Category: MLB

Not much headway between MLB and the MLB Players Association as both sides remain deadlocked. With arms crossed MLB Players Association executive Tony Clark (file photo New York Times)

MLB Negotiations: Billionaires vs Millionaires, and for the rest, “Let them Eat Cake”

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

The negotiations between owners and players associations/MLPA in New York City, ended on Friday. Thursday MLB proposed that a Federal Mediator will be appointed, today the players rejected it. Everybody went home, have a nice weekend everybody, see you Monday!

Thousands of people depend on baseball during the season, from regular ushers at the parks, to independent contractors that sell merchandise inside the park, parking attendants, to people that work in the maintenance of the park from ground crew to electricians and just regular laborers, people that clean and many others.

Most people do not realize that most players do not play in their hometown, temporary housing has to be found, housekeepers, babysitters, schools for the kids, and the infrastructure for your temporary home during the season. A lot of logistics.

Team’s staff, personnel that is only hired during the season, not ‘year round’ is affected. Television and radio technicians that are employed also game by game, season by season, broadcasters who do not have necessarily have an ‘iron clad’ contract or get paid regardless if there are games or not are affected.

Not every technician and/or broadcaster is represented by a Union; some teams do not hire union people but free-lancers. Local revenues in television and radio broadcasts in baseball are seriously affected. In some markets some radio stations do not produce the games, but they sell time to the teams, who then hire their own people to broadcast the games or in some other cases, it is not “clear” who the broadcasters really work for.

When Billionaires fight against Millionaires and there is an impasse, there is a perception by the public at large that they do not care about the regular “humans” that have to work eight or more hours for a living.

Not to mention the huge economic impact on each city and most stadiums. Example: the thriving business community around San Francisco Giants Oracle Park, some of those business need the baseball season, they are just blocks and around the park and depend on each season for the foot traffic and customers.

Spring Training (economy) barring a miracle of a very quick agreement, Spring Training in Arizona and Florida will not start on time. It is scheduled for mid-February. I have been traveling to the Phoenix, Arizona area for decades, the 15 teams that train there each year bring tourism from all over the country, thousands of fans go to see their teams, and many take vacations.

I have met many fans throughout the years that are the famous “snowbirds” they travel down from Illinois, Minnesota and those cold States during this time of the year for the sunny and perfect weather of the Arizona desert (just try to buy a ticket for a Cubs game) in February and March.

Same happens in Florida where the other 15 teams trains each year, these cities economies are also affected. Spring Training has become so popular that you must reserve a hotel in December if you want to have a room, and some hotel chains they take your reservation six months in advance.

To what limit are the owners and players willing to go? Do they know they are risking the total destruction of the industry and the amount of damage that will inflict to communities across the country?

This Collective Bargaining Agreement is at a key moment for the health of this sport. This is not 1994 when the last strike took place. In fact social media came about in 1997, recently Facebook has broadcast live games, and You Tube is also coming soon.

It took four years after the 1994 strike for baseball fans to come back. In 1998 the McGwire vs. Sosa home-run race, brought back the interest for many fans, even the most cynical of fans “returned”.

This time baseball might be living right at the precipice and like the old 1965 hit song by Barry McGuire (not related to Mark McGwire) “The Eve of Destruction”. Let’s hope that is not the case.

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

The best four starters in Baltimore Orioles history from left to right Mike Cuellar, Pat Dobson, Dave McNally, and Jim Palmer (photo file from reddit.com )

The Fantastic Four

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

There are only two times in Major League history that a team was lucky to have four 20-game winners on the same staff during the same season. It first happened in 1920 with the Chicago White Sox. But the most recent (and the one some of us of age remember) were the Baltimore Orioles in 1971.

The 1971 season, the two best teams in the majors (by record) were the Orioles 101-57 and the Athletics 101-60. The Orioles swept the A’s in three games in the American League Championship Series. In the National League Championship Series the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the San Francisco Giants 3 games to 1.

The defending World Series Champion Baltimore Orioles took on the Pittsburgh Pirates and advanced to the World Series against the underdog Pittsburgh Pirates who won it in 6 games, as Roberto Clemente showed the world his talents and took home the MVP award.

