Category: MLB

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: World Series Best team Houston vs. Hottest team Philadelphia

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Sixto Zapata, right, and Mike Lidecker paint the field at Minute Maid Park ahead of Game 1 of baseball’s American League Division Series, Monday, Oct. 10, 2022, in Houston. The Houston Astros host the Philadelphia Phillies for Game 1 of the 2022 World Series on Fri Oct 28, 2022 in Houston (AP News file photo)

World Series: Best team Houston vs Hottest team Philadelphia

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

With all respect to the Los Aneles Dodgers, the Houston Astros are the best team in baseball this year. Does that mean they should win the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies? Hold on! Not necessarily. For a while I stopped making predictions in the World Series during the 1988 classic between the A’s and Dodgers.

We all know what happened, the Athletics were the very best, and the Dodgers did not matched ‘player by player’ with Tony LaRussa’s team. I was there with the A’s for the three consecutive series appearances and I thought the A’s should have won all three, they were that good, but they could only beat the Giants in 1989.

To predict a World Series is like to predict a hurricane; you can track it from the moment it becomes a hurricane and then you predict it is going to land in one place, and all of a sudden it changes course and goes where you never thought. That is my best analogy about predicting World Series. Remember the recent Hurricane Ian? All the experts in meteorology predicted it was going to hit the Tampa area, but it never did, it went inland miles to the south in Ft. Myers, Florida.

Houston has a better bullpen, better pitching and All-Star lineup, they won 106 games during the regular season. The Philadelphia Phillies won 87 games and they have last year’s NL MVP Bryce Harper. They know they’re good, but nobody expected them to be where they are today.

The 2022 World Series begins this Friday at Minute Maid Park, Houston. The Phillies are on a roll, they have great momentum and they have played with passion and great confidence, but that could be stopped tomorrow when they face Justin Verlander in the first game of the classic. Verlander will be named American League Cy Young Award winner.

Houston has the home field advantage. Games one and two at Houston, games three, four and five (if necessary in Philadelphia) games six and seven back at Minute Maid Park, Houston.

This is the best chance for Dusty Baker to win his first World Series. He lost to the LA Angels the 2002 as skipper for the Giants and took the Astros to the 2021 World Series only to lose to the Atlanta Braves. Now Dusty takes this Houston team (very similar to last season, minus Justin Verlander, who was rehabbing from Tommy John surgery) to this Fall Classic. Dusty is the ninth manager in history to win pennants in both leagues, he is the oldest manager in baseball and the one with the most wins (2,093) who has never won a World Series.

This is his best shot. Last time Houston visited Oakland I asked Dusty, “is this the best team you ever managed? He did not answer but paused and then grin and said it was “one of the best”. Dusty’s Astros won the AL West 16 games over second place Seattle.

The Philadelphia Phillies fired their veteran manager Joe Girardi early in the season when his team had a 22-29 record and replaced him with Rob Thomson who won the pennant and took them to the World Series.

Prediction: Astros have the experience and they have been here recently, but I would not be shocked if the Philadelphia Phillies upset the Astros. The Houston Astros will win in six (6) games.

The Phillies have to win one of the first two games at Houston, if they do not, the Astros could continue the ‘sweep express train’, they swept the Seattle Mariners in three games during the ALDS and swept the New York Yankees in four games to win their fourth American League pennant in six years.

Dusty’s team is undefeated during the postseason. Last time the Astros lost a game, was at the end of the regular season on September 30, when they lost to Tampa Bay. So here comes the World Series, no Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, Braves, Red Sox or White Sox. It is the Astros and Phillies! Definitely not the dream series the FOX Network envisioned. That was Yankees vs. Dodgers, a coast-to-coast spectacular.

Houston has won one World Series, 2017 over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Houston’s win was tainted by MLB for stealing signs. A.J Hinch was the Astros manager. Phillies have won two World Series, 1980, 2008.

Mascots? Not even close, Philadelphia’s Phillie Phanatic has a huge lead over Astros Orbit.

