Jaime Jarrin
Encyclopedia
Jaime Jarrin is the Spanish language
voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers
. He began broadcasting for the Dodgers in 1959, and was the 1998 recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award
from the Baseball Hall of Fame. One of the most recognizable voices in Hispanic broadcasting, Jarrin, "the Spanish Voice of the Dodgers" is also heard on FSN Prime Ticket's SAP channel. Jarrin's broadcasts are listened to by Spanish speakers both at home and in the ballpark.
. He came to the United States on June 24, 1955. At the time, he had never seen a baseball game.
When the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles
in 1958, KWKW, where Jarrin was the news and sports director, picked up the Spanish language rights for the games. For the first six-plus years, the Spanish language announcers did not travel with the team, and would recreate the games on radio while listening to the English-language broadcast in a studio. In 1973, after 14 years with the Dodgers, Jarrin became the club’s No. 1 Spanish language broadcaster.
From 1962 to 1984, Jarrín never missed a game, calling close to 4,000 games over 22 seasons. The streak was broken only when he took charge of all the Spanish-language radio coverage and production for the 1984 Olympic Games
in Los Angeles.
During 1980-81, Jarrin served as interpreter for Fernando Valenzuela
. Valenzuela now works as color commentator alongside Jarrin and Pepe Yniguez
.
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 and 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 addition to his work calling Dodger games, Jarrin 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
.
and Yankees announcer, Buck Canel
. The Dodgers are the only team with two Hall of Fame announcers, English language announcer Vin Scully
being the other. In February 1998, Jarrin was the first recipient of the Southern California Broadcaster Association's President's Award. Also in 1998, he was honored by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists with their highest award, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 2002, Jarrin was inducted into the California Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame and in 2003, into the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum
. He received the 2003 Foreign Language Sports Broadcaster Award from the Southern California Sports Broadcasters inducted into the Southern California Sports Broadcaster's Hall of Fame. Jarrin was honored again by the SCSB with the foreign-language broadcaster of the year award in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008. 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.
He has also received La Gran Cruz al Merito en El Grado de Comendador (the highest civilian medal) from his native Ecuador in January 1992. In 1990 he was named as one of the top 100 Influential Hispanics in the United States by Hispanic Business Magazine. In 1970, he was the first Latin American to win the Golden Mike Award, which he received again in 1971. In 2000, he spoke at the MLB Rookie Development seminar, which is designed to prepare top minor league prospects for the Major Leagues.
, is a traffic reporter for English and Spanish radio stations in Los Angeles and is employed by the Dodgers in the Partnerships department. Jarrin and his wife, Blanca, reside in Los Angeles.
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
. He began broadcasting for the Dodgers in 1959, and was the 1998 recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award
Ford C. Frick Award
The Ford C. Frick Award is presented annually by the National Baseball Hall of Fame in the United States to a broadcaster for "major contributions to baseball." It is named for Ford Christopher Frick, former Commissioner of Major League Baseball...
from the Baseball Hall of Fame. One of the most recognizable voices in Hispanic broadcasting, Jarrin, "the Spanish Voice of the Dodgers" is also heard on FSN Prime Ticket's SAP channel. Jarrin's broadcasts are listened to by Spanish speakers both at home and in the ballpark.
Career
Born in Cayambe, Ecuador, Jarrin began work as a broadcaster in his home country when he was just 16 years old. He went on to become the announcer for the National Congress of EcuadorNational Congress of Ecuador
The National Congress was the unicameral legislative branch of the government of Ecuador prior to November 2007....
. He came to the United States on June 24, 1955. At the time, he had never seen a baseball game.
When the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 1958, KWKW, where Jarrin was the news and sports director, picked up the Spanish language rights for the games. For the first six-plus years, the Spanish language announcers did not travel with the team, and would recreate the games on radio while listening to the English-language broadcast in a studio. In 1973, after 14 years with the Dodgers, Jarrin became the club’s No. 1 Spanish language broadcaster.
