J.P. Villaman

From SoSH

Juan Pedro (J.P.) Villamán (April 5, 1959 - May 30, 2005) was a Dominican-American broadcaster who served for 12 years as the Spanish-language play-by-play announcer for the Boston Red Sox, one of the first Spanish-language broadcasters in Major League Baseball.

1 Career Overview
2 Death
3 Quotes
4 Trivia
5 References

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Career Overview

The youngest of nine children, Villamán fell in love with broadcasting at an early age. At 13, he called baseball and basketball games from a local radio station in San Francisco de Macorís, where he was born and raised by his aunt, Orfelina Villamán, after his mother died giving birth to him. Like most Dominicans, Villamán played baseball and was a pretty good catcher. His best sport, though, was basketball; he played on the national teams in Panama and Puerto Rico.

Villamán came to the U.S. in 1986, eventually settling in Lawrence, Massachusetts, where he landed a job with radio station WCCM in 1990. He was a popular morning-show host ("Radiolandia") in the Boston market. In 1994 he was recommended for the job when the Red Sox were seeking a Spanish-speaking broadcaster for a new radio venture aimed at reaching the growing population of baseball-mad Latinos in cities like Lawrence, Lowell and Worcester. Villamán was hired as a part-time broadcaster by Bill Kulik, a former freelance TV sports producer and writer and baseball fanatic. For the next seven seasons, Villamán was the play-by-play announcer for selected Red Sox home games carried by small Spanish-language stations.

J.P. Villamán (right) chats with partner Uri Berenguer in the broadcast booth high above Fenway Park's field.

The initially haphazard venture really took off after Pedro Martínez joined the Red Sox in 1998. Villamán said the Red Sox ace brought thousands, maybe even millions, of Latino fans into "Red Sox Nation." Before the 2001 season, Kulik organized the Spanish Beisbol Network to carry every Red Sox game, home and away, and made Villamán a permanent Red Sox announcer alongside young newcomer Adrian Garcia Marquez who also called games for ESPN Deportes. The radio show aired in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New York. Villamán's Spanish commentary was also available on NESN, and baseball fans as far away as the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Venezuela and Spain heard him via satellite. They would sometimes call in to his pregame show, which pleased Villamán enormously. Listeners called him Papá Oso (Papa Bear) a nickname given to him by his friend and co-announcer Marquez.

In April 2005, at Fenway Park, Red Sox owners John Henry and Tom Werner showed their respect for Villamán and his worldwide audience by delivering him a diamond-encrusted 2004 World Series championship ring during his broadcast of the home opener against the New York Yankees. The ring, which came with a notarized appraisal putting its value at $14,100, was the official acknowledgement that Villamán was part of the Red Sox extended family (500 or so got rings, from ushers to ballplayers.) Villamán's ring also recognized the importance of the team's growing Latino fan base. With top Latin stars such as Manny Ramírez, David Ortiz, Edgar Rentería and, before, Pedro Martinez, Rich Garces and Orlando Cabrera, the Red Sox are becoming Latin America's team.

Over his dozen years with the Red Sox, Villamán worked in the radio studio and broadcast booth alongside Hector Martinez, Bobby Serano, Adrian Garcia Marquez, Bill Kulik, Juan Oscar Baez, Red Sox Hall of Famer Luis Tiant, and Uri Berenguer. He spoke little English, which made verbal communication with many of his non-Spanish-speaking colleagues in the media a challenge. Bererguer and Kulik both expressed dismay that many journalists and reporters were interested in Villamán's story only after his death, since they had paid little mind to him while he was alive. One exception was Red Sxo broadcaster Joe Castiglione, who would regularly spend time with Villamán while each struggled to converse in the other's native tongue.

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Death

In the early morning hours of May 30, 2005, Villamán and Berenguer flew back to Boston with the Red Sox from New York, where they had broadcast the team's game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. A bus took players and staff from Logan International Airport to Fenway Park, arriving at around 2:00 a.m. The partners stowed their broadcast equipment and parted ways, with Villamán heading north toward Lawrence in his Ford Explorer. While driving on Interstate 93 near Wilmington, Massachusetts, his vehicle sideswiped a truck, rolled down an embankment, and slammed into a tree. He was pronounced dead at the scene at age 46. Police said he appeared to have been speeding when he lost control. The driver of the truck was not injured, and no charges were filed.

Mourners touch the flag-draped casket of J.P. Villamán at his funeral in Lawrence on June 3, 2005.

