MLB fans are yet to recover from John Sterling’s demise. The iconic voice of the Yankees already made a huge gap in the broadcasting booth that now widened further after another legendary voice passed away. The name that popularized Spanish commentary in MLB and served as the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, and Houston Astros’ Spanish voice from the booth is no more.

“RIP to pioneering broadcaster and Astros Hall of Fame member René Cárdenas,” MLB insider Brian McTaggart shared via X.

Till 1958, there was nothing like a Spanish broadcast in MLB. However, with increasing player inflow from countries like Cuba, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela, MLB had an untapped market beyond the American shore. As a result, the first Spanish-language radio broadcast in MLB history was created by the Dodgers in 1958. It has been ongoing since then, marking the longest-running one in all of baseball.

Led by broadcaster René Cárdenas and supported by owner Walter O’Malley, the initiative began when the team moved to California to cater to the growing Hispanic fanbase. Chron Magazine notes that Cárdenas and the Houston staff went door-to-door in the 1960s to Spanish-speaking neighborhoods.

They taught housewives the rules and scoring of baseball so they could share it with their families, and promoted the sport from a grassroots level.

Becoming the director of Spanish broadcasting for the Houston Astros, Cárdenas organized and produced the first international radio network in MLB history, which reached 13 countries in Central and South America, per the Los Angeles Times.

Being part of several Spanish-language broadcasting firsts, including the 1959 World Series and 1961 All-Star Game, René Cárdenas’ presence will remain as long as Spanish broadcasting remains.

Cárdenas was from Nicaragua, and he was already battling liver and pancreatic cancer. The battle finally ended on Sunday as Cárdenas left us at 96 in Houston. 

“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. We send our condolences to his loved ones,” the Dodgers shared via X.

Since Cárdenas joined the Dodgers in 1958, he stayed there till 1961 when the Houston Colt .45s (now the Astros) signed him. In between, Cárdenas also called a championship boxing match held between Sugar Ray Robinson and Gene Fullmer.

Cárdenas famously nicknamed the Houston Astrodome “Una Joya en la Pradera” (A Jewel on the Prairie) during its opening in 1965. He called some iconic moments for the Astros and eventually got fired in 1975 when the Astros canceled their Spanish-language broadcasts.

In 1981, Cárdenas was hired by the Texas Rangers as the first Spanish broadcaster in the franchise’s history.

Then, in 1982, he returned to the Dodgers, staying there through 1998 while working alongside Jaime Jarrín – another Spanish-language broadcasting legend who originally joined the Dodgers a year after Cárdenas in 1959.

Cárdenas also mentored many Spanish-language broadcasters over his lifetime, including Romero, the current Spanish voice of the Astros.

“René Cárdenas did more than call games,” Romero noted.

“He brought baseball to life. With passion, elegance, and a distinctive style, he helped pave the way for Spanish baseball broadcasting in the United States.”

In total, he called for the Astros’ first 14 seasons. He even returned to the club’s booth in 2008 to call games on TV in the United States for the first time in his career.

The Astros inducted Cárdenas into their team Hall of Fame in 2024.

“Loved by many, to say the least. Though he passed in his sleep, I know that he’s already broadcast ‘The Heavenly World Series,'” shared his son, Rene A. Cárdenas.

Social media was flooded with condolences.

Tributes pour in for René Cárdenas

Cárdenas’s passing marks the end of an era in MLB. “Shocked to hear of his passing. Grew up listening to him and Jaime,” one fan said. “21 years calling Dodgers games in Spanish. What a legacy rip,” another added.

Cárdenas’s 21 years with the Dodgers and 38 years with the Astros and Rangers mean that the majority of adult MLB fans grew up listening to him. The term “Dodgers Blue,” used for the team’s fandom, was originally coined by Cárdenas. During his time, Cárdenas frequently remarked that he had “Astros blood” or “Dodger blue” in his veins, symbolizing his deep-rooted connection to the franchises he helped build.

Jaime Jarrín often refers to Cárdenas as “mi maestro” (my teacher), noting that René’s most iconic “remark” was the guidance that shaped Jarrín’s own Hall of Fame career.

More than just a legendary announcer, Cárdenas was known for his mentorship.

“A pioneer who opened doors for so many. Rest in peace,” one user remarked. “Rest in Peace, he opened the door to everyone in Latinoamerica,” another added.

Apart from the current Spanish voice of the Astros, Cárdenas mentored names like Alex Pompez and Orlando Sánchez Diago. Pompez was primarily a scout and executive. He worked closely with Cárdenas in developing the first international Spanish-language radio networks that brought MLB games to Latin America.

“He inspired countless broadcasters and became a beloved figure to millions of fans. His legacy will live forever in every broadcast, every unforgettable play, and every fan who grew up listening to his voice. Rest in peace, legend,” Romero added. 

“RIP,” one fan joined the chorus.

The only regret that Cárdenas had till the last was not winning a Ford Frick Award, the highest honor for baseball broadcasters, presented annually by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. He was a finalist multiple times, but couldn’t make it.

But for fans and the entire baseball community, he is the highest of all standards.