While the Los Angeles Dodgers saw the retirement last season of longtime voice of the franchise Vin Scully, the organization has another storied broadcaster still in the booth. Jaime Jarrin is in his 59th season as the Dodgers’ Spanish-language radio broadcaster.
The Hall-of-Famer calls games alongside his son, Jorge, for a third consecutive season. The Jarrins are the only father-son broadcasting team in Major League Baseball Spanish-language radio.
Jaime was featured during a segment on “Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel,” which aired Tuesday night on HBO. Gumbel attended a recent Viva Los Dodgers festival with Jarrin, where he was approached by several fans for autographs and in some cases a simple handshake.
Considering the large Latino fan base in Los Angeles, the influence Jarrin has had can’t be understated. “It was my dream to be on radio,” Jarrin told Gumbel.
He worked in a factory making metal fences, but was persistent with his pursuit of a job with KWKW, the only Spanish-language radio station at the time. Jarrin received an opportunity as a news reporter, and when the Dodgers relocated from Brooklyn, he was selected to call games in Spanish.
That was despite not having the slightest understanding of baseball. He familiarized himself with the sport, and has gone on to call and be part of several memorable games and moments with the Dodgers.
Also part of HBO’s profile on Jarrin are comments from Vin Scully in which he praises his Spanish counterpart, and Jarrin’s experience during Fernando Valenzuela’s captivating rise to prominence.
The episode will re-air several times over the next week. Check local listing for dates and time.