The World Series will be exclusively on FOX Sports, which will call its 25th Fall Classic in its 27th season as the official network broadcaster of MLB.

Game 1: Friday, Oct. 28 in Houston at 8:03 p.m. ET on Fox

Game2: Saturday, Oct. 29 in Houston at 8:03 p.m. ET on Fox

Game 3: Monday, Oct. 31 in Philadelphia at 8:03 p.m. ET on Fox

Game 4: Tuesday, Nov. 1 in Philadelphia at 8:03 p.m. ET on Fox

Game 5 (if necessary): Wednesday, Nov. 2 in Philadelphia at 8:03 p.m. ET on Fox

Game 6 (if necessary): Friday, Nov. 4 in Houston at 8:03 p.m. ET on Fox

Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday, Nov. 5 in Houston at 8:03 p.m. ET on Fox

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

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: MLB Dropped the ball during this year’s 2022 MLB Summer Draft and 2021 All Star Game

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MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred addresses the media from MLB headquarters on Fri Sep 9, 2022. Manfred earlier this season moved the 2022 MLB Draft as well as the 2021 All Star Game out of Atlanta due to what Manfred termed voter suppression that would impede voters ability to cast votes in the State of Georgia. Manfred then moved both events out of Georgia. (AP News file photo)

MLB Dropped the ball during this year’s 2022 All Star Game

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

The 2022 summer’s Major League Baseball Draft and the 2021 All-Star Game was not held in Atlanta, as it was originally scheduled. The withdrawal of the events that were to take place in July of this year was in response to Georgia’s enacted voting restrictions, which many in Washington, (including the President) called “Jim Crow in the 21st century. Because they say the legislation will disproportionately affect communities of color.

“I have decided that the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport is by relocating this year’s All-Star Game and MLB Draft,” Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. said in a statement at the time. “Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box.”

However, today we know that Major League Baseball overreacted. As of today with roughly two weeks before the national mid-term elections close to one million people have voted in Georgia, during the early voting, in person or via email. All polls regarding this matter are predicting that this mid-term election, coming in November 8th, will break all the voting records in the history of the State of Georgia. Because it is already on the way to a record.

Now we know, that the leadership of Major League Baseball made a big error, by removing the 2021 All Star Game from Atlanta to Denver, Colorado. Atlanta, Georgia prepared for this event yearns in advance. For Georgia it represented great lost of revenues, estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars to the Georgia economy, specially to the city of Atlanta among their local businesses that were poised to celebrate the mid-summer classic with thousands of tourist and baseball fans during the celebration of the All Star Week, which would have culminated with the All Star Game July 19, 2021.

The Commissioner of Baseball made a decision, that was more political than about baseball and it backfired on him big time. He wanted to be ‘politically correct’, overreacted and it blew up in his face. If Mr. Manfred ever had aspirations, once his reign as Commissioner expires to go into the political arena, this “move” probably killed those possibilities and he will have to live with it the rest of his life.

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

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Dusty’s best shot to win first World Series: Astros-Phillies game 1 Friday

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No doubt about it Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker (12) is a players manager and they have responded by advancing to the 2022 World Series. It could be Dusty’s first World Series win of his managing career (AP News photo)

On That’s Amaury’s podcast:

#1 Amaury, Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker has managed in the World Series before but never has won one. This Friday he will get another turn in game 1 of the Fall Classic can Dusty’s Astros beat the Philadelphia Phillies?

#2 It was quite a ALCS with the New York Yankees for the Astros sweeping them in four games they were not distracted by all the booing at Yankee Stadium and focused on keeping the Yankees out of the run.

#3 Amaury game 5 was a razor close game for the Astros winning it by one run 6-5. The Astros scored their runs in bulk four times in the top of the third and twice in the top of the seventh enough to hold onto win.

#4 Talk about Dusty’s chance to get the ring if he can win this World Series against the Phillies.

