Category: Oakland Athletics

A’s sign reliever Eric O’Flaherty

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

Image

Photo credit: savannahnow.com

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Oakland Athletics have signed left-handed pitcher Eric O’Flaherty to a two year contract through 2015. Outfielder Corey Brown was designated for assignment in order to clear a spot on the 40 man roster for O’Flaherty.

O’Flaherty pitched for the Atlanta Braves last year before experiencing a strained left elbow. He was 3-0 with a 2.40 ERA in 19 appearances before going on the disabled list. O’Flaherty had “Tommy John” surgery on the elbow and missed the remainder of the season.

O’Flaherty, who is 28, recorded a 1.45 ERA in 161 opportunities on the mound in the last three seasons. He held the opposition to a .220 batting average. He has eight seasons of major league experience split between Seattle and Atlanta.

Having undergone “Tommy John” surgery, O’Flaherty may not be available for the A’s until mid-season due to the time needed to rehabilitate the elbow and get into pitching shape.

A’s Dallas Braden’s retirement and that unforgettable Mother’s day game

Published on by lleonardbwLeave a comment

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary

OAKLAND–In baseball more than in most things in life, it is all about timing. Stockton lefty Dallas Braden, who with the Oakland Athletics pitched the 19th perfect innings in Major League history says his left arm is done, he cannot pitch again, and at 30 years of age, announced his retirement. “There is nothing in there, it’s just a shredded mess” said Braden announcing his retirement, and now trying to become a coach or sportscaster.

About the perfect game; I can’t forget that game, because it was a wonderful typical clear sunny Sunday afternoon at the Oakland Coliseum, it was Mother’s Day 2010,and I had the pleasure of calling the action. A truly unforgettable game. To make the story even more compelling , Braden’s grandmother was at the game, she who raised him after his mother died while he was in high school.

Such is the beauty of baseball. Dallas Braden(born in Phoenix Arizona, raised in Stockton, California) was not a great pitcher by any means, he ends his career with the A’s with a record of 26-36 and a 4.16 earned run average in a total of 79 games, during a 5 game career with the Athletics.

Don Larsen was a pitcher for various teams for 14 seasons, he ended his career with 81-91 and a 3.78 earned run average, of his 14 years he only had 6 winning seasons, with Baltimore in 1954 he won 3 lost 21, yet on October 8, 1956 with the New York Yankees on the fifth game of the World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers, he pitched a perfect game, with 97 pitches and retired 27 batters in a row. The only perfect game in a World Series.

On May 9, 2010, during a sunny afternoon at the Oakland Coliseum, Dallas Branden wrote his name in history by throwing the 19th perfect game, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-0, in front of 12,228 fans. He will never be inducted into the Hall of Fame, but his name is among a select group of baseball players, in accomplishing one of the most difficult things to do in all sports. Hundreds, if not thousands of pitchers can not say the same.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio voice for Oakland A’s baseball and does News and Commentary each week for Sportstalk

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: MLB would like A-Rod to just go away he says otherwise

Published on by lleonardbwLeave a comment

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary

A-Rod was suspended by an arbitrator for the 2014 season without pay, the whole season, and the playoffs (if the Yankees make it that far) The suspension will cost Rodriguez all of the $25 million the Yankees were obligated to pay him for the 2014 season.

But when the suspension ends, Rodriguez will still be owed $61 million through a contract that runs through 2017. Rodriguez will have an incentive to find a way to keep playing. Next July Rodríguez will turn 39.

That means his “comeback” from the game will be around 40. He said he will appeal the 2014 suspension in Federal court, but very rarely in this case an arbitrator’s ruling is overturned. To refresh our collective memories; Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs in the 2001 season at the age of 41. Both A-Rod and Bonds(together with Roger Clemens) are the biggest baseball stars to date to be accused of using steroids and other illegal substances.

Commissioner Selig is retiring following the 2014 season. Under Bud H. Selig’s reign as commissioner, Major League Baseball revenues have skyrocketed to unprecedented levels, television contracts in the billions of dollars, mediocre players, receiving very lucrative deals, but amid all this bonanza, he will also be the Steroids Era Commissioner in history forever. Bud Selig made money for his fellow owners, no doubt about that.

