Astros Hall of Fame broadcaster René Cárdenas, a pioneer in Spanish-language baseball coverage, has died in Houston at age 96.
HOUSTON — René Cárdenas, a trailblazing broadcaster who helped bring Astros baseball to Spanish-speaking fans, has died. He was 96.
Cárdenas passed away Sunday at his home in Houston, according to the Houston Astros. His impact stretched across decades, countries and generations of fans.
Inducted into the Astros Hall of Fame in 2024, Cárdenas was widely recognized as a pioneer in both the organization and Major League Baseball. In 1958, he became the first full-time Spanish-language broadcaster for an MLB team, joining the Los Angeles Dodgers. Just a few years later, in 1961, he helped launch Spanish radio broadcasts for the expansion Houston Colt .45s, now the Astros, serving as both their first broadcaster and director of Spanish broadcasting.
His work helped grow the team’s popularity among Houston’s large Hispanic community in the franchise’s early years. By 1966, Cárdenas had created baseball’s first international radio network, expanding the Astros’ reach into South and Central America across 13 countries.
Cárdenas called Astros games on the radio for 14 seasons before returning to his native Nicaragua in 1975, where he continued calling games on both radio and television. He later returned to Los Angeles in 1982 to broadcast Dodgers games, and then rejoined the Astros for Spanish radio broadcasts in 2007 and 2008. That same year, he also called several Astros games in Spanish on television for the first time.
Even after stepping away from the booth, Cárdenas remained connected to the game. He wrote for the Astros’ Spanish-language website and for La Prensa in Nicaragua, while also making guest appearances on Astros broadcasts and mentoring current play-by-play announcer Francisco Romero.
Beyond baseball, Cárdenas’ voice reached other major sporting events, including the Muhammad Ali-Jimmy Ellis heavyweight fight at the Astrodome in 1971.
Baseball was deeply rooted in his family history. Born in Managua, Nicaragua, he was the grandson of Adan Cárdenas, who introduced baseball to the country and later served as its president. His uncle, Adolfo, played on Nicaragua’s national team.
Throughout his career, Cárdenas earned numerous honors, including induction into the Nicaragua Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000, the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Astros Baseball Media Wall of Honor in 2013. He was also a four-time finalist for the Ford C. Frick Award, most recently in 2025.
Cárdenas’ influence also extended to fellow broadcasters. During his time with the Dodgers, he worked alongside Jaime Jarrin and is credited with mentoring him early in his career.
Got a news tip or story idea? Email us at newstips@khou.com or call 713-521-4310 and include your name and the best way to reach you.