#5 You’ve had many opportunities to speak with Dusty over the years in talking with him the coveted ring has to be on the top of his list.

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

Headline Sports podcast with Jessica Kwong: Astros Alvarez beats M’s with one swing of the bat in walk homer; Yanks Cole and Rizzo provide help in 4-1 win over Cleveland; plus more

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The Houston Astros Yordan Alvarez watches flight of his home run in the bottom of the ninth to defeat the Seattle Mariners at Minute Maid Field in Houston on Tue Oct 11, 2022 (AP News photo)

On Headline Sports podcast with Jessica:

#1 Jessica lets look at the MLB playoffs from Tuesday night. The Houston Astros took the first game of the ALDS getting by the Seattle Mariners at Minute Maid Field in Houston 7-5. The Astros Yordan Alvarez crushed a three run walk off homer in the bottom of the ninth for the win.

#2 The New York Yankees got a 4-1 win past the Cleveland Guardians at Yankee Stadium. Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole pitched 6.1 innings, four hits, one earned run, one walk, and eight strikeouts for the win. Anthony Rizzo hit a home run and had two RBIs in the win.

#3 The Philadelphia Phillies just got by the Atlanta Braves 7-6 at Truist Park in Cobb County. The Phils held onto to the win despite the Braves scoring three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning in a last attempt to come back.

#4 The Los Angles Dodgers drew first blood in game one of the NLDS defeating the San Diego Padres 5-3 at Dodgers Stadium. The Dodgers scored early with two runs in the bottom of the first inning and three runs in the bottom of third inning.

#5 Lastly Jessica the Guardians pitcher Nick Sandlin will miss the rest of the 2022 post season after going through an MRI that showed he has a major muscle injury in the right shoulder. How will Sandlin’s absence impact the Guardians pitching in the post season?

Join Jessica Kwong for Headline Sports Wednesday night at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: 3 game Wild Card format favorable; Chapman cut from Yankees after Friday workouts no show; plus more

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New York Yankees pitcher Aroldis Chapman is lifted by manager Aaron Boone in the top of the eighth inning at Yankee Stadium against the Boston Red Sox on Thu Sep 22, 2022. Chapman has been cut from the roster for the ALDS during the 2022 post season. (AP News file photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amaury, how much of an improvement is it that the Wild Card went from one and done to a best of two out of three format?

#2 The New York Mets and San Diego Padres NLWS had some excitement when that series ended it up a in a 1-1 tie something you wouldn’t see in Wild Card games past.

#3 On Sunday the New York Yankees pitcher Aroldis Chapman did not show up for a mandatory workout Friday at Yankee Stadium manager Aaron Boone said that Chapman has been removed from the post season roster.

#4 Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said that you have to be all in at this time of the year and the Yankees have players who are fighting for a spot on the roster and Chapman not only let the team down by not showing up but he chose to be absent.

#5 Amaury, I know you occasionally get an invitation to call the play by play on either the MLB Network or Telemundo for post season after the regular season is completed where are you on that and I know you look forward to that each post season?

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the play by play voice for Oakland A’s Spanish radio network and does That’s Amaury News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Why Aaron Judge will stay a Yankee

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Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees has lots to smile about. Here is Judge in the Yankees dugout on Wed Oct 5, 2022 in Arlington. The Yankees host the Cleveland Guardians at Yankee Stadium in New York for game 1 of the ALDS Tue Oct 11, 2022 (AP News photo)

Why Aaron Judge will stay a Yankee

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

Aaron Judge will be named the MVP of the American League. He had one of the most remarkable seasons ever for a player in the major leagues. Ending with a new American League record of 62 home runs and without any doubt the most valuable of all players on his team.

Judge was hitting throughout the whole season when his teammates were also hitting early in the season and later when the Yankees struggle to score runs. He was the only Yankee hitting the ball and driving in runs.