But, perhaps the biggest story in baseball was the Orioles with their Fabulous Four starters: Miguel (Mike) Cuellar, Pat Dobson, Dave McNally, and Jim Palmer. Only one is alive today to talk about that memorable season, Jim Palmer.

The times I have spoken with Palmer, (a broadcaster for Orioles TV), he always mentioned how impressed he was with Roberto Clemente and even though his team lost the series he smiles just remembering that 1971. Back in 1971, we were 26 years away from the Inter-league “experiment.”

The Orioles and Pirates have only seen themselves during Spring Training. By the way, I was lucky and privileged to broadcast when the Giants visited the Rangers at Texas in 1997 and that was the very first Inter-league game in history. I always liked the idea of inter-league games, I liked it in 1997 and I like it today.

In 1971 Orioles Mike Cuellar 20-9 with a 3.08 earned run average. Pat Dobson 20-8 with 2.90, Dave McNally 21-5, 2.89, and Jim Palmer 20-9, 2.68, he is the only Hall of Famer of the four.

Mike Cuellar was a professional pitcher at 19 years of age in the old Cuban professional Winter League with the Alacranes (Scorpions) of Almendares. Cuellar had a killer screwball and previously in 1969 became the first and only Cuban-born pitcher to win the Cy Young with a record of 23-11 and 2.38 earned run average.

The best season ever by a Cuban-born pitcher in Major League Baseball was that of Adolfo Luque with the Cincinnati Reds in 1923 with a record 27-8 and 1.93 earned run average and completed 28 games. The Cy Young Award was first given in 1956, so Luque missed the Cy Young by 33 years.

The Fabulous Four arguably was one of the best rotations in history. Of the four starters, three; Dave McNally, Mike Cuellar and Jim Palmer won Cy Young Award during their careers. It has been 51 years since that great pennant-winning season for the Orioles.

How much has pitching changed? It is evident, as we look at last season (2021) where only one pitcher won 20 games, Julio Urias the Mexican-born young lefty of the Los Angeles Dodgers who ended with a 20-3 and 2.96 record in 32 games he started.

This will continue as the real importance of pitching is now relegated to the bullpen/relievers and less dependent on the starters, who basically are expected to go the first five innings. Dramatically the classic quote by pitching coaches a few years ago when they asked a starter “give me six good innings” has really become, “go at least five, please”.

However, we cannot underscore the 1971 accomplishment by the Orioles Fabulous Four starting rotation, since then nobody has been able to duplicate and in today’s with five-men rotations, forget it, winning 15 games is like “wow, what a season”.

In 2016 the San Francisco Giants signed pitcher Jeff Samardzija for 5-years for $90 million, his best season was his first with Giants in 2016 when he won a total of 12 games, and he is currently a free agent.

Note: Spring Training 2022 in Arizona and Florida is scheduled to open February 14; however, this could be delayed or even worse, canceled if there is not an agreement signed between MLB and the Players Union during the current Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations. These sessions of negotiations are taking place in New York City, face to face between the two parties. The baseball season is scheduled to begin on March 31.

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

Pete Rose who most likely will never see the Hall of Fame once said “Im totally over the Hall of Fame” (image from Fox Business)

So What About Pete Rose?

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

The no-election this week of guys like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa and others that played during the 80’s and 90’s and have very impressive records, during the “steroids era” has brought back all the arguments by fans from 9 to 90 about why they should have been elected or not and the injustice of it all.

Among fans, like everything is sports, it depends if the player is one of your favorites that played for your favorite team, then you will “forget” all those things. For example, if the Giants took a poll of their fans today, if Barry Bonds should be elected or not, I have little doubt that it will be a Yes vote by at least 90 percent. They’re fans.

For the sake of argument, let’s imagine Bonds was a Dodger, then 90% of the Giants fans would be happy he did not get elected. This is typical “fan-hood 101”.

