over the highly favored Oakland A's.
"High fly ball into right field, she is gone," Scully said before remaining silent for more than a minute. The next words he spoke continue to be replayed almost nightly at Dodger Stadium. "In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened."
Scully's voice is often dubbed the "soundtrack to summer" in Los Angeles, where generations of fans have grown up listening to him call Dodger games. In 2011, he will continue to call all Dodger home games and the club's road games against NL West and AL West opponents. While Scully handles all nine innings of the team's television broadcasts, the first three innings of each of his games is simulcast on radio.
As such, in 2005, USA Today ranked the Dodgers' radio broadcast team as Major League Baseball's best, based on a technical rating, a fan rating and an entertainment rating. Scully and his colleagues, Rick Monday and Charley Steiner, earned 28.5 points out of a possible 30.
On April 21, 2001, the press box at Dodger Stadium was named in Scully's honor. In addition to his Dodger broadcasts, the multi-talented broadcaster called play-by-play for National Football League games and PGA Tour events on CBS-TV from 1975-82 and play-by-play for Major League Baseball's Game of the Week, three World Series and four All-Star Games on NBC-TV from 1983-89. Scully also called play-by-play for the World Series on CBS Radio from 1990-97. In all, he has called 25 World Series and 12 All-Star Games.
In 2009, Scully hosted "Scully & Wooden for the Kids" alongside UCLA coaching legend John Wooden. The once-in-a-lifetime event featured Scully and Wooden sharing insights, philosophies, memories and wisdom before a sold-out audience of more than 7,000 people. Proceeds from the event benefited Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and City of Hope through ThinkCure!, the official charity of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Scully portrayed himself in "For Love of the Game," the 1999 Universal Pictures release starring Kevin Costner. During the 1999 World Series, Scully served as master of ceremonies at Major League Baseball's All-Century Team unveiling at Atlanta's Turner Field. He was named best of the century in Los Angeles Sports broadcasting by the Long Beach Press-Telegram and the poet laureate of baseball by USA Today. He has also lent his voice to Sony Playstation's MLB video game.
He and his wife, Sandra, reside in Los Angeles.
Broadcasting highlights include:
Former Dodger outfielder and two-time Major League All-Star Rick Monday begins his 21st season as a Dodger broadcaster and 29th season overall with the organization, including eight as a player. He also spent three years calling Dodger games on cable television. The Emmy-Award winning broadcaster can be heard on the Dodgers' flagship station AM 570 Fox Sports Los Angeles and across the Dodgers Radio Network.
In 2005, USA Today ranked the Dodgers' radio broadcast team, featuring Vin Scully, Monday and Charley Steiner, as Major League Baseball's best, based on a technical rating, a fan rating and an entertainment rating. The trio earned 28.5 points out of a possible 30.
In his current role, Monday serves as an analyst for all 162 games alongside play-by-play announcer Charley Steiner. For every game throughout the season, Monday is also a co-host on the radio pre-game show and in 2008, he was one of the hosts of the Dodgers' online webisodes titled "Inside Dodgertown."
Monday, who joined the Dodgers' broadcast team in 1993, began his broadcasting career as a sports anchor on KTTV in Los Angeles in 1985 while also calling play-by-play and hosting the pregame show for Dodger games on DodgerVision and Z Channel. He was nominated for an Emmy as host of the Dodgers' pregame show on KTTV's "Dodger Central" in 1988 and he earned an Emmy for Live Sports Coverage in 2001. Monday was also a color commentator for CBS-TV at the College World Series championship game in 1988. He moved to San Diego in 1989 and called play-by-play for the Padres on radio and television for four seasons.
The 2011 season marked the 35th anniversary of one of the most dramatic moments of Monday's playing career. While playing for the Chicago Cubs in 1976, he saved the American flag from being burned by two protesters in left field at Dodger Stadium on April 25. Al Campanis, former Dodger Vice President, Player Personnel, presented the flag to Monday after it was used as evidence in the case against the two protesters and former U.S. President Gerald Ford presented Monday with a Bicentennial Commendation for his service to others. On June 27, 2006, in honor of the 30th anniversary of his heroic efforts, the 109th Congress passed a senate resolution honoring Monday for his courage and patriotism and he was a guest of former President George W. Bush at the White House on several occasions.
