Category: MLB

Oakland A’s Relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum: $48 million due on Coliseum digs won’t stop A’s from moving to Vegas

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Oakland A’s owner John Fisher seen here addressing the news media on Thu Nov 16, 2023 at the MLB Owners vote in Arlington TX. Fisher will have to come up with $48 million payment for his half of owning the Oakland Coliseum Complex property in May 2024. (AP News photo)

Oakland A’s relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum:

#1 Daniel, Alameda County who owns the other half of the Oakland Coliseum property are prepared to ask for part of the $85 million that is owed by Oakland A’s owner John Fisher who owns the other half. A contractual agreement saying if they A’s announce that they would leave Oakland which was last April. Within those 180 days after that announcement the $48 million of their half would come due. Alameda County Councilperson Donna Ziegler will make that call in May 2024 as Council vice president David Haubert said the clock started ticking on Nov 16th the day the MLB owners voted to move the A’s from Oakland.

#2 The ask by Alameda County won’t stop Fisher from moving to Las Vegas but it will free up the county from Fisher owning the other half so they could develop at the valuable property.

#3 At the time of he purchase of half the Coliseum A’s president David Kavel sent a letter the Alameda County Council in 2019 stating that they wanted to purchase half the property at the Coliseum in the event the deal at Howard Terminal failed but instead the team vied to relocate. The A’s have not said what they will do with the property now that they are leaving Oakland, but Alameda County will most likely will ask for the $45 million in May.

#4 It’s also been speculated that Fisher will hold onto his half of the Coliseum until the new Tropicana ballpark in Las Vegas is in fact under construction and shovels are indeed in the ground. Also does Fisher have an extra $45 million that will be due in May 2024?

#5 In early September the African American Sports and Entertainment Group asked the Oakland A’s if they could buy their half of the Coliseum the A’s declined. In hindsight Haubert said there should have been clear conditions in the contract saying to the A’s “you either stay in Oakland, at Howard Terminal or the Coliseum, or else the deal’s off.”

Join Daniel Dullum for the Oakland A’s relocation podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Michael Duca: Blue Jays and Dodgers at top of Ohtani sweepstakes; A’s owe $48 million for Oakland Coliseum real estate; plus more news

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The Los Angeles Angels Shohei Ohtani rounds the bases after connecting for a two run home run against the New York Yankees at the Big A in Anaheim on Mon Jul 17, 2023 (AP News photo file)

On Headline Sports with Michael Duca:

#1 Michael, the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes continue to with the latest sources saying that the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers are top contenders for the two way player. Can you see either of these two teams in bidding war for Ohtani?

#2 Michael, some critics can’t see the San Francisco Giants signing Ohtani because of the above teams are pretty much at the top of the list for Ohtani. Where do you the Giants chances in signing Ohtani?

#3 Michael, it was reported in a the next day or two Alameda County Councilperson Donna Ziegler per vice president David Haubert of the five person Alameda County board will be reaching out to Oakland A’s owner John Fisher that he owes the county $45 million part of his $85 million purchase of the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum site. The deadline was for 2026 but a stipulation was made if the A’s made an announcement that they’re leaving Oakland the payment would be due 180 days after the team made that announcement which was made on April 19th. The A’s could say they did not make any announcement of leaving Oakland. How do you see this being worked out?

#4 Michael, longtime Boston Red Sox play by play announcer Joe Castiglione was voted into the Major League Baseball Ford C Frick wing of the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Castiglione has called Sox games for the last 41 years beat out three Bay Area broadcasters San Francisco Giants TV announcers Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow and Oakland A’s radio play by play announcer Ken Korach.

#5 Michael, Giants manger Bob Melvin said that he’s happy that coach Alyssa Nakken will remain on the coaching staff in San Franicsco. Melvin said that her becoming the first woman in MLB history to coach first base was “really cool she broke ground like that.” You’ve had several conversations with Alyssa tell us your thoughts of her breaking ground and returning to coaching with Melvin at the helm.

