Category: Oakland Athletics

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Maddon excited to face his old team Cubs; Will Matz meet the Mets; plus more

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photo Angels manager Joe Maddon

On That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast:

#1 What’s it like for former Chicago Cub manager Joe Maddon to play against his former team the Cubs as Angels manager.

#2 What does it say for the Angels organization formerly working in Anaheim picking up a manager like Joe Maddon.

#3 The New York Mets are inquiring about Steven Matz of the New York Yankees. Matz has a 4.05 ERA over the last four seasons and could turn free agent what are the Mets chances of getting Matz?

#4 The Oakland A’s Jesus Luzardo threw for three innings on Sunday in his second start this spring. Luzardo pitched for the Las Vegas Aviators last season in seven starts and had an ERA of 3.19.

#5 A’s manager Bob Melvin says that Tony Kemp may not end up being the A’s lead off hitter but he’s been getting some good at bats, Kemp hit a double and went 8-18 and Melvin says that Kemp is seeing left handed pitching pretty good too.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio voice for A’s baseball on KIQI 1010 San Francisco hear all A’s home games on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Amaury does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: For 2020 Predictions Los Atleticos My predictions for this upcoming 2020 season

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file photo from sfchronicle.com: Oakland Athletics shortstop Marcus Semien fields a grounder by San Francisco Giants’ Buster Posey, who was out at first during a baseball game in San Francisco. Semien will look to build momentum from a career season that included being top three in the AL MVP voting. He was rewarded with a new $13 million, one-year contract to avoid arbitration, a raise of $7.1 million

2020 Predictions: Los Atléticos

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

Amaury Pi-González

My predictions for this upcoming 2020 season.

(American League West)

1-Oakland Athletics 2-Houston Astros 3-Los Angeles Angels 4-Texas Rangers 5-Seattle Mariners

Oakland A’s  (Offense) This is the year everything will come together for the Athletics. For the second year in a row finished with an excellent 97-65 record and behind the Houston Astros. They will catch and pass the scandal-riddled Houston Astros.

A’s are a powerful offensive force with numbers that do the talking. Among all 30 teams,the A’s finished fifth in home runs with 257,number eight in runs scored 845 and number ninth in runs driven-in with 800.

The team of the greatest base stealer ever, and in my opinion the best all-around player in the history of the Oakland A’s,Rickey Henderson who stole 1,406 bases during a stellar Hall of Fame career,only stole 49 bases last season,which put them close to the bottom,only three teams in baseball stole less bases.

But nobody is perfect,that is not their game, only the Giants, Twins and Cubs stole less bases than the A’s. Unfortunately (if you are old school) at this time in history where 30 homers for a player is “normal” and many say boring,the stolen base is like the bunt,”Breaking News”when it happens.

(Pitching) Bob Melvin A’s had the sixth best earned run average for a pitching staff in baseball with 3.97. Only Astros, Dodgers, Rays, Indians and Cardinals showed a better ERA. Their 2020 staff is one of the youngest and most talented in the game. Sean Manaea, Jesús Luzardo, Frankie Montás, A,J Puk, Mike Fiers starting and leading the way.

(Bullpen) Liam Hendriks (25 saves and 1.80 ERA),who took over Blake Treinen as closer was robbed of the Reliever of the Year Award by New York Yankee closer Aroldis Chapman,but was one of the reasons the A’s got to the AL Wild Card game.

The only reason Hendriks did not win the award is because he pitches for the A’s and Chapman for the Yankees. The market was the deciding factor. However,the Astros had the top bullpen in the AL West and third best in baseball last year with ERA (3.75) and batting average against (.226). Roberto Osuna led the Astros with 38 saves,second in baseball only to San Diego’s Kirby Yates with 41.

(Defense) Los Atléticos finished tied with the Atlanta Braves as the fourth best defensive team in baseball,with a .987 fielding percentage. and committed total of 80 errors,only Cardinals,Royals, Houston and Braves committed less. It all starts with the Golden Corners; Matt Chapman and Matt Olson, both Gold Glove winners,plus a mostly improved Marcus Semien at shortstop,and very a talented outfield with Ramón Laureano in center field. Ramón’s arm is one of the best – nobody runs on him.