In 2006, Monday released his first book, "Tales from the Dodger Dugout," a retrospective on the 1981 World Championship club on which he played a key role.
A star at Arizona State University (ASU), Monday led the Sun Devils to the 1965 College World Series Championship and earned All-American and College Player of the Year honors before the Kansas City Athletics made him the first player ever selected in the Major League First-Year Player Draft. He was inducted into the ASU Hall of Fame in 1975. He also serves on the Advisory Board for ASU Baseball.
Monday made his Major League debut in 1966 and was named to the American League Rookie All-Star Team that year. After spending six seasons with the Athletics, including an appearance on the 1968 American League All-Star team, and five seasons with the Cubs, Monday joined the Dodgers as part of a five-player trade in 1977. He played eight seasons for the Dodgers, helping them to a World Championship in 1981 and three NL pennants (1977, 1978, 1981), and was named to the NL All-Star squad in 1978. Overall, Monday compiled a .264 career batting average with 241 home runs and 775 RBI while appearing in five League Championship Series and three World Series.
The former left-handed hitter is also known for his dramatic, game-winning home run in the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 1981 N.L. Championship Series at Montreal, which gave the Dodgers a 2-1 victory and a berth in the World Series. In 1977, Monday received the inaugural Humanitarian Award presented by Major League Baseball and in 1995 he was honored with the William A. Shea Distinguished Little League Graduate Award, which is given to a Major League Baseball player or individual who best exemplifies the spirit of the Little League Baseball program. A list of additional awards can be found below.
Monday and his wife, Barbaralee, who make regular visits to various veteran's hospitals throughout the year, reside in Vero Beach during the offseason.
Among the awards Monday has won during his four decades in baseball are:
Four-time Emmy Award-winner Charley Steiner enters his ninth season as a play-by-play announcer for the Dodgers. The veteran broadcaster will call the action for all games on the Dodgers' flagship station, AM 570 Fox Sports Los Angeles, alongside Rick Monday.
Before joining the Dodgers, Steiner broadcast three years for the New York Yankees on WCBS Radio and the YES Network. While with the Yankees, Steiner and his partner John Sterling received the A.I.R (Achievement in Radio), for best play-by-play.
Prior to his seasons with the Yankees, Steiner spent 14 years at ESPN, where his responsibilities ranged from anchoring SportsCenter to working play-by-play for Major League Baseball on ESPN Radio and Television. He was also the play-by-play voice for ESPN 2's Saturday Primetime football. He served as SportsCenter's primary boxing reporter/analyst and also contributed to the Emmy and CableACE Award-winning Outside the Line series. His nationally-acclaimed coverage of the Mike Tyson trial in Indianapolis earned him a Clarion award.
In December 2010, Steiner delivered the commencement address at his alma mater Bradley University's mid-year commencement and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the university. Steiner graduated from Bradley in 1971 and was inducted into the school's Sports Hall of Fame in 1995. He is also a member of Bradley's Centurion Society, which recognizes university alumni who have brought national and international credit to the school, and in 1991 received Bradley's Lydia Moss Bradley Award, which honors those who have given outstanding service to the school. In 2000 Steiner established the Charles H. Steiner Endowed Scholarship, which is given annually to Bradley broadcasting majors.
In 2009, Steiner won two Emmys for his broadcast work with PRIME TICKET for the network's "True Blue Stories," which aired during the Dodgers' 50th anniversary season.
In 2008, Steiner had the distinction of calling the Dodgers' historic two-game series in Beijing, China, the first ever Major League games played on Chinese soil. Steiner has called games in six different countries as he was also behind the microphone for ESPN in 1999 when MLB opened the season for the first time in Monterrey, Mexico and the first-ever Major League game in Puerto Rico in 2001. Steiner also called the 2004 Opening Day festivities for the Yankees in Tokyo, Japan.
In 2005, his first season with the Dodgers, USA Today ranked the club's radio broadcast team, featuring Hall of Famer Vin Scully, Rick Monday and Steiner, as Major League Baseball's best.
Steiner also has provided the reading voice for several books-on-tape, including Jane Leavy's "Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy" and "As They See Them" by Bruce Weber, a book about Major League Baseball umpiring. He also served as the narrator for the DVD "Dodger Blue: The Championship Years," which was produced by Major League Baseball Productions. Steiner served as the lead play-by-play announcer for XM Radio at the inaugural World Baseball Classic in March 2006 and hosted a radio show on XM from 2006-09. He also broadcast the 2009 World Baseball Classic for Major League Baseball International seen around the world.
