Month: September 2023

A’s Skid Continues Losing to Angels 5-1

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By Barbara Mason

After a very long 2023 MLB season (far longer for some then others) the Oakland A’s (49-111) took on the Los Angeles Angels (72-88) to finish off their season in a three game series at Angel Stadium. Neither team had anything to play for other than pride. For the A’s there was nothing to be proud about as Oakland lost it’s fourth out of it’s last five games 5-1 on Friday night.

The Angels had a disappointing season but no one got close to the disaster that the A’s suffered through with the exception of the Royals, the Rockies and the White Sox.

It can’t get any worse than being touted as the worst team in baseball. Despite all of that, the Athletics continued to fight through the season. They held their heads high and did play a better brand of baseball in the final months of the season.

Despite a losing season, the Angels drew a nice crowd for this finale with 32,333 in attendance. The A’s did get on the board first in the third inning. Brent Rooker doubled Zach Gelof home giving the A’s the 1-0 lead but that would be the one and only run for Oakland in this game.

Los Angeles scored three runs in the fourth inning and two more in the fifth inning. As the third inning finished up the Angels had taken a 3-1 lead and in the fifth inning, Mickey Moniak hit a two-run home run for a 5-1 lead which was the final. Moniak had not seen action since September 5 due to left back tightness

It was a tough outing for A’s pitcher Ken Waldichuk who gave up seven hits and four runs walking three players. Los Angeles pitcher Chase Silseth gave up two hits and the one run in four innings.

This was his first start since August 26 after being hit by an errant throw from third baseman Trey Cabbage. Relief pitcher for the Angels Davis Daniel went five scoreless innings for his first major league win.

The A’s are now on a 3-12 skid and they have the most losses in the major leagues since the Detroit Tigers went 47-114 in 2019.

The Angels have not yet decided on a starting pitcher for Saturday’s game two. Oakland will send Joe Boyle (1-0 ERA 0.00) to the mound. First pitch is scheduled for 6:07 PM in this final weekend of the regular MLB season.

Aces Head Into WNBA Finals With Win Over the Wings 64-61

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Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabally, left, and Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young scramble for the ball during the first half at College Park Center in Arlington on Fri Sep 29, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Friday night the Las Vegas Aces (34-6) took on the Dallas Wings (22-18) looking to finish up this semi-final series and head into yet another WNBA Finals. The Aces have had a relatively easy path so far in these playoffs.

The Wings came out with a game plan which forced the Aces into turnovers and took A’Ja Wilson completely out of the game. Dallas forced the Aces into some very uncharacteristic play. Dallas’ rebounds through three quarters were (36) to the Aces 28.

It was all a part of the plan. Forcing the turnovers was also working for the Wings. Las Vegas had lost the ball 17 times with 6:31 left in the game. The Aces got back on track in the final minutes to take this one home in a real nail-biter 64-61.

Dallas led after the first quarter by a slim margin of 18-16. At the half, the Wings led by 36-31. The Wings were starting to put the hurt on Las Vegas. They had contained A’Ja Wilson. At the half she was shooting single digits as was the rest of the team. It was the slowest of starts for Las Vegas running into a determined Dallas team.

The Aces won the third quarter 18-15 and this game was going down to the wire. The Wings held onto a 51-49 lead after three quarters in this low scoring game.

A’Ja Wilson finally reached the double digit mark in the fourth quarter as did teammates Chelsea Gray, and Kelsey Plum. Wilson continued to struggle having committed eight turnovers herself and only managing 13 points with 2:28 left in the game.

The score was tied 61-61 as the clock approached two minutes. This game was going down to the wire. With 31.8 left on the clock the Aces had a one-point lead 62-61. They had a great opportunity to extend their lead but Chelsea Gray threw the ball out of bounds.

The last possession would win this game. A jump ball ended up in the hands of the Wings with 9.0 left on the clock. Dallas missed the final shot and in the process fouled Jackie Young who made both free throws. With 2.7 seconds left on the clock Las Vegas led 64-61. The Aces had mounted an 11-0 run to take the game and the series. Las Vegas had earned a trip to the finals 64-61.

This game was a dogfight. The Aces struggled from start to finish but pulled it all together at 4:59 in the fourth quarter. Dallas did not score a single point in the final (4:59) minutes. The Wings had forced 20 Las Vegas turnovers.

Dallas had a great game plan and executed it on point until the final minutes of the game. The 64 points scored in this game were the fewest in Aces franchise history. You have to give a lot of credit to the Dallas Wings. They played hard and very nearly pulled off the upset in game three.

