Long-time MLB announcer René Cárdenas died Sunday. He was 96.
Both the Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros and National Baseball Hall of Fame paid homage to Cárdenas, with the Astros calling him a “true legend and pioneer in broadcasting.”
With yesterday’s passing of Rene Cardenas, we lost a true legend and pioneer in broadcasting. As the franchise first Spanish broadcaster, Rene had a tremendous impact on the success of the Colt .45s/Astros in Houston’s large Hispanic community and beyond. We send our heartfelt… pic.twitter.com/4EiksWpntA
— Houston Astros (@astros) May 11, 2026
The Dodgers also honored Cárdenas in a post on X on Sunday evening.
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.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 11, 2026
Cárdenas and the Dodgers have an intertwined history. Shortly after the team moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, Cárdenas was hired as its Spanish-language announcer. It marked the first time in MLB history that a Spanish-language announcer called games for a team.
Cárdenas accomplished a number of firsts over his lengthy MLB career. In 1959, he “was part of the first Spanish broadcast of the World Series,” per the Associated Press. Two years later, he was part of the first Spanish broadcast of the MLB All-Star Game.
A few years after being hired by the Dodgers, Cárdenas left to serve the same role with the Colt 45s — which went on to become the Astros. He spent over a decade in that role. After spending time in Nicaragua, Cárdenas returned to the United States to call Texas Rangers games. He eventually returned to Dodgers broadcasts from 1982 to 1998.
Cárdenas briefly returned to the Astros in 2007. In 2008, he appeared on a handful of television broadcasts for the team.
Cárdenas was honored by the franchise in 2024, when it inducted him in the team Hall of Fame. Cárdenas has also been a finalist for the Ford C. Frick award, which is awarded annually for broadcasting excellence, numerous times, though has not won the award.