He began his professional broadcasting career in 1969 at WIRL Radio in Peoria, Illinois as a newscaster. After a nine-month stint at KSTT Radio in Davenport, Iowa, Steiner moved to Connecticut, where he served as News Director at WAVZ radio in New Haven and, later, at WPOP radio in Hartford.
After a year and half in Cleveland working at WERE radio and WKYC television as a sportscaster, Steiner moved home to New York, where for the next seven years, he was the morning sportscaster on WOR radio, while serving as sports director for the RKO Radio Network.
In addition, Steiner called the play-by-play for the USFL New Jersey Generals and, later, for the New York Jets on WABC radio. He won the UPI Best Radio Sportscaster award for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut in 1981, 1983 and 1985, and the New York State Broadcasters Award for best radio play-by-play in 1983, 1984 and 1987 before joining ESPN. He spent five years calling the action for the Harvard-Yale football game each fall.
Steiner resides in Los Angeles and is originally from New York.
Steve Lyons enters his ninth season as a part of the Dodger broadcast team, as he provides analysis on road television broadcasts outside of Arizona and California and on PRIME TICKET's "Dodgers Live" pre and post-game show. As a part of PRIME TICKET's "Dodgers Live" team, Lyons provides analysis for a 30-minute pre-game show and full post-game coverage for all Dodger game telecasts on the network.
Lyons first earned national notoriety as a commentator on Fox Sports' coverage of Major League Baseball from 1996-2006, where he earned three National Emmy Awards and two additional Emmy nominations during his tenure with the network.
He began his Fox career as an analyst for the network's Saturday Baseball Game of the Week studio show, and made the natural transition to baseball analysis for Fox's game coverage. Lyons also served as one of the primary anchors on the Fox Sports Net News Desk, broadcasting nightly across all 21 FSN regions. He served as a color analyst on the Arizona Diamondbacks broadcasts for 50 games in 2003.
Lyons' nine-year Major League career included playing for the 1986 American League Champion Boston Red Sox team and the 1992 National League Champion Atlanta Braves. Lyons posted a career .262 batting average while playing for the Red Sox (1985-86 and 1991-93), Chicago White Sox (1986-1990), Braves (1992) and Montreal Expos (1992).
Known throughout baseball for his personality and wit, Lyons penned the 1995 autobiography "Psychoanalysis," which details his time in the minor leagues up through his retirement from the Major Leagues in 1993. He also released the book "The Psycho 100: Baseball's Most Outrageous Moments" in 2009. Lyons, who attended Oregon State University, resides in Hermosa Beach. He has three daughters, Kristen (35), Kori (28) and Ally (14) and one grandson, Anthony (14).
Eric Collins, 43, enters his fifth season as part of the Dodger broadcast team, calling play-by-play for road games outside of Arizona and California alongside analyst Steve Lyons on KCAL and PRIME TICKET.
Following his inaugural season on the Dodger broadcast in 2009, the Cleveland native was honored with the Harry Caray Broadcaster of the Year Award from the Pitch & Hit Club of Chicago, a professional baseball organization formed more than 60 years ago to promote goodwill toward the game and fellowship among professionals in baseball.
In addition to his work on the Dodger broadcasts, Collins serves as the lead play-by-play football announcer and one of two main basketball announcers for the Big Ten Network. He began his duties there in 2010 and also calls baseball and other spring sports for the network. Collins anchors the sports desk at NBC's Chicago affiliate, WMAQ-TV, twice a week as well.
Before joining the Big Ten Network, Collins was a play-by-play announcer for ESPN/ABC for seven years in its college football and basketball coverage. For six years, he called ESPN's College Baseball Super Regionals.
He is also one of the nation's preeminent voices for women's softball, having called the sport's World Cup for ESPN all five seasons that it has been played. Collins served as a play-by-play announcer at the Women's College World Series in 2007 and 2008 and also toured with Team USA on its Pre-Olympic Tours in 2004 and 2008. Collins was the lead play-by-play announcer for NBC in its baseball coverage of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. He performed radio and television play by play for the Chicago White Sox on occasions in 2004 and 2008.
