Category: MLB

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: No Season? Who will miss it more A’s or Giants

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image from rollinghills.com: Which team will miss the 2020 season more the Oakland A’s or San Francisco Giants? Amaury has that answer below on That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary.

No Season?.Who will miss it more A’s or Giants

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

Amaury Pi-González

We have seen all the plans now for a start of the 2020 season. The latest; an abbreviated season in Arizona and Florida with no fans in the stands from Spring Training stadiums. A re-alignment of divisions with 15 teams playing in Florida and 15 in Arizona. But what if the season is cancelled?

Nobody really knows about this Covid-19virus,the medical experts first said we could have 100,000 to 200,000 dead in the country but then they said because we are practicing distancing,washing hands and other precautions,those figures will be much much lower. And that is good news.The medical experts on pandemics and epidemics talk about models like projections and predictions,like we like to do in baseball a lot of things are taken into consideration. But just like baseball is not a perfect science,these infectious viruses which are studied for years by scientist are also very unpredictable,you may say,they have a mind of their own.USA Today recently published a story that said, “no sports until there is a vaccine”.That is hard to image.

We can make a case that certain teams like Detroit and Baltimore might just be fine skipping this 2020 season. After all the Tigers finished 47-114 in last place 53 1/2 games from the Twins.The same case can be make about the Orioles 54-108 season and 49 games behind the Yankees. The word “re-structuring” doesn’t apply to those teams,they are like cars that have been totaled during an accident,you need a brand new car. We are privileged to have two teams in the Bay Area, so let’s take a look at who will miss the season more.

Athletics. They seem to be poised to win the division in 2020,after chasing the Astros the last few seasons,they are a very strong young ball-club,a solid all-around group of players with some experience very hungry for success and a potential run deep into the Postseason.

While the Astros were the biggest negative story in baseball after last year with the sign-stealing scandal still smoldering. Ironically for them (Astros) if this season is cancelled,it might be a plus for them. Many physiologists say there is much truth about that old saying “time heals all wounds”. So for the Astros if they have to wait until 2021 it might not be as bad, as for the Athletics who are ready loaded and eager to win this year. A’s will miss it.

Giants: The Giants are not picked by anybody to win in 2020. The gang is very similar,with veterans Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford, Buster Posey, Johnny Cueto and even Hunter Pence making his return to the team he loves.

Their best pitcher Madison Bumgarner is now with the Arizona Diamonbacks, a team that acquired more talent and could be contending. They have a new Manager in Gabe Kapler, taking the job left by retiring future Hall of Fame manager Bruce Bochy.

Kapler seems to be very optimistic about his first year with the Giants.Oracle Park changes.The wall that runs from left-center field to Triples Alley was moved in four-to-six feet and the wall lowered by one foot. This to help the team who finished last season 28th in all of baseball, with an anemic team offense of .239 with 167 home runs. Conclusion: Giants will not miss it.

Who suffers the most? Obviously the physique of the country. Baseball is the most historic team sport, for six months in the summer there is a game every day.The fans who will have to wait until Spring Training 2021. Teams in the 30 MLB cities, revenues, employees at the stadiums and taxes for the cities. Overall the media, radio, television, print, advertising revenue.

Players also miss a whole season in a sport where practice and repetition plays a big part,also some players will become free agents and might never return to their teams. But,at the end nobody really wins.

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” -Winston Churchill.

Amaury PI Gonzalez does News and Commentary each week and listen for Amaury’s podcast each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O: Two leagues, six divisions, two different states in MLB idea for regular seaon

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photo file from City of Scottsdale: Scottsdale Stadium in Arizona will remain empty one way or the other as fans will not be allowed to watch exhibition and regular season games from inside the park if baseball season is ever to resume

Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O:

#1 MLB is considering realigning MLB teams and canceling out the National League and American League traditional schedule where teams like the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees could be rivals.

#2 The alignment would be changing six divisions. The two different leagues would be called the Cactus League in Arizona and the other league the Grapefruit League in Florida with three divisions in each league.

#3 The idea is to play regular games in two different states with no fans in attendance in an abbreviated season how will that work for TV revenue and most importantly for radio.

#4 How will an idea like this be received by the fans? They’ll miss baseball but some might just tune out if they can’t get to the ball park or if they feel like their team is away and it doesn’t have the local feeling to it.