2020 A’s are very similar to 2019.The second base position still wide open, they acquired veteran Tony Kemp but also have A’s minor league star Jorge Mateo as well as Franklin Barreto who already have some major league experience with the club, as well as Sheldon Neuse and then there is Rule 5 pick Vimael Machín.They are all candidates at the second-base position that Jurickson Profar left vacant after he signed with the San Diego Padres.

Conclusion: It will be a battle for the division between the A’s and the Astros. Now under Dusty Baker,the Houston team still one of the best group of players in baseball,it should not be easy for the A’s, but they are ready for battle. It is of great importance that the A’s win the division,because they are starting to get the label that they cannot win a Wild Card game.

The LA Angels with the addition of one of the finest hitters and all around players in third-baseman Anthony Rendon, who will now be in a lineup with MikeTrout, Justin Upton,Shohei Othani and future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols hitting sixth or seventh,they will score tons of runs, but they are still short of pitching.Good luck to a great baseball guy,Joe Maddon, now back in Anaheim as manager.

Texas will be Texas,Joey Gallo might hit 50 home runs,so what? and the Seattle Mariners will continue to look up to the others in the division. Seattle a great city that once had stars such as Ken Griffey Jr. Edgar Martínez, Randy Johnson, Ichiro Susuki, Féliz Hernández, Jaime Moyer, Raúl Ibañez and others, but for this season they will be a sad again. Mariners remain the only team in the division never to win the pennant.

Atléticos First Homestand features two Divisional champions. A’s Open 2020 this Thursday March 26th at 1:07PM with the first of a four games against the Central Division champion Minnesota Twins followed by the Western Division champion Houston Astros for a three game series starting Monday. The Twins loaded with power set a new MLB record last season with 307 home runs and the Astros lead the regular season with 107 wins.

Coronavirus Note: WHO(World Health Organization)tips about this virus. 1-Wash hands frequently 2-Maintain social distances 3-Avoid touching,eyes, nose and mouth 4-If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the play by play announcer for the Oakland A’s Spanish radio broadcasts and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Athletics Radio-Not the First Time

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photo from Amaury Pi Gonzalez working in the Oakland Coliseum pressbox 19 during the 1979 season

Athletics Radio – Not the First Time.

Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND–In 1979 during the last season of Charlie O Finley ownership of the Oakland Athletics, the team did not sign a local commercial flagship station to broadcast their games locally.

Finley sold the broadcast rights for $1 dollar to the University of California Berkeley, their campus radio station.. Their play by play announcer was Larry Baer, now a SF Giants top executive, Baer broadcast weekend games and just across the glass next both, Box 19, Amaury Pi-González was broadcasting weekends in Spanish for KBRG 105.3FM “Hot Hits” San Francisco.

KBRG (popularly known as KBRIDGE) one of the pioneer Spanish radio format stations in California. The A’s made a big change this 2020 season ending their relationship with KTRB radio 860AM who was their flagship station.All the games this season will be air for free on TuneIn.

A’s Cast, the Oakland A’s 24/7 audio streaming station on TuneIn, is now the official home of A’s audio content, including all 2020 game broadcasts, podcasts, and daily sports shows. Every Spring Training and regular season game in 2020 can be heard exclusively on A’s/ Although the A’s do not have a Bay Area station their retain and will air them on their radio network.

Ken Korach will return for his 25th season with the A’s and his 15th as the team’s lead radio announcer, pairing with Vince Cotroneo, who will begin his 15th season with the Club. Ray Fosse will also make special appearances in the booth throughout the season.

The A’s are also expanding their Spanish-language broadcasts on TuneIn to include coverage of every regular season home game in TuneIn and Spanish radio. Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday home game Spanish-language broadcast will also air on KIQI (1010 AM, San Francisco Bay Area) and KATD (990 AM Pittsburg) covering Sacramento/Stockton and surrounding areas.