Pete Rose is banned for life and only maybe in another life he could be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Late last year he said that betting on baseball (which he says he now does legally at casinos) “was the only mistake I’ve made”. His numbers are solid and without the gambling, he would have been inducted in the first ballot many years ago, and probably unanimously.

Nobody is close to 4,256 hits in a 24-year career in which ten times he hit 200 or more hits in a season and ended with a .303 batting average. Mr. Hustle was all about playing every day, every inning, every minute, with the passion that made him famous. But, gambling in baseball is the cardinal sin.

Hypocrisy? Of course, in 2018 MLB announced that MGM has become its official gambling partner. Commissioner Rob Manfred: “there’s been a huge change in public opinion in sports gambling”. Draft Kings is a daily fantasy game in baseball where you can score win points and win money, by drafting a lineup of MLB players while staying within the salary cap.

But, at the end it is a game, is far from the same as playing in the majors and betting while you are playing. Pete Rose has said in the past “I never bet against the Reds”. But it doesn’t matter, because we know gambling in baseball is a well established no-no, which might as well be written in stone.

There has always been cheating in sports (all sports) and probably there will always be. Specifically in baseball from fixing/throwing of the 1919 World Series by eight Chicago White Sox players, to the steroids era, to a few years ago when the Houston Astros were accused and punished for stealing signs electronically during games.

For baseball to induct Pete Rose in Cooperstown, it would have to be a major change of rules and that is not happening, and might never be when it comes to gambling (which by the way it is a serious addiction to many, not only in baseball but in every sporting event conceivable) I doubt there will be a change during most our us lifetimes.

As humans we are all flawed. I have never seen anybody walk on water yet and the only time I could find something similar is in The Holy Bible (Mathew 14:25) the most influential, most sold and read book on earth, the best seller list of the NY Times is just a ‘speck in the universe” compared to “the book”.

The Hall of Fame Today’s Game Committee is scheduled to meet later this year and players that were in the game from 1988 to 2016 will be considered. Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens have a good chance.

Although it might not be a dishonor to be elected that way, another great San Francisco Giant, Orlando Cepeda, as well as others were elected in what I like to call “the second election.” However, the second time around doesn’t have the same prestige and impact as it was originally meant to be on electing superstars.

In my heart, I feel for Pete Rose, I saw him play and I covered him, but such are the rules, and I honestly believe he knows he will never be in Cooperstown. For the record: the following infield-compadres of Mr. Hustle during the “Big Red Machine”dominance of the 1970’s are all in the Hall of Fame; Johnny Bench (C), Tony Pérez (1B) and Joe Morgan (2B).

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

Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer David Ortiz looks to the heavens on June 24, 2015 after hitting a two run home run against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. Ortiz was voted into the Hall of Fame Tue Jan 25, 2022 by the BBWAA (AP News photo)

David Ortíz Elected to the MLB Hall of Fame

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

David “Big Papi” Ortíz was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, in Cooperstown, New York during his first year of eligibility today. He received 77.9 percent of the vote by the BBWAA. He becomes the fourth player born in the Dominican Republic to make it to Cooperstown, the others are Juan Marichal, Pedro Martínez, and Vladimir Guerrero.

Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling, on their tenth and final year of eligibility simply ran out of time. David Ortíz (the only player to be elected) played for 20 years, mostly as a designed hitter, an iconic player for the Boston Red Sox, and one of their most popular players ever.

During his career “Big Papi” hit 541 home runs and was selected to 10 All-Star Games. Considered one of the best clutch hitters in postseason history.

A player must get to 75% to be elected. Here is the final voting. David Ortiz: 77.9 percent (Elected) Barry Bonds: 66 percent Roger Clemens: 65.2 percent Scott Rolen: 63.2 percent Curt Schilling: 58.6 percent Todd Helton: 52 percent Alex Rodriguez: 34.3 percent Others: Jeff Kent 32.7, Manny Ramírez 28.9, Omar Vizquel 23.9, Sammy Sosa 18.5, Andy Pettitte 10.7, Scott Rollins 9.4, Bobby Abreu 8.6, Mark Buehrle 5.8, Tori Hunter 5.3, Joe Nathan 4.3.

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