Prior to joining ESPN/ABC, Collins spent four seasons calling minor league baseball for the Schaumburg Flyers and the Rochester Red Wings. He has served as a pregame and postgame host for the White Sox and Cubs and as a sideline reporter for the Chicago Bulls from 1997-2002.
Collins earned a Bachelor's degree from St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY prior to earning a Master's from Syracuse University.
He and his wife, Keri, make their home in Chicago with their daughters, Beatrice, 7, and Harriet,4.
Jaime Jarrín, among the most recognizable voices in Spanish language broadcasting and one of two current Dodger Hall of Fame announcers, begins his 55th season in the radio booth. Jarrín, "the Spanish Voice of the Dodgers" is also heard on PRIME TICKET's SAP channel. The Dodgers, with Jarrín and longtime broadcaster Vin Scully, are the first Major League club to feature a pair of Hall of Fame announcers.
Jarrín celebrated his 50th season with the Dodgers in 2008 and was honored by the team on the anniversary of his arrival to the United States, June 24. Jarrín was recognized for his service that day with appearances throughout Los Angeles and received a special award from the publisher and general manager of Hoy, LA Times Media Group's Spanish-language newspaper. Last season, the Dodgers honored Jarrín's 54th season as part of the club's season-long celebration of Dodger Stadium's 50th Anniversary. A Jaime Jarrín T-Shirt, featuring an excerpt of Jarrín's famous home run call "¡Se va, se va, y se fue... despidala con un beso!" and Tribute Night on June 11 sold more than 50,000 tickets. This season, the Dodgers will hold Jaime Jarrín bobblehead night on May 25 (4:15 p.m. vs. STL).
In the 2005 book "Voices of Summer," Jarrín was named as baseball's all-time best Spanish-language broadcaster based on "longevity, continuity, network coverage, kudos, language, popularity, persona, voice knowledge and miscellany." He was rated 28th overall among all broadcasters.
Jarrín became the club's No. 1 Spanish-language broadcaster in 1973, 14 years after he first joined the Dodgers. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on July 26, 1998 in Cooperstown, NY as the recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award. Named in honor of the former broadcaster and Commissioner of Baseball, the Frick Award has been given annually since 1978 to a broadcaster "for major contributions to the game of baseball."
The Quito, Ecuador native began working for HCJB in his home country when he was just 16 years old and went on to become the announcer for the National Congress of Ecuador. He came to the United States on June 24, 1955 and four months later, watched the Dodgers win their first World Series, which was when he fell in love with baseball. Shortly thereafter, he began working for KWKW in Los Angeles, where he was the news and sports director when the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958. For the first six-plus years as the Dodgers' broadcaster, Jarrin did not travel and would recreate the games on radio while listening to the English-language broadcast from a studio.
From 1962 to 1984, Jarrín called close to 4,000 consecutive games spanning 22 seasons, never missing a game. The streak was broken only when he took charge of all Spanish-language radio coverage and production for the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
In addition to his work calling Dodger games, Jarrín found himself at the center of many international news broadcasts, including the funeral of President John F. Kennedy, Pope John Paul II's visit to America and several important meetings between foreign leaders and Presidents Richard Nixon and Lyndon B. Johnson.
Jarrín became a household name across the country in 1980-81 when he served as the interpreter for Mexican pitching phenom Fernando Valenzuela during a period known as Fernandomania. The left-hander became an analyst in 2003 and continues to work alongside Jarrín. Jarrín celebrated his 50th season with the Dodgers in 2008 and was honored by the team on the anniversary of his arrival to the United States, June 24. Jarrín was recognized for his service that day with appearances throughout Los Angeles and received a special award from the publisher and general manager of Hoy, L.A.'s weekly Spanish-language newspaper, during the day's pregame ceremonies.
On August 23, 2009, Jarrín participated, along with Fernando Valenzuela and Pepe Yñiguez, in the first-ever regular season, dedicated, Spanish-language telecast of a Dodger game. Dodger broadcast partner PRIME TICKET aired the afternoon game against the Cubs on their sister network, FOX Sports West.
When he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Jarrín became only the second Spanish-language announcer to achieve that honor, joining Buck Canel. Jarrín was also the first recipient of the Southern California Sports Broadcaster Association's President's Award in February 1998.