Brian Cashman, the Yankee’s General Manager on behalf of the Yankee ownership, offered Judge a 7-year deal worth $213.5 million, prior to the start of the 2022 season. Judge did not swing at it. This past June, the Yankees and Judge agreed to a one year (2022) deal, signed for $19 million just to play this season and avoid arbitration.

Now that Judge established the new AL record, his price has skyrocketed to be much more than the $213 million (peanuts contract) that the Yankees originally offered him. We are looking at minimum of between $300 to $400 million, to start, for his services in a multi-year deal.

There are rumors that some teams will go after Aaron Judge this off season, among those mentioned are the San Francisco Giants. Judge was born in the town of Linden in San Joaquin county, a small town of around 1,700 residents, some 95 miles from San Francisco, a two hour drive.

The Giants haven’t had a real slugger since the days of Barry Bonds, and Judge would be a great improvement for the Giants, or in the middle of other teams lineups.

However, it makes all the sense in the world to expect the Yankees to retain Aaron Judge. The storied franchise now can claim how they got to 62 home runs, after all it was Babe Ruth who originally established the record of 60 in 1927, to be broken by another Yankee, Roger Maris 61 home runs in 1961 and yet to be broken again with another Yankee, this time Aaron Judge, this season 2022 with 62.

All three Yankees! It sounds so good and rhythmic that it could be written, and probably will, into a song. I doubt the Yankees want to break that chain.

The New York Yankees can now offer Aaron Judge the money he wants in order for him to end his career as a Yankee, the only team he has played for. Judge will make the Yankees all the money and then some, to easily give him that great contract, marketing, merchandise, publicity and prestige plus.

The Yankees in my opinion offer Judge a better opportunity to be in a World Series than the San Francisco Giants. Why? Because they are the Yankees! They spend all the money and each and every year they have only one goal, to win the World Series, and they have won 27 of them.

The Yankees won the AL east, and this Tuesday. the 11th will host the Cleveland Guardians, who won the AL Central Division, at Yankee Stadium for the ALDS best of five.

Aaron Judge led the Major Leagues in runs scored with 133 in home runs with 62, runs-batted-in 131, on-base percentage .425, slugging percentage, total gases, led in walks with 111. Was second in the American League in batting average with .311, missing the Triple Crown by six points.

It was the Minnesota Twins Luis Arraez who won the batting crown in the American League with a .316 average. Without Arraez winning the batting title, Aaron Judge would have been the first man to win the Triple Crown since Miguel Cabrera (Detroit) in 2012.

“Pot of Gold awaits Aaron Judge, it’s yet to be determined how much it weighs, but it’s a pot of gold, no doubt about it” -Yankees GM, Brian Cashman.

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

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Las Vegas is not just for Gambling anymore

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Al Capone bobblehead photo from Amaury Pi Gonzalez

Las Vegas is not just for Gambling anymore

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

The moment you mention Las Vegas, gambling comes to mind, of course. But that is becoming less and less the case. Las Vegas Tourism reports that millions of people are coming to their city each year from all over the world for pure entertainment, and not just for the slot machines or the tables, poker, baccarat or sports betting.

It is a total family destination. The biggest entertainers in the world, perform at the Las Vegas strip. It is not only the Las Vegas (once Oakland) Raiders of the NFL or the NHL Golden Knights. The Las Vegas Grand Prix, Formula 1 is taking place November 2023, there is information and tickets are selling already over a year from the popular racing event. Basically, Las Vegas is the ultimate “event oriented” city.

This is far from the Las Vegas of the 1960’s at the Sands with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr., and Shirley McLaine, yes, she was also part of the “Rat Pack”. The 1970’s when Elvis make his big comeback as “The King” and opened the International Hotel, which later became the Las Vegas Hilton and since then now it is the Westgate.

The names might have changed, but Sin City is growing in stature every year. If you visit Las Vegas you will see tour guides with groups of people from France to China, from Japan to Germany to Australia.

