Month: July 2019

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Hall of Fame weekend is their World Series

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Photo credit: espn.com

By: Amaury Pi-González

In Cooperstown, New York this weekend six players will have the weekend of their lives with their families, friends and fans as their names will be engraved into immortality in alphabetical order: Harold Baines, Roy Halladay, Edgar Martínez, Mike Mussina, Mariano Rivera and Lee Smith.

Cooperstown is a beautiful small town that’s best known as the home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

For the greatest Hall of Fame in all American sports, this is their World Series, their Superbowl, their Olympics and their World Cup altogether. Dozens of living inductees will be on hand to welcome the new class of six. The last time I visited Cooperstown, it was part of a vacation to the east coast in November 2009. From the Bay Area by plane to Miami and then up to New York, where I bordered a train from Penn Station to Albany, NY. There, in Albany, I had a rental car awaiting and from there I drove to Cooperstown, driving through beautiful green rolling hills country. The whole trip takes about 5 hours and I recommend to anybody that has the time to do it. It is truly a nice relaxing trip. Cooperstown reminds me of the movie “Back to the Future” with old brick buildings and where you feel it is 1952 all over again.

Two of the six players that will be inducted have a direct connection with the Bay Area. Harold Baines, who played with the Oakland A’s from 1990 to 1992, played a total of 22 years for various clubs, ending with 2,830 games, 2,886 hits, 1,628 runs batted in, 384 home runs and a solid .289 batting average. A designated hitter for a great part of that stellar career.

Mike Mussina attended Stanford University where he pitched for three years. He was one of the most consistent pitchers in the majors for 18 years (10 with the Yankees and eight with the Orioles). He won 270 and lost 153 with a 3.58 ERA, 2,813 strikeouts and 57 games completed in 3,562 innings pitched.

The other four will be Roy Halladay, whose family will be accepting in his behalf. He died on November 2017 as his small private plane crashed in the Gulf of Mexico. Halladay won two Cy Young Awards hurled a perfect game plus a no-hitter during playoffs with Philadelphia. 16 years with Toronto and Philadelphia, won-lost 203-105 with a 3.38 ERA who also completed 67 games. Roy “Doc” Halladay was one of the last pitchers that everybody expected to complete the game he started. I can only imagine if he was with us, what would Doc say about the new craziness by some teams to use an “opener” which is a man that would be scheduled to pitch only the first inning.

Edgar Martínez is one of only two players inducted this year that played their whole career with the same team. The Seattle Mariners from 1987 to 2004. He originally was a third-baseman, but became one of the best pure hitters of his generation as a DH. 2.056 games, 2,247 hits, 309 home runs and 1,261 runs batted in and a combined .312 average. He hit over .300 in 11 of his 18 seasons and he had the eye of an eagle, struck out only 1,202 times in 8,674 trips to the plate. I used to call him “el oportuno” (translation: “the clutch one”) because he was the type of hitter you want with the winning run on base, he will not disappoint.

Lee Smith. About time! This man should have been inducted many years ago. He was a great reliever. During 18 years saved 478 and pitched for Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, NY Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, California Angels, Cincinnati Reds and Montreal Expos.

Mariano Rivera. Born in Panamá, the land of the great Hall of Famer Rod Carew, Rivera was the greatest closer in the history in this position. With a cutter from heaven he saved an incredible 652 games with a 2.21 ERA in 1,115 games,1,283 innings pitched with 1,173 strikeouts. It would be safe to say that this save record is safe and might not be broken during mine, yours, your kids and their kids years unless if baseball invents another crazy rule. Rivera only played for one club, the New York Yankees, from 1995 to 2013. He is a wonderful man who is truly an idol in his native Panamá. Also, a real gentleman. Every time I interviewed Rivera, he conducted himself with great professionalism. We were truly privileged to have witnessed his career.

Congratulations to all! They represent the best of the best.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Giants have the confidence and wild card in sights, but will they deal MadBum and Smith?

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sfgate.com photo: San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner works against the New York Mets during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, July 18, 2019, in San Francisco.

On the SF Giants podcast with Michael:

#1 San Francisco Giants centerfielder Kevin Pillar said that the team has confidence and belief, which would also be a good argument to keep pitchers Madison Bumgarner and Will Smith.

#2 The Giants so far have hit more home runs than at home at Oracle Park and average 5.5 runs on the road to 3.4 runs at home per game.

#3 The Giants are four games over .500 at 27-23 on the road. What best explains why their doing better on the road compared to at home?

#4 Manager Bruce Bochy managed the club a 6-1 road trip in Milwaukee and Colorado. The Giants in a four-game series with the New York Mets where they played to a 16 inning win over the Mets 3-2 on a walkoff single by a Donovan Solano to drive in the winning run.

