Month: December 2013

Kings new arena: Local businessman donates 25K to keep subsidy question on ballot

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 by Ken Gimblin

SACRAMENTO–Local business tycoon Chris Rufer has put up $25,000 in donated money to the campaign to stop the Sacramento Kings downtown arena which would place a subsidy question on the June 2014 Sacramento ballot. While the City, local government, and many supporters of the Kings proposed new downtown arena at Westfield Mall is under plans the opposition could turn out to be a wild card as they’re fund raising is starting to take on a life of it’s on.

Rufer whose business is in Sacramento is taking the opposing view. In addition to Rufer’s donation there are two groups working to oppose the arena build in downtown and they both have raised tens of thousands of dollars in their campaign to oppose it.

The groups are fighting to keep an intiative on the ballot that questions if public sudsidies should finance any new proposed sports or entertainment facilities in Sacramento. So far the group STOP Sacramento Taxpayers opposed to Pork and Voters for a Fair Arena Deal have stepped up raising nearly $40,000.

A group who is in favor of the subsidy has delivered collecting cash and checks in the amount of $26,000 and this group is fighting to keep the question of public subsidies being used off the ballot. The price tag for a new Sacramento downtown arena subsidy is $258 million.

The Voters for a Fair Arena Deal have raised $8,500 and STOP has raised $31,473 both groups who are pushing for the opposition to the new arena and putting the question about public funds being spent towards any new such subsidies need 22,000 signatures on the petition to get the queston on the ballot. The 22,000 signatures needed are due by mid December.

The campaign’s credibilty was in question over  the summer when Chris Hansen who wanted to buy the Kings and move them to Seattle funded the signature gathering effort to get the question on the ballot spending $100,000 and having a Los Angeles law firm manage the campaign. STOP said they had no idea that Hansen funded the campaign and Hansen later ended up having to pay a $50,000 fine for violating California campaign disclosure laws.

Rufer is the founder of a company group called Morning Star which is a tamato producer which profits $350 million annually. Rufer’s company now controls 40 percent of the tamato processing in America. Rufer had issues in his company when a former Morning Star executive Fredrick Scott Salyer was sentenced to six years in prison for rackateering and price fixing charges. Rufer said in court papers that alledgedly Salyer cheated the company by bribing executives from competing companies at Kraft foods and Frito Lay, Salyer also alledgedly bribed Rufer’s personal assistant to steal confidential company data.

Ken Gimblin is covering the Sacramento Kings new arena build for Sportstalk Radio

Beane Named Baseball Executive of the Year

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Photo credit: oaklandathletics.com

By Charlie O. Mallonee

Oakland Athletics vice president and general manager Billy Beane has been named MLB Executive of the Year for 2013 by Baseball America. He won the Baseball America award in 2002 as well.

Beane engineered a major overhaul of the A’s roster after a 74-88 season in 2011.He traded away three All-Star pitchers (Gio Gonzalez, Trevor Cahill and Andrew Bailey) to stock his club with young talent who have played major roles in the club’s return to prominence.

Beane also made a major trade in 2013 with the Houston Astros that brought Jed Lowrie to Oakland in exchange for Chris Carter and Max Stassi. The veteran shortstop had a major impact on the A’s batting .290 with 175 hits, 45 doubles and 15 home runs. That acquisition helped the A’s finish with a 96-66 record and to win the Western Division Pennant.

Beane has been deemed the master of working a small payroll, incorporating Sabremetrics to select players and building strong clubs without utilizing long-term contracts. The Tampa Bay Rays are just one team that has emulated Beane’s philosophy to build a successful ball club.

Beane has been busy already this winter making three trades to shore up the relief pitching and adding a productive reserve outfielder.

Kings McLemore Named Western Conference Rookie of the Month

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Photo credit: NBA.com

By Charlie O. Mallonee

Guard Ben McLemore of the Sacramento Kings has been named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for November.

