Author: Sports Radio Service

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Longoria expected to be out for 3 weeks after hit with 89 MPH fastball in hand

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Photo credit: @GiantsExtra

On the SF Giants podcast with Michael:

The San Francisco Giants’ Evan Longoria broke his hand during an at-bat against the Miami Marlins in game four on Thursday afternoon in Miami. Longoria will be out for an estimated three weeks and could be back by early July.

Longoria got hit in the back of the hand by an 89 MPH fast ball in the fourth inning. He realized after getting hit by the pitch that he couldn’t play or use the hand afterwards. Pablo Sandoval said Longoria is a great teammate, a great hitter, and Sandoval said he hopes his recovery is quick so that he could help the club in the postseason.

The Marlins almost swept the Giants, but Giant starter Ty Blach pitch 6 2/3 innings of shutout ball and the Giants wound up beating the Marlins 6-3 in 16 innings. Longoria was hitting .246, 10 home runs, 34 RBIs and committed 11 errors.

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

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Baseball–The Designated Hitter and the Shift

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Photo credit: mlb.com

By: Amaury Pi Gonzalez

Let’s face it.

Like it or not, the Designated Hitter is inevitably going to the National League. The DH began as an experiment that was going to be tested for three years, but it was permanently adopted by the American League and later by most amateurs and minor league teams.

As a matter of fact, the DH is used in most professional baseball leagues around the world today. Some exceptions include the NL and Little League’s rules.

The first time the DH rule was used was on April 6, 1973, on Opening Day when New York Yankees’ Ron Blomberg was inserted in the lineup as a DH, and hit for the pitcher. Since then, the DH has been used in the AL for the last 46 years.

Purists say that the DH takes away from the all-around performance of a big league player while some say a DH should never go into the Hall of Fame.  Others argue that it is not fair during postseason for an AL team playing at a NL park, since pitchers–who often are not good hitters–don’t even bat for a whole season in the AL, and they have to come to the plate.

From my memory, I recall these pitchers as decent hitters: Ken Brett, Mike Hampton, Carlos Zambrano, Fernando Valenzuela, Zack Greinke, Madison Bumgarner and many others that pitched prior to 1973 when they had to hit on both leagues.

Overall, the ninth position has been reserved for the pitcher because is usually the weakest hitter in the lineup. Majority of pitchers on both leagues have a limit pitch count, bullpens have become essential for winning, part of the transformation of the game. The older you are, the more traditional you are when it comes to this topic.
Now that one generation of people have seen the DH, and because the game currently is much more about home runs than hit and run, steal and bunt–the brainwash has been fully executed.

But, again, the DH will sooner than later will be implemented in the NL.

The Shift
In 1941, Boston Red Sox’s Ted Williams hit .406. Nobody has come near that since. The history books told us that the Shift was born when Cleveland Indians’ manager Lou Boudreau used it in July 1946. That was a more extreme version with six defenders stationed on the right side. 1946 was the first season for Ted Williams after serving the previous three years in World War II, and he ended that season hitting just .342.

Today, you do  not to be Ted Williams to see everybody on one side of the field. You can be a .240 hitter and see close to what “Teddy Ballgame” used to see. Some guys now are finally learning to go the other way, but not enough yet.

Maybe in a few years, the shift can be part of the past and in history could be considered an experiment like the DH was originally intended to be. Today’s batting averages are lower while home runs and strikeouts are higher.

If that continues, what good is the Shift if you either hit the ball over the fence or you strikeout?

I have to confess I do not care much for the Shift that we see today and I believe it will not last as long as the DH. That is only my opinion. I could be wrong, but I am not a dictator, so I will welcome and  respect your opinion.

Opinion: Three people who should leave the A’s right now

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By: Ana Kieu

OAKLAND, Calif. — The A’s appear to be working on their clock, and that’s probably not going to sit well with the Green and Gold fanbase. The A’s minority owner Billy Beane is arguably a baseball problem and not just a marketing mishap.

In the 2016 novel Beantown, author Frederik Backman wrote, “There are two things that are particularly good at reminding us how old we are: children and sports.”

That’s indeed a difficult statement for folks who are 50 years and older to dispute as their children and perhaps grandchildren have already established their own personalities in the workplace. Sports, however, is a bit of a tricky topic–its intriguing statistics and historical events have likely been engraved in our minds in our childhoods.

