Texas Rangers’ Eleno Ornelas living his dream job as Spanish broadcaster, team interpreter

Eleno Ornelas’ mind is an encyclopedia of Texas Rangers history.

His memory is a vast network connecting moments in the Rangers’ past. From legends’ notable home runs to World Series appearances, he remembers the exact date of them all.

Catcher Ivan Rodriguez was inducted into the hall of fame during the fourth inning of a game vs the Baltimore Orioles on July 30, 2017.

Oct. 22, 2010, when former Ranger Alex Rodriguez struck out looking on a 1-2 pitch from Neftalí Feliz to catcher Bergie Molina, allowing the Rangers to advance to their first World Series.

For 24 years, Ornelas has been the voice of the Texas Rangers for the Spanish radio broadcast while also working as the team’s interpreter for Latin-American players. He remembers the date he was hired, too: March 20, 2000. It’s his dream job, so he remembers it all.

“I cannot forget it,” Ornelas said recently, sitting in his radio booth at Globe Life Field.

Landing his dream job

On that Monday in March, Ornelas was driving he and his coworkers to their construction job when he received a call. It was from John Blake, the executive vice president of public affairs for the Rangers.

Four months earlier, Texas traded two-time MVP Juan González to the Detroit Tigers. González’s personal interpreter was also the team’s Spanish radio broadcaster. With González gone, the Rangers needed a new commentator and interpreter, so Blake called Ornelas to the ballpark. When he arrived, Blake led Ornelas to an office with team president Mike Cramer for an interview. Ornleas helped part time with the technical side of Rangers’ broadcasts for three years before and showed interest in working full-time.

“I was shaking,” Ornelas recently recalled. “I didn’t believe what was going on. He said, ‘Sit down.’ He told me about three times. I was lost. He almost pulled me to sit down.”

After introductions, Cramer wanted to hear a recording of Ornelas’ play-by-play. Ornelas played a home run call of a González home run against the Oakland Athletics from the year before he had recorded for himself.

“He listened to it, then said, ‘Eleno, I don’t understand any word that you are saying, but you know what? It sounds exciting, so do you want to work for us?’ ” Ornelas said. “What do you think I said?”

Ten days later, on March 30, 2000, he called his first game for the Rangers — an exhibition game with the St. Louis Cardinals. He remembers that game clearly, too. Because during the broadcast, he cried.

A boy with a dream

Ornelas is from Juarez, Mexico, a city opposite El Paso, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border. Growing up, there was no TV in his home, so he and his father listened to MLB games on radio since he was 8.

“I told him, ‘I would like to call one play,’ ” Ornelas said. “Everytime we listened to games, I told him I wanted to call one play.”

His father laughed. They were in Mexico, where zero MLB games were played.

When he got older, Ornelas attended Juarez Indios summer league baseball games and would sit next to the radio booth behind home plate. One game, one of the commentators didn’t show up, and since he sat next to the broadcasters every game, he was dragged in to call the game. Eventually, Ornelas became a commentator for the Indios.

When he and his family moved to El Paso, Ornelas attended Thomas Jefferson High School. He didn’t want to learn English and wanted to return to Juarez and finish school there. But he realized, since he was in the United States, he was now in the same country as MLB games. His dream could be a reality.

After high school, Ornelas continued to call games in Juarez, went to school to be a broadcaster but did not finish. He got married, had two children and eventually moved to Dallas in 1983.

“The next day (after moving) we went to a Ranger game,” Ornelas said.

Seventeen years later, he was once again at the Rangers game after being hired, ready to accomplish his childhood dream.

“By then, my first game, my father was dead,” Ornelas said. “So he didn’t have a chance to hear me. I’ll never forget that first game.”

Living the dream

Broadcasting was natural for Ornelas, but interpreting presented a challenge. At first, he learned from other interpreters, but the players, such as Rodriguez and Rafael Palmero, taught him more than he helped them.

“Rafi used to call me ‘Mexico,’” Ornelas said. “He would say, ‘Hey, Mexico, come on, you’re supposed to do this.’ Same with Pudge (Rodriguez). He would say, ‘Eleno, we have 25 players. So when you’re calling the game, it’s 25, not just one guy. OK?’ “

“That’s the way I learned how to deal with the players. It’s respect. You respect them and they know you, you earn their respect. You don’t buy it.”

Each year is different, too. There’s never the same clubhouse, and even this year, Ornelas used what he learned to allow new Rangers pitcher Aroldis Chapman to settle into the clubhouse after being traded from the Kansas City Royals in July.

Ornelas said some players find it difficult adjusting to the United States, even after in the minor leagues. He said he wants to be able to connect with Latin players who are unable to or cannot speak English well so they have somebody to relate to.

“He’s one of my top people in Texas,” said pitcher Martin Perez. “We learn a lot from him. He’s done a lot for him. We speak the same language, and he’s known me since 2007. He knows how I think. Sometimes when I don’t have a good game, he comes to my locker and refreshes my mind. It’s done a lot for me. He calls me ‘Martin El Grande.’”

After 24 years, his love for the job is still shown. He’s driven by the memories he’s been able to make, such as calling Sammy Sosa’s 600th career home run on Aug. 20, 2007, or when Palmero poured champagne on his head that ruined his broadcasting equipment while celebrating.

This season has created memories, too, such as when Ornelas made Jonah Heim excited after showing him his recording of an RBI-double and calling him “El Rey.”

“When we were looking to hire a new Spanish-language radio broadcaster, it was important to find the right person who could connect with the audience,” Blake said. “He is a baseball guy with great knowledge and passion for the game. Eleno has been a very effective radio voice in the Hispanic community for more than 20 years, and the Rangers are fortunate to have him.”

Ornelas, 68, isn’t ready to leave the booth for the final time either. He’ll know when it’s time, but for now, he’s creating memories during this Rangers season to remember for the rest of his life.

“If I don’t sound excited that means that I don’t have anything else to do with the Rangers,” Ornelas said. “And I’m still excited.”