There was a time in the young history of the City of Las Vegas (Founded in 1905) when the biggest businesses were gambling and legal prostitution. But today a watering hole in the middle of the desert founded by mafia characters, very much depicted in Hollywood movies, like Casino, and Bugsy is growing in many ways. Construction is everywhere.

Las Vegas has the most hotel rooms of any city in the United States, as of January 2016, 167,730 rooms; today close to 200,000 rooms. Is Las Vegas a city without problems? No, not by any means. Water is a very important commodity and an obvious necessity, after all, it is a city in the middle of the desert.

The US government issued a water shortage declaration on Colorado’s river in January 2022 and Southern Nevada’s water allocation was reduced to 7 billion gallons.

How about the A’s? I have talked to a lot of regular fans, and a lot of bay area people. The majority believe the A’s are moving to Las Vegas, some say they will not, some tell me “move already!” others still have faith in Oakland, and the rest are Sharks and 49ers fans and some are Giants fans, but not that many this year.

LAS VEGAS INFORMATION: Around 1 million residents between Las Vegas 644,594 and Henderson 309,955. It is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, a State with approximately 3 million people. City of Las Vegas is the number 40 designated media market in the US. STATE OF NEVADA: Does not have an individual income tax. Does not have a corporate tax but a gross receipt tax.

IF YOU VISIT LAS VEGAS: Although is not recognized as a city of museums, I recommend you visit the Mob Museum and pick up the ultimate bobble-head. My favorite, the Al Capone Bobble-head, a must!

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Baseball Hall of Fame Museum and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Breaking Even: Giants win 8-1, finish season at .500 for the first time in franchise history

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By Morris Phillips

Manager Gabe Kapler knows this situation all too well. The Giants franchise hasn’t ever experienced a break-even, season finish in their history dating back to 1883.

Finishing at .500 (81-81) one season after winning 107 games isn’t ideal, but it is history. The Giants finish to 2022 marks just the fifth time a 100-win club has finished the following season without a winning record. The Giants may have not wanted that distinction, but they’ll take this one: they’re the first team since the 1925 Cardinals to be as many as eight games below .500 with 16 games remaining to finish .500 or better. Beating the Padres 8-1 on Wednesday gave them a 12-4 finish, and a clear sign that the club is engaged, not splintering, under Kapler’s leadership.

Some good, some bad. But more good than bad, just ask the manager.

Kapler has five seasons leading a big league club under his belt–the last three in San Francisco–and his 2019 Phillies team also finished 81-81. Conversely, that club lost 12 of its final 17 to finish that season at .500, and in his first season in Philly (2018) Kapler’s club led the NL East in early August only to win just 16 of their last 49 and finish with a losing record (80-82).

On the final day of 2019, the Phillies fell behind the Marlins 4-0 only to rally and come up short in a 4-3 loss. Eight times that day, Phillies’ hitters came up empty with runners in scoring position when one, successful at-bat could have pulled them even with the Marlins and given them a chance to win, and post a winning record. The Citizens Bank Park fans weighed in as always, by cheering Bryce Harper, who completed his first season in Philadelphia with 35 homers and 114 RBI, and booing Kapler.

“Expectations were high and we didn’t get the job done, but it wasn’t for lack of effort,” Kapler said after that game.

Eleven days later, Kapler was fired by Philadelphia, which freed him up to interview and be tabbed by the Giants to become their manager in 2020.

This finish will be far easier to digest for the team and the manager. David Villar homered twice in the win over the Padres, the second one with style as Villar’s drive bounced off the racing Jurickson Profar’s glove and into the first row of seats in left field. That gave the Giants a 7-1 lead in the eighth inning as they took full advantage of a Padres’ team that was more focused on their cross-country flight to New York for their first their first post-season encounter with the Mets on Friday night.

Austin Slater also homered in the win, and Lamonte Wade Jr. had three hits and an RBI. The three knocks were just enough to get Wade’s batting average to .207, a far more dignified end to his season than with the .198 average he started the day with.

Mike Yastrzemski had a pair of hits and two RBI. Yaz finished the season as one of only four Giants to get over 100 hits (104).

