Hall of Fame baseball announcer Rafael ’Felo’ Ramirez dies

MIAMI (AP) — Rafael “Felo” Ramirez, a Hall of Fame baseball radio broadcaster who was the signature voice for millions of Spanish-speaking sports fans over three decades, has died. He was 94.

The Miami Marlins announced Ramirez’s death in a statement on Tuesday morning. The organization says he died Monday night.

“The entire Marlins organization is deeply saddened by the loss of a great friend, Hall-of-Fame broadcaster and community icon, Felo Ramirez,” the Marlins said in the statement. “Since our inaugural season, he brought home practically every magical moment in franchise history to generations of fans. A true broadcast legend, Felo lent his voice to over 30 World Series and All-Star Games and his extensive contributions to our game will never be forgotten.”

Ramirez fell and struck his head while getting off the Marlins team bus April 26, during a series in Philadelphia. He spent two months in a Delaware hospital before he was brought to Miami where he continued his recovery.

He began his broadcasting career in Cuba in 1945 before calling 31 All-Star games and World Series in Spanish. He had been the Florida Marlins’ Spanish-language announcer since 1993 and was inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame in 2001.

Ramirez was not the tallest of men, but his size belied his strong voice and stature in the broadcasting community. He was known for an expressive, yet low-key style and his signature strike call of “Essstrike.”