Eleno Ornelas more than the voice of the Texas Rangers
By Efraín Ruiz Pantin
Rougned Odor stood in front of his locker in the Texas Rangers’ clubhouse ready to meet the press after collecting three hits, including a home run, recently. Before a single question was asked, Eleno Ornelas made his way through the media and hugged Odor.
The longtime Spanish voice of the Rangers wanted to congratulate the 23-year-old Venezuelan second baseman. He also wanted to share some tips about what to say and how to say it.
Ornelas, a native of Juarez, Mexico, was raised near the United States-Mexico border. He has called Dallas home since 1983. He is in his 19th season with the Rangers. He has also served as the team’s official Spanish interpreter since 2016, the year Major League Baseball made that position mandatory for every club.
Ornelas broadcasts every Rangers game at home and on the road. He can be found in the clubhouse helping Latin-American players communicate with the media hours before game time.
And it isn’t just those who don’t speak English or feel more comfortable speaking Spanish who seek his help. Some players like Odor and Venezuelan pitcher Martín Pérez can do interviews in English, but they prefer to have Ornelas by their side in case they need help with a word or just advice.
“I usually tell them what kind of questions they are going to get and to keep talking about the result of their hard work, stuff like that,” Ornelas, 63, said one afternoon in his booth at Globe Life Park. “I don’t want them to sound arrogant, overconfident. [I tell them] to avoid saying things like ‘I know I belong in the big leagues’ if they just got called up from the minors. I am always by their side, even if they can do it in English.”
Getting the Job
When hiring Ornelas as the team’s Spanish interpreter, Rangers vice president of communications John Blake took into account Ornelas’ background with the team, his knowledge of the Dallas-Fort Worth area and the Mexican-American community. His natural ability to mentor and connect with players 40 years younger was also important.
“That was important to me too, someone who could do that role,” Blake said.
Veteran Rangers beat writer T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com has known Ornelas for years.
“He is incredibly indispensable,” Sullivan said of Ornelas. “He has the trust of the Latin American players. They really trust him.”
When explaining his bond with the Rangers, Ornelas notes that he has known most of them since they were youngsters.
Every year, he goes to the minor-league facility during spring training to translate at the social media sessions that MLB arranges for every team. When some of those same players get to the big leagues years later his face is already a familiar one.
Players also see a little bit of themselves in Ornelas. He is the son of a maintenance worker who worked at Texas Western University in El Paso.
“He knows how to deal with the players,” Dominican right-fielder Nomar Mazara said. “This is a sport where you are not going to be happy every day, and he knows how to approach you during the good times and during the bad times.”
Besides, the role Ornelas has as the Rangers’ announcer and ambassador to the Latino community reminds the players that he’s not just another club employee.
“He has a reputation and, of course, you respect him because of it,” Venezuelan shortstop Elvis Andrus said.
Beyond the clubhouse
Throughout the years, Ornelas’ non-official duties have included locating a place to buy goat meat — a favorite of the Dominican players — and finding a venue for a birthday party. He also used to offer restaurant recommendations, but he says that has changed because smartphones have made that information easier to access.
Still, his knowledge of the Dallas area continues to be an asset.
“Sometimes a player asks me, ‘Hey, I’ve been invited to this place’ and I tell him, ‘Don’t go there because that area is not safe,’” he says.
As Sullivan says, “The players are very lucky to have him.”
Featured Image: MLB Youtube
Inset Image: Eleno Ornelas Twitter