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By Jon Paul Hoornstra
Contributing Sports Writer
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René Cárdenas, whose voice brought Major League Baseball into the homes of Spanish-speaking fans for more than a century, died May 10. He was 96.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, who hired Cárdenas to be the first Spanish broadcaster in MLB in 1958, announced his death on social media.
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"We mourn the passing of René Cárdenas, who in 1958 with the Dodgers became the first full-time Spanish-language broadcaster in MLB history and would ultimately spend 21 years behind the mic for Los Angeles,” the team announced on its official X account. “We send our condolences to his loved ones.”
Cárdenas helped establish Spanish broadcasts on KWKW-AM in Los Angeles, where he mentored future Hall of Fame broadcaster Jaime Jarrín. Cárdenas called the first Spanish-language World Series broadcast in 1959 and the first Spanish-language All-Star Game broadcast in 1961.
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In 1962, Cárdenas joined the expansion Houston Colt .45s and launched their first Spanish radio broadcasts. By 1966, he created baseball’s first international radio network, expanding the team’s reach into South and Central America across 13 countries.
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Cárdenas returned to Nicaragua in the mid-1970s, then in 1981 was named the first Spanish-language broadcaster for the Texas Rangers. He rejoined the Dodgers in 1982 for a second stint that lasted nearly two decades.
When he was inducted into the Astros' Media Wall of Honor in 2013, he had amassed more than 67 years in baseball broadcasting.
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Beyond baseball, Cárdenas also broadcast boxing and other sporting events, including the 1971 heavyweight title fight between Muhammad Ali and Jimmy Ellis at the Astrodome.
"With yesterday’s passing of Rene Cárdenas, we lost a true legend and pioneer in broadcasting," the Astros said Monday on social media. "As the [franchise's] first Spanish broadcaster, Rene had a tremendous impact on the success of the Colt .45s/Astros in Houston’s large Hispanic community and beyond. We send our heartfelt condolences to Rene’s family and loved ones."
Cárdenas was inducted into the Nicaragua Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame in 2002.
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