In November, McLemore averaged 9.1 points (.378 FG%, .350 3-PT%, .810 FT%), 2.9 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 22.8 minutes in 14 games. In six of those games, he scored in double figures. McLemore scored a career high 19 points at Golden State on November 2.  Of all rookies in the NBA, he is ranked third in scoring, second in 3-Point field goal percentage, third in free throw percentage and fourth in minutes per game.

McLemore is the fifth Kings player to win the monthly rookie award. Isaiah Thomas was the last Sacramento player to earn the rookie of the month honor in March of 2012.

McLemore has been moved into the starting line-up by Head Coach Michael Malone. He scored 14 points, pulled down 3 rebounds and had one steal in 28 minutes of playing time against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night.

Kings lose to Thunder, 97-95

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By George Devine, Sr.

The Kings found out tonight how much DeMarcus Cousins has meant to their offense, by going without him against Oklahoma City. Cousins, who sprained his ankle in a game against the Warriors two days earlier, watched as the Thunder eclipsed Sacramento, 97-95.

Isaiah Thomas took the leadership role for the home team, scoring 24 points; 21 of them were in the final period and it looked as though the Kings would come through, but it was not to be. At one point late in the game, between the third and fourth periods, the Thunder went on an 18-0 run. The Kings were scoreless for the last three minutes of the game; Thomas could not make the final shot to neutralize the visitors’ advantage, and was outscored by OKC’s Kevin Durant, who had 27 points and also contributed 11 boards. Also leading for Oklahoma City were Russell Westbrook with 15 points, 7 assists and 8 rebounds, Jeremy Lamb with 14 points and both Reggie Jackson and Serge Ibaka with a baker’s dozen apiece. Ibaka also accounted for 9 rebounds.
For Sacramento, Ben McLemore tallied 14, followed by Derrick Williams with 13, Greivis Vasquez with a dozen and Jason Thompson with 10; Thompson also had 10 boards.

Warriors overcome 27-point deficit, stun Raptors 112-103

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By Gabe Schapiro

On Tuesday night at Oracle Arena the Golden State Warriors (11-8) made a huge late comeback to steal one from the Toronto Raptors (6-11), 112-103. They trailed by as many as 27 points, before storming back with a 42-point fourth quarter. On a historic night the Warriors tied for the seventh greatest comeback in NBA history.

For Golden State it was a tale of two teams. At times they arguably looked as bad as they have all season. In the fourth quarter the light switch went on, and they became simply unstoppable.

The Warriors came out of the gates flat. They looked rusty and just didn’t execute anything particularly well. Through 12 minutes of play Jermaine O’Neal was the teams leading scorer with five points in just three minutes. They quickly dug themselves into a 17-point deficit.

In the second quarter it looked like they had begun to open their eyes. Slowly but surely they were correcting their mistakes, and started hitting some shots. Harrison Barnes was big in keeping them within shouting distance, scoring 14 points in the quarter. The Warriors had stopped bleeding-out, but at half time still found themselves down 17, 65-48.

Coming out of the locker room things got worse before they got better. The Raptors extended their lead to as high as 27 points, and it looked like they were hammering the final nails in the Warriors coffin. In the waning minutes of the third quarter, however, the spark was lit. Golden State ended the frame with a 9-0 run, but still had an 18-point sized mountain to climb. It looked like it was an honorable late push that would be too little too late.

The fourth and final quarter looked like an entirely different ballgame. The Warriors seemingly forgot how to miss, and Toronto seemingly forgot how to score. Golden State’s ace in the hole, their historical three-point shooting, had been failing them all night. In the fourth they found it.

They got contributions from everyone who stepped on the floor, but were led primarily by the splash brothers. The dynamic duo of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson started hitting shot after shot, and slowing took chunks out of the Raptors lead. With three minutes remaining, a Curry three completed the comeback, and gave Golden State their first lead since early in the first quarter. They took their 101-99 lead and kept piling on.

Toronto failed to score in the final 1:30 of the game, making the final score look almost like your average nine-point win. It was anything but. All told, the Warriors outscored the Raptors 42-15 in the fourth to complete the epic victory.

Curry finished with a double-double. He scored a game-high 27 points, to go along with 10 assists, and five steals. Thompson pitched in 22, on six-of-12 beyond the arc, and seven assists.