And, like any other baseball follower, I can recall box scores, no-hitters, and vice versa. That being said, there are some parts of MLB history that shouldn’t be continued for an extended period of time.

Without further ado, here are three people who should leave the A’s right now.

1. Billy Beanebilly beane

A’s minority owner Billy Beane has made some money-less trades in the past. The Moneyball tactics simply aren’t working. The A’s need to strength their rotation and pen their annual drafts, and Beane hasn’t been on top of things for quite a while. Also, Beane takes sure-fire chances on young guys with limited amounts of baseball experience. In addition, Oakland has had a high turnover rate with players in all positions, which isn’t going to contribute to their success on the field.

2. Bob Melvin as-manager-bob-melvin_1f7mvfmc7mlgf1o0mcalvibxhg

A’s manager Bob Melvin has been named “Manager of the Year” twice–once in 2007 and the other in 2012. But that doesn’t mean that Melvin deserves a spot in the A’s management team.

Melvin has been in Oakland for far too long. Melvin’s decisions on players have often been poor. For example, why call up Franklin Barreto if he wasn’t going to play him? Mark Canha and Dustin Fowler should’ve made the 2018 Opening Day roster instead of Barreto. Both Canha and Fowler are on the A’s roster now, but they had to be called up in order to be in Oakland.

Not only that, Melvin has mismanaged the bullpen this season. Melvin continues to put various pitchers on the mound who have shown us why they shouldn’t be out there to begin with.

3. Marcus Semien DCT160730034_Athletics_at_Indians

A’s shortstop Marcus Semien is supposed to be the lead-off hitter in Oakland, but he’s not. Semien puts up subpar numbers for a player who’s supposed to leading off. Semien has worsened the A’s defense with his countless amount of errors, so that should paint a mental picture of his incompetent defense.

There you have it. The three people who should leave the A’s right now. Let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comments section.

San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Ana Kieu: Latest news on the Black and Blue

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

On the SJ Earthquakes podcast with Ana Kieu:

1. The Quakes lost to LAFC 4-3 in a heartbreaker last Saturday. Give us your three takeaways from the disappointing match.

2. Avaya Stadium will host the U.S. national women’s soccer team vs. Chile on September 4th.

3. Speaking of women’s soccer, Sophia Jones of the Quakes Academy recently qualified for the U-17 World Cup in Uruguay with the U.S. national team.

4. The Quakes added Clear to help expedite the security lines at Avaya Stadium.

5. Tell us the latest news on Chris Wondolowski.

6. The Quakes hosted the New England Revolution last night. How did that game go?

7. What do the Quakes need to do in order to steal a road win from Real Salt Lake next Saturday?

Ana Kieu does the Quakes podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria: Trump’s travel bans concern some FIFA countries as U.S. is awarded 2026 games; Mack still no show at practices will hold out

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FIFA President Gianni Infantino, right, welcomes representatives of the united bid — from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico — as soccer’s governing body selects its host for the 2026 FIFA World Cup during the 68th FIFA Congress in Moscow, Russia.

SERGEI KARPUKHIN / REUTERS

On the Headline Sports podcast with Tony:

The 2026 World Cup soccer questions were raised during negotiations about bringing the games to the U.S. One concern that was raised was U.S. President Trump’s travel bans and travel restrictions.

Players from various countries are concerned if they’ll be able to travel to the U.S. to play in the 2026 World Cup. There are seven banned countries not permitted to have their citizens to enter the U.S.: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Soccer players from those countries could be left out and it could cause an imbalance during World Cup competition.

The U.S., Mexico and Canada are in unison in bringing the World Cup to North America. In Canada the World Cup will visit Montreal and Toronto but Vancouver had been left off the games list but as Vancouver officials said the event is eight years down the road and anything could change between now and then.

Oakland Raiders Khalil Mack continues to be hold out. Mack missed two mandatory practices on Tuesday and Wednesday. If he misses another practice, he will be facing a large fine if he doesn’t show up for Thursday.

Mack in the final year of his $13.8 million contract under a fifth year option. If Mack continues his hold out and misses all three mandated days for workouts, he’s looking at a $84,435 fine. Head coach Jon Gruden says that one of the main reasons he took the job in Oakland was because he was looking forward to working with Mack.

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

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg and Amaury Pi Gonzalez: A’s struggle with pitching and inter-division games

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Photo credit: @JosephNPun

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry and Amaury:

The Oakland A’s are 10-22 against their own division opponents. They’re nine games back. They have to win games against teams like Houston to compete in the AL West. A’s manager Bob Melvin agrees that the AL West is a good division, but the A’s have to play better.

Houston are tough customers. They’ve won six straight games coming into game two of the series with Oakland and they own the A’s this year. The Astros will start Justin Verlander (8-2) and the A’s will start Frankie Montas (3-0) on Thursday afternoon.

Pitcher Trevor Cahill is out with an Achillies tendon and the A’s have called up Chris Bassitt in his place. Bassitt was at the Coliseum on Wednesday night.

Jerry Feitleberg does the A’s podcasts and Amaury does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsrsadioservice.com

Earthquakes come back to draw with NE Revolution 2-2

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

By Marko Ukalovic and Alexandra Evans

SAN JOSE — The San Jose Earthquakes (2-9-4) are becoming a second half team as of late. Danny Hoesen scored two goals to help San Jose to a 2-2 draw with the New England Revolution (6-4-6) at Avaya Stadium on Wednesday evening. San Jose is now winless in their past six games.

The Quakes drew first blood in the 19th minute when Danny Hoesen was able to take possession of a ball off a deflection. He dribbled in from 20 yards out and fired a shot past Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner into the left corner of the net. It was Hoesen’s team leading ninth goal of the season.

Diego Fagundez got the equalizer for the Revolution in the 31st minute off a free kick from 18 yards out. Fagundez, a Uruguayan midfielder, was able to bend his shot inside the left corner of the goal beating Quakes goalie Andrew Tarbell for his fifth goal of the season.

Vako had two scoring chances to give San Jose the lead two minutes apart. In the 35th minute, he received a pretty centering feed from Magnus Eriksson from 15 yards out only to have his shot hit the right post. Then, in the 37th minute, he made a nice move dribbling between two New England defenders, but Turner made a great save on his shot that was headed for the right corner.

The Revolution would take the lead on a nice counter attack that started with Kristian Nemeth finding Fagundez in the middle of the pitch who then sent a pass over to the left side to Cristian Penilla who raced in and rifled a shot past Tarbell in the upper right corner of the goal for his sixth goal of the season.

“Mental mistakes,” said Quakes captain Chris Wondolowski on his team’s defensive lapses. “We keep shooting ourselves in the foot. When we’re organized it’s hard to break us down defensively. When we don’t track runners, get too passive, we get punished and rightfully so.”

The Quakes would answer back right out of the gate in the second half when Nick Lima chased down a ball into the right corner and was able to cross the ball into the center of the box were Hoesen was in perfect position to one-time a header past Turner into the lower left corner of the net for his 10th goal of the season and second of the match in the 51st minute.

“When things are not going well, players (can) get selfish,” said Hoesen. “But we want to get out of this thing (winless streak), it doesn’t matter who scores or gets the assists we want to help each other and be happy together.”

The Quakes had a golden opportunity for the game winning goal in the third minute of stoppage time when Hoesen dribbled down the left side of the pitch just inside the defensive box, stopped and crossed the ball into the middle that was just beyond the reach of Jackson Yueill, who just came into the game a minute earlier as a substitution for Eriksson.

Teal Bunbury, whose four-game goal scoring streak came to an end, had a point-blank shot stopped in 59th minute by Tarbell.

Quakes head coach Mikael Stahre didn’t like how his team gave up what he coined “easy goals” to New England near the end of the first half but like the fight his team showed in the second half to come back to tie to the game.

“We came out in the second half like against LAFC,” said Stahre. “We created lots of chances. I think we were better than the opponent, but (the end result) was still a tie. A step in the right direction I think.”

GAME NOTES: Quakes defenseman Shea Salinas missed his second game due to an hamstring injury. Kevin Partida was suspended for the match after earning two yellow cards in the match against LAFC this past Saturday.

Revolution defenseman Antonio Milnar Delamea earned a yellow card in the 71st minute on a sliding tackle on Magnus Eriksson. Quakes defenseman also earn a yellow marker in the 35th minute for unsportsmanlike conduct.

San Jose had 10 corner kicks as opposed to New England’s 9.

Teal Bunbury’s four-game goal streak ended.

Fatai Alashe substituted in for Yefferson Quintana in the 61st minute as Quintana was kicked in the thigh during a sliding tackle attempt earlier in the second half.

New England is now unbeaten in their last five games and their streak is now at six games (3-0-3) against San Jose. This was the third consecutive draw in the last three meetings. San Jose is 10-6-5 at home and leads the overall season 20-14-8 against New England.

UP NEXT: The Quakes travel to Salt Lake City to take on Real Salt Lake on Saturday on June 23 at 7 pm PDT at Rio Tinto Stadium.

Headline Sports with Tony Renteria: Will Trump’s travel bans make some FIFA players banned from entering US?; Raiders’ Mack still holding out

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FIFA President Gianni Infantino, right, welcomes representatives of the united bid — from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico — as soccer’s governing body selects its host for the 2026 FIFA World Cup during the 68th FIFA Congress in Moscow, Russia.
SERGEI KARPUKHIN / REUTERS

On the Headline Sports podcast with Tony:

The 2026 World Cup soccer questions were raised during negotiations about bringing the games to the U.S. One concern that was raised was U.S. President Trump’s travel bans and travel restrictions.

Players from various countries are concerned if they’ll be able to travel to the U.S. to play in the 2026 World Cup. There are seven banned countries not permitted to have their citizens to enter the U.S. Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Soccer players from those countries could be left out and it could cause an imbalance during World Cup competition.

The U.S., Mexico and Canada are in unison in bringing the World Cup to North America. In Canada the World Cup will visit Montreal and Toronto but Vancouver had been left off the games list but as Vancouver officials said the event is eight years down the road and anything could change between now and then.

Oakland Raiders Khalil Mack continues to be hold out. Mack missed two mandatory practices on Tuesday and Wednesday. If he misses another practice, he will be facing a large fine if he doesn’t show up for Thursday.

Mack in the final year of his $13.8 million contract under a fifth year option. If Mack continues his hold out and misses all three mandated days for workouts, he’s looking at a $84,435 fine. Head coach Jon Gruden says that one of the main reasons he took the job in Oakland was because he was looking forward to working with Mack.

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

 

 

 

MLB The Show podcast with Marko Ukalovic: Can Scherzer and Verlander win the Cy Young?; If Oak A’s and TB Rays don’t get new parks, will they leave town?

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Photo credit: @ESPNStatsInfo

On the MLB The Show podcast with Marko:

#1 The Washington Nationals’ Max Scherzer and the Houston Astros’ Justin Verlander are all up for the Cy Young Awards. What impresses you most about the season that they”re having?

#2 The Oakland A’s and the Tampa Bay Rays are in need of new ball parks and it seems that their having complications of achieving those goals, whether it’s money, environmental impact reports working against them to develop, or being rejected for proposed site locations.

#3 Taking those points into consideration, do you see it possible that the Rays and A’s ownership at some point will realize they are stuck where their at, won’t spend any money at their present locations and just might be forced to sell their ball teams?

#4 Several cities have expressed interest in getting MLB clubs in Portland and Montreal top that list. How much of a possibility is it that these two clubs could move and go to those towns if they can’t get anything going for new stadium in either Oakland or Tampa Bay?

#5 The Giants, after having such huge success with the Philadelphia Phillies last weekend, came into Miami and lost the first two games against the Marlins. Was it a matter of not knowing how to chart the Marlins, was it bad scouting or the Giants were just off balance when they encountered the Fish going into this series?

Marko Ukalovic covers San Francisco Giants baseball feeelance and does the MLB The Show podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca and Morris Phillips: Giants drop two straight to last place Marlins; Marlins staffed with lots of unknowns

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Miami Marlins pitcher Trevor Richards pitches during the second inning of a Major League Baseball game against the San Francisco Giants at Marlins Park on Tuesday, June 12, 2018. David Santiago dsantiago@miamiherald.com

On the SF Giants podcast with Michael and Morris:

You could have predicted that the San Francisco Giants would have gone into Miami playing in front of nobody, playing a bunch of guys they’ve never faced before. It seems to be a characteristic of this franchise back to the days of former Giants pitcher Charlie Lea–guys who haven’t beat anybody manage to notch their first Major League wins against the Giants.

It happened with the Miami Marlins starting pitcher Trevor Richards, a 25-year-old right hander. The Marlins were 0-3 coming into the game. Richards walks the first two batters. Obviously, Richards is nervous if he walks the first two guys and gives up a run in the first inning without allowing a hit. Richards goes on to allowing just two hits, struck out three and walked two batters to win the ball game.

Morris and Michael do the SF Giants podcasts weekly at http://www.sportsradioservice.com