Common sense tells me, that Selig wants to leave the game and retire without Alex Rodriguez playing on the field. You might called a vendetta (ala Commissioner Bart Giamatti and Pete Rose, years ago)or you might say, that it is a coincidence that both A-Rod and Selig would be leaving the game at the same time, I am not a fan of conspiracies, but this one will always be talked about through out history.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president for the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Museum and does News and Commentary for Sportstalk radio

2014 Hall of Famers has class ex-A’s Thomas, & ex- Braves Maddux and Glavine

Published on by lleonardbwLeave a comment

Thats Amaury’s News and Commentary

OAKLAND–Some say that most people do not really get what they deserve in life. That is not the case for these three men that were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum in Cooperstown, in this class of 2014, the greatest Hall of Fame in sports.

The three not only had great numbers, (that helps) and very long careers, but are men of quality and good role models. Any sports reporter, writer, broadcaster, that covered these guys know they are the cream of the crop.

Gregg Maddux won 355 games, that is the eight highest total of wins for a pitcher in Major League history. Tom Glavine won 305, the fourth highest for a left handed pitcher.

Frank Thomas, a first baseman at the beginning of his career, and a designated hitter the remainder of the way, batted for .301 hit a total of 521 home runs and drove in 1,704 (one thousand-seven-hundred-four)runs in a productive19 year career.

There are many other numbers I am not even mentioning here for these three new members of The Hall of Fame. Thomas, after getting the good news, said he thought he was not going to get in, because he is mostly known as a designated hitter, but he is a first baseman and that teams wanted his bat in the lineup as he got older.

Maddux and Glavine where the first two pitchers to be elected together since Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson in the first class of 1939, in that pioneering class,together with Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner.

Covering these three guys that on July 27 will be officially inducted into Cooperstown, I found not only great class, and professionalism,but the greatest dedication to the game. I called games in which Greg Maddux would throw 87 pitches and finish a game in 2 hours and 12 minutes, that friends, you do not see today.

There are starters that throw 30-40 pitches in one inning today. For me, during the years I have been covering baseball, I do not remember a smarter pitcher with more control that Maddux,who never had great speed on his pitches, but could throw the ball through the eye of a needle.

When I first got started in this business, I remember Jim”Catfish”Hunter, of the Oakland A’s, and later of the NY Yankees, he also had that great mastery of the strike zone, and for some reason I refer to him because of that, although he never attained the great numbers like Maddux.

When I was doing the Giants Spanish radio broadcast, I once asked outfielder Stan Javier. of the Giants, about Maddux: “yes, he doesn’t throw that hard, but his pitches have great movement, and he thinks like the hitter, that is why he is so good” Maddux pitched for 23 years, won 20 or more in two seasons, but between 1988 and 2006 he won 15 or more games, and ended up with a 3.16 earned run average.

Tom Glavine was like a lefty Maddux, because he was not a flame thrower, but could fool the best hitters. He pitched for 22 years, and five times won 20 or more games, and had an earned run average of 3.54. Both were teammates for years on the same Atlanta Braves team, which by coincidence will also have their skipper Bobby Cox, inducted this July.

Frank Thomas who originally went to Auburn to play football, but that school was 3 and 4 deep in football positions, took the advice of a coach who told him he should try baseball, Thomas, a smart man, took the advice.

The years Thomas played for the Oakland Athletics, he was always the ultimate professional. Sometimes he didn’t have the time for an interview or two, because he always follow a steady routine, since he arrived in the clubhouse.

The man worked as hard as anybody, aside from that, God gave him a monster of a body,(6’5″, 240) and is known by many by the nickname, of “The Big Hurt”. And he could do that, some of his home runs still have not landed, I remember a few at the Oakland Coliseum that even after I saw it on the television replay, I could still not believe.

For those older baseball fans, Thomas could hit the ball as high, far and deep as Richie Allen. Frank Thomas never ever was even rumored of taking steroids, Thomas was big as a rookie and big as a veteran, (we cannot say the same for other guys in this game during the past 15 years )his career was as clean as the brand new Chicago White Sox uniform that’s going on display soon at Cooperstown; the same can also be said about Maddux and Glavine.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Museum and does News and Commentary each week

Mayor wants to cut pensions but willing to spend money on new stadium

Published on by lleonardbwLeave a comment

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary

SAN JOSE–I remember when San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed became Mayor I got a chance to speak with him about the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum as I’m the vice president of the museum. Reed seems like a very grounded person as he comes from a financial background.

