FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 5, 2022
NAHJ and ESPN announce the NAHJ Deportes Pedro Gomez Lifetime Achievement Award
(Las Vegas, NV) – The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) Sports Task Force and ESPN announced the creation of the NAHJ Deportes Pedro Gomez Lifetime Achievement Award as well as its first recipient: Jaime Jarrín, the longtime Dodgers Spanish-language broadcaster who has served as an inspiration to countless Latino journalists.
The award will be presented annually to a Latino journalist who embodies the spirit and values of late sports journalist Pedro Gomez, including the mentorship of others in the industry.
Gomez, the son of Cuban refugees who died in February 2021 at the age of 58, was part of ESPN’s landmark coverage when the Tampa Bay Rays faced the Cuban national team in Havana in 2016. He also covered a U.S. men’s national team soccer match in Havana in 2008 and an exhibition game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Cuban National team in 1999. Gomez also served as a vital part of the network’s coverage of Barry Bonds in 2005 to 2007, including Bonds’ chase to pass Henry Aaron’s home run record in 2007. The former Arizona Republic reporter and columnist was one of the first reporters to do Spanish to English translations live on ESPN during interviews. His presence on air inspired countless journalists. His generosity and willingness to always helped others helped shape many careers.
Jarrín, 86, is in his 64th season broadcasting Dodger games and will retire at the end of the current season. The Ecuadorian-born announcer came to the United States in 1955 having never seen a baseball game. After working at L.A. Spanish-language radio station KWKW for four years, he was enlisted to broadcast Dodger games in 1959. From 1962 to 1984, Jarrín never missed a game, broadcasting close to 4,000 games. But his profile was raised dramatically when he served as Fernando Valenzuela’s translator during the pitcher’s iconic breakthrough season in 1981. The impact of their partnership cannot be understated, as it substantially transformed the Dodgers’ fan base. He has always been generous with his time, welcoming Latino journalists into the baseball world for decades. The Blanca and Jaime Jarrín Foundation has built on those values, providing scholarships for aspiring journalists in Southern California.
ESPN Senior Vice President of Programming and Scheduling Freddy Rolón will present the award at the 2022 Newsmaker Luncheon on Friday, August 5, in Las Vegas as part of the NAHJ convention.
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About NAHJ
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists is the largest organization of Latino journalists in the United States and dedicated to the recognition and professional advancement of Hispanics in the news industry. The mission of NAHJ is to increase the number of Latinos in the newsrooms and to work toward fair and accurate representation of Latinos in the news media. Established in April 1984, NAHJ created a national voice and unified vision for all Hispanic journalists. NAHJ has over 4,300 members, including working journalists, journalism students, other media-related professionals, and journalism educators. For more information please visit NAHJ.org or follow on Twitter @NAHJ.
Media Contact:
BA Snyder
Veritas Group for NAHJ
512.630.6337
BA@TheVeritasWay.com