#5 The other benefit to it is they will all be one hour drive from each other and if they going to compact so many games in in a short amount of time this might be the best way to do it.

Charlie O does Headline Sports every other Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: With Covid cases rising will there even be a MLB season?; Greatest double play combos of all time; plus more

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sfgate.com file photo: The Oakland A’s second baseman Marcus Semien fields a grounder hit by the San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey in the August 13th 2009 game. Semien signed a contract for $13 million last season which equates to a $7.1 million raise.

On That’s Amaury’s pod:

#1 According to Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred the season could be pushed back to start as early as late May or early June. With Covid-19 cases multiplying will there even be a season?

#2 Marcus Semien the A’s second baseman will he get a new contract before the season starts or will the A’s wait until they get the clear when baseball comes back to negotiate terms with Semien?

#3 Taking  a look who was the best all time double play combinations in the game let us know your thoughts on these favorites double play combinations, From the Chicago Cubs Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, and Frank Chance, From the Brooklyn Dodgers Pee Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson, and Gil Hodges, From the New York Yankees Phil “Scooter” Rizuto, Jerry Coleman, and Moose Skowron, from the Los Angeles Dodgers  Bill Russell, Davey Lopes, and Steve Garvey, and finally from the Cincinnati Reds Dave Concepcion, Joe Morgan, and Tony Perez.

#4 Who to you were the greatest Oakland A’s teams the 1972-74 A’s? or the 1988-90 A’s?

#5 The A’s have transgressed they could very well lose most of this season to the virus shutdown, they have not secured Howard Terminal during this delayed season, and they will not broadcast any of their games on English radio.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Musuem please visit the Museum at the Oakland Coliseum during all A’s home games also Amaury does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

 

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: 2020 Major League Baseball season scenarios

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March 28, 2012 photo shows both the Seattle Mariners and Oakland A’s standing for the US and Japanese national anthems at the Tokyo Dome on opening day 2012 (AP photo)

2020 Major League Baseball season: Scenarios

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

Some of the most affected States (except Washington,one team Mariners where the first Covid-19 case was reported) are large States with multiple teams. The first coronavirus case was in a convalescent home in Kirkland, a suburb east of Seattle. But nobody is close to California. We lead the way with five teams: Angels, Athletics, Dodgers,Giants and Padres. We could be a country by itself with a population higher than France. Florida with two: Marlins and Rays. Texas with two: Astros and Rangers; Illinois with the Cubs and White Sox. Since this virus is afflicting the whole nation, we can also throw-in Pennsylvania where the Phillies and Pirates play and Ohio with the Indians and Reds. This developing story makes it hard to predict if the major league season could begin during these following dates. Here are my four most logical scenarios. From best to worst

Here are some scenarios that have been shared by others regarding this season. I generally agree with these options. 1-Late May,which would mean the All Star Game in Los Angeles Dodger Stadium in mid-July could take place. The best scenario (pending the situation of a virus who has a mind of its own) would mean 100 to 105 games season. 2-Begins in middle of June, no All Star Game and about 70-75 games. 3-Nothing more American than the National Pastime beginning with Fireworks the 4th of July. With some necessary schedule adjustments like 80-81 games, basically half a season. 4-Cancel the Season, anything after that day. It would be unreasonable to believe MLB will play a season of just August and September.

Thought history Major League Baseball seasons have been disrupted by wars,strikes/work stoppage by owners and players, national events like September 11,2001 from a terrorist attack in New York City. In 2003 Athletics vs Mariners in Japan,was postponed until later in the season,because of the threat of a military action in Iraq. That year the opener did not take place the Tokyo Dome in Japan. First game of the season was on March 30 between Seattle and Texas. We all remember the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake when then intern Commissioner Fay Vincent Jr.postponed the World Series between the A’s and Giants for 11 days. And if you research all the history of incidents that have stopped or delayed games,or seasons, I do not think a Virus is what comes to our mind. But that is the case during this 2020 season. One of the casualties is the Olympics in Japan,where that country has been preparing for years to showcase the best athletes in the world in. Yes,we can go back to 1918 and the deadly Spanish Flu, but that was a different world of much less populations as well as sports leagues. As a matter of fact KDKA Pittsburgh was the world’s first commercial radio station began broadcasting in 1920. And also the first radio station to broadcast a major league game, the Pittsburgh Pirates. Adios. Stay well.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Oakland A’s Spanish play by play announcer on KIQI 1010 San Francisco and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: A’s 1981 season short and bittersweet

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Tony Armas as an Oakland A sitting on the dugout steps for a Mother’s Cookies baseball card photo (Mothers Cookies baseball card photo)

A’s 1981 Short and Bittersweet

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

Amaury Pi-González

In 1981 there was no baseball in the major leagues from June 12 to August 10. A total of 713 games were lost. The strike was about free agent player compensation.The owners were in favor of a system in which they got a player of similar value for each player they lost in free agency.