Michael Duca is a podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Joe Castiglione Winner of the 2024 Ford C. Frick Broadcasters Award

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Joe Castigilone photo from Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame

Joe Castiglione Winner of the 2024 Ford C. Frick Broadcasters Award

By Amaury Pi-González

Joe Castiglione, the Radio Voice of the Boston Red Sox, is the recipient of the 2024 Ford C. Frick Award for Broadcasters. Castiglione has been the voice of the Red Sox since 1983. “It was a really ‘can you believe it” moment, he said during a brief conference call made by the Hall of Fame.

Castiglione is a humble broadcaster and one of the most recognizable voices in baseball, especially in New England. For a Boston Red Sox franchise record of 41 years, Castiglione has called Red Sox games on the radio. He is the longest-tenured broadcaster in Red Sox history; he is 76 years of age and was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2014.

Joe Castiglione has shared the microphone with partners including Bob Starr, Dave O”Brien, Jerry Trupiano, and Will Flemming while also teaching broadcast journalism at Northeastern University, Franklin Pierce University, and Emerson College.

Congratulations, Joe, well deserved.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez does News and Commentary podcasts Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Gondola for the Dodgers

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A rendering of a proposed Dodger Stadium gondola project that would aim to ferry up to 5,000 passengers an hour from Union Station in downtown L.A. to the stadium. (LA Aerial Rapid Transit)

Gondola for the Dodgers

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Remember when the A’s talked about building a Gondola to transport people to their future new home at Howard Terminal? It was in January 2019, and it was met with many bad jokes, primarily by cynical A’s fans. Something similar is in the works for the LA Dodgers to alleviate traffic to the games at Dodger Stadium. The Los Angeles Aerial Rapid Transit gondola was proposed by Aerial Rapid Transit Technologies LLC, an entity created by McCourt Global.

The company’s CEO is Frank H. McCourt, who owned the Los Angeles Dodgers and the stadium from 2004 to 2012. Originally, the LA gondola was said it would cost $125 million. Still, after all the environmental studies (as usually happens in costly California constructions), the cost now looks like a half-billion dollars for the project.

The aerial system would get fans from downtown to Dodger Stadium in about seven minutes, from Union Station to Dodger Stadium. Up to 5,500 people per hour in each direction, which means that 10,000 fans could be transported to Dodger Stadium two hours before the start of a game.

Anybody that has attended games at Dodger Stadium has experienced the incredible amount of traffic, going to a baseball park that averages about 47,000 fans per game. Dodgers have led MLB in attendance for a few years now.

No city in North America has more automobiles than Los Angeles, so a Gondola to Dodger Stadium is a practical and it is not a joke, it makes sense. Coincidentally, as projects go, if approved, the gondola would take thousands of fans from Union Station downtown to Dodger Stadium in seven minutes, just in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics.

The gondola is planned to be inaugurated in 2028, the same year the Oakland Athletics plan to inaugurate their new ballpark in the Las Vegas Strip, but…without a gondola. Finally, and ‘for the record’, The City of LA to Dodger Stadium gondola was planned years before the Oakland A’s announced they wanted to have one for what was to be their new home at Howard Terminal.

Gondola Trivia: The original gondola has existed in Venice, Italy since the 11th century. It is estimated that there were eight to ten thousand gondolas during the 17th and 18th centuries, most over the canals of Venice. There are only 400 hundred in active service today. Most of them used by tourists.

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

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Top five teams pursuing Ohtani; Hinch gets long term deal with Tigers; plus more news

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Detroit Tigers manager AJ Hinch received a contract extension on Mon Dec 3, 2023. The Tigers didn’t name the amount of years but said it was a long contract. (Athletic file photo)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amaury, talk about some of the teams that have shown interest in obtaining free agent Shohei Ohtani are the Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, and the San Francisco Giants.