I like this mayor and I don’t know what he’s thinking on the issue of pension reform that the city can’t afford to continue to pay out these retirement checks out but they can afford to pay to build an A’s stadium if they can get the team to move to San Jose. I do believe that Reed wants the A’s in San Jose and he knows what a Major League franchise means to a city.

He’s knows what 81 home dates during the regular season would mean to the city’s revenue and he’s in favor of building a Major League park making San Jose a Major League town, we’ll see how things go for the A’s whose been a very successful franhcise over the decades. Every year the A’s sell a lot of merchandise.

In San Jose you see Sharks merchandise all over the place, when you have MLB it’s makes the town a Major League town. It sounds redundant but that’s the way it is and baseball is not a sport it’s a game. It’s a game that has the World Series and Major League Baseball it is more popular than it ever has been before.

I understand what Reed is doing and he’s a smart guy and he wants the A’s to go to San Jose and it could happen with the city suing MLB and of course the Giants are claiming territorial rights in San Jose. Reed has some good business people behind him in San Jose and he’s running one of the biggest cities in California after Los Angeles and San Diego and San Jose has the third largest populaton in the state.

The state of California is financially in trouble with the pensions too it’s a two edged sword it’s tough when your dealing with a town like San Jose it’s a big town your dealing with problems too but it would be a political victory for Reed if he was to get the A’s.

Reed politically is going to have to see what is best for San Jose and I can not speak for him but the police, fire, and emergency services and civil servants say he’s gunning for the pensions but if he brings the Oakland A’s in downtown San Jose that could be a tremendous asset and Reed has to realize this is a balancing act and we saw what happened in Sacramento when Mayor Kevin Johnson saved the Sacramento Kings.

The mayor will be going into a dog fight with his employees over pension reform but at the same time if he was to land the A’s all that would be forgotten. If he doesn’t get pension reform and fails to get the A’s it would be a political wreck for Reed.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president at the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Museum and does News and Commentary each week for Sportstalk

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: A’s ownership considering building near Coliseum site

Published on by lleonardbwLeave a comment

by Amaury Pi Gonzalez

OAKLAND–The question was put to A’s co-owner and managing partner Lew Wolff where if not for Jack London Square’s Howard Terminal is the best place for the A’s? Wolf mentioned the Coliseum “would be where were at right now on land controlled by (the city and county).” Wolff made it clear that a Jack London Square park would be out of the question after a design of what it would look like on the Oakland Waterfront would look like.

There has been reports that if Wolff ever was to sell the A’s and he reiterated that he was no going to sell the club but if he were executives from Clorox bleech, Dreyer’s Ice Cream, Warrior owners Joe Lacob and Peter Gruber were interested in buying the team. It was the first time since Wolff said he wanted to move the team to Fremont or San Jose that he would consider keeping the team in Oakland but it would not be in downtown Oakland.

The new design that was released on Wednesday is located next to the bay by the containers and the horse shaped cranes and would be in proximenty to Jack London Square which is prime downtown location for hotels and restaurant constructon if a new stadium was ever to be constructed there. The key here is that Wolff and co-owner John Fisher said they are not interested in the downtown location, what are you going to do? “All I care about is getting a new home for the A’s in the best possible circumstances, and under any circumstances Howard Terminal would be as close to impossible as anything.” said Wolff.

Wolff and Fisher for the longest while were not convinced that they could not have a place in Oakland but the Coliseum location seems to be of strong interest. Wolff likes that it’s all city and county property that would be all city and county property to build on the land spending public funds and Wolff would pay almost unheard of low rent. The suitors for buying the A’s Clorox, Dreyers and the Warriors would like to build a waterfront ball park in downtown Oakland and develop Jack London square into a shopping, hotel, and condo meca.

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig said he was not in favor of getting rid of the team but that he said the A’s could not go to San Jose because of the San Francisco Giants territorial rights. We know the city of Oakland wants to keep the A’s we have to go to the Genises of this and Wolff doesn’t want the team at the waterfront but will consider building the team a new stadium at the Coliseum location.