O’Neal was huge off of the bench for Golden State, making numerous big plays to keep them alive. He finished with 11 points and eight boards in 23 minutes. He was also a very telling, game-high, +30.

In the losing effort DeMar DeRozan led the Raports with 26 points. Amir Johnson had a double-double off the bench, putting up 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Golden State now hits the road, beginning with a matchup with the Houston Rockets this Friday.

Sharks win Sixth in a row

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Sharks win Sixth in a row

by Jerry Feitelberg

The San Jose Sharks started a four game road trip on a successful note as they beat the Toronto Maple Leafs by a score of 4-2. The Sharks entered the game with 41 points and are in first place in the Pacific Division. With the win they now have 43 points and a record of 19-3-5 for the year. Toronto was looking to snap a four game losing streak but the Sharks were just too much for them as the lost their fifth straight.

The Sharks had Antti Niemi in goal and James Reimer was in the nets for the Leafs The Sharks took a 2-0 lead in the first period. The Sharks’ Mike Brown opened the scoring by lighting the lamp when he deflected a shot into the net off the stick of Jason Demers. Time of goal was at 10:00. The Sharks took a 2-0 lead when they had a two man advantage on the power play. The Leafs’ Jay McClement and Mason Raymond were sent to the penalty box and the Sharks had a great opportunity and the capitalized when Joe Pavelski made a great pass to Joe Thornton and Joe put in past Reimer for the score. For Thornton, it was his fifth goal of the year.

The Leafs came back to tie the game at two apiece in the second period. The Sharks did not play well and the Leafs scored the goals on power plays. The Leafs have the best record scoring power plays on home ice. The Sharks pushed back took a 3-2 lead when Brad Stuart’s shot made it into the net and Dan Boyle assisted on the play.

There was no scoring until late in the third period Logan Couture scored his tenth goal of the season into an empty net with just 1:24 left to play in the game. Final score Sharks win 4-2.

Antti Niemi stopped 28 shots and the Leafs’ Reimer made 37. The Sharks travel to Pittsburgh to play the Penguins Thursday night. They then play Carolina and Minnesota before returning home.

A’s Make More Changes Via Trades

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Photo Credit: Getty Images

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Oakland Athletics are being very active in the “hot stove” market. Not all the names involved are household names, but they are the pieces that Billy Beane and staff are putting together to make up the 2014 version of the Oakland A’s.

On Tuesday, the A’s announced a trade that brings right-handed relief pitcher Luke Gregerson from the San Diego Padres to Oakland. In exchange, the A’s sent outfielder Seth Smith to the Padres.

Gregerson was 6-8 with four saves and a 2.71 ERA in 73 relief appearances for the Padres in 2013. He held opposing hitters to a .203 batting average and right-hand hitters to just a .192 mark.

Gregerson made his Major League debut with San Diego in 2009 and has appeared in at least 60 games in each of his five seasons with the Padres. He has a career 2.88 ERA in 363 relief appearances.

Gregerson is the second major change to the relief staff that A’s have made over the last two days. Oakland also traded for  Orioles closer Jim Johnson.

Seth Smith batted .253 with eight home runs and 40 RBI in 117 games for Oakland in 2013. The left-handed hitter made 84 of his 97 starts versus right-handed pitching. Smith is a .265 career hitter.

Also on Tuesday, the A’s  acquired outfielder Craig Gentry and right-handed pitcher Josh Lindblom from the Texas Rangers in exchange for outfielder Michael Choice and minor league infielder Chris Bostick.

Gentry hit .280 with two home runs and 22 RBI in 106 games for the Rangers last season. He was 24 for 27 (88.9%) in stolen bases which was the third best percentage in the American League. The right-handed hitting Gentry started 49 games in center field and 20 games in left field for Texas in 2013.

Lindblom was 1-3 with a 5.46 ERA in eight games (five starts) in three call ups to the Rangers last season. He also went 8-4 with a 3.08 ERA in 20 games (18 starts) with Triple-A Round Rock.

