Eleno Ornelas is the official Spanish voice of the Texas Rangers. This season marks his 24th narrating the play-by-play of his dream team.
"I grew up playing baseball, and my dream was to always narrate a game in Spanish in the U.S.," Ornelas said. "My dad would say I was crazy because we lived in Juarez. So, when we moved to El Paso, Texas, I told him again it was my dream."
This postseason, he said feels special for the home team.
“They deserve what is happening right now,” Ornelas said. “Because the last two times that we went to the World Series, it was devastating.”
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As the players warm up to give it their all for Game 4 against the Houston Astros, Ornelas also prepares for a win. He admits he has several superstitions.
“The players they have a lot of superstitions but myself, it's always when things good happen for the team,” Ornelas said. “I do the same things at the beginning and the end of the game.”
"I read about the games for both teams the night before," Ornelas said. "When I get here, I already have everything on my mind. I can write maybe about two or three lines, and I can talk for an hour with those three lines."
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His chair, TV monitor, and notepad are set up the same way during each game. However, during the postseason, Ornelas’ superstitions have revolved around a water bottle.
“We played Tampa Bay, the first Wild Card game in the Tropicana. So, when we played, I was finishing my bottle of water,” Ornelas said. By the end of the game, an inch of water was left in the bottle. The Rangers went on to have a seven-winning game streak."
While the water bottle did not result in a win for the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night, Ornelas is still confident in the team’s ability to win Game 4.
“We have better starters this season,” Ornelas said. “Pitching and defense makes a champion. And that's what we have different this year.”
The players, he said, tell him they are not giving up.
“They tell me, ‘This is final, Eleno. This is the time we've been waiting for, for so long,'” Ornelas said.
The Texas Rangers will take on the Houston Astros Thursday evening at Globe Life Field in Arlington.