The Oakland Athletics ended the 1981 season with a 64-45 the best record in the American League and second best in all of baseball, and also they qualified by posting the AL West’s best record in the first half (37-23) of the shortened season.

In 1981 the Athletics had one of the best outfields in the game, with Rickey Henderson in left-field, Dwayne Murphy in center and Tony Armas in right-field. Henderson led the club in batting average with .319 as well as in stolen bases with 56, Armas led the club in home runs with 22 home runs and with 76 RBIs, while Murphy was second with 60 RBIs. That was a top notch outfield offensively as well as on defense.

Tony Armas was a humble but very focus player on the field,with excellent power at the place and also a powerful arm from right field, he always told me that he was lucky, but he was really an underrated player who played hard all the time.

A couple of years after he left the A’s in 1984 with the Boston Red Sox,Tony led the Major Leagues with 43 home runs and drove 123. He was the only player in both leagues to hit over 40 home runs.A proud man from Venezuela,he was a gentleman and conducted himself professional all the time on and off the field.He retired with back problems,his son Tony Armas Jr, was a pitcher in the major leagues.

The 1981 A’s was the team of Mike Heath, Shooty Babbitt (now back with the A’s as a scout) Rob Picciolo, Cliff Johnson, Wayne Gross, Jim Spencer, and one of the all time favorites in Oakland Mitchell “The Rage” Page and many other players that contributed to that success.

Their pitching was one of the best, a very strong rotation that became even more famous the previews season (1980) with Steve McCatty, Matt Keough, Mike Norris, Rick Langford and Brian Kingman, five young starts that graced the cover of Sports Illustrated in April.

During the shortened 1981 season,Julio González (RIP) and yours truly were doing the Spanish broadcast. We traveled to Kansas City during the AL Divisional playoffs for the first two games,as the A’s swept the Royals in three games.

That was a good Royals team with George Brett, Frank White Willie Wilson,Dan Quisinberry and others,then we moved on to New York where the Yankees eliminated the A’s in a 3-game sweep.

A’s lost the first two in New York then back to Oakland where they lost 4-0 as Dave Righetti beat Matt Keough,to send the Yankees to the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Reported that World Series,with interviews,pre and post game stuff, for the three games that took place in Los Angeles for local bay area radio. It took six games for Tommy LaSorda’s Dodgers to beat Bob Lemon’s New York Yankees.

And that is how the crazy 1981 shortened season ended in baseball.

Covid 19 Sports podcast with Matt Harrington: It’s a matter of time people will be mandated to quarantine

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photo from narcity.com: Chase Center sits empty in San Francisco during the NBA Coronavirus epidemic all operations ceased since March 12th

On the Sports Quarantine podcast with Matt:

#1 Matt first weekend in history that all of sports is froze out due to the nationwide policy of banning of crowds

#2 As a reporter who covers the San Jose Sharks and also works for the Sharks and formerly the Oakland Raiders what’s it been like for you not to go to work there

#3 Speaking of work taking a look at the Golden State Warriors and San Jose Sharks day of game staff operations many employees who depended on income will now not only suffer through this pandemic but also will not receive a check and can’t pay bill up to 15,000 employees just the ones who work at Chase Center

#4 Warriors owner Joe Lacob did address there will financial hardships and this is the time that the employees who keep things going at NBA and sports sites going need help

#5 Matt it’s March 14th and on Friday the 13th players and staff from the San Francisco Giants were seen loading up equipment and going to their homes hanging up baseball for at least two weeks in a pandemic that could last until the hopefully the very latest end of May.

Matt Harrington will be updating us for all the latest on the pandemic of 2020 for the Sports Quarantine podcast every Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with London Marq part 1: March Madness many students will never get another chance; Pro Sports suspends all games going forward

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photo from lafc.com: Covid 19 breifing from LAFC and advice to fans and media

On Headline Sports podcast with London:

#1 London there will be no games going forward as the NCAA cancelled all it’s games for March Madness.