#2 How ironic is it that former Houston Astros manager AJ Hinch who kicked out of Houston for the garbage can drumming scandal now is the darling of the Detroit Tigers as manager. Hinch was reportedly signed by the Tigers on Monday for a very long time. Hinch and the Tigers finished the 2023 season 78-84, the Tigers seventh straight losing season. The Tigers are very confident that Hinch can get this club turned around.

#3 Jimmy Leyland who led the Miami Marlins to the 1997 World Series championship was voted into the MLB Hall of Fame last Sunday. Leyland was named on 15 of 16 ballots. Leyland becomes the 23rd MLB manager to get elected to the hall a string that started in 1980. The Leyland is also remembered for managing the Detroit Tigers and Pittsburgh Pirates.

#4 The Miami Marlins hired former San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler as assistant general manager on Monday. Kapler who lead the Giants to a 296-248 record during his tenure. Kapler also led the Giants to 107 wins in the 2021 season. This was the only Giants team to win 107 games and make it to the post season under Kapler. The Marlins still haven’t named a general manager to replace Kim Ng who had stepped down from the GM role.

#5 Amaury, with Formula One Race making Las Vegas their home Bally’s Hotel and Casino say this is a big opportunity to give the company and profits in entertainment when the Oakland A’s ballpark is built. The Rhode Island based company Bally’s says it plans to demolish the Tropicana to make way for the A’s ballpark and plan to include a plaza with the park. The entire space is 35 acres with nine acres dedicated to the ballpark.

Join Amaury for News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Why Ontani could soon be with the Dodgers

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Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani celebrates in the dugout while wearing a hat after hitting a home run against the Seattle Mariners during the eighth inning of a baseball game Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023, in Anaheim, Calif. The Los Angeles Dodgers are odds on favorites to win the Ohtani sweepstakes. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Why Ohtani could soon be with the Dodgers

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

These are the three main reasons the two-way Japanese superstar could quickly sign with the Dodgers.

Why are the Dodgers the favorites to sign Shohei Ohtani? 1-He has repeatedly said he wants to stay on the West Coast. 2-He wants to be with a winner, and the Dodgers have won 10 divisional titles since 2013, three NL pennants, and a World Series, and they play here on the coast.

Three only a super-rich team can sign him, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are one of those teams, owned by the Guggenheim Baseball consortium. So, what is not to like for Ohtani?

It is well known by now that baseball sensation and free agent Shohei Ohtani is much more comfortable playing in southern California. He has played all of his six-year career at pitching-friendly Angel Stadium in Anaheim. If Angel Stadium is pitching-friendly, just 35 miles up Interstate Highway 5 there is a park that is even harder to hit a ball out, and that is Dodger Stadium.

The Los Angeles Dodgers makes all the sense in the world for the fantastic two-way player to set his new home beginning this next 2024 season. It is expected Ohtani could make a decision as early as Monday, the fourth of December.

On Monday, December 4, the Baseball Winter Meetings begin in Nashville, Tennessee. Shohei Ohtani is the biggest catch possible, and the Dodgers are one of the favorite teams to land the Japanese star with a salary that could reach $600 million.

The Dodger’s biggest and most historic rivals, the San Francisco Giants, have the money and the desire to land that box office attraction, especially since last season they struck out twice with two biggies, first Northern California native Aaron Judge, who stayed with the Yankees, and later with Carlos Correa who signed with the Twins. In both cases, the Giants went public and told their fans they were after these two superstars.

For Giants fans, It was like dangling a piece of candy in front of a 3-year-old and then pulling it back. Ohtani’s agent is Nez Balelo, one of the top agents in the baseball business, who Forbes also lists as one of the most potent agents in the world. Balelo is in the class of super-baseball agent Scott Boras.

Winter Meetings are scheduled from December 4-7. There is more than a 50% possibility that Shohei Ohtani will be signing his new contract, which will be, by far, the biggest in baseball history and one of the biggest in all sports. The 2-time MVP had successful elbow surgery last September; he is expected to hit in 2024 and return to the mound in 2025.

