Due to space constraints, the investigative article on
Spanish broadcasts in the Major Leagues had to be
edited, and two crucial paragraphs were left out.
One is where Walter O'Malley decides, for the first
time in history, to do Spanish broadcasts of Major
League games. The missing paragraph follows:
"According to information obtained by former Los
Angeles Dodgers executive Brent Shyer, Walter
O’Malley, a master of innovation, approved a
suggestion by Tony Valenti, an advertising executive
with the BBDO agency and the coordinator of the Dodger
broadcasts in the 1950s, that the Dodgers do Spanish
radio play-by-play on WHOM Radio and hired renowned no
less than Buck Canel in 1954 as the announcer.
They continued broadcasting games in Spanish until
1957. For instance, on March 7, 1957, the Dodgers let
it be known that 40 home games would be broadcast in
Spanish by Canel."
Note that Buck Canel is in the broadcasters wing of
the Hall of Fame, and that Walter O'Malley just made
it into Cooperstown in spite of the missing paragraph!
The next missing section tells us who proposed the
idea for the L. A. Dodger broadcasts in Spanish, and
O'Malley's reaction. It also explains who the
mysterious Stan is, who keeps showing up narrating the
effects of the initial broadcasts (that were so
important in bringing us into the present times):
"On another front, despite the fact that the Pacific
Coast League was close to baseball crazy Northern
Mexico, there had never been Spanish baseball
broadcasts in California, according to historian
Samuel Regalado in the Fall, 1995, “California
History”, the magazine of the California Historical
Society.
René Cárdenas, who had been a baseball broadcaster in
his native Nicaragua, thought that with the arrival of
the Dodgers the time was ripe for Major League
baseball in Spanish.
He asked his friend Alejandro “Alex” Prada to set up a
meeting with his boss, KWKW manager William Beaton.
René convinced Beaton that the idea was sound, and
asked him to seek a meeting with Walter O’Malley. The
Dodger owner had set up his headquarters at a hotel on
Wilshire Boulevard; he invited Beaton and Cárdenas
there so René could explain his idea.
Walter O’Malley was enthusiastic, and immediately
agreed to broadcasting Dodger games in Spanish. But
Cárdenas was not immediately named as announcer; first
he had to pass a series of tests.
Stan Evans remembers those days well. As Vice
President and Account Supervisor for Gumbinner
Advertising, he headed up The American Tobacco
account, Tareyton cigarettes and Roi Tan cigars. That
company sponsored the Dodger broadcasts, promoting its
Lucky Strike brand. As sponsors they were not actively
involved in the radio and TV programming."
I hope it makes sense now.
Notes: the money (advertising) angle is played up
because it is crucial; no returns, no more broadcasts.
Also, Regalado investigated the first Spanish
broadcasts in Organized Baseball; they happened in
1924 in the Texas League.
Thanks to Anthony for his help.



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