#2 MLB, MLS, NBA, and the NHL all have suspended all games in an unprecedented situation unheard of. The NBA has said they will allow players to work out.

#3 Two Utah Jazz players Rudy Cobert and Donavon Mitchell who contracted Coronavirus was the starting point to end the NBA season. Cobert today apologized for touching everything and possibly passing the virus to his teammate.

#4 Economically this has effected thousands employed in professional and college sports who work the games including much of our own staff

#5 London you covered the MLS and the San Jose Earthquakes this is a weekly game for the most part this has to be disheartening and scary for people who work at the MLS and have to make house payments and now there is no work there.

Join London each Friday for an of Headline Sports at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

Headline Sports podcast with London Marq part 2: March Madness many students will never get another chance; Pro Sports suspends all games going forward

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Empty Camden Yards in Baltimore was the site of the first MLB game played without fans in April 2015 when the Chicago White Sox played the Baltimore Orioles. This time MLB has suspended play for the next two weeks due to Coronavirus.

On Headline Sports podcast with London:

#1 London there will be no games going forward as the NCAA cancelled all it’s games for March Madness.

#2 MLB, MLS, NBA, and the NHL all have suspended all games in an unprecedented situation unheard of. The NBA has said they will allow players to work out.

#3 Two Utah Jazz players Rudy Cobert and Donavon Mitchell who contracted Coronavirus was the starting point to end the NBA season. Cobert today apologized for touching everything and possibly passing the virus to his teammate.

#4 Economically this has effected thousands employed in professional and college sports who work the games including much of our own staff

#5 London you covered the MLS and the San Jose Earthquakes this is a weekly game for the most part this has to be disheartening and scary for people who work at the MLS and have to make house payments and now there is no work there.

Join London each Friday for an of Headline Sports at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports with Tony Renteria: WHO declares pandemic; Games cancelled until further notice

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photo from sfgate.com: What maybe the last game that the Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors may play for the season or until later this season. The view of Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue Mar 10, 2020

On Headline with Tony:

#1 The Golden State Warriors have played their last game on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers as the NBA who announced suspending operations on Wednesday night after the Utah Jazz’ Rudy Cobert caught Coronavirus. The World Health Organization announced that the world is officially under a pandemic.

#2 The San Francisco Giants have announced they have canceled their pre season game against the Oakland A’s on Mon Mar 24th at Oracle Park in San Francisco. Moreover MLB, MLS and the NHL now will shut it down as they all have suspended their seasons. The NCAA and March Madness will continue but without fans in the building. 13 NCAA Tournaments are canceled and will resume next week.

#3 The Warriors originally were asked by city officials to cancel their games but at first refused after the World Health Organization announced on Wednesday that the Conoranvirus epidemic was a pandemic the Warriors decided to play their home games in front of empty seats going forward. Later the NBA suspended the season.

#4 The NHL have announced that they will suspend the remaining games of the season and this after Utah Jazz players Rudy Gobert and Donavon Mitchell of the NBA have contracted Coronavirus.

#5 Tony now with Sacramento Kings basketball suspended economically how will this impact downtown Sacramento.

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

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Will Covid 19 force MLB to cancel the season too?

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nbcsports.com photo: Oracle Park might be awfully lonely this season until there is a break in the Coronavirus epidemic as the Giants have canceled their game against the Oakland A’s on Mon Mar 24th

On the Giants podcast with Michael:

#1 How practical is it playing in empty ball parks and having teams spends lots of money on travel to play in front of empty stadiums could MLB just end up cancelling the season?

#2 The Giants have announced in working with the City of San Francisco that they have canceled their home game with the Oakland A’s on Mon Mar 24th which would have been the first game back in the Bay Area due to caution regarding Covid 19 virus.

#3 Talking about some of the players in camp Giants pitcher Logan Webb is trying to grab the last spot in the starting rotation how do you see his chances.

#4 How does Giants manager Gabe Kapler like pitchers Dereck Rodriguez, Trevor Cahill and Trevor Oakes chances to make the starting rotation?

#5 Talk about Giants outfielders Steven Duggar, Billy Hamilton, Jaylin Davis and Mike Yastrzemski and how they’ll fit in for this season?

Join Michael for the Giants podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com