So, that’s it, “That’s the way the ball bounces”

Amaury Pi-González will return for his 27th season with the A’s and 43rd season overall in MLB. Pi-González will be joined by Manolo Hernández-Douen, who will begin his 12th season as an A’s analyst.

 

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: MLB: Rules changes for 2020 (English and Español) MLB: Rules changes for 2020 (English and Español)

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nypost.com photo: MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has changed baseball’s rules and with so many changes Amaury lists and explains them below

MLB: Rules changes for 2020 (English and Español) MLB: Rules changes for 2020 (English and Español)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

Amaury Pi-González

We might as well go to “baseball school”so we can learn more of the new rules.slowly but surely the National Pastime continue to go through a series of changes. These are the categories that will go into effect this 2020 season. For all fans pleasure and entertainment,here they are.

1-The Three-batter minimum. For all intent and purposes,this is “the one”.
All pitchers, starters and relievers now have to face at least three batters (or pitch until the inning is over) before they come out of a game. The only exception is an injury or illness that prevents the pitcher from being able to finish his three batters. Main effect of this rule will be on the specialist relievers (the ones used to face one batter for a favorable match-up) the perennial lefty coming out of the bullpen just to get a lefty out.

That is gone,there will be none of this beginning this season. Also could impact teams that use the “openers”, who are usually starters that are used just to pitch the first inning of a game.These “openers” are pitchers that start the game to match up specifically against the top of the opposing order. Starting this season an opener will have to face at least three batters even if he had a bad match-up in that start, –This three-batter rule is already on effect this current Spring Training Roster Limits.

2-Roster Limits: 26 man rosters.Teams active rosters are being increased from 25 to 26 players for the regular season (through August 31) and during postseason. Teams are limited to carrying a maximum of 13 pitchers.

3-Smaller Rosters in September:MLB is adjusting the size of September rosters to 28 players,including a maximum of 14 pitchers.

4-Two-way Player Designation: Totally new. A “two way player” somebody who can both hit and pitch, like Angels Shohei Otani or Reds Michael Lorenzen,who appears as a reliever and also plays the outfield.. The “two way player” has not been seen in MLB since the days of the legendary Babe Ruth*,the most famous of all “two way players”. This rule will let these players stay on the roster as a position player and pitch in games without counting their team 13 pitchers limit. If you designate someone as a “two way player” they have to stay that way through the end of the year.
*When Babe Ruth played in the 1910’s and 1920’s it took 1 hour and 51 minute on an average to complete a game.

5-Position Players Pitching:Position players are allowed to pitch only if a game goes to extra innings,or If their team is winning or loosing by more than six runs.During normal circumstances in a nine-inning game only the teams 13 designated pitchers (or two way players) are allowed to pitch.

6-The 27th man: What used to be the 26th man is now the 27th man, thanks to the new 26 man roster size.

7-Injured List and Option Periods: Pitchers and two-way players are returning to a 15-day injured list.That is once they are placed on the IL, they cannot be reinstated for 15 days. The IL (injured list) used to be 15 days for all players until the 2017 season,when it was reduced to 10 days. Position players will still have a 10 day IL under the new rules. Also,pitchers who are optioned to the Minor Leagues now have to remain there for 15 days rather than 10. The option period for position players remains at 10 days.

8-Challenge time: Managers now have 20 seconds to decide to challenge a play instead of 30.

__________________________________________________________________________________

MLB: Nuevas reglas para temporada 2020

Amaury Noticias y Comentarios

Por Amaury Pi-González

Hay que regresar a la “escuela de béisbol” para aprender más de las nuevas reglas. Lentamente pero seguro el Pasatiempo Nacional continua con una serie de cambios. Estas son las categorías que se pondrá en práctica apartir de esta temporada 2020. Para deleite y entretenimiento de los aficionados,aqui están.

