NEW YORK (WCBS 880) -- The Mets will be honoring their Spanish language announcer Wednesday by naming the booth he’s long occupied after him.
Juan Alicea has been engrained with New York Mets since 1969. He was part of the team’s scouting and community relations departments before landing in the Spanish radio broadcast booth in 1982.
Alicea has been the Spanish voice of the Mets ever since, broadcasting over 4,000 Mets games, including for the team’s 1986 World Series run on the International Spanish Network, which aired throughout the U.S. and Latin America.
“I’m incredibly humbled and honored,” said Alicea. “The Mets have been my family for over 50 years. It’s very special to be remembered forever.”
The 83-year-old has been hailed across the sport as an innovator and pioneer in Spanish broadcasting and a beloved part of the team’s DNA.
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“Juan has been a legendary figure on the Spanish Mets broadcasts,” said Tim Scheld, the news & program director at WCBS 880. “We’ve been proud and honored to work alongside someone of such character and kindness and congratulate him on this well-deserved honor.”
Alicea will join fellow franchise legends Bob Murphy and Ralph Kiner in having their names attached to broadcast booths at Citi Field.
Alicea is also known for being behind the scouting of Lee Mazzilli and Nino Espinosa.
“I gave him the Nino name,” Alicea said. “Arnulfo Espinosa had pitched the weekend before in Brooklyn and looked pretty decent. So I got to see him for a little bit, part of a game. I arranged for a workout. And within a week we had him signed up. And (later) he was there with Craig Swan as our one-two pitchers on the staff.”
He was involved in Hispanic marketing initiatives that honored stars like Sammy Sosa when they visited Queens and spearheaded Shea’s first Hispanic-themed events at Mets games, sprouting partnerships with sponsors like Goya.