#5 Hall of Famers Edgar Martinez, Harold Baines, Roy Halladay, Mike Mussina, Mariano Rivera, and Lee Smith. All will be inducted for this year’s class for the 2019 Hall of Fame. Once again, home run king Barry Bonds failed to get elected by getting 59.1% of the vote.

Michael does the Giants podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants extend streak in marathon vs. Mets

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Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Harness

SAN FRANCISCO – Madison Bumgarner threw what should have been a complete-game statement win, giving up only one run on five hits and stifling a Mets team that rolled into Oracle Park riding a four-game winning streak.

Because the Giants couldn’t figure out how to get a guy home from third with nobody out – twice, mind you – it went into the books as a nine-inning no-decision as his offense let him down once more.

The Giants turned the tables on the Mets in the top of the 10th, when New York put runners on second and third on reliever Will Smith with nobody out. The lefty then put the brakes on the Mets’ rally, striking out the side to keep the game tied at 1-1.

The bats eventually turned around for the Giants, as they sent what was left of the crowd at Oracle Park home happy after Donovan Solano’s single drove in the winning run in a 3-2 win to extend their winning streak to six games.

Bumgarner’s night didn’t get off to the best of starts, as Jeff McNeil drove his first pitch into the left-center gap for a double, with J.D Davis following that right up with a hard single to left, putting runners on the corners with nobody out.

He got out of the inning with minimal damage, although McNeil ended up scoring after Bumgarner induced Pete Alonso into a double play, giving New York a 1-0 lead.

The Giants had their first crack at getting that elusive runner home from third in the second, when Alex Dickerson led off by launching one into the deepest part of the ballpark – a place called Triples Alley located in the gap in right-center – and wound up with a stand-up triple. After Brandon Crawford and Mike Yastrzemski both struck out, Kevin Pillar popped out to end the inning and blow the chance.

The next shot came in the fourth, as they put together a rally that saw them load the bases with one out. This time, the Giants cashed in, as Pillar lined one into left field, which Davis had to leap to make the catch and save and extra-base hit.

As it stood, Pablo Sandoval, who had led off the inning with a single, tagged up easily from third to tie the game.

The Giants have been especially adept at getting extra-base hits, and they used that to their advantage again in the seventh, as Yastrzemski led off with a triple.

Once again, however, lack of situational hitting on the Giants’ part let them down and kept the game tied. Pillar put the ball on the ground, but he hit it hard and right at third base, forcing Yastrzemski to stay put. The Mets then intentionally walked Joe Panik before Bumgarner – for whom the Giants faithful were on its collective feet in anticipation of his breaking the 1-1 tie – struck out and Brandon Belt flied out.

Twins snap A’s win streak with 6-3 victory

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Photo credit: @morsecode

By Jerry Feitelberg

The A’s began their seven-game road trip to Minnesota and Houston on a down note Thursday night. The AL Central leaders hit three-home runs to come from a 3-1 deficit to win 6-3 at Target Field in Minneapolis.

The A’s Mike Fiers pitched well again. The A’s putative ace went 6 1/3 innings and allowed six hits and three runs. Fiers was responsible for two runners in the seventh, and when the Twins’ Eddie Rosario homered on the first pitch from Yusmeiro Petit, any chance that Fiers would get a win went down the drain.

The Twins’ Kyle Gibson went seven innings and allowed six hits and three runs and received credit for his ninth win of the year against four losses.

The Twins put the first run of the game on the board in the third inning. Fiers walked big Miguel Sano to start the frame. Jake Cave singled to advance Sano to second. Both runners advanced a base on a sacrifice base. Fiers didn’t help his cause when he uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Sano to score.

The A’s tied the game in the top of the fourth. Ramon Laureano singled and scored on a double by Khris Davis. In the sixth, Laureano singled and scored on Jurickson Profar’s 14th big fly of the season to put the A’s ahead.

Fiers started the seventh by striking out C.J.Cron for the first out. Luis Arreaz doubled, and Sano walked again. A’s manager Bob Melvin brought in Yusmeiro Petit to pitch. The Twins’ manager Rocco Baldelli made a counter-move by bringing in left-handed hitter Eddie Rosario to pinch hit for Jake Cave. Rosario hit the first pitch from Petit into the seats in right-center-field to give the Twins a 4-3 advantage after seven innings of play

The Twins hit two more solo jobs in the eighth. Lou Trivino was now pitching for the A’s, but he gave up homers to Mitch Garver and Cron. Twins lefty reliever, Taylor Rogers, pitched two scoreless innings of relief to earn the save and preserve the win for Gibson

Game Notes: With the loss, the A’s drop to 54-42. They trail the Cleveland Indians by one game for the first wild card spot. They are tied for the second spot with the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays lost twice to the Yankees, and Tampa is now in a virtual tie with Oakland.