The Aces had four players in double digits. A’Ja Wilson had a double double with 13 rebounds and 13 points but it was Chelsea Gray who had the high with 15 points. Both Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young each had 11 points.

This was not even close to what we are accustomed to seeing from this Las Vegas team and as A’Ja Wilson said that is just the way things go sometimes. This certainly is something that they want to get out their system before they head into the finals on Sunday October 8th. The winner between the Liberty and the Sun may be determined this coming Sunday with New York leading the series 2-1.

Giants fire Gabe Kapler after four seasons

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San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler walks to the dugout after making a pitching change during the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Thu Sep 29, 2023. Which turned out to Kapler’s last game as a Giants manager. (AP News photo)

By Mary Anne

The San Francisco Giants fired their manager Gabe Kapler, also known as Kap, after four seasons with the team from 2020-23. Kapler led the Giants to one postseason trip in 2021 when they lost to their biggest rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers, in five games in the 2021 National League Division Series (NLDS). The Giants finished 107-55 in 162 regular-season games with a .660% win percentage in ’21.

Kapler previously served as manager of the Philadelphia Phillies from 2018-19. As an MLB shortstop, Kapler played for the Detroit Tigers (1998-99), Texas Rangers (2000-02), Colorado Rockies (2002-03), Boston Red Sox (2003-04, 2005-06), Yomiuri Giants (2005), Milwaukee Brewers (2008), and Tampa Bay Rays (2009-2010). And, as a NCAA baseball player, Kapler played for Cal State Fullerton before transferring to Moorpark College. Kapler was inducted into the Moorpark College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.

The Giants’ firing of Kapler, a 48-year-old Reseda, Los Angeles, California, native, came with just three regular-season games in 2023. The Giants’ record is 78-81, pending the final score of tonight’s home game against the Dodgers, who are 98-61 at present.

In a statement released to ESPN, Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said he made the “recommendation to ownership” to fire Kapler and then did so after “receiving their approval.”

Kai Correa will serve as interim manager for the Giants’ last three games. Correa, an infield and baserunning coach, has been with the Giants since 2020. The 35-year-old is a Hilo, Hawaii, native of Native Hawaiian, Portuguese, and Japanese descent. Correa’s alma mater is the University of Puget Sound, where he played NCAA baseball and graduated with a degree in U.S. history.

Correa previously served as an infield coach and a defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Indians, a volunteer assistant and assistant coach for the University of Northern Colorado, and head assistant coach, recruiting coordinator, infield coach, and third-base coach for the University of Puget Sound.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Adiós Kapler!~ -Kai Correa named SF interim manager; Giants dismiss Kapler as manager with three games left in the season

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The San Francisco Giants named Kai Correa as interim manager after firing Gabe Kapler on Thu Sep 29, 2023 (file photo USA Today)

Adiós Kapler!~ -Giants dismiss manager with three games left in the season

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

SAN FRANCISCO–Gabe Kapler was never that popular when the Giants first signed him in 2020 and today became the first Giants manager to be fired since in September of 1995 when Jim Davenport was fired and replaced by Roger Craig.

In 2021 the Giants overachieved and won 107 games, and Gabe Kapler won the NL Manager of the Year. After two years as skipper of the Philadelphia Phillies, 2023 was the fourth season for Kapler.

Soon after noon on September 29, the San Francisco Giants released this statement: “He has been dedicated and passionate in his efforts to improve the on-field performance of the San Francisco Giants and I have tremendous respect for him as a colleague and friend” said team president Farhan Zaidi. Kapler’s first season with San Francisco was the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign”

Names already rumored to be possible candidates for Giants manager in 2024, Menlo Park native and three-time Manager of the Year Bob Melvin, ending his first season as manager of the San Diego Padres, also Oakland A’s manager Mark Kotsay. But it is “too early” to tell.

Meanwhile, Giants veteran shortstop and three-time World Champion Brandon Crawford 36, said he likes to retire as a Giant, but he still contemplating his future and was not ready to commit to anything just yet. Crawford made the statement just a few days ago, on September 21. About the speculation if he is going to play his last game as a Giant and retire this next Sunday when the team closes the season against the LA Dodgers, he said: “I don’t have an answer, but there’s been plenty of thoughts”.

San Francisco closes the season at home this weekend with a three-game series against the Western Division champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: A’s end 3 game series with Twins with 2-1 win; Oakland opens 3 game series tonight against Angels

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Oakland A’s starter Luis Medina throws to the Minnesota Twins line up in the bottom of the first inning at Target Field in Minneapolis on Thu Sep 28, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the A’s podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 The Oakland A’s, behind Luis Medina’s best performance of the year and timely hitting by the A’s offense, gave the A’s a 2-1 win over the Central Division champions, the Minnesota Twins.

