Beisbol on the Air

Essays on Major League Spanish-Language Broadcasters

Author: Jorge Iber

Filling a gap in the literature of baseball, this collection of new essays examines the history of the game in Spanish, from the earliest ‘locutores’ who called the plays for Latin American audiences to the League’s expansion into cities with large Latino populations that made talented sportscasters for the fanaticos a business necessity.

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Summary

Description

Both the U.S. population and Major League Baseball rosters have seen dramatic demographic changes over the past 50 years. The nation and the sport are becoming multilingual, with Spanish the unofficial second language. Today, 21 of 30 MLB teams broadcast at least some games in Spanish.

Filling a gap in the literature of baseball, this collection of new essays examines the history of the game in Spanish, from the earliest locutores who called the plays for Latin American audiences to the League's expansion into cities with large Latino populations--Los Angeles, Houston and Miami to name a few--that made talented sportscasters for the fanaticos a business necessity.

Critic Reviews

"This book contextualizes the history and importance of Spanish-language baseball broadcasters in the United States. The editors organized the text into three major sections: broadcaster legends, veterans, and newer voices. Their scholarship challenges mainstream sports perspectives on the foundational role of broadcasters in professional sports production. The authors' findings are based on historical accounts, oral interviews, and primary materials, which makes this book original and organic. Béisbol on the Air is the first book that examines this critical subject matter at the scholarly level. It will result in major contributions for future research and scholarship on this subject. Every library should obtain a copy for their Chicana/o and Latina/o studies, sports, and history collections. Highly recommended."-Choice

About the Author

Jorge Iber is an associate dean and a professor of history at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. He is the author of numerous works on the role of Latinos and Latinas in U.S. sports. Anthony Salazar is the chair of the Latino Baseball Research Committee of SABR and has worked on various projects dealing with this topic.