Choice made his Major League debut with the A’s in the September call-up last year. He hit .278 with a double and a walk in nine games. Choice was the A’s first round draft pick in 2010.

Bostick spent the entire 2013 season with Single-A Beloit. He batted .282 with 14 home runs and 89 RBI in 129 games.

Michael Duca on Cal basketball

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by Michael Duca

BERKELEY–There were a couple of performances from last Monday night’s game at Haas Pavilion against the UC Irvine Anteaters that Cal put on that really didn’t even jump out at you from the stat sheet. That were critically important Tyrone Wallace had a career high 11 rebounds from the lane position last night and he had Justin Cobbs as Cal’s point guard. When they lost in the consolation round to Dayton in Maui David Kravish was just about worn out by them and Richard Solomon was missing his second straight game with a cornea operation.

The Bears had no real post presence they couldn’t go inside outside so all they could do is shoot outside the zone and Cobb put up 31 points and they lost by two or three handful of points about 18. Cal’s Sam Singer had three points but he had three rebounds and Cal assisted on all three quarters of their baskets and things just looked a whole lot better than they did in the game versus Dayton in Maui.

The offense looked pretty good and the defense looked even better in the first half, Irvine missed ten straight and then they hit two out of three and missed eight more and rode in the half so the end of the half shooting hitting two of their last 21 shots and your probably not going to win a lot of basketball games doing that. Solomon is now sporting goggles from getting his eye scratched in the Dayton game and has decided to wear goggles for the rest of the year.

Solomon was not instructed to by doctors he didn’t need to it’s his own choice he doesn’t want to go through that again he doesn’t want to get someone’s finger in his eye. That was a pretty nasty abrasion, Solomon’s eye was swollen shut for two days he could not see and he could not open it. Getting back out on the floor he was rusty and you could tell a week without game action and his timing was not fully there but he set the tone literally from the get go.

Solomon lacked ten inches on Irvine’s center from Senagal, Mamadou Ndiaye who is 7’7 and one of the three or four tallest players ever to play college basketball and Solomon won the opening tip and he did it with climbing athleticism and that is basically how he got Ndiaye to get into foul trouble early in the first half and he picked up his second foul just about 3:50 into the game and sat the rest of the first half. Ndiaye got five and half minutes play in the second half.

Solomon challenged Ndiaye going straight at him early in the game and scored the first five points of the game for Cal and in the second half David Kravish hit Cal’s first ten points and had 12 of the first 16 and he hit six shots in a row and five of them were Ndiaye who was in the game in the second half. So instead of lurking in the backs of too many peoples minds and he is huge and he does have a wing span.

Most big men can get up close to Ndiaye and use their athletic ability and quickness to create some space while he’s trying to back away and make shots and they did. They hit a lot of mid range jumpers.

Michael Duca does commentary on Cal basketball each week for Sportstalk radio

Johnson could be best closer yet for A’s: Giants looking to sign five tendered contracts

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That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary

OAKLAND–In the last two years former Baltimore Oriole closer Jim Johnson who saved 50 games last year and 51 in 2012, joined the Oakland A’s on Monday as the new closer of the club, former A’s pitchers Grant Balfour and Bartolo Colon will not return to Oakland and will seek new teams. Johnson will be the key closer and this was a great pick up by A’s general manager Billy Beane.

The A’s also signed Scott Kazmir on Monday for $22 million for two years, Kazmir is a lefty whose your typical five inning pitcher. He had some arm problems in the past I remember when he was a rookie with the Angels in 2007 in Anaheim and he was pretty good and he’s been around he pitched in Tampa Bay. Kazmir is a rotation guy and you put him in the rotation but I like the Johnson acquisition better and he could help the A’s a lot coming in in the ninth inning.

Johnson did have some arm problems but who hasn’t in the big leagues in this day and era a lot of guys come out a lot better after Tommy John surgery so Johnson is a good acquisition for Oakland. For Colon his agent is asking for a two year deal from Oakland and Beane is offering one so there is a good chance that Colon might sign with the Angels and he would love to be back in Southern California.

