by Amaury Pi Gonzalez

KANSAS CITY–The Oakland Athletics have been frequent flyers to the playoffs in recent years, although they still have not won a World Series since 1989 when they defeated the San Francisco Giants in a four game sweep in the Earthquake Series. This Tuesday in Kansas City, the A’s (#2 Wild Card team)will send lefty Jon Lester to the mound against James Shields, two #1 pitchers that were acquired by these teams, Lester recently, Shields this past off season.

26 of the Royals players on their roster today were not born in 1985. The Royals won the division by one game over the California Angels and then won the ALCS against the Toronto Blue Jays in seven games, winning the World Series against the St Louis Cardinals also in seven games.

This is the first postseason experience for the Kansas City Royals in 29 years. It was in 1985 during the famous I-70 World Series, between the two Missouri teams the Royals and St.Louis Cards. Pitcher Bret Saberhagen won two games during that series and was the Most Valuable Player. Some of the names on that Royals roster:

Pitcher Bud Black, today the manager of the San Diego Padres, pitcher Marc Gubicza, today television analyst for the LA Angels, George Brett, partner-owner of the Royals and then some of these names you might remember: Jim Sundberg, Frank White, Willie Wilson, Onix Concepción, Omar Moreno, Jorge Orta, Lonnie Smith, Daryl Motley, Hal McRae, Dan Quisinbery, and Denis Leonard, just to mention a few.

1985 was:

-The first year where all World Series games where held at night

-The last year where the Designated Hitter was not used in an American League park.

-Don Mattingly of the New York Yankees (today LA Dodgers Manager) was the American League MVP

-Bret Saberhagen was the World Series MVP

-Oakland A’s home attendance 1,334,599

-San Francisco Giants home attendance 818,697

-Oakland A’s total payroll $9,058,606

-San Francisco Giants total payroll $8,221,714

-Highest paid player – Mike Schmidt (Philadelphia) $2,095,967

-A gallon of gasoline was $1.20

-The medium price for a home nationwide was $27,000

-The top movies were: Comando, Rocky IV, and Back to the Future

-#1 Song in the US: “Careless Whispers” WHAM/George Michael

-Ronald Reagan,73, takes oath of office for the second-term as 40th President

One game series outlook: Power: A’s, Batting Average: KC makes more contact, but only 95 HR last in MLB. Speed: KC #1 in MLB with 153 stolen bases. Bullpen: KC.most powerful bullpen in baseball. The A’s had a September not to forget, but they made it with fumes in the tank. It is imposible to predict a ONE game elimination game. The KC fans are going to go crazy after 29 years without one single visit to the postseason, they could be standing all the way, that may play as the tenth man on the field for them.

Because of these factors, the two starting pitchers are key here. If KC has the lead after the sixth they could coast to a win. Kansas City has lots of speed, and I expect Manager Ned Yost to run on the A’s catcher(s)that is part of their offense, since they do not hit home runs. If the A’s score first, it could calm the crowd down and the A’s could roll, they need some of that good hitting they had in the first half. Reddick is the only guy hot these days, they need some other bat(s) to pick it up…

But, here is the thing, it is only ONE GAME, you can flip a coin. A bad hop, and error, a bad call by an umpire(judgement call), not the ones you can challenge?

Prediction: I am 100X100 positive that the team that scores the most runs, will advance and play the LA Angels in the Divisional Series, (best of fiive) starting this weekend at Angel Stadium in Anaheim.

All the exciement of the game(live) can also be heard in Spanish on KIQI 1010AM Oakland/San José/San Francisco….KATD 990AM Sacramento/Stockton…KWRU 1300AM Fresno/Visalia—KEJY 790AM Eureka, the Oakland Athletics Spanish Radio Network, PDT 5PM this Tuesday the 30th of September.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio voice of the Oakland A’s does News and Commentary each week for http://www.sportsradioservice.com