#2 It was Medina’s last start in 2023, and he made it a good one. The young man from the Dominican Republic can go home knowing how well he pitched Thursday afternoon.

#3 The Twins did score a run off Medina in the bottom of the sixth. However, relievers Lucas Erceg, Dany Jimenez, and Trevor May pitched a scoreless seventh, eighth, and ninth inning to secure the win for the Green and Gold.

#4 The A’s were facing their former teammate Sonny Gray in the final game of the three-game series. Gray had been a first-round pick of the A’s in the 2011 Amateur Draft. Gray had been a standout pitcher at Vanderbilt University.

#5 The A’s will close out the season with their final series against the Los Angeles Angels tonight in Anaheim. Starting pitchers for the A’s Ken Waldichuk (4-8 ERA 5.29) for the Angels Chase Silseth (4-1 ERA 4.10) first pitch 6:38pm PT.

Jeremiah did the Oakland A’s podcasts Fridays during the 2023 season at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco 49ers podcast with Joe Hawkes: 49ers host a Cardinals team who shocked America’s team the Cowboys

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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) throws against a rushing New York Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke (58) in second half action at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara on Thursday Night Football Sep 21, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the 49ers podcast with J Hawkes:

#1 Joe, San Francisco (3-0) in their last game against the New York Giants regained the lead midway through the second quarter when quarterback Brock Purdy connected with Ronnie Bell on a nine-yard touchdown reception along the left sideline. It was the first NFL reception for Bell, the rookie seventh round draft pick out of Michigan, who did a nice tight rope job to haul in his first career touchdown.

#2 Defensive end Nick Bosa looked like a well-oiled machine as he made life miserable for New York quarterback Daniel Jones the entire game. Bosa finished with one sack and hit Jones four times as he took advantage of banged up Giants offensive line.

#3 49ers running back Christian McCaffery gave his team a two-touchdown lead near the end of the first half when he scampered in for a four-yard rushing touchdown that completed a 11 play 73-yard drive that chewed up over four and a half minutes off the clock.

#4 McCaffery led all rushers with 85 yards on 18 carries. He finished with 118 all-purpose yards as he also had five catches for 34 yards.

#5 The Arizona Cardinals are coming to Santa Clara Sunday to face the 49ers. The Cardinals are coming off a shocking 28-16 win over the Dallas Cowboys last week. 49ers safety Tashaun Gipson said, “I don’t think anybody, including Arizona, probably, thought they were winning that game,”

Join Joe Hawkes for the 49ers podcasts Saturdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Lawsuit filed against Nevada Schools Over Stadiums; A’s lobbyists say educators leave out crucial information on petition measure

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Laborers Union Local 872 retired political director of Laborers Thomas Morely is one of the plaintiffs who filed a challenge in First District Court of Carson City challenging Schools over Stadiums from putting an initiative on the Nevada ballot to stop public funding of the Tropicana Hotel Ballpark for the Oakland A’s. If Schools over Stadiums get enough signatures in four Nevada districts the measure would go on the ballot Nov 2025. A no vote against funding the ballpark with public money would stop the ballpark funding unless the A’s can raise the money privately. (photo from Laborers International Union 872)

Lawsuit filed against Nevada School Over Stadium

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

ByAmaury Pi-González

A Lawsuit by two labor leaders in Nevada challenges the Nevada teacher union-led PAC “School Over Stadium.” A petition to repeal public funding for the new proposed stadium for the Oakland A’s in Las Vegas. Who filed it? Once the head of the Nevada AFL-CIO, Danny Thompson was joined by Thomas Morley, a retired political director of Laborers Local 872.

Morley is currently a private consultant. The filing took place in the 1st District Court in Carson City, the capital of the State of Nevada, where all legal challenges are filed. Oakland A’s representatives deferred comment to the attorney working on the case.

According to The Independent of Nevada, Bradley Schrager represented a broad, emerging coalition of business and labor interests. The Oakland A’s are part of that coalition, according to Mr.Schrager, who said, “SB1 passed with majorities in both houses,” referring to the bill that authorized public financing to help the A’s construct a 33,000-seat ballpark on the Las Vegas Strip. “The governor approved it, so it’s no surprise that support exists.”

The lawsuit argues that the School Over Stadiums petition “doesn’t include the full text of the proposal as required by Nevada State Constitution and alleges the referendum is “inaccurate, misleading and argumentative, and therefore is legally inadequate and does not meet the requirement of Nevada State law.”