Joey Bart had a day as polarizing as his season as a whole. While he finished with a single and a run scored, he also struck out three times. Bart will need to cut down on his strikeouts (112 K’s in 97 game appearances) going forward, but his first, full season as the club’s catcher was a success behind the plate. Bart’s defense was impressive and memorable, as was his handling of the pitchers. On Wednesday, Bart helped eight relievers navigate the paired-down Padres lineup, allowing just four hits and a run, with the run allowed by opener John Brebbia in the first inning.

Again the bad: the Giants finished the season with 28 losses to the Padres and Dodgers combined. Against all other opponents they were 71-53. The newly-configured schedule for 2023 will see the Giants play their two tormenters six fewer times each as MLB switches to a more balanced schedule with increased interleague play.

Will that help the Giants? It could, but a headline-generating off-season filled with a couple of splashy, free agent signings will be the key to answering that question. All signs point to the Giants being heavily involved in attempting to sign slugger Aaron Judge, as well as their own free agent, starting pitcher, Carlos Rodon.

The Padres (89-73) qualified for the post-season for only the second time in the last eight seasons, but now find themselves facing a daunting task. They’ll play a best-of-three series in New York against the 100-win Mets. In order to prevail, they’ll have to face the challenge of seeing standout starting pitchers Jacob de Grom, Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt on consecutive days. If they don’t prevail, post-season baseball won’t come to Petco Park.

From a business and a momentum-building standpoint, nothing could be more important. In 2022, the Padres drew 2,987,470 fans, the fifth-highest in the majors this year and the second-highest in franchise history behind 3,016,752 in Petco Park’s inaugural season of 2004.

“More than anything we want to win the series so we can see playoff baseball here in San Diego,” slugger Wil Myers said.

Vogt homers in last career at bat to give A’s 3-2 edge over Halos at Coliseum; Oakland sweeps LA in three games

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Oakland A’s catcher Stephen Vogt rounds third base after hitting a go ahead home run in his final career at bat in the bottom of the seventh at the Oakland Coliseum off Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Zack Weiss on Wed Oct 5, 2022 (@Athletics photo)

Los Angeles (73-09). 2. 6. 0

Oakland (60-102). 3. 4. 0

Wednesday, October 4, 2022

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND-In a famous essay published in “Take Time for Paradise,” one time professor academic administrator, and, incidentally, MLB Commissioner , A. Bartlett Giamatti publicly confided that baseball “breaks your heart, it is designed to break your heart.

The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone.”

The final alliteration gently calls attention to the puns on “fall,” the season of the year and the consequence of man’s first disobedience. You can hear the leaves fall, while the persistence of aural memory also suggests a slight, stuttering misreading of the phrase to give us “leaves you to face the fall all alone,” all of which makes the whole paragraph vibrate beyond all the fancy writing of its opening sentence.

Giamatti expresses a true sentiment, and does it beautifully. But it is a limited, parochial sentiment. Baseball’s reach extends beyond New England. where Giamatti was born, studied, taught, and eventually reigned over Yale University.

Try telling that to a baseball fan from the vast reservoir of baseball talent that is the Caribbean basin! The Caribbean Series ends in early to middle February, just days before pitchers and catchers report to the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues.

The climate of the San Francisco Bay Area isn’t as harsh as that of New Haven,CT, and enviorons. That’s one reason why the old PCL used to have seasons of more than 200 games. But we do have an autumn, and that does

contribute to the sadness we feel when the baseball season ends, successfully or, as happened to both our teams this year, in failure.

The the game, a squeaker that the A’s won 3-2 on an emotional filled home run by Stephen Vogt, ended a high note, and the sadness, at least for me, set in later.

It was a warm, sunny day in Oakland, but there still was a resigned sadness mixed in with the festive cheering among the 11,232 fans in the old ball park before Vogt’s electrifying homer.

