The Cubs moved Giants Spanish-language radio broadcasters Erwin Higueros and Carlos Orellana from a booth next to the team’s English crew to the rafters of the Wrigley Field press box, creating an obstructed view for first and second base—an inconvenience the
The Giants’ series win over the weekend brought plenty of celebration in San Francisco. and it could’ve ended even faster. Instead. the loudest reaction arrived off the field—inside the Wrigley Field press box. where the Cubs made a decision that left the Spanish-language radio crew working from the rafters.
On Friday. Giants broadcasters Erwin Higueros and Carlos Orellana had a booth next to the Giants’ English-speaking crew of Joe Ritzo and F.P. Santangelo. But when ESPN Radio. an MLB rights holder. came in for games Saturday and Sunday. the Cubs moved Higueros and Orellana to the upper reaches of the press box—an arrangement with an obstructed view.
John Shea of the San Francisco Standard reported that first and second base weren’t visible from where the Spanish broadcasters were placed. For radio, that matters. They can only call what they can see, and an obstructed angle turns ordinary play-by-play into guesswork about the field.
The Cubs declined to comment Monday. It’s a short silence, but it landed hard on a crew whose broadcast schedule depends on getting the basics right—space, sightlines, and working conditions that don’t force last-minute changes.
Wrigley Field’s renovation brought improvements elsewhere. but Shea wrote that the press box still largely looks the way it did when it opened in 1989. Even if the club couldn’t fix what happened in time for the weekend games. refusing to acknowledge the disruption left the Cubs looking indifferent to the inconvenience.
The stakes extend beyond one series. The Giants are among only four teams that have Spanish broadcasts for every game. and the crew travels for every road contest. Shea wrote that “sometimes they get a rude reminder of where they rank in MLB’s broadcast pecking order.” He also reported that neither Higueros nor Orellana complained and that they did the best they could in the cramped space.
The Giants’ Spanish radio operation includes Tito Fuentes, who is 82 years old and works only home games. The Giants have long had a strong following on Spanish radio. and for listeners who tune in every day. the idea that broadcasters could be bumped into a less workable spot doesn’t just interrupt a signal—it disrupts trust.
Shea reported that Higueros and Orellana didn’t complain. That detail may be the point the Cubs chose not to hear: the crew adjusted to what they were given. even as the obstruction made the work more difficult. The Cubs can’t control every element of an MLB weekend with overlapping broadcast demands—but they chose where to place the call that Spanish-speaking fans rely on. And after the move, they offered no explanation at all.
Chicago Cubs San Francisco Giants Wrigley Field press box Spanish-language radio Erwin Higueros Carlos Orellana Joe Ritzo F.P. Santangelo ESPN Radio Tito Fuentes
Why would they move them like that… that seems messed up.
So they’re saying the Spanish radio guys couldn’t see first and second?? That’s kinda ridiculous, like how do you call a game if you can’t see the bases. Also the Cubs “declined to comment” like ok cool.
Wait I thought ESPN Radio comes with cameras and stuff, so why does it matter where they sit? Unless the feed is only voice and they’re just guessing based on vibes. Sounds like some petty stadium thing to me.
This is what happens when teams treat press like decorations. If they moved them up in the rafters and it’s obstructed, then yeah the call is gonna be off and listeners will notice. Idk why they couldn’t just keep the booth, seems like basic courtesy. And the part about Wrigley still looking like 1989… not shocking at all, that stadium has always been weird with sightlines.