On Opening Day at Safeco Field in

Seattle, April 8, 2003 when the

Mariners face the World Champion

Anaheim Angels, the Mariners

will have their historical first

broadcast in Spanish.

By Amaury Pi-GonzálezThe Mariners will have Julio Cruz, their

first ever second baseman in 1977 as

the color commentator and yours

truly will handle the play by play.

The Seattle Mariners and its rightsholder

the KXLY Radio Group announced that

Radio Sol 1360 AM Seattle-Tacoma will

serve as flagship station for the first

year network. Five affiliates stations

in the Northwest are set to carry all

home games this season 81, all in

2004 and the hope of eventually

162 in the 2005 season. The stations

cover Washington and Oregon.

Latest US Census reported over

900,000 Hispanics in Washington alone.

According to the Census Bureau,

Hispanics have surpassed African-

Americans as the largest minority

group in the United States at 37

million.

I was lucky that the Giants would also

let me stay as their Spanish play by play announcer for 25 of their 40 weekend

games that will be in Spanish over

KZSF 1370 AM here in the Bay Area.

For this I have to thank Mario Alioto

the Giants brilliant Senior Vice President

of Corporate Marketing. One of the main

reasons the Giants have their games

in Spanish language is because of

Mr.Alioto who shares a commitment

to the Hispanic community. Mario started

in the 1970’s as a bat boy for the Giants

and today is one of the key elements

of the Giants in the executive office.

As a matter of fact, I will be at two

Opening Days in two days. First at

Pac Bell when the NL Champion

San Francisco Giants open their

season Monday April 7 against the

San Diedgo Padres and next day

at Safeco when the Mariners host

the World Champion Anaheim Angels.

How lucky I am, working between

Pac Bell and Safeco, maybe the two

most beautiful stadiums of the new

generation. No complaint here…

Julio Cruz (48)was born in Brooklyn

New York of Puertorican parents. He

is a longtime favorite of Seattle fans

and well known as “Cruzer”. He still

holds the record for most stolen

bases in the history of the Mariners

franchise with 290. He told me he

was “very nervous”. He has no

experience aside from appearances

as guess in Sports talk shows.

During Press Conference to introduce

this reporter and Julio Cruz at Safeco

Field in Seattle Mariners Vice President

of Communications Randy Adamack said:

“We are proud of the team which will

bring Mariners baseball for our Hispanic

fans in the Northwest. To have someone

of Amaury’s experience and talent together

with a popular former Mariner like the

“Cruzer”is a great way to start a new

radio network”.

The production will also include Candace

Oehler with interviews and information

during the broadcasts. She is a well

known radio personality in Puget Sound.

For this reporter my home still

the Bay Area, Fremont to be more

precise (the 4th largest city in the

Bay Area 210,000)but I will be flying

betwen Seattle and the Bay Area

during the summer. I am sure by

the end of the summer I will have

accumulated a lot of friendly miles

on Southwest Airlines.

Might the Giants make it to the

World Series again and this time

against the Mariners ? Well, I

will cross that bridge when we get

there, if we do.

Hasta la vista amigos !