Quote: -“MVP with ease. He should win it every year. What he’s doing is insane. All of us at the highest level can’t believe our eyes. Truly remarkable. Be thankful you get to witness a real GOAT” – Chicago Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman after Ohtani struck out ten players and hit two home runs in a win over the Chicago White Sox.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez for That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum: Will A’s dump Tropicana for a third ballpark site?; Will Fisher have financing troubles for stadium?

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The Foutainbleau location insiders say the A’s would consider the 27 acre site over the current ballpark site at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino. The site is close to Circus Circus and Stratosphere on the Las Vegas strip (photo by the Las Vegas Review Journal)

On the Oakland A’s relocation podcast:

#1 Daniel a lot of discussion this past week since the owner approved the Oakland A’s move to Las Vegas where will A’s owner John Fisher get funding for the stadium his share is $1.1 billion. He’s checking out possibilities for a loan from Goldman Sachs and his family as the State of Nevada has approved $380 million in public money for they’re share of the Tropicana ballpark.

#2 If Fisher can’t get the funding outright it more than likely will kill the deal. Bally’s could kick in but at $ 1.5 billion that’s a tall ask and will they end up being the ones being on the hook. Major League Baseball owners could shore up but still that’s a pretty steep bail out for Fisher.

#3 Schools over Stadiums is viewed as a long shot to get some 102,000 signatures on a petition that would put a referendum on the Nov 2024 ballot that would stop the $380 million public funding of the A’s Tropicana ballpark.

#4 The A’s are possibly looking into a third location near the Fountainbleau on the North East end of the strip, it would be near the Stratosphere, and Circus Circus. This third location is 27 acres as opposed to the nine acres the A’s are working with now. With the bigger site will the cost to John Fisher run more than the $1.1 billion he’s looking at with the nine acre Tropicana?

#5 Schools over Stadiums are planning to redo the petition at the advice of the judge who turned the petition language down in the last hearing on Mon Nov 6th. Once they get their consultation done with their legal staff Schools over Stadium will present the petition language to an Nevada appeals court and move forward with getting the 102,000 signatures split up amongst four Nevada districts.

Daniel Dullum does the Oakland A’s relocation podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum: Will A’s dump Tropicana for a third ballpark site?; Will Fisher have financing troubles for stadium?

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The Foutainbleau location insiders say the A’s would consider the 27 acre site over the current ballpark site at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino. The site is close to Circus Circus and Stratosphere on the Las Vegas strip (photo by the Las Vegas Review Journal)

On the Oakland A’s relocation podcast:

#1 Daniel a lot of discussion this past week since the owner approved the Oakland A’s move to Las Vegas where will A’s owner John Fisher get funding for the stadium his share is $1.1 billion. He’s checking out possibilities for a loan from Goldman Sachs and his family as the State of Nevada has approved $380 million in public money for they’re share of the Tropicana ballpark.

#2 If Fisher can’t get the funding outright it more than likely will kill the deal. Bally’s could kick in but at $ 1.5 billion that’s a tall ask and will they end up being the ones being on the hook. Major League Baseball owners could shore up but still that’s a pretty steep bail out for Fisher.

#3 Schools over Stadiums is viewed as a long shot to get some 102,000 signatures on a petition that would put a referendum on the Nov 2024 ballot that would stop the $380 million public funding of the A’s Tropicana ballpark.

#4 The A’s are possibly looking into a third location near the Fountainbleau on the North East end of the strip, it would be near the Stratosphere, and Circus Circus. This third location is 27 acres as opposed to the nine acres the A’s are working with now. With the bigger site will the cost to John Fisher run more than the $1.1 billion he’s looking at with the nine acre Tropicana?

#5 Schools over Stadiums are planning to redo the petition at the advice of the judge who turned the petition language down in the last hearing on Mon Nov 6th. Once they get their consultation done with their legal staff Schools over Stadium will present the petition language to an Nevada appeals court and move forward with getting the 102,000 signatures split up amongst four Nevada districts.