The hitting stars for the A’s were Ramon Laureano with three singles and two runs scored and Jurickson Profar with his 14th home run of the year that gave the A’s  3-1 lead,

The A’s line was three runs, six hits, and no errors. The Twins’ line was six runs, nine hits, and two errors.

Time of game was three hours and 18 minutes.

Up Next: The A’s and Twins play their second game Friday at 5:10 pm PT.

Mountain West basketball championships to remain at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas through 2023

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

The Mountain West announced Thursday that the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas will continue to serve as the location for its men’s and women’s basketball championships through 2023.

The league’s Board of Directors approved a recommendation from an ad hoc committee made up of two athletic directors, two Senior Woman Administrators, two men’s basketball coaches and two women’s basketball coaches, which was endorsed by the full directors of athletics group, to return to the Thomas & Mack Center for the 2021, 2022 and 2023 Mountain West Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships.

“The Mountain West is pleased to extend its long history of successful men’s and women’s basketball championships at the Thomas & Mack Center,” said MW Commissioner Craig Thompson. “Las Vegas has become a mecca for college basketball in early March and our MW fans have made it clear this is their preferred destination.”

The Thomas & Mack Center, which holds several world-class events each year, including NBA Summer League, National Finals Rodeo, concerts and boxing matches, has hosted the Mountain West Basketball Championships in 17 of the Conference’s 20 years.

The 2020 MW Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships will take place March 1-7, 2020 at the Thomas & Mack Center. Tickets are now on sale via each institution’s athletic box office.

“Las Vegas has had a long and storied history with the Mountain West,” said LVE President Pat Christenson. “Since its inception, we have hosted the annual basketball championships 17 times at the Thomas & Mack Center. We are proud to be able to extend our partnership through the 2023 tournament.”

“We couldn’t be more pleased to be hosting the MW Basketball Championships through 2023,” said TMC Executive Director Mike Newcomb. “We have a great history and relationship with the Mountain West and to be able to continue to host the championships is a great opportunity for The Thomas & Mack Center, UNLV and the city of Las Vegas.”

About the Mountain West
From its inception in 1999, the Mountain West has been committed to excellence in intercollegiate athletics, while promoting the academic missions of its member institutions. Progressive in its approach, the MW continues to cultivate opportunities for student-athletes to compete at the highest level, while fostering academic achievement and sportsmanship. Now in its 20th year, the MW has been assertive in its involvement with the NCAA governance structure and has taken a leadership role in the overall administration of intercollegiate athletics. The MW membership is comprised of 11 all-sport members: the United States Air Force Academy, Boise State University, Colorado State University, Fresno State, University of Nevada, University of New Mexico, San Diego State University, San José State University, UNLV, Utah State University and University of Wyoming. In addition, the University of Hawai’i and Colorado College participate in the MW as single-sport members in football and women’s soccer, respectively.

San Jose State men’s basketball announces 2019-20 schedule

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — San José State men’s basketball’s return to the hardwood is officially set for November 6 as the Spartans travel cross country to take on Hofstra in Hempstead, New York. The 2019-20 season opener is one 12 nonconference games scheduled to be played in addition to the 18-game Mountain West schedule previously announced.

Highlights of the San Jose State’s nonconference slate includes four matchups against Pac-12 opponents. The Spartans will hit the road for contests at Arizona (11/14) and UCLA (12/1) and will also face off with Oregon State on November 27 in Las Vegas, Nevada as part of the Las Vegas Classic. SJSU will also play host to the Stanford Cardinal on December 14.

“We are excited to get the season underway,” head coach Jean Prioleau said. “We’ve got a great schedule that features a lot of tough matchups that will provide our team with some challenges, and we look forward to accepting those challenges.”

Tip off times, as well as media coverage information, for all conference and non-conference games will be announced at a later date.

Fans can begin purchasing online ticket renewals in the latter part of July.

Oakland A’s podcast with Charlie O for Jerry Feitelberg: 6 home runs for A’s, but is the ball really juiced?; Bailey makes debut

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Photo credit sfgate.com: Oakland Athletics’ Mark Canha, right, is congratulated by third base coach Matt Williams (4) after hitting a home run off Seattle Mariners’ Tommy Milone in the fourth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, July 17, 2019, in Oakland, Calif

On the A’s podcast with Charlie O for Jerry Feitelberg:

#1 Is the ball juiced? There were six home runs hit during the A’s-Mariners game in Oakland on Wednesday afternoon.

#2 A’s hit six home runs Wednesday from Jurickson Profar 12th and 13th, Mark Canha 14th and 15th, Chad Pinder 8th, and Ramon Laureano 19th. In this lineup, you just never know who is going to get a base knock, but on Wednesday, it was everybody.