1-Enfrentar un Mínimo de Tres Bateadores(en efecto desde el Spring Training 2020) Este es el cambio más importante.
Todos los lanzadores, asi sean abridores ó relevistas, deben de lanzarle mínimo a tres bateadores ó acabar la entrada para poder ser relevados por otro lanzador. La única excepción a la regla será cuando un lanzador se lesione ó tenga una enfermedad que le impida lanzarle al mínimo de rivales ó terminar el inning,los tres bateadores. El máximo efecto sería en los relevistas especialistas, por ejemplo un pitcher zurdo que sale a enfrentarse a solo bateadores zurdos. Esto no existe para el 2020. La regla también puede afectar aquellos equipos que usan un “opener” -típicos relevistas que los usan para iniciar el juego. Ahora el “opener” tiene que enfrentarse a por lo menos tres bateadores,aún si las cosas no le salieron bien contra los bateadores a los cuales se enfrentó.

2-Cambios en los Rosters: La lista se expande a 26 jugadores, De lo que eran 25 el año pasado a 26 jugadores para el 2020 con un máximo de 13 que pueden ser lanzadores.

3-Rosters más Pequeños en Septiembre:. Ahora los equipos podrán tener solo un máximo de 28 peloteros,incluyendo un máximo de 14 lanzadores.

4-Designación de Jugadores Multifuncionales: Un jugador multifuncional es uno que lanza y batea, por ejemplo Shohei Othtani de LA Angels y Michael Lorenzen de los Rojos de Cincinnati.Babe Ruth*fue l primer famoso jugador multicuncional. Esto les permite mantenerse en la lista como “jugador de posición” por ser parte de la nómina de 13 lanzadores máximo que estan permitidos en el roster. Un jugador que es designado como multifuncional tiene que mantenerse así toda la temporada.
*Cuando Babe Ruth jugó en los 1910’s y 1920’s un encuentro tenía promedio de 1 hora 51 minutos.

5-Jugadores de Posición Lanzando: Para que un pelotero de cuadro ó jardinero pueda lanzar,el partido deberá estar en extra-innings ó con una diferencia de seis carreras, a favor ó en contra. Durante un juego normal de nueve entradas,solo los 13 jugadores inscritos como lanzadores ó jugadores multifuncionales podrán lanzar.

6-El Jugador 27: Cada equipo podrá agregar un jugador más a su roster regular, de 26 a 27 jugadores.

7-Lista de Lesionados y periodo de Opcionados: Lanzadores y jugadores “multifuncionales” tendrán un periodo mínimo de estancia en la lista de lesionados de 15 días, en vez de los 10 días en el pasado. Los jugadores de posición seguirán pasando a la lista de incapacitados durante 10 días. Al igual que con la lista
de lesionados los jugadores de posición deberán permanecer 10 días.

8-Tiempo de Manager para pedir un Reto: El tiempo de los managers(en el reloj)para retar una jugada através de la repetición será recortado de 30 a 20 segundos.

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

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Giants no longer after former Dodger Yaseil Puig; At Giants Fan Fest Pence says he loves being back

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San Francisco Giants outfielder Hunter Pence is welcomed back by his teammates Alex Dickerson and Buster Posey at Giants Fan Fest on Saturday at Oracle Park in San Francisco (sfchronicle.com photo)

On That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary:

#1 The San Francisco Giants were one of the teams that were expressing interest in acquiring former Los Angeles Dodger Yaseil Puig but no more. Puig commands a seven year worth $42 million deal. The Giants have said they are no longer interested in obtaining Puig. Was it his unpopularity with his teammates with past teams the issue or the cost of his contract demands?

#2 It was a big deal at Giants fan fest when Hunter Pence sat on stage with an untucked Giants jersey on and was happy to be back in San Francisco again

#3 Pence signed for a one year deal worth $3 million is Hunter’s value mostly in the clubhouse or what he can bring to the plate he did get some big flies when he did play in Texas last season

#4 In a San Francisco Chronicle poll of 500 voters in Oakland 62% of them said the current site should be at the Coliseum for the A’s, 29% of those polled wanted to see the A’s move to Jack London Square. Most of those polled said the Coliseum site is more practical because of it’s land space, parking, freeway access and BART.