From 1962 to 1984, Jarrín never missed a game, calling close to 4,000 games over 22 seasons. The streak was broken only when he took charge of all the Spanish-language radio coverage and production for the 1984 Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
in Los Angeles.
During 1980-81, Jarrin served as interpreter for Fernando Valenzuela
Fernando Valenzuela
Fernando Valenzuela Anguamea is a Mexican former left-handed pitcher, most notably with the Los Angeles Dodgers.In 1981, the 20-year-old Valenzuela took Los Angeles by storm, winning his first 8 decisions and leading the Dodgers to the World Championship...
. Valenzuela now works as color commentator alongside Jarrin and Pepe Yniguez
Pepe Yñiguez
Pepe Yñiguez is a Spanish-language baseball broadcaster for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He joined the Dodgers broadcast team in 1999, teaming with Hall of Fame announcer Jaime Jarrin. For several off-seasons he also hosted "Central Deportiva", a weekly sports talk show on KWKW. He has also broadcast...
.
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
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
and Joe Frazier
Joe Frazier
Joseph William "Joe" Frazier , also known as Smokin' Joe, was an Olympic and Undisputed World Heavyweight boxing champion, whose professional career lasted from 1965 to 1976, with a one-fight comeback in 1981....
. He has called 19 All-Star Games
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
and 25 World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
, 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 and 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 addition to his work calling Dodger games, Jarrin found himself at the center of many international news broadcasts, including the funeral of President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, Pope John Paul II's visit to America, and several important meetings between foreign leaders and Presidents Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
and Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
.
Honors and awards
In 1998, Jarrín received the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame, becoming the second second Spanish-language broadcaster to that award, joining MetsMETS
The Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard is a metadata standard for encoding descriptive, administrative, and structural metadata regarding objects within a digital library, expressed using the XML schema language of the World Wide Web Consortium...
and Yankees announcer, Buck Canel
Buck Canel
Eloy "Buck" Canel was an American Spanish language sportscaster of Major League Baseball games. Canel was born in Argentina when his father was working for the Spain consulate in that country. He won the 1985 Ford C. Frick Award. He began his career in journalism...
. The Dodgers are the only team with two Hall of Fame announcers, English language announcer Vin Scully
Vin Scully
Vincent Edward Scully is an American sportscaster, known primarily as the play-by-play voice of the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team on Prime Ticket, KCAL-TV and KABC radio...
being the other. In February 1998, Jarrin was the first recipient of the Southern California Broadcaster Association's President's Award. Also in 1998, he was honored by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists with their highest award, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 2002, Jarrin was inducted into the California Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame and in 2003, into the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum
Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum
The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame, Inc., was founded in San Francisco, California, in June 1999 by its founder Mr.Gabriel "Tito" Avila, Jr., as a way to honor the greatest Hispanic baseball players of all time. The organization is a not-for-profit institution...
. He received the 2003 Foreign Language Sports Broadcaster Award from the Southern California Sports Broadcasters inducted into the Southern California Sports Broadcaster's Hall of Fame. Jarrin was honored again by the SCSB with the foreign-language broadcaster of the year award in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008. 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.
He has also received La Gran Cruz al Merito en El Grado de Comendador (the highest civilian medal) from his native Ecuador in January 1992. In 1990 he was named as one of the top 100 Influential Hispanics in the United States by Hispanic Business Magazine. In 1970, he was the first Latin American to win the Golden Mike Award, which he received again in 1971. In 2000, he spoke at the MLB Rookie Development seminar, which is designed to prepare top minor league prospects for the Major Leagues.
Personal
Jarrin studied philosophy, letters, journalism and broadcasting at Central University of Ecuador in Quito. His son, Jorge JarrinJorge Jarrin
Jorge Jarrin was a Los Angeles traffic reporter for radio station KABC. He was the helicopter reporter in "Jet Copter 790" from 1985 to 2011, earning the nickname "Captain Jorge." Jorge also broadcast traffic reports on Spanish KSKQ...
, is a traffic reporter for English and Spanish radio stations in Los Angeles and is employed by the Dodgers in the Partnerships department. Jarrin and his wife, Blanca, reside in Los Angeles.