The presence of Sohei Ohtani on the mound and at the plate added to the emotional complexity of the game. Even A’s fans wish him well and appreciate the added excitement he brings, especially when pitching, to the game. His performance today in that category was excellent.

Ohtani set down the first 13 batters he faced, not allowing a baserunner until he issued a 3-2 walk to Vogt with one down the the bottom of the fifth Chad Pinder followed that with Oakland’s first hit, a ringing double to left that moved Vogt to third. Ernie Clement ran for Pinder, but it was Vogt who scored the tie breaking run on a sac fly to center by Conner Capel.

That ended Ohtani tenure on the mound, but he stayed in the game as designated hitter. His pitching line was one run, earned, on one hit and a walk with six strikeouts over five innings. He threw 69 pitches, 46 for strikes. He was charged with a tough loss left him at 15-9, 2.33.

At the plate, Ohtani went went one for four and made the final out in the in the Halos’ last ditch attempt to tie the game in the eighth.

The numbers that Ken Waldichuk, Oakland’s starting pitcher, brought with him (1-2,6.28) were no match for Ohtani’s (15-8,3.55), but the young left hander more than proved himself up to the ocassion. He threw seven innings of three hit shutout ball, walking just one batter and hitting another. He struck out four Angels and threw 100 pitches, 62 of them for strikes.

Waldichuk earned his second win, evening his record at 2-2 while his ERA dipped to 4.93

Nash Walters was the new Halo hurler in the bottom of the sixth. He lasted the minimum allowable three batter, allowing a one out single to Tony Kemp and a walk to Sean Murphy.

Portsider Rob Zastryzny took over and retired Seth Brown and Jordán Díaz. The two runners advanced a base on a wild pitch to Díaz, but no one scored, and the A’s retained their 1-0 lead.

Zack Weiss replaced Zastryzny replaced Walters for the home seventh and faced Vogt, who pulled a Ted Williams on Weiss’s first pitch. It was the fan favorite’s last at bat, and he pulled a 94 fastball 369 feet into the right field seats.

Oakland tacked another run on to that with a one out single by Capel, who stole second before García struck out on a wild pitch that put runners on the corners. Capel then scored on Allen’s sac fly to right that put the home team ahead 3-0.

The Halos closed the gap to 3-2 after Norge Ruíz replaced Waldichuk in the seventh. Jo Adell opened with a triple to right center that originally was

scored as a double and a error, but the scorer checked the video and gave Adell the three base hit. Logan O’Hoppe smacked a pinch hit single to left to make it 3-2.After Rengifo grounded into a 6 unassited-3 DP, Trout blasted his 40th home run of the year, a monster shot 462 feet into the upper deck in straightaway center field.

That brought Kirby Snead in from the bullpen to put out the fire with a ground out to third by Ohtani. That and a perfect top of the ninth gave Snead his first save of the year.

Jaime Barría retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth.

That’s all, folks, for 2022.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: The Hispanic Heritage Hall of Fame Museum presents A’s President honorary plaque

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photo provided by Amaury Pi Gonzalez (left) as the author presents the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum and Hall of Fame the Victor A. Suarez Notorious Community Service Award plaque to Oakland A’s president David Kaval on Tue Oct 4, 2022 at the Oakland Coliseum

The Hispanic Heritage Hall of Fame Museum presents A’s President

By Amaury Pi-González

October 5, 2022

OAKLAND– Oakland A’s Executive Offices, Oakland Coliseum. Mr. Dave Kaval, President of the Oakland A’s received The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum and Hall of Fame plaque for his cooperation with the museum events, from the Fan-Fest, to the Museum at the Coliseum to other events supporting this non-profit organization.

Mr.Dave Kaval receives the Victor A. Suarez Notorious Community Service Award at the Oakland Coliseum Athletics Executive Offices.

Mr. Kaval is looking forward to the A’s new home at Howard Terminal, Oakland and the Museum as part of the whole baseball oriented entertainment center that will revitalize the City of Oakland.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Hall of Fame Museum and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com