#5 MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has made it clear that if the Oakland A’s do not get a new stadium built at Howard Terminal in downtown Oakland MLB will seek to move the A’s out of Oakland and move them to Las Vegas.

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

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: 2020 State of the Athletics Armed and Dangerous

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photo from mercurynews.com: Oakland Athletic pitcher Jesus Luzardo participates in fielding drills during spring training at Fitch Park in Mesa, Ariz., Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019.

2020 State of the Athletics: Armed and Dangerous

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND–The Houston Astros will be picked favorite to repeat and win the American League West for the fourth consecutive year. The Oakland A’s have finished in second place during the past two seasons when they ended with identical 97-65 record.

The best one-two pitchers in the American League last season were Justin Verlander who won 21 games and the Cy Young Award and Gerrit Cole who won 20 games. However,Cole, the top free agent in the market left for the New York Yankees who signed him to a $324 million contract, the fourth largest deal in MLB history.

To the Athletics advantage,they will not have to face Cole that many times,since he is now in the AL East. That by itself could be worth three to four games in the standings. The Astros will be lingering from the biggest scandal in baseball the sign-stealing scandal,which cost the jobs of their field Manager and General Manager.

The Astros will be busy fielding all kinds of questions beginning next week when they open their Spring Training in West Palm Beach,Florida. That would be the busiest Spring Training in baseball this year,since the Astros share that same facility with the World Champions Washington Nationals.

The A’s pitchers and catchers will land next week in Mesa,Arizona and their young pitching staff is definitely Armed and Dangerous.Their main starters are here by age, youngest to oldest: Jesús Luzardo,  Frankie Montas(22)  A.J Puk (24) Sean Manaea(27) and Mike Fiers(34).

This is indeed a formidable bunch of pitchers; Luzardo,Montas and Puk all power pitchers with fastball scratching the 100 mph on the radar. Either Mike Fiers or Sean Manaea (one of the two) most likely will be announced by A’s manager Bob Melvin as the Opening Day pitcher, for Thursday afternoon the 26 of March at the Oakland Coliseum.During this first homestand for the Athletics, the Houston Astros will follow the Twins to Oakland, presenting a delightful early season match-up between the A’s and the Dusty Baker Houston Astros.

This Athletics rotation will the potential to match and even better the Houston Astros,the team they will probably have to beat,to win their division. Not to forget the Rangers and Angels both much improved during this off-season,but there is little doubt who the A’s will have to beat, to forget “about a One-Game wild card playoff, and try to win the division affording them a better chance to go deep into the postseason.”

These pitchers will have the support of one of the youngest and most talented teams in the game. The A’S in 2019, were one of the best hitting teams in baseball. Among all MLB teams, A’s ranked #5 in Home Runs with 257, #9 in Runs Batted In with 800. Their pitching staff had the 6th best Earned Run Average with 3.97.

Bob Melvin’s young ball-club will also have excellent defensive support for that young and powerful pitching staff. Among all 30 clubs in MLB the Athletics finished #4 in fielding with a .986 percentage. Only St Louis,Kansas City and Houston had better defensive numbers than the A’s.

A’s won Gold Gloves at first base with Matt Olson and third base with Matt Chapman,with a most improved Marcus Semien at shortstop who comes out of this best season,finishing third in the very much coveted MVP,behind Mike Trout of the Angels and Alex Bregman of the Astros.

As Spring Training begins next week I will have more analysis of this young and very exciting team. But there is little doubt in my mind(injuries are the wild card)this is one of the best and youngest pitching staffs in all of baseball. More to come.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish play by play voice for the Oakland A’s with broadcast partner Manolo Hernandez-Douen on KIQI 1010 San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Athletics Pitcher Frankie Montas, Exclusive Interview

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2020 Topps baseball card of Oakland A’s pitcher Frankie Montas

Athletics Pitcher Frankie Montas, Exclusive Interview

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND– In a overcast day/afternoon, but without rain,as thousands of fans visited and mingled with A’s players during the 2020 A’s Fanfest at Jack London Square young Danay García, Special Events Assistant for the A’s brought to our kiosk at The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum and Hall of Fame, A’s starting pitcher Frankie Montas.

