José Mota

Infobox MLB retired
name=José Mota


caption=
position=Second baseman/Shortstop
bats=Both
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1965|3|16 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
debutdate=May 25
debutyear=by|1991
debutteam=San Diego Padres
finaldate=June 2
finalyear=by|1995
finalteam=Kansas City Royals
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.211
stat2label=Hits
stat2value=8
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=2
teams= As Player
*San Diego Padres (by|1991)
*Kansas City Royals (by|1995)

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.

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.

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.

"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.

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.

ignature calls; "Mota-isms"

Mota considers himself beloved in the greater Latin American and Hispanic communitiesFact|date=April 2008 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.

ee also

* List of second generation MLB players

ources

* [http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/broadcasters.jsp?c_id=ana Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim broadcasters]

* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/motajo01.shtml José Mota's career summary on Baseball Reference]

* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0609291/ José Mota on IMDB]