Villamán was survived by his wife, Noemi Santelises-Villamán, and their three children, Michelle (20), Juan Gabriel (18) and Bianca (12). Two six-hour wakes were held in Lawrence to accommodate the hundreds of mourners, including many Red Sox players and front office personnel. Former Red Sox shortstop Orlando Cabrera, who had signed with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim follwing the World Series, flew to Boston ahead of his teammates to pay his respects to Villamán. The funeral, attended by hundreds more, was broadcast live on three regional radio stations. Red Sox flags poked out among the flower arrangements at his services, and a Manny Ramirez jersey was placed inside his casket prior to burial at St. Mary-Immaculate Conception Cemetery in Lawrence.

The tragedy hit the team hard, coming just 23 days after the untimely death of clubhouse chef Bernie Logue. A moment of silence was held in Villamán's memory prior to the Red Sox' game with the Baltimore Orioles less than 16 hours after the crash. David Ortiz wore a batting helmet with the initials "J.P." and "D.E.P.," for "descanse en paz," or "rest in peace."

Berenguer insisted on broadcasting that night's game. "It's probably going to be the hardest thing to do in my career," said Berenguer, who broke down in tears between interviews and said he considered Villamán his mentor. "I can say it is almost impossible, but I have to do it because I know that is what he would want."

Kulik filled in temporarily for Villamán. Later in the season, Juan Oscar Baez, a close friend and colleague of Villamán and a former minor leaguer with the Yankees, took over play-by-play duties on SBN.

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Quotes

J.P. Villamán (left) forged a close friendship with his younger colleague, Uri Berenguer.

"J.P. was talking about how ESPN games take forever because of all the commercials and all that. We were laughing about it and having fun, talking about how we should all be home by now. I was the last person to say goodbye, and I was lucky to have that privilege. We gave each other a hug, and I said, 'See you tomorrow, Papa.' We never did. He loved the Red Sox so much. J. P. saw the Red Sox as the almighty. In J. P.'s eyes, the Red Sox could do nothing wrong." -- Uri Berenguer, in an interview the day of Villamán's death.

"J.P. was almost too affectionate for this cold society. He didn't understand that a big hug or a huge laughter might seem weird to people around here. It's Latino culture, and that's who he was. Every 'hello' was a hug. Every 'goodbye' was a hug. He was such a fan, the most passionate broadcaster I've ever known. He will always be in my heart. I think about him every day." -- Uri Berenguer, reflectng four months after Villamán's passing.

"J.P. was my friend, like a brother to me. To sit in his chair and use his microphone so soon is difficult. I also have a job to do, and I know he would want me to do the best I can do." -- Juan Oscar Baez

"He was a storyteller who loved people. And people loved him back. I can't tell you how many times I'd bring a prospective client, an English-speaking businessman, to the booth. He couldn't understand the language, but he could understand the passion. That smile was always there. It could be a sunny day or a rainout, a Red Sox win or loss, J.P. was always positive." -- Bill Kulik, founder, owner and producer of the Spanish Beisbol Network.

"He introduced himself to me when I first got here and always had a smile for you. He told me, 'I'm Dominican like you are.' He was always proud of what he was doing and always seemed to love being here. Last Saturday, me, Manny [Ramirez] and Eno Guerrero were all in the clubhouse and he told us, 'You know, I love you guys.' And we all laughed and said, 'We know, we love you too,' and then we joked around with him. You could always do that with him. He was that kind of guy." -- David Ortiz

"J.P. became a star in local and international baseball circles. They sensed through his broadcasts what those around the team saw every day; he loved the game and he loved his Red Sox. J.P. brought an infectious enthusiasm to the ballpark every day." -- Red Sox president Larry Lucchino

"He was a 21st-century, Spanish-speaking, baseball-loving reincarnation of Johnny Most." -- Boston Herald columnist Steve Buckley

"His nickname was Papa Oso, the big bear, and he lived up to it by giving people big bear hugs," -- Red Sox broadcaster Joe Castiglione

"Every time I saw him he had a smile on his face and would always greet you." -- Red Sox manager Terry Francona

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Trivia

Villamán would say the same three things at the end of every game: "Keep the faith. God bless you. This game is ours."
In Game 4 of the 2004 World Series, Villamán got so excited calling the championship-clinching final out that his voice cracked. When pitcher Keith Foulke threw the ball to first base, sealing the Red Sox's long-awaited victory, he screamed "Boston gana!" (Boston wins!) into the microphone seven times.
Villamán won numerous accolades and civic awards for his outstanding contributions to the Latino community in Lawrence and Greater Boston.
He was posthumously honored by the 67th Boston Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America with the 2006 Good Guy Award.

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