This is a battle between the educators in Nevada (not all but the School Over Stadium group) vs. Labor and Business interests in Nevada. Organized labor backed the A’s when the bill was before the Legislature. The Southern Nevada Building Trades has a project labor agreement with A’s for the ballpark construction.

Culinary Workers Local 226 has an agreement with the team to organize workers at the stadium once it opens. The A’s were also the main sponsors of the Nevada AFL-CIO Convention in August at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno.

The Culinary Workers Union Local 226 is the largest labor union in Nevada and alongside the Bartenders Union Local 165, represents 60,000 guest room attendants, cocktail and food servers, porters, bellmen, cooks, bartenders, laundry and kitchen workers statewide in Nevada.

This is very interesting, schools are very important any place in the country, but Nevada is the one place in the US where the hospitality business has ruled since Las Vegas was founded from the days of the first hotel resort, El Rancho Vegas, on the Las Vegas Strip in 1941, to this day.

Could the Schools over Stadiums group have been late to the party? The PAC behind the ballot measure was launched in June by the Nevada State Education Association following the approval of SB1. The Legislature approved the funding bill, and the A’s are waiting for Major League Baseball to vote for the team’s relocation request, which the Commissioner expects to take place this November, with the beginning of the construction of the new Las Vegas ballpark in early 2024.

In 2024, the American League schedule calls for the Oakland A’s to play their 81 home games at the Oakland Coliseum, where they have been playing since 1968. So what happens now? Who is going to win this? Only God knows when lawyers decide this type of stuff; if you do not understand it, you are not alone. Q:What do you get when you cross the Godfather with a lawyer? A: An offer you can’t understand.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play voice on the Oakland A’s Spanish radio network at 1010 KIQI San Francisco and 990 KATD Pittsburg and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Loss in Giants clubhouse and post season could spell Zaidi and Kapler’s demise; Could Wotus be next in line for manager’s job?

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San Francisco Giants special assistant and former third base coach Ron Wotus could possibly be in line for the Giants manager job. (AP file photo)

By Barbara Mason

San Francisco Giants team president Farhan Zaidi was asked by the Giants flagship station KNBR on Thursday did he see manager Gabe Kapler returning next season. Zaidi gave a non answer saying he appreciated that Giants owner Greg Johnson gave assurances that both Kapler and Zaidi would be returning for the 2024 season.

Zaidi talked about Kapler losing the clubhouse saying culturally when things are going right this group loves being together, they’re having fun. “But when you’re not doing well those things can be seen in a negative light,” he said.

On Monday night the Giants returned to Oracle Park taking on the San Diego Padres in a three game series. San Francisco pitcher Logan Webb had a sound outing winning 2-1. Instead of patting himself on the back for a fine outing when it was mentioned that he could be a NL Cy Young Award winner Webb gave credit to his opposing pitcher the Padres Blake Snell. He said that Snell should be the Cy Young Award winner and that he pitched a fine game.

Webb added that it’s not fun anymore. He said that the joy and fun just isn’t there right now. The Giants on Wednesday night lost after going into the top of the tenth inning with a 2-2 tie but saw three runs score for San Diego on a throwing error allowing a run and a two RBI base hit. There seems to be some malcontent in the locker room.

It was the quickest exit by the fans after the Padres scored the last two runs that had been seen at Oracle Park in a long time. The culture that Zaidi was talking about is just about all but gone. The Giants at one time had a shot at getting a Wild Card spot but went 2-8 on the previous road trip losing two out of three in Colorado, swept in two games in Arizona, and losing three out of four in Los Angeles.

The Giants really needed those wins on that road trip but it got away from them. The clubhouse after that road trip was strained at best. Kapler was stoic when answering questions at his post game meeting with the press after Wednesday night’s loss to the Padres.

When the Giants bombed on that last road trip Webb spoke up about the clubhouse mood. Then they lost two out of three to the Padres at Oracle and that mood was even more strained than on this last road trip. Johnson who seemed to be assured that Zaidi and Kapler would be back next season puts that statement in doubt.

Ironically special assistant coach Ron Wotus whose been with the Giants through four managers, Dusty Baker, Felipe Alou, Bruce Bochy and now Kapler could be a successor as manager if Kapler were to be fired. It was reported when Wotus spoke to the clubhouse all the players gave him their attention.

Webb questioned, “Why would you get to this position and not give it your best? Give it your all. I think it’s a great message, right. Because no matter what happens at the end of the year, we’re just going to go right back to the offseason and show up in spring training,” he said. He also believes that the team will do their best to try to get back into a possible post-season scenario much like the one they just blew in 2023.