He was given the highest award by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists in June 1998 and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in September 1998. On June 21, 2002 Jarrín was inducted into the California Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame and on August 23, 2003, he was inducted into the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum during pre-game ceremonies at Dodger Stadium. In early 2004, he was honored by the Southern California Sports Broadcasters with the 2003 Foreign Language Sports Broadcaster Award and inducted into the Southern California Sports Broadcaster's Hall of Fame. Jarrín was honored again by the SCSB with the foreign-language broadcaster of the year award in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009. In 2009 he was honored by the Society of St. Vincent DePaul for his commitment to changing the lives of at-risk youth in the community.
His other honors included being awarded La Gran Cruz al Merito en El Grado de Comendador (the highest medal awarded to non-military personal) in his native Ecuador in January 1992 and being named as one of the top 100 Influential Hispanics in the United States in Hispanic Business Magazine in 1990. He won Golden Mike Awards in 1970 and 1971 and became the first Latin American to win that award. In 2000, he spoke at the MLB Rookie Development seminar, which is designed to prepare top minor league prospects for the Major Leagues.
He has called more than 30 world championship boxing title bouts throughout the world for radio and television stations in Latin America, including the Thrilla in Manila between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. He has called 19 All-Star Games and 25 World Series, including the 2005 Fall Classic in which he served as the emcee for MLB's Latin Legends ceremony. His broadcasts of the All-Star Game, League Championship Series and World Series on CBS, the Latina Broadcasting Network, Cadena Latina and Caracol from 1989 to 1999 were carried on more than 300 stations.
In March 2006, Jarrín served as a play-by-play announcer for the inaugural World Baseball Classic. In 2011, Jarrín was honored by the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) Foundation with a 2011 AFTRA Media and Entertainment Excellence Award.
Jarrín studied philosophy, letters, journalism and broadcasting at Central University of Ecuador in Quito. His son, Jorge - "The Captain" - covers traffic for English and Spanish radio stations in Los Angeles and works for the Dodgers in the Partnerships department.
Jarrín and his wife, Blanca, reside in Los Angeles.
Spanish-language broadcaster Pepe Yñiguez begins his 15th full season and 16th overall with the Dodgers. After covering select broadcasting assignments for the Dodgers in 1998, Yñiguez made his debut in 1999 as a full-time broadcaster.
Yñiguez has worked on the Dodgers' Spanish-language broadcast since 1992 and hosted the Dodgers' pre and post-game shows, "Hablando con los Dodgers," in 1993. He now calls play-by-play for all Dodger games on KTNQ 1020, the Dodgers' Spanish-language radio partner, alongside Hall of Fame Broadcaster Jaime Jarrín and Dodger legend Fernando Valenzuela.
In 2010 and 2011, Yñiguez also called select Dodger games in Spanish on PRIME TICKET alongside Dodger coach Manny Mota. In 2011, he called play-by-play for 27 games on television.
Since 1992, Yñiguez has broadcast numerous events for FOX Sports International, including every World Series from 1997-2005. In 1997, he called the All-Star Game at Jacobs Field in Cleveland alongside Tito Fuentes and Dennis Martinez. He has also broadcast the annual Caribbean Series, which pits the winners of the Mexican, Venezuelan, Puerto Rican and Dominican Republic Winter Leagues.
From 1993-95, Yñiguez served as the color commentator for Los Angeles Raiders broadcasts. During past offseasons, he also hosted "Central Deportiva," a weekly sports talk show airing Sunday afternoons, on KWKW in Los Angeles.
Yñiguez has two daughters Karissa and Jaquely and two sons - Edgar and Alenrry - and resides in La Habra, CA.
The 2013 season marks Fernando Valenzuela's 11th as the color commentator for the Dodgers' Spanish-language radio broadcasts, keeping Fernandomania alive and well in Los Angeles. Valenzuela offers insight from a 17-year big league career alongside Hall of Fame broadcaster Jaime Jarrín and Pepe Yñiguez during all Dodger home games and select road games.
Last season, on August 21, 2012, Valenzuela was honored with a bobblehead night celebrating his no-hitter on June 29, 1990. Valenzuela tossed the first Dodger no-hitter in a decade, blanking the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-0.