Frankie ended his 2019 season with a 9-2 record with a 2.63 earned run average in 16 games he started. Smiling and followed by a bunch of fans with ball and pen in hand they were lining-up to get this autograph, he sat next to me as he signed for roughly 20 to 30 minutes, once in a while standing up to pose with fans in selfies as well as group/family shots.

Montas dropped by with his wife Nicolette and son Michael. The young Dominican hurler seems very happy posing with fans signing one autograph after another. I conducted the interview in Spanish and here it is translated. Montas pitched this winter for the Leones del Escogido or Escogido Lions) in the Dominican Republic professional baseball league.

He said he pitched a little bit more this season. That makes sense because he only started basically half of the 2019 for the Athletics. I didn’t wanted to dwell on why he was suspended that was not the main goal, specially at this time in history when baseball is under heavy scrutiny because of the sign-stealing scandal. This is not the place anyway, this was a Fanfest, where positivism was in the air. The last thing I wanted to ask him was about his suspension and I did not.

Montas is about 6 feet 2 inches tall,at 240 pounds with a strong powerful right arm.

Q: Welcome to Oakland. Ready for Spring Training?

A: “Yes, I am happy to be here, and ready to go to Arizona”

Q:You live in Arizona, so basically you are going back home.

A: Absolutely,should be fun…and I am really looking forward this season.

Q. Do you consider yourself a fastball pitcher (you throw around 97 mph).?

A: Yes, I do, that is my best pitch, but I can also come at a hitter with other pitches, but yes, I think you can consider me a “power pitcher”.

ThIs will be his sixth season in the major leagues and fourth with the A’s,the Dominican pitcher will be 27 years of age next month. During his abbreviated 2019 season,he recorded 103 strike-outs in 96 innings of labor and was on a pace to win 18 to 20 and throw over 200 strike outs.

Q: Many people (including me) like to know, which player is the toughest for you to get out.

A: Joe Mauer of Minnesota, I cannot get him out. Mauer has played 15 years with the Twins and is the only catcher in MLB history to win three batting titles. The veteran has been a tough out for many pitchers, last week in a ceremony at Target Field,the Twins retired his famous number 7..

Q: Now that you have been in the majors for a few years, what is the one thing that has impressed you the most?

A: The discipline here, everything is done professionally,we have a schedule for everything, the speed of the game is another thing..

Q: Oakland Coliseum is the most spacious MLB park, with all kinds of foul territory,that benefits pitchers. Aside from here in Oakland,which parks are the favorites for you to pitch, favorites for you, not necessarily because you can get more outs,but because you like those places.

A: Kansas City…Anaheim and Houston, I would say those three.

Q:Luis Rojas was just named the new manager of the New York Mets, a fellow Dominican one of the sons of Felipe Alou, your opinion?

A; Great, I know him, he is a great guy, happy for that.

Photos and selfies all over the place with the very affable Frankie Montas,as his wife and son patiently waited on the sidelines, he was just getting to the end of his signing duties at our kiosk. We also took some pictures, he signed a few Topps baseball Cards for The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum, which someday (hopeful sooner than later) we’ll have a place inside the proposed new A’s Ballpark at Howard Terminal.

My last question.

Q:When you were a little boy like this kid that was taking a picture with you here. Who was your idol?

A; :”Pedro Martínez” Not surprisingly from a young pitcher to name the great Dominican Hall of Famer Martínez

The Oakland Athletics pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to their Spring Training home February 12.

We shook hands,as I told him,next time we talk will be at Mesa, during Spring Training. which he said Okay!

Good Luck Frankie!

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: A’s Semien and his future in Oakland

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nbcsports.com file photo: Oakland A’s Jurickson Profar takes his swings during 2019 season

A’s Marcus Semien and his Future in Oakland

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

Amaury Pi-González.