Barbara Mason covers Giants baseball on the road for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

NHL podcast with Len Shapiro: Bedard anxious to get started for Blackhawks; Oilers McDavid says winning cup will complete his legacy; plus much more

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The Chicago Blackhawks Connor Bedard tunes up at training camp in this Sep 5, 2023 photo. Bedard is the biggest hyped NHL player to come up since the Edmonton Oilers Connor McDavid broke into the league. Fans and the media got a chance to look at Bedard and the Blackhawks on Thu Sep 28, 2023 when they faced off against the St Louis Blues (AP file photo)

On the NHL podcast with Len Shapiro:

#1 Chicago Blackhawks Connor Bedard says he can’t wait to get started for the Hawks. Bedard so far has played in a rookie prospect game, had one week of training camp and played in two scrimmage games. In the Western Hockey League last season Bedard lit up the lamp with 71 goals, 143 shots on goals, for 360 points.

#2 Can Bedard be that one player that can fulfill the need for the Blackhawks who dealt Patrick Kane to the New York Rangers and Jonathan Towes is out for this season and wants to come back next season at 35 years old.

#3 The Edmonton Oilers Connor McDavid said winning the Stanley Cup would fulfill his legacy as one of the game’s greatest all time players saying “the greats have won and that’s what you have to do.” Can McDavid and the Oilers have a shot at doing it this season?

#4 The Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy will be out after having back surgery for ten weeks. Vasilevskiy’s surgery was successful to treat a lumbar disk herniation. Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois said there was no long term concern, that the surgery was a success and he looks forward to Vasilevskiy’s return.

#5 At practice on Thursday the Pittsburgh Penguins were getting a look at defenseman Erik Karlsson as Kris Letang was shifted to the left flank and said that after playing left flank after 17 seasons it’s going to take some getting used to. Karlsson meantime said he’s trying to get on the same page with his All Star caliber teammates Sid Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Richard Rakell.

Join Len Shapiro for the NHL podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants Finish the 2023 Season, Hobbling Across the Finish Line Amid Season Disappointment

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San Francisco Giants’ Brandon Crawford (35) celebrates in the dugout after scoring off of a single hit by Joc Pederson during the third inning on Tue Aug 8, 2023 against the Los Angeles Angels at the Big A in Anaheim. Crawford could be playing his last game of his career or with the Giants after Sun Oct 1, 2023 at Oracle Park vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers. (AP file photo)

By Barbara Mason

The 2023 MLB season is coming to an end with three games left for the San Francisco Giants (78-81). It has sure been a roller coaster ride for the team. The Giants that trailed the Dodgers by a single game at one time not too long ago is now three games below .500.

There was a time after the all-star break that this team was playing great baseball. They were winning so many different way and had a real knack for coming from behind and winning. That all came to a screeching halt in the past several months with the Giants getting really inconsistent.

When it looked like they were getting back on track, they would simply implode. It just seemed to fall to pieces. Some of the errors that came out of this dugout were crazy, errors that you just do not see everyday. The Giants have to be feeling a real sense of disappointment; coming so close and falling just short.

Thursday the Giants had their last day off before they take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in the final three-game series of the regular season at Oracle Park. The Dodgers will be off to the playoffs and the Giants will be off to parts unknown.

It will surely be a long off-season for San Francisco suffering yet another disappointing season. The Giants has quite a list of pending free agents which include Brandon Crawford who has not yet indicated if he will retire. There will for certain be some big changes considering how this season went. A younger and faster roster would be a good place to start. 22 players are over the age of 25 and 14 of them are 30 and older.

Friday night the Dodger series will get underway with first pitch scheduled for 7:15 PM. Keaton Winn will take the mound for the Giants with a 0-0, 3.89 ERA. For the Dodgers it will be Lance Lynn that the San Francisco offense will be facing. Lynn has a 12-11 win/loss record and a 5.83 ERA.

Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman will be leading the offensive charge for Los Angles. San Francisco will be leaning on Wilmer Flores, Thairo Estrada and J.D. Davis in this final series. These final three games mean little to either team.

The Dodgers have locked in the No. 2 seed in the National League after having a tremendous 2023 regular season. They will open the division series at Dodger Stadium next Saturday. This season really went down to the wire for many of these teams and unfortunately San Francisco could not seal the deal.

It will likely be a quiet series this weekend although this is an age-old rivalry that may bring out fans rooting for both sides. It will be a farewell to the 2023 season for the San Francisco Giants missing yet another post season.

It will be an interesting and important off-season for the Giants as they make some roster changes that may be significant. Only time will tell what this team will look like as they head into the 2024 season.

Barbara Mason is an Oakland A’s podcast and beat writer at http://www.sportsradioservice.com