Colon won the Cy Young Award in Anaheim and that was in 2005 with the Angels that year he used to throw 98 MPH he threw like a Justin Verlander and last year wasn’t his best year for the A’s but it was that 2005 year for the Angels when he went 21-8 with a 3.48 ERA and the Angels would love to have him back and he’s asking for two years and after those two years he might retire. He’ll hang it up he’s 41 Colon is not coming back with the A’s and will shop other clubs and the A’s will not be able to sign him.

Balfour is a free agent and when Johnson was signed Balfour who was the A’s representative All-Star player with Colon last year will be looking for another team as Johnson will be the A’s closer starting next season and Balfour will be somewhere else. The meetings with the baseball owners begin next Monday in Orlando Florida and things are already happening there’s a lot of trading going on this week.

Giants looking to sign five players: The San Francisco Giants are looking to sign five players who are arbitration eligible, first baseman Brandon Belt, outfielder Gregor Blanco, pitcher Yusmeiro Petit, infielders Joaquin Arias, and Tony Abreu. Arias is versatile he can play third, short, and he can play any place. Petit is a Venezuelan pitcher who had a great year and almost pitched a perfect game, he has a good arm. The Giants are not sure if they are going to keep him and of course Barry Zito is gone after pitching for the Giants for seven years.

Blanco he’s your basic fourth outfielder he’s not an everyday outfielder. I’m surprised that the Giants have not signed somebody else to play leftfield and maybe they want to stay away from Nelson Cruz whose still a free agent but as we know last year he was suspended for PEDs and former Reds outfielder Shin-Soo Choo is a very good outfielder but his price might be too high for the Giants.

The Giants might have fortified themselves as far as pitching is concerned with Timmy Hudson and signing Timmy Lincecum. The Giants got Javier Lopez a left hander specialist. The Giants still need another bat because the truth about this the Giants and the Giants might not want to talk about this you don’t know what kind of Pablo Sandoval your going to get. There is only one superstar. everyday player and that is Buster Posey. Posey is the only guy who you can trust to hit .300 every year. You don’t know what kind of Pablo your going to get and signing Arias could be a plus he could help Pablo out at third base.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio voice for Oakland A’s baseball and does News and Commentary each week for Sportstalk

A’s Trade for Closer Jim Johnson

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Oakland Athletics have addressed their need for a closer by acquiring Jim Johnson from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for infielder Jemile Weeks and a player to be named later.

The 6-6, 240 pound right-handed Johnson has saved a Major League leading 101 games over the past two seasons. In 2013, he was 3-8 with 50 saves in 59 appearances and a 2.94 ERA. It was nine blown saves in the second half of the 2013 season and the fact that Johnson is arbitration eligible that made him available on the trading block.

In 2012, Johnson posted a record of 2-1 with 51 saves in 54 opportunities and a 2.49 ERA for Baltimore. He was an All-Star selection and the AL Rolaids Relief Man of the Year.

Johnson pitched parts of six seasons in Baltimore compiling a record of 18-26 with a 3.11 ERA. He recorded 122 saves in 150 save situations.

The acquisition of Johnson likely means the A’s will abandon their attempts to bring back Grant Balfour.

Jemile Weeks, a former first round draft pick in 2008, batted .271 with 19 doubles, 10 triples, four home runs, 40 RBI and 17 stolen bases in 130 games for Triple-A Sacramento in 2013. During the season, Weeks was used as an infielder and outfielder. He was a September call-up in 2013. Weeks hit .111 in eight games for Oakland.

A’s Come to Terms with Fernando Rodriguez

The Athletics have signed RHP Fernando Rodriguez to a one year contract for the 2014 season. Rodriguez was arbitration eligible.

Rodriguez was acquired by the A’s from Houston in the Jed Lowrie trade. He recorded a 10.13 ERA in four spring training appearances before going on the disabled list March 23 with a sprained right elbow. Rodriguez underwent successful ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) or “Tommy John” surgery.

Rodriguez has posted a career record of 4-13 with a 4.89 ERA in 119 relief appearances for the Angels and Houston.