OAKLAND–It has been a very quiet winter so far for the Athletics. Nobody expected them to make any major deals,and honestly they have a very good team as it is today and going into Spring Training which will begin February 11 at their home in Mesa,Arizona.

They will begin the season (scheduled to open at home on March 26 against the Twins) with basically the same team as last season when they finished second again with a 97-65 record (same as 2018 by the way).

Nobody should expect the A’s to sign their established stars to multi-year multi-million dollar contracts in the near future. The best example is their designated hitter Khris Davis, he had his best season in 2018 when he hit 48 home runs and drove in 123 runs.

Davis was signed that winter to a two (2) year extension and a total of $33.5 million, a contract that will take him through the 2021 season. If they did not signed him then he would have been eligible for free agency after the 2019 season and most likely would have been offered much more money and a longer contract by more than a few teams.

His biggest liability is with the glove, but he doesn’t use it most of the time as a DH, which also limits him to be an American League player.

If you are expecting the A’s to sign their star shortstop Marcus Semien (29) to a four (4) year over $100 million contract you could easily be disappointed. The A’s have another year before they make that decision,although they could make easily make it today. But that is not the way the Athletics operate.

This is still Billy Ball land. Of course Semien is worth upward of $100 million in today’s market, specially since he has become not only one of the best offensive shortstops in the American League but one of the best fielders in that most important position.

He is coming off a breakout 2019 season, finished #3 for Most Valuable Player. This 2020 season will be his final year before he becomes a Free Agent. And many ponder is he really as good as he was last year. He is a hard worker, Bay Area native and a very positive young man.

Leaving Semien aside(no need to rush a decision) we already know the “biggest”story for the A’s going into this 2020 season. Who is going to be playing second base? My bet is on young Franklin Barreto,who was passed last year because the team signed veteran Jurickson Profar.

With Profar signing with San Diego, the door should be wide open for Barreto, and with the power on that infield,all he has to do is field the ball. Something that Profar was not very keen. Others in Spring Training that could be fighting for second-base are Sheldon Neuse maybe, Jorge Mateo and/or a surprise.

In 1998 the injury-prone Eric Chávez finished the season playing only in 16 games and hit .311. He won six consecutive Rawlings Gold Glove Awards (2001 to 2006) and in 2004 the A’s had to make a decision of signing either him (Chávez) or shortstop Miguel Tejada.

They signed Chávez to a $66 million contract extension. Meanwhile, Tejada went to Baltimore where he played for four years(2004-2007). I thought they should have kept Miguel Tejada, then a great shortstop much more durable than Chávez, but it wasn’t meant to be.

The Chávez six year $66 million contract was the largest deal in team history. In one of my visits to Baltimore with the LA Angels in 2007 I did a pre-game interview Tejada and I asked him about his very good years with the A’s, he told me that in retrospect: “I would have loved to stay with the A’s”. But isn’t that what they all say?

I remember Jason Giambi who began his career with the A’s (1995-2001) he always said he enjoyed very much playing in Oakland and that was great. But the Yankees came in and Giambi left the A’s for the Pinstripes and a multi-million dollar contract where he played from 2002 to 2008.

Towards the end of his career “The Giambino” would return one more time in 2009 to play with the A’s, and as I recall I called his 400th home-run of his career in 2009,a thrill at the Oakland Coliseum he then played briefly for a couple of teams and retired.

The Oakland A’s have one of the best most exciting and talented infield in all of baseball a young pitching staff with unlimited potential.Their infield: Matt Olson at first base (I don’t know at second base) Marcus Semien at shortstop and their leader Matt Chapman at third base.

Not to mention an outfield with the talented Ramón Laureano,.Stephen Piscotty and company. The biggest issue for the Athletics remains building their new ballpark. A new ballpark usually draws well for the first few years,(the perennial Honeymoon).

