sowny.net | The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum


You are not logged in. Would you like to login or register?

April 16, 2021 11:30 am  #1


The Most Unlikely Name For A Radio Baseball Broadcaster

While Toronto no longer has a radio crew calling its games, much to the dismay of many here, other teams not only have one radio team, but two - the guys who do the game in Spanish. The main broadcaster who calls The Yankees games in New York is unforgettable - not necessarily for his style, but for his name. 

It's Rickie Ricardo. 

Yes, the same name as the Desi Arnaz character on I Love Lucy. It turns out it's not his real moniker, although Ricardo is his actual middle name. He was given the unusual sobriquet by the legendary Frankie Crocker, who was working at WBLS-FM in the Big Apple at the time. He gave the kid a chance to work in New York and hired him to do the evening shift. He was only 18 years old at the time and working in the biggest radio market in the world. Pretty incredible. 

"You're a young Cuban," Crocker told him. "I'm going to give you the name Rickie Ricardo. Now my middle name happens to be Ricardo. It's not my real name, It's obviously a stage name. That was the name given to me. At first, I was kind of shocked. And I looked at Frankie and I said 'are you sure?' and he said 'Believe me kid, nobody's ever gonna forget you.'

"I'll tell you what, forty years later, he was absolutely right. I've got guys...asking about it to this day."

So if you ever want to win a bet in a bar (if we're ever allowed back in them) ask someone the name of the Yankees' Spanish broadcaster. And ay, ay, ay, Lucy! You'll have some 'splainin' to do.

Meet the voice of the Yankees on Spanish radio Rickie Ricardo

 

April 16, 2021 11:52 am  #2


Re: The Most Unlikely Name For A Radio Baseball Broadcaster

RadioActive wrote:

While Toronto no longer has a radio crew calling its games, much to the dismay of many here, other teams not only have one radio team, but two - the guys who do the game in Spanish. The main broadcaster who calls The Yankees games in New York is unforgettable - not necessarily for his style, but for his name. 

It's Rickie Ricardo. 

Yes, the same name as the Desi Arnaz character on I Love Lucy. It turns out it's not his real moniker, although Ricardo is his actual middle name. He was given the unusual sobriquet by the legendary Frankie Crocker, who was working at WBLS-FM in the Big Apple at the time. He gave the kid a chance to work in New York and hired him to do the evening shift. He was only 18 years old at the time and working in the biggest radio market in the world. Pretty incredible. 

"You're a young Cuban," Crocker told him. "I'm going to give you the name Rickie Ricardo. Now my middle name happens to be Ricardo. It's not my real name, It's obviously a stage name. That was the name given to me. At first, I was kind of shocked. And I looked at Frankie and I said 'are you sure?' and he said 'Believe me kid, nobody's ever gonna forget you.'

"I'll tell you what, forty years later, he was absolutely right. I've got guys...asking about it to this day."

So if you ever want to win a bet in a bar (if we're ever allowed back in them) ask someone the name of the Yankees' Spanish broadcaster. And ay, ay, ay, Lucy,! You'll have some 'splainin' to do.

Meet the voice of the Yankees on Spanish radio Rickie Ricardo

Does anyone do the Blue Jays in French on radio these days?

 

April 16, 2021 12:55 pm  #3


Re: The Most Unlikely Name For A Radio Baseball Broadcaster

MJ Vancouver wrote:

Does anyone do the Blue Jays in French on radio these days?

Perhaps Jacques Strap?

     Thread Starter
 

April 17, 2021 3:40 pm  #4


Re: The Most Unlikely Name For A Radio Baseball Broadcaster

MJ Vancouver wrote:

RadioActive wrote:

While Toronto no longer has a radio crew calling its games, much to the dismay of many here, other teams not only have one radio team, but two - the guys who do the game in Spanish. The main broadcaster who calls The Yankees games in New York is unforgettable - not necessarily for his style, but for his name. 

It's Rickie Ricardo. 

Yes, the same name as the Desi Arnaz character on I Love Lucy. It turns out it's not his real moniker, although Ricardo is his actual middle name. He was given the unusual sobriquet by the legendary Frankie Crocker, who was working at WBLS-FM in the Big Apple at the time. He gave the kid a chance to work in New York and hired him to do the evening shift. He was only 18 years old at the time and working in the biggest radio market in the world. Pretty incredible. 

"You're a young Cuban," Crocker told him. "I'm going to give you the name Rickie Ricardo. Now my middle name happens to be Ricardo. It's not my real name, It's obviously a stage name. That was the name given to me. At first, I was kind of shocked. And I looked at Frankie and I said 'are you sure?' and he said 'Believe me kid, nobody's ever gonna forget you.'

"I'll tell you what, forty years later, he was absolutely right. I've got guys...asking about it to this day."

So if you ever want to win a bet in a bar (if we're ever allowed back in them) ask someone the name of the Yankees' Spanish broadcaster. And ay, ay, ay, Lucy,! You'll have some 'splainin' to do.

Meet the voice of the Yankees on Spanish radio Rickie Ricardo

Does anyone do the Blue Jays in French on radio these days?

CKAC the french all-traffic station is the flagship for a network that carries a small number of games in Quebec.  I believe they're simulcasts from TVA with former 35 year Expos radio announcer Jacques Doucet doing play-by-play.

Last edited by Prod Guy (April 17, 2021 3:40 pm)