Wolf says BART goes right to the Coliseum and that the only change would be the A’s would get a new park and be in the same location that they always have been in since 1968 and that’s in east Oakland at the Coliseum. Everytime the city of Oakland comes up with a new plan Wolff says it’s not doable. So that plan is what Wolff wants and he wants to build a new stadium for the A’s on public property at the Coliseum site.

Wolff wants to move the team to San Jose but he finally realizes now that he can’t because of the Giants territorial rights and baseball also would not allow it because the Giants would litagate against baseball and Selig does not want a side show over the A’s moving to San Jose. Right now it’s 50-50 and nobody knows how this is going to end up.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio voice for Oakland A’s baseball and does That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary

McGloin, Raiders head to San Diego in Week 16 Action

Published on by jhawkes51Leave a comment

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon

OAKLAND — On the heels of a 56-31 loss (the most points given up in franchise history) to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 15, the Oakland Raiders hit the road for the final time in 2013 when they face another bitter AFC West rival, the San Diego Chargers in Week 16 at Qualcomm Stadium. Oakland took down San Diego 27-17 back in Week 5, in a game that started at 8:35 p.m. PDT due to the Oakland A’s playoff game the previous night.

Oakland (4-10), found themselves behind the 8-ball early against Kansas City, thanks in large part to Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles.

Charles ripped the Raiders apart, gaining 215 yards from scrimmage (8 catches for 195 yards, 4 TDs, 2 carries for 30 yards 1 TD). Quarterback Alex Smith played nearly flawless football, completing 17 of 20 passes for 287 yards and five touchdowns. The Silver and Black had no answer for a Chiefs (11-3) team that clinched a wildcard spot with the win, after finishing 2-14 last season.

The Raiders have lost their last four games and Sunday’s performance was a clear indication that the season is rapidly coming to an end for a team that will be watching the playoffs  on television for the 11 straight season.

Oakland quarterback Matt McGloin had a nightmare of a game, with five turnovers (4 INTs, 1 fumble). McGloin looked shell-shocked for the better part of the game and was yanked late in favor of Terrelle Pryor. Even with all of the turnovers against Kansas City, McGloin will be under center Sunday, but don’t be surprised if you see Pryor get some playing time against San Diego Sunday.

San Diego (7-7) is one game back for the final playoff spot in the AFC playoffs, but are coming off a huge 27-20 victory in Denver last Thursday night. Overall, San Diego have won three of their last five games and are heading in the opposite direction than the Raiders.

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers dismantled the Broncos, passing for two touchdowns to wide receiver Keenan Allen while finishing with 166 yards on 12 of 20 passing, while keeping Rivers is having one of his finest seasons, placing first in the league among quarterbacks in completion percentage (69.9), tied for fourth in touchdown passes (28), and yards (4,048).

Running back Ryan Mathews racked up 127 yards on 29 carries and a touchdown. Mathews went over the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the second time in his career against Denver (11-3), but the guy that will be the difference maker Sunday against Oakland will be running back, Danny Woodhead.

Oakland’s entire defense (from defensive coordinator Jason Tarver to Sio Moore, will need to account for Woodhead because Rivers loves to drop the ball off to the diminutive running back if all-world tight end Antonio Gates is double-teamed.

Woodhead is second on the team in catches (Gates leads with 70, Woodhead has 66), touchdowns (Allen and WR Eddie Royal tied for 7, Woodhead has 6 TDs), and third in yards (Allen leads with 931, Woodhead has 547).

When Woodhead is involved early and often in the game, San Diego is nearly unbeatable and it could be a long afternoon for Oakland if Woodhead is able to get loose, like Charles got loose last Sunday at O.co Coliseum.

Two teams definitely heading in opposite directions.

Should make for an interesting game.

 

 

 

Major League Baseball: 2013 was a very good year

Published on by lleonardbwLeave a comment

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary

OAKLAND–You will not see any baseball owners this Christmas,going through the garbage bins behind your local Safeway searching for food.

According to Forbes Magazine(the authority in financial matters), Major League Baseball established a record of over $8 billion in revenues