Longtime Mets Spanish Broadcaster Alicea Dies at 85

Longtime New York Mets Spanish broadcaster Juan Alicea died Monday, the team said. He was 85.

The Mets said Alicea died in his sleep at home in Florida.

Alicea joined the Mets in April 1969, the season they won their first World Series championship, and worked in the scouting and community relations departments.

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Alicea started doing Spanish broadcasts for the Mets in 1982 and called more than 4,000 games through 2019. The Mets named the Spanish radio booth at Citi Field in his honor last year.

During the 1986 postseason, Alicea was the lead voice on the International Spanish Network.

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“Juan was an innovator and pioneer in the Spanish broadcasting field as well as renowned and respected throughout the industry as an extraordinary broadcaster,” Mets President Sandy Alderson said in a statment.

“He was instrumental in the creation of Hispanic Marketing, Promotions and Community Events. His 50 years of service made him a highly regarded member of the Mets family."