The Dodgers’ latest blockbuster moves are coming off the field.
The organization announced five new members of the broadcast crew — a Dodger All-Star, a Dodger Legend, the son of a former Dodger Legend, a trailblazer, and a former Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Star Pitcher. These five new additions are Adrián González, Eric Karros, Jose Mota, Jessica Mendoza and Dontrelle Willis, who will fill various roles for the broadcast and studio teams at Spectrum SportsNet LA 2022, AM 570 LA Sports radio show and the Spanish show on KTNQ 1020 AM .
González will serve as an analyst for SportsNet LA’s live studio programming, LeadOff-LA and Access SportsNet: Dodgers pregame and postgame shows. The five-time All-Star and four-time Rawling Gold Glove Award winner played for the Dodgers from 2012 to 2017 and hit 101 home runs in 735 games as the club’s primary first baseman. Earlier this month, he officially retired from professional baseball.
“I’m really looking forward to working on the pre- and post-game coverage this year,” said Gonzalez. “I can’t wait to get back in touch with all the amazing Dodger fans.”
Karros, the Dodgers’ all-time home run leader and 1992 National League Rookie of the Year, is in his 19th year on the air. He has provided color commentary and studio analysis for Fox for the last 16. He will continue to work for the media company but is adding the role of analyst for Dodger game broadcasts. He will name select home and road games alongside Joe Davis and will also appear on LeadOff-LA and the Access SportsNet: Dodgers pregame and postgame shows.
“Growing up from Southern California, I never imagined playing for the Dodgers, let alone having the opportunity to ‘call’ Dodger baseball,” Karros said. “I can’t wait to get back to work at Dodger Stadium.”
The son of Dodger great Manny Mota, Mota joins the Dodgers after 20 seasons with the Angels TV and radio stations, serving in multiple English and Spanish roles. This marks a return for the two-time Emmy-winner and former major league second baseman. Mota played in the Dodger minor leagues in 1987 and 1988 and began his radio career in 2001 for Jaime Jarrín at Dodgers Spanish Radio. Mota will nominate select games for both the Dodgers’ Spanish and English radio shows.
In 2021, Mota became the first Latin American-born former player to be a full-time English television broadcaster for a major league team. On August 19-20, 2017, Mota became the first MLB broadcaster to call play-by-play on English radio/TV shows and Spanish radio/TV shows a team, working as a color analyst on both platforms. Mota was Vladimir Guerrero’s translator for the 2018 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Cooperstown, becoming the first translator in the history of the HOF ceremony.
Mota has also worked for Fox, MLB Network, ESPN, TBS, Bally Sports, MLB Radio, DirecTV Latin America and Yahoo Sports.
“I am very excited to have this opportunity to join the Dodgers and their world-class, world-renowned organization,” said Mota. “I am so blessed to be able to follow in my father’s footsteps and look forward to connecting with the Dodger fan base in Los Angeles and around the world in my new broadcast role in both English and Spanish to step.”
Mendoza will take the analyst chair and name select road games alongside Davis on SNLA. Mendoza was one of the most well-known baseball voices on television, having served as the color commentator for ESPN Sunday Night Baseball from 2016-2020. Mendoza, a broadcast pioneer, became the first woman to serve as an analyst for nationally televised MLB games at ESPN in 2015. Also in 2015, Mendoza became the first female analyst for a nationally televised MLB postseason game and named the American League Wild Card Game on ESPN. That year she also became the first female analyst for a Men’s College World Series television show.
On September 29, 2021, Mendoza, along with Melanie Newman, became the first all-female team to air a game for ESPN when they called the Dodgers vs. Padres game at Dodger Stadium. Mendoza, who will continue to work with ESPN, is a two-time Olympic softball champion, having won gold in Athens (2004) and silver in Beijing (2008) for Team USA. She was also a four-time first-team All-American outfielder for Stanford.
“Broadcasting games for the Los Angeles Dodgers is a dream come true,” Mendoza said. “I grew up here and have lived a large part of my life in this park, which was like a second backyard when I was a kid. “I’m honored to join this great organization and look forward to working with such a great team of talented broadcasters.”
Willis, who played nine seasons in the major leagues from 2003 to 2011, will name select away games at SNLA alongside Davis. He is one of three all-time left-handed pitchers to become All-Star and win Rookie of the Year in the same season, along with Fernando Valenzuela (1981) and Herb Score (1955). Willis was also a 2005 NL Cy Young Award runner-up when he led the major leagues in wins.
Willis worked as a special assistant in the Dodgers’ player development department in 2021. He is an Emmy Award-winning baseball analyst and began working at Fox in 2015. In 2020, he worked at NBC Sports California, the Oakland Als’ home television network.
“I’m honored to be part of one of the finest sports organizations,” said Willis. “I feel truly blessed to be surrounded by the best in the business.”
The five new members will join the current broadcast lineup, which includes Davis, Hall of Famer Jaime Jarrín, Orel Hershiser, Fernando Valenzuela, Charley Steiner, Rick Monday, Nomar Garciaparra, Pepe Yñiguez, Jerry Hairston Jr., John Hartung, Tim Neverett and others belong to Kirsten Watson.