The A’s pipe-dream is to have all these stars at their peak in 2021 when they are planning to open the season at the new Howard Terminal Park. There is an old saying in Spanish “soñar no cuesta nada” translation- “it doesn’t cost anything to dream”. And I honestly hope the dream becomes a reality.

At this time the Athletics have the 25th payroll in Major League Baseball among all 30 teams. Their total payroll is approximately $84 million,there are now five teams below the A’s: White Sox, Pirates, Orioles, Mariners, and the team who eliminated the A’s in the Wild Card game last year, the Tampa Bay Rays.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Oakland A’s Spanish radio play by play talent and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: A’s 30 years World Series reunion at Fremont

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bostonglobe.com file photo: Former Oakland A’s pitcher, native of Fremont, and Boston Red Sox broadcaster Dennis Eckersley appeared at the 1989 World Series reunion in Fremont
A’s 30 Years World Series Reunion at Fremont
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
By Amaury Pi-González
FREMONT CA–At an upscale restaurant in Fremont, Athletics front office workers,executives,some ex-players and broadcasters were mingling and reminiscing the last time the Oakland A’s won a World Series.
The historic 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake World Series where the A’s swept the Giants. The “time capsule”reunion took place in Fremont,where in this decade,was planned to be the new home for the Oakland A’s and today the fourth largest city (by population) in the Bay Area,closing-in 240,000 residents.just a few months before the next US Census takes place.
The gentrification of Fremont has been taken place for a while now. Some are calling Fremont, “Silicon Valley East” because of its proximity to the hub of technology in the US. Fremont is only 12-15 miles away from Silicon Valley and would have been a well-located place for their new home,specially now because today’s Fremont is much more affluent that the Fremont where the General Motors Plant employed most of the population.
But,it was not-to-be. There was a rally of people supporting the team moving to Fremont.in a popular local eatery but the opposition came right away and the proponents got cold feet. The idea of Fremont as the new home for the A’s never got to first base,even thought it was officially listed on the team’s Media Guide one year.
It is always great to see people that you work in the past,in this case 30 years ago. Part of the history of this franchise that originated in Philadelphia and has won a total of 9 World Series, five in Philadelphia and four in Oakland. Even Crazy George,the ultimate A’s Booster was in attendance,with a drum to cheer everybody.
Although the focus was the 1989 World Series, the reunion was not necessarily about baseball,but about friendships and relationships that are developed in this unique business. Just like any reunion you will see people you have not seen and many that you didn’t even knew where alive. These are the people behind the scenes that make a Major League franchise operate in the good as well as during the lean years.
Fremont was an appropriate place for this reunion,because the city was part of the history of the Athletics and it is well located,just 15 miles from San José, 45 miles from San Francisco and just south of Oakland on highway 880,and accessible via BART. In July, Fremont was named the ‘least stressed city in the United States” by a WalletHub study, according to the San José Mercury News.
Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Museum and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Businesses taking interest in Jack London Square future home of the A’s

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nytimes.com file photo: Oakland A’s team president David Kaval lounges in the upper deck at the Oakland Coliseum during the 2019 season. Jack London Square will start building new restaurants and businesses drawn to the idea of the A’s breaking ground at the site.

On That’s Amaury pod for today:

#1 Amaury businesses are taking an interest to start construction at Jack London Square restaurants, hotels, condos could this be a move in anticipation of an Oakland A’s ball park?

#2 A’s president David Kaval has worked hard this off season to make sure some of these proposals stick he had to sweat through the City of Oakland law suit that was dropped that would have blocked the A’s from purchasing the Coliseum property.

#3 How big is public transportation for this project to get done. Do you agree that some sort of transit must be in place to get people from 12th Street Broadway BART in downtown Oakland to the ball park?

#4 In other baseball news how surprising is it that former San Francisco Giants outfielder Kevin Pillar who was the Willie McCovey Award recipient from last season is still not signed?

#5 The Chicago White Sox are doing some shopping take a look at some of the free agents that their studying, Nolan Arenado, Francisco Lindor, Yasiel Puig, and Nicholas Castellanos.

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