#3 A’s starter Homer Bailey debuted for Oakland pitching six innings, two earned runs and six strikeouts. He might be what the doctor ordered for the A’s rotation.

#4 The Mariners have had a rough trip so far in Anaheim. They got no hit on Tyler Skaggs night. the odds were not with them that night, then in Oakland, the Mariners getting swept in a two-game series by a hot A’s club. Most likely will be sellers at the trade deadline.

#5 A’s head to Minnesota for a four-game series starting on Thursday night at Target Field. For the A’s, Mike Fiers (9-3, 3.61 ERA), and for the Twins, Kyle Gibson (8-4, 4.03 ERA).

Catch the A’s podcast with Charlie O for Jerry Feitelberg Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria: Elway hopes Flacco can come through at QB for Broncos; Harrison arrested for assault in Arizona; plus more

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Photo credit: @9NEWSSports

On the Headline Sports podcast with Tony:

#1 Denver Broncos general manager John Elway says that quarterback Joe Flacco, who joined the Broncos from the Baltimore Ravens in March, is a player that he really looks forward to break the string of quarterbacks that didn’t work out for the Broncos in the past.

#2 Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman Desmond Harrison, who was arrested for attempting to strangle a woman, was released by Arizona today. Harrison had joined the Cardinals in June after playing for the Cleveland Browns. Harrison had eight games at left tackle for Cleveland.

#3 Former Oakland Raider wide receiver Mattavias Bryant applied for reinstatement after being suspended for drug abuse. Bryant has missed 36 of 80 games. Bryant is serving his third suspension and the NFL as of now will not reinstate him.

#4 The NFLPA and the NFL are close to an agreement on the collective bargaining agreement. The two sides are trying to iron on some other issues. Both sides report that meetings have been constructive and making progress.

#5 Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said he wasn’t there to be understood. One players who didn’t get along with him was Antonio Brown who left for Oakland. Tomlin says he’s fair to everyone, although he might treat others differently.

Tony does Headline Sports each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants continue shocking win streak

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Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Harness

The Giants had been floundering all season, giving every impression that they would not be expected to compete this season, period.

And then this past week happened. The Giants appear to have flipped the switch, and in a stunning turnaround, they have become a different team.

On Wednesday afternoon, they completed a four-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies by virtue of an 11-8 win at Coors Field, which marker their first sweep in Colorado since 2011.

With that victory, the Giants have now won five straight games, the longest streak they have had all season.

Donovan Solano went 4-for-5 on Wednesday, including a solo homer in the sixth inning as well as a run-scoring double in the eighth to give the Giants a commanding 11-5 lead. He now has a batting average of .337. Brandon Belt had three hits, including an RBI single in the seventh.

Shaun Anderson, however, struggled in the warm altitude that is Coors Field in the summer. He gave up five runs on eight hits, walking two and striking out one batter.

The bullpen, as well as the Giants’ resurgent bats, picked Anderson up, however. Derek Holland pitched a perfect 1 2/3 innings and picked up his second win of the year.

Andrew Suarez, however, surrendered three runs over 1 2/3 innings and could not close out the game, after giving up a double and a two-run homer. That opened the door for Mark Melancon, who was originally signed to be the team’s closer but struggled mightily in the role over the past couple of years, to get his first save of the season.

Headline Sports podcast with London Marq: Quakes tie Real Valladolid in friendly 1-1; A’s and Giants keep rolling; plus more

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

On Headline Sports with London:

#1 The San Jose Earthquakes are on a roll and picked up a huge win in Los Angeles against the Galaxy on a two-goal win 3-1. Jackson Yueill, Danny Hoesen, and Valeri Qazaishvili scored a goal each to help the Quakes to the win.

#2 London tells us how the success of the club and their turnaround has made this season one for the books. At 9-4-7, the team is in fifth and can very well make the climb in the standing if they can keep this up.

#3 How much of an impact has Quakes head coach Matias Almeyda made on this club, the Quakes? The Quakes had such a good friendly on Tuesday night against Real Villadolid, which ended up in a 1-1 draw.

#4 Turning to the red-hot Oakland A’s, there’s no mercy rule as the A’s keep pounding opponents by hitting as Matt Chapman got five RBIs and homered in the A’s win over the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night 9-2 and Wednesday the A’s pounded out six home runs and Chad Pinder and Jurickson Profar both hit two home runs each to beat Seattle 10-2.

#5 The Giants, on Tuesday night, went into the 10th inning tied at 4-4 and rallied for four runs when Buster Posey, Pablo Sandoval, Alex Dickerson, and Brandon Crawford scored runs for the 8-4 win over the Colorado Rockies. The Giants came right back on Wednesday’s matinee and clubbed the Rockies again 11-8 to sweep the series.

London does Headline Sports each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com