The author Amaury Pi Gonzalez (left) and broadcast partner Jose Mota on the Los Angeles Angels Spanish TV Network (Los Angeles Angels Spanish TV photo)

From My Notebook: Working with José Mota

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Working with José Mota on the LA Angels Spanish TV broadcast is as good as it gets in baseball broadcasting. José Mota grew up in the world of baseball alongside his father, Manuel (Manny) Mota, a legend in the Dominican Republic, Latin America, and especially with the Los Angeles Dodgers. I used to interview Manny Mota during his playing years in the late 1970s and later as a coach for Manager Tommy Lasorda.

Manny was one of the greatest pinch hitters I remember, a quality man with tremendous baseball knowledge, which he passed on to his son, José. Unlike radio, where all you need is two broadcasters and one engineer, Television requires a significantly larger crew due to the need for high-quality, real-time, multi-angle coverage of unpredictable, live action, as well as complex, on-site logistics.

Behind our spacious TV booth at Angels Stadium, our stage manager, a couple of audio people, producers, and a staff of approximately twelve, including those in the remote truck outside the stadium. Sometimes we were blessed with greatness sitting behind us in the booth, Rod Carew, Tim Salmon, and others.

On these LA Angels Fox Sports Network LA Telecast, José Mota handled all the commentary, and I handled the play-by-play. José played for the Cal State Fullerton Titans in the mid-1980s. A two-time All-America second baseman and a starting pitcher on the 1984 Cal State Fullerton team that won the College World Series. He was drafted in the second round of the 1985 MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox out of Cal State Fullerton. He was a good and very smart baseball player and is now an excellent baseball analyst.

José Mota made his MLB debut on May 24, 1991, with the San Diego Padres. He appeared in parts of two seasons (1991 and 1995) for the Padres and Kansas City Royals, primarily appearing as a second baseman, shortstop, and utility player.

Prior to Television, José and I worked briefly on the radio for the LA Angels’ Spanish broadcasts, covering all 162 games, home and away. Today, José is a broadcaster for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Spanish-language radio network, the World Champions. His father, Manuel (Manny) Mota, is very proud of José and his career in broadcasting, both in Spanish and English. José Mota speaks the language of baseball.

During the years with the Angels in Anaheim, we covered such stars as Vladimir Guerrero, Mike Trout, and Shohei Ohtani, among many others. Our Executive Producer was the great Nick Davis, others in the media circle included Mr.Tim Mead, one of the great gentlemen and professionals I have ever met, Vice President of Communications for the Angels, and for whom I am forever grateful, because he hired me for Angels baseball. Good friends who were doing the broadcast on English radio, like Terry Smith, Mark Langston, plus Mark Gubicza, Patrick O’Neal on Angels TV. Mark Gubicza, “Guby,” called me “the most interesting man in the world” because he said I look a lot like the man in the famous beer commercials..

Our producer, César Sutil, always had great ideas for our pregame shows, locations, and interviews. Here in the photo, we were taping a pregame show during a warm afternoon inside the dugout at Angels Stadium. Sometimes one of the Angel stars would sit with us for an interview. Our Spanish TV broadcast booth was well decorated by José with a Caribbean flavor, and many of the people who would visit our booth (Including team owner Arturo “Artie” Moreno) would get a kick out of the Latino ambience. Mr.Moreno speaks conversational Spanish.

I will forever cherish those years with José Mota and the great people at the Los Angeles Angels. Working with the LA Angels, especially with José Mota, was among the happiest years of my career in broadcasting. It was fun as we both share a great love for the greatest game ever invented.

Quote: My wife tells me one day, “I think you love baseball more than me”. I say, “Well, I guess that’s true, but hey, I love you more than football and hockey.” -Tommy Lasorda.

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.

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