It also marked the first time in the modern baseball era that two no-hitters have been pitched on the same day as Oakland pitcher Dave Stewart had thrown a no-hitter in Toronto prior to Valenzuela's. This promotion marked the fourth time that Valenzuela has been featured on a Dodger Stadium bobblehead, the most in Dodger Stadium history. The game was a sell out with more tickets than Opening Day 2012.
This offseason, on February 3, 2013, Valenzuela was inducted into the Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame (Pabellón de la Fama del Caribe) during the 2013 Caribbean Series in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. He was elected by a media contingent from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic and like those at Cooperstown, the Caribbean winter-league inductees are required to be named on 75% of the ballots. Valenzuela earned 175 of a possible 200 points. On Friday, February 1, Valenzuela was part of the opening ceremonies for the new Estadio Sonora in Hermosillo where he threw the ceremonial first pitch in front of a sold out crowd and hundreds of media members. Valenzuela was honored for his big league career in addition to his career in la Liga Mexicana del Pacifico (LMP) as a pitcher for Mayos de Navojoa, Naranjeros de Hermosillo and Águilas de Mexicali where he played his last three professional seasons of his baseball career (2004-06).
In 2011, the city of Los Angeles and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa selected the legendary lefty as the Hope of Los Angeles awardee. Valenzuela was honored at City Hall as part of LA's opening ceremonies for Latino Heritage Month. In 2008, Valenzuela was honored by National Spanish-language television network Univision at the first annual "Premios Deportes" as one of the most prominent Hispanic athletes in history with a lifetime achievement award, "Premio Leyenda Deportiva."
The 2011 season marked the 30th anniversary of Valenzuela's appearance on the scene as the emergency starter on Opening Day, 1981. He hurled a 2-0 shutout over the Houston Astros, one of five shutouts in his first eight starts that season. The improbable success near the beginning of his tremendous Major League career sparked "Fernandomania," a phenomenon which remains not only one of the most memorable periods in Dodger history but also in Southern California sports history.
While leading the Dodgers to the World Championship that season, he became the first player in Major League history to be named Rookie of the Year and win a Cy Young Award in the same season. He baffled hitters with his signature screwball and packed opposing stadiums throughout the National League, while also earning the All-Star Game start in Cleveland. He still holds the rookie record for consecutive scoreless innings (35.0), as he began his Major League career with a 10-0 record and a 0.40 ERA (4ER/90.0 IP) including his late season call-up in 1980.
In 17 big league seasons, Valenzuela compiled a 173-153 record and a 3.54 ERA with Los Angeles, California, Baltimore, Philadelphia, San Diego and St. Louis. He was named to the National League All-Star team for six consecutive seasons from 1981-1986 and in 1986 he won 20 games while also earning the Rawlings Gold Glove Award.
On June 29, 1990 Valenzuela reached the pinnacle of any pitcher's career, as he tossed a no-hitter while blanking the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-0.
The southpaw's success and longevity allowed him to etch his name in the Dodger record books, as he ranks among the top 10 all-time in nearly every pitching category in Los Angeles Dodger history including wins (141, 5th), complete games (107, 4th), strikeouts (1759, 4th), shutouts (29, 5th), starts (320, 4th) and innings pitched (2,348.2, 4th). Among the all-time franchise leaders, Valenzuela is eighth in victories, fifth in strikeouts, seventh in shutouts and seventh in starts.
His six Opening Day starts rank third in Los Angeles history to Don Drysdale and Don Sutton. In 1986, Valenzuela completed 20 of his starts, the last big league pitcher to accomplish that feat. In fact, since 1980, only two pitchers have even reached 15 complete games in a year.
But far more important than the statistics he posted was the effect he had on baseball. When he made his Major League debut, he was just the seventh Mexican to play for the Dodgers and his impact on the game internationally is incalculable. He was inducted into the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum during pre-game ceremonies at Dodger Stadium on August 23, 2003 and in 2002, his first season eligible for Hall of Fame consideration, the left-hander garnered 31 votes.
In July 2006, he was inducted into Baseball Reliquary's Shrine of the Eternals in Pasadena. In the 2009 World Baseball Classic, Valenzuela was the pitching coach for Mexico.
In February 2007, at its annual awards luncheon, the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Association named Valenzuela, a native of Navajoa, Sonora, Mexico, as the co-winner of the Foreign Language Broadcaster of the Year Award, marking his first such honor. In 2011, Valenzuela received his second Foreign Language Broadcaster of the Year Award.
