Jesus Alaín Fernandez Lorenzo
The Bleed Los Interview: Jaime Jarrin
Perhaps one of the first things Jaime Jarrín ever heard about baseball was Jackie Robinson stealing home in the ´55 World Series. That year he arrived at Los Angeles. But what he could not have imagined at the time was that only four years after that he was going to take a microphone to broadcast a Dodgers game and never quit for over 70 years, and still holds it today.
In an interview in both English and Spanish, Jaime joined the team of “The Bleed Los Podcast” in a magic hour in which he could not share more than 70 years of baseball history but at least, he had enough time to leave us even more in love with his job and the sport itself.
“William Bithorn, the owner of the station I started working in L.A., called in every announcer in his office to tell us that he had signed a contract to broadcast Dodgers games,” Jarrin recalled. “Once there, he pointed at me and said he wanted me in the team.”
That way Jaime took us through the very beginnings exhibiting a high degree of humbleness that you wouldn’t expect from a legend. “1958 was a year to scratch every single knowledge of baseball and in 1959 I started as the second voice to René Cárdenas. Then the journey has gone this far”.
“Vin (Scully) was an extremely kind man. His help allowed us to broadcast Dodgers games for seven years without traveling with the team”. The voice that came from Ecuador, a country with no baseball tradition at all, led us into a fascinating history that was lived in the very first person.
“I was with Fernando (Valenzuela) all the time,” he recalled at another point in the interview. “Unfortunately, I missed the game of his life. I was in bed because of an accident that could have cost my life.” Jarrin was referencing the horrible automobile accident that occurred near the old Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Florida. It hurt Jarrin badly and left him in the hospital for nearly four months. And, it cost him the opportunity to see his now-broadcast partner throw his no-hitter on June 29th of that year. “His (Valenzuela’s) number should be retired because what he did was special” stated one of the few members of Cooperstown that did not play any baseball at all.
At the end of this season, Jaime is going to say goodbye to baseball after a great career. But first, he allowed us to hear straight from him the story of his life. His last words to the many Spanish-speaking fans who grew up listening to his voice? “like Vin Scully said, I need you (fans) more than you need me. I am sure some tears are going to fall the day I say goodbye, but I am sure, for now, that it is the best decision I can make”.
For the full interview or any of the great Bleed Los podcast episodes, check out their webpage. The great guests keep coming fast and furious. Make Bleed Los and DodgerBeat your go-to sources for all things Dodger this season!
