Cubs release statement on moving Giants’ Spanish broadcasters to press-box rafters

The Cubs caused a stir in Northern California, and it had nothing to do with the action on the field this weekend.

After all, the Giants won the series and could’ve swept it.

The angst came from the Giants’ Spanish-language radio crew being moved from a booth into the rafters of the Wrigley Field press box, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Standard.

On Friday, broadcasters Erwin Higueros and Carlos Orellana had the booth next to the Giants’ English-speaking crew of Joe Ritzo and F.P. Santangelo.

But when ESPN Radio, an MLB rights holder, arrived for games Saturday and Sunday, the Cubs moved Higueros and Orellana to the upper reaches of the press box, which has an obstructed view. According to Shea, first and second base aren’t visible, which isn’t ideal for radio broadcasters.

After initially refusing comment Monday, the Cubs released this statement to the Sun-Times, from senior director of communications Jennifer Martinez:

“The San Francisco Giants’ Spanish-language radio broadcast team was provided a designated space in the Wrigley Field press box for all three games of the Giants vs. Cubs series. This space is regularly used whenever additional seating is needed. We look forward to hosting them again the next time the Giants are in town.”

There likely was little they could do to rectify the situation in the cramped space. For all the work done during the Wrigley Field renovation, the press box looks largely as it did when it opened in 1989. But declining to acknowledge that, or apologize for the inconvenience, casts the club in a bad light.

The Giants are among only four teams that have Spanish broadcasts for every game. The crew also travels for every road game. According to Shea, “sometimes they get a rude reminder of where they rank in MLB’s broadcast pecking order.”

Shea wrote that neither Higueros nor Orellana complained, and they did the best they could. The crew also includes 82-year-old Tito Fuentes, who only works home games. The Giants always have had a strong following on Spanish radio.