Former San Francisco Giants pitcher Juan Marichal was dealing in the 60 and early 70s for the San Francisco Giants (AP file photo)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

San Francisco Giants Juan Marichal, one of the most dominant pitchers in Major League Baseball in the 1960s, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on January 12, 1983, his third year of eligibility. He became the first native of the Dominican Republic to earn this honor, appearing on 83.7% of the ballots.

However, Marichal was first eligible in 1981 and again in 1982, but he did not make it either time. In 1982, after the second time he failed to be elected, I began a campaign on the air at KIQI 1010AM in San Francisco, as a Spanish-language broadcaster for the San Francisco Giants. To me, it was an injustice that a pitcher of Juan’s caliber was not elected in his first year of eligibility. My campaign reached many people and received many positive responses, including from Mr. Willie Brown, former Mayor of San Francisco, and other political and community dignitaries in the Bay Area. This campaign struck a chord, so much so that on February 26, 1983, the Mayor of San Francisco, the Honorable Dianne Feinstein (who later became US Senator for California), presented yours truly with an Award of Merit by the City of San Francisco in recognition for my efforts in the endeavor to get Juan Marichal elected into Cooperstown.

At the time I began the campaign for Juan Marichal, one of my points was simple: Sandy Koufax and Bob Gibson were also dominant pitchers of the 1960s, and both were elected to the Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility. So why was Juan Marichal not? Because he was a Latino, and they were not getting a lot of representation. Roberto Clemente was the first Latino player elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, in 1973, one year after his disappearance on a DC-3 plane filled with aid to the people of Managua, Nicaragua, during an earthquake relief mission.

Things have changed since then, with the influx of Hispanic/Latino players in the game, at least 33% of all players, and higher in the minor league. As of the 2026 induction class, 20 Hispanic/Latino players have been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Carlos Beltrán is the most recent addition to the group, joining in January 2026, joining others like Roberto Clemente, Pedro Martínez, Mariano Rivera, and Juan Marichal.

The last time I spoke with Juan Marichal, who is a regular visitor to Oracle Park, was a notable appearance at Oracle Park, San Francisco, September 2024. With members of his family and friends, he was the typical Marichal, cordial, smiling, and enjoying the moment, as he visited his statue at the ballpark, then known as SBC Park) On May 21, 2005, the Giants honored Juan’s friend and teammate, Orlando Cepeda, who passed in June. I met many good and important baseball people during that event, like Juan Marichal and members of his family, as well as Mr.Josh Rawitch, the President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Quote: “The big thing about Clemente is that he can hit any pitch. I don’t mean only strikes. He can hit a ball off his ankles or off his ear.” — Juan Marichal on Roberto Clemente.

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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