On August 23, 2009, Valenzuela participated, along with Hall of Fame Broadcaster Jaime Jarrín and Pepe Yñiguez, in the first-ever regular season, dedicated, Spanish-language telecast of a Dodger game. Dodger broadcast partner PRIME TICKET aired the afternoon game against the Cubs on their sister network, FOX Sports West.
In 2010, Valenzuela was the subject of an ESPN "30 for 30" film "Fernando Nation." The Dodgers supported the creation of the film directed by Cruz Angeles on the cultural impact of his career. "Fernando Nation" was added to ESPN's fall schedule and premiered on ESPN Deportes on October 24 and on ESPN on October 26. In 2011, Valenzuela made his first trip to the Dominican Republic to be inducted into the Latino Baseball Hall of Fame at Casa de Campo in La Romana.
Throughout his ten seasons as a broadcaster, Valenzuela has teamed up with the Dodgers to bring children's groups from the community to select home games as part of the Amigos de Fernando Program. As a result of this program and his continued community involvement, the Reviving Baseball in Innercities Program (RBI) honored Valenzuela with a Lifetime Achievement award at its annual banquet in February 2007. Valenzuela also hosted a Carne Asada Sunday event during the 2009 season. All proceeds from the event, at which fans got the chance to meet Valenzuela and enjoy carne asada with him, benefited the Dodgers Dream Foundation.
Valenzuela supports the development of baseball in Mexico, hosting Little League teams from Mexico at Dodger Stadium and also maintaining a relationship with Liga Mexicana de Béisbol (LMB). Valenzuela plans on coaching in the 2013 World Baseball Classic for team Mexico as he did for the 2006 and 2009 WBCs. He is an avid golfer and regularly participates in charity golf tournaments including those of his former teammates.
Valenzuela and his wife Linda have four children, Ricky, Fernando Jr., Linda and Maria Fernanda. He resides in Los Angeles.
Jorge Jarrín will join legendary Dodger Coach Manny Mota for a second season as play-by-play announcer for all games televised in Spanish on PRIME TICKET, while also serving as a co-host of Dodger Talk on AM 570 Fox Sports Los Angeles. In addition to his broadcasting duties, since 2004, Jarrín has overseen the Spanish-language Dodger radio broadcast sales, expanded the Dodger Spanish Radio Network and is directly involved in the Dodgers' Latino marketing initiatives.
Jarrin served as KABC Talk Radio's "Captain Jorge" for covering traffic from Jet Copter 790 from 1985 to 2011. The Associated Press of California honored Jarrin with four top awards for his work in reporting the Los Angeles Riots following the verdict of the LAPD/Rodney King trial.
Additionally, the Associated Press also honored the Dodger broadcaster with an award for his live coverage of a Highway Patrol pursuit and hostage situation.
Jarrin is also the recipient of the coveted "Golden Mike Award" for "Best Live Coverage of a Late Breaking News Story" in 1993, given by the Southern California Radio and TV News Association. In 2001 and 2002 Jarrin was teamed with Jose Mota to form Direct TV's "Major League Baseball Game of the Week" broadcast team to all of Latin America. Also during this period, he filled in as a sports anchor on the KTLA News at 10:00 p.m.
Jarrin is most proud of his father, Hall of Famer Jaime Jarrin, longtime Spanish-language broadcaster for the Dodgers. Baseball continues as an integral part of the Jarrin family fabric. Jarrin's son Stefan was drafted and signed by the Dodgers in the 2011 MLB Draft. An infielder, Stefan was a part of the 2011 MLB Arizona Rookie League Championship Dodgers, the first minor league championship team in the Dodger organization since 2005.
Jorge is actively involved in a number of charitable endeavors including Stillpoint Family Services, Villa Esperanza, the Ronald McDonald House of Pasadena and AltaMed Health Services. Jorge and his wife, Maggie, have been married 30 years and have three sons: Andrew, Phillip and Stefan.
Legendary Dodger Coach Manny Mota enters his fourth year as a Dodger broadcaster, calling all games televised in Spanish on PRIME TICKET. He celebrated his 50th season with the Dodgers in 2012. Mota serves as the analyst alongside Jorge Jarrín. Mota began calling games for the Dodgers in 2010 and his full bio can be found in the coaching section of the guide
