The Los Angeles Dodgers opened their 60th year at Dodger Stadium with a 9-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Prior to the game, Spanish-language broadcaster Jaime Jarrín threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Jarrín was joined on the field by Adrián Beltré, Adrián González, Fernando Valenzuela, Ėric Gagné, Wes Parker, Rick Monday and Nomar Garciaparra, with each player representing one of the decades Dodger Stadium has been open.
Jarrín is in his 64th and final year calling games for the Dodgers organization as he previously announced his intention to retire after the 2022 season. Over the course of his Hall of Fame career, the 86-year-old has called three perfect games, nearly two-dozen no-hitters, 26 All-Star Games and 29 World Series.
Jarrín will announce only home games this year in what represents the first step toward getting to spend more time with family.
“When you reach my age, you have to change your priorities. Up to now my priority was baseball first, family second. Now it will be family first, Dodgers second,” Jarrín explained at the end of the 2021 season.
“Not because I don’t love the Dodgers, not because I don’t love baseball. I love the Dodgers because they have been so good to me.
“When I told them I was thinking of leaving, they told me stay one more year so they could give me bye-byes. I said you don’t have to do that but I will stay for home games and then I will cut my 64 years of vacation. Doing baseball has been a vacation for me, not work.
“I want to spend some time with my sons, travel a lot and go from there. And I hope the Dodgers can win another World Series. That would be great. It has been a great ride for me.”
Dodgers honoring Jarrín
The Dodgers honored Jarrín by putting him on the cover of the team’s media guide. It’s a photo from a 2018 ceremony in which he was inducted into the Dodger Stadium Ring of Honor.
The Dodgers also are planning to honor Jarrín with a special giveaway on Saturday, Oct. 1. Additional details will be provided at a later date.
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