Alfonso back with S.F. on Spanish radio team
The Giants like to be all about versatility, and few are more versatile than their new Spanish radio broadcaster.
Carlos Alfonso is returning to the Giants’ organization, for which he spent 19 years — through 2005 — holding almost too many roles to count.
“I was always an organizational man,” Alfonso said. “Coming back to the Giants, I’m tickled to death.”
Alfonso, 70, a native of Cuba who signed his first professional contract in 1968, will be a color analyst for 32 games this season.
The Giants will broadcast 122 games in Spanish on 1510AM in San Francisco, along with other affiliates in San Jose, Santa Rosa, Sacramento, Reno and Salinas/Monterey.
Longtime analyst Tito Fuentes will be in the booth for 90 games. The playbyplay man is Erwin Higueros, who doubles as the Giants’ translator.
“My first year in the organization was 1998, and Carlos was a coach who’d share his knowledge of the game with me when I’d go down there and sit and talk with him,” Higueros said. “I see him as I see Tito, having two partners who are like encyclopedias and see things on the field that I may not see.”
Alfonso joined the Giants after the 1986 season, hired by thengeneral manager Al Rosen as the farm director. It was the first of many roles Alfonso assumed in the organization.
Others included, in order: spring training coordinator, director of player development, majorleague pitching coach, manager at TripleA Phoenix, overseer of Latin American Development, minorleague roving pitching coordinator, majorleague bullpen coach and majorleague firstbase coach.
Beginning during his time with the Giants, Alfonso joined the ESPN Deportes broadcast crew in several postseasons.
Alfonso’s impact on the Giants is multifold. As the director of player development, he made a minorleague trade for a pitcher who became an alltime great Giants closer, Rod Beck, and also acquired a minorleague infielder who later became a coach under four Giants managers, Ron Wotus.
“I’m very humbled I’m allowed to do this,” Alfonso said. “A lot of people have had a hand in helping me, and my family, to do what I’ve done. I’m available to help the organization any way I can.”
Alfonso pitched seven years in the minors, mostly with the Astros, who included him in a trade to the Reds for Joaquin Andujar. After he retired as a player, Alfonso returned to the Astros to become a bullpen catcher, bullpen coach, traveling secretary and minorleague manager.
The next 19 years were spent with the Giants, and then Alfonso had stints with the Rays and again the Astros, both in international operations. The past couple of years, he worked with youths, age 717, as an instructor.
The 122 Giants games to be broadcast in Spanish will include all home games and road games against National League West teams and in Oakland. Alfonso’s first broadcast will be April 30.