José Mota

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For the Brazilian football (soccer) player, see José Roberto Rodrigues Mota.

José Manuel Mota Matos (born March 16, 1965 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is an English TV play-by-play announcer and Spanish radio color commentator for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He works alongside Amaury Pi-Gonzalez in the broadcast booth in Spanish and alongside Mark Gubicza in English. Fully bilingual, he conducts interviews with baseball players speaking either language. He is the son of pinch-hitting legend and long-time Dodgers coach Manny Mota.

[edit] Playing career

Mota attended Cal State Fullerton in Orange County on a baseball scholarship. He was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 2nd round of the 1985 amateur draft and made his Major League debut for the San Diego Padres as a second baseman on May 25, 1991. His only other season of Major League experience was in 1995 for the Kansas City Royals.

He made one film appearance, in the 1999 Kevin Costner film For Love of the Game as a Dominican shortstop.

[edit] Broadcasting career

Mota has worked on the Angels' Spanish language radio broadcasts since 2002. With the team adding fifty games to their English language television package in 2007, Mota added those games to his workload.

Mota has previous television experience as a sideline reporter, and also filled in for Rex Hudler during the latter's suspension in 2003. He also was a third announcer in the team's over-the-air television booth in 2004 and 2005.

[edit] Major League Baseball on FOX

Mota worked for FOX on their coverage of the 2006 Major League Baseball postseason after Steve Lyons was removed from the broadcast for perceived racially insensitive remarks.

Mota, who has also handled several Spanish language assignments in both baseball and football for Fox Sports, is the son of former Dodger great Manny Mota.

[edit] Departure from the Angels

Soon after the conclusion of the 2007 season the Angels announced that Mota would no longer work as the play-by-play announcer for television games broadcast in English as he had done during that season. His place will be taken by Rory Markas, who doubles as the radio play-by-play announcer for the Angels, who along with his former partner Mark Gubicza will cover roughly 75 games for the Angels.

[edit] Signature calls; "Mota-isms"

Mota considers himself beloved in the greater Latin American and Hispanic communities^{[citation needed]} and takes great delight in pronouncing players' names with an exaggerated accent.

Mota excessively uses the phrase, "Raht neow!" to connote great enthusiasm and passion in his play-by-play and in-game analysis.

[edit] See also

• List of second generation MLB players

[edit] Sources

• Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim broadcasters
  
• José Mota's career summary on Baseball Reference
  
• José Mota on IMDB