René Cárdenas, First Full-Time Spanish-Language MLB Broadcaster, Dies at 96
René Cárdenas, a pioneering figure in sports broadcasting and the first full-time Spanish-language broadcaster for domestic audiences in Major League Baseball history, has passed away at the age of 96. According to the Houston Astros, one of the three teams he served during his illustrious career, Cárdenas died at his home in Houston on Sunday. A native of Nicaragua, Cárdenas began his historic tenure with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1958, shortly after the team moved from Brooklyn. He later joined the Houston Astros in 1962, where he established the first international radio network in MLB history, reaching thirteen countries across Central and South America. In 1981, he became the first Spanish broadcaster for the Texas Rangers before returning to the Dodgers in 1982, working alongside legend Jaime Jarrín until 1998. His career milestones included broadcasting the 1959 World Series and the 1961 All-Star Game. The Dodgers issued a statement mourning his passing and honoring his twenty-one years with the franchise. Cárdenas also returned to the Astros in 2008 for television broadcasts, leaving an enduring legacy in Latin American sports media.
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René Cárdenas, First Full-Time Spanish-Language MLB Broadcaster, Dies at 96
René Cárdenas, a pioneering figure in sports broadcasting and the first full-time Spanish-language broadcaster for domestic audiences in Major League Baseball history, has passed away at the age of 96. According to the Houston Astros, one of the three teams he served during his illustrious career, Cárdenas died at his home in Houston on Sunday. A native of Nicaragua, Cárdenas began his historic tenure with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1958, shortly after the team moved from Brooklyn. He later joined the Houston Astros in 1962, where he established the first international radio network in MLB history, reaching thirteen countries across Central and South America. In 1981, he became the first Spanish broadcaster for the Texas Rangers before returning to the Dodgers in 1982, working alongside legend Jaime Jarrín until 1998. His career milestones included broadcasting the 1959 World Series and the 1961 All-Star Game. The Dodgers issued a statement mourning his passing and honoring his twenty-one years with the franchise. Cárdenas also returned to the Astros in 2008 for television broadcasts, leaving an enduring legacy in Latin American sports media.
New York Post