Daniel Dullum does the Oakland A’s relocation podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Oakland Ballers–Rooted in Oakland

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Oakland Ballers executive vice president of baseball Operations Don Wakamatsu speaks during a news conference Tuesday at Laney College in Oakland, Calif. (Associated Press)

Oakland Ballers – -Rooted in Oakland

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND–As the sign “Rooted in Oakland” is scheduled to be removed from the west wall of the Oakland Coliseum before the beginning of the 2024 season, another team has been rooted in Oaktown. They are the Oakland Ballers or the Oakland B’s.

The group says they have raised $2 million from investors and pledged to the community that they “will never leave Oakland.” Anybody can become a part owner of the team by contributing to this initial push. Like the NFL Green Bay Packers, the Packers are owned by more than 500,000 community shareholders. Owned by the city’s fans.

This Tuesday, the independent Pioneer League announced that it will add a new expansion team, the Oakland Ballers, to the newly planned Pacific West Division. The Pioneer League is an independent baseball league that operates in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States.

Its teams are not directly affiliated with Major League Baseball. It is designated as an MLB Partner League. So, Oaklanders can now claim: “We already have an expansion team.”

Starting in 2024, the Oakland Ballers will play in the Independent League. There are two types of professional minor league systems: Independent and Affiliated. The Ballers will be Independent and, therefore, not affiliated to any of the 30 major league teams.

This league is considered a Rookie-level league. And the teams are Missoula PaddleHeads, Ogden Raptors, Rockey Mountain Vibes, and Billings Mustangs.

The Oakland B’ s are scheduled to begin their season in May 2024 and will play their home games at the Laney College baseball field in Oakland, with a capacity of approximately 800. 

Throughout the season, each team plays in 96 games, from May to September, in a split schedule between the North Division (Billings, Missoula, Great Falls, Glacier, and Idaho Falls) and the South Division (NoCo, Rocky Mountain, Grand Junction, Boise and Ogden. (This was before the recent announcement of the Oakland Ballers.

Some might consider this some kind of a joke, but it is not. People who like organized baseball can enjoy a new team in Oakland since the: “old team, the one that won four World Series in Major League Baseball since 1968, has decided to tell Oakland fans, “Adiós, nos vamos a Las Vegas”.

Ballers Rooted in Oakland?  As Yogi Berra would say, “Déjà vu all over again.”

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

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: A’s considering modeling Vegas park after Globe Life in Arlington

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Talk of the Oakland A’s modeling their new Las Vegas ballpark after Globe Life Field in Arlington complete with retractable roof. The Las Vegas A’s park is expected to be completed by 2028. (photo from Ballparks of Baseball)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amaury, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal the Oakland A’s are looking at Globe Life Field in Arlington as a blue print for their Tropicana Ball Park. Globe Life was built in 2020 has a full retractable roof and seats 40,000. The A’s last proposal said they would seat 30,000 fans at the Tropicana in Vegas.

#2 A retractable roof at the A’s Vegas ball park most likely will only be opened maybe 10-11 times a season as it gets up to 102-1110 during the summer month of June, July and August. If the A’s have a retractable roof it will be at the cost of $100 million.

#3 Amaury, the A’s if they have the retractable roof will be using the park not only for baseball but for multi purpose events like concerts and public events. The question is can the A’s sell out every event like they say they can for the next 30 years some would say it’s doubtful.

#4 According to Dave Sampson the former Miami Marlins team president who podcasts on the show “Nothing Personal” said that the A’s deal to Vegas is not done yet despite the owners voting 30-0. There are two things that could hold things up John Fisher the team owner still needs to come up with his share of the construction money for the Vegas ballpark. Fisher is hedging his hopes that financing will be from tourism. The Vegas fan base will be too small to support the A’s but visitors from out of town are who the A’s are hanging their hats on.

#5 The question as to where the A’s play after 2024 is still up in the air as the Oakland Coliseum is the best location for the A’s to play 2025-27 in. The A’s have explored minor league parks and Oracle Park in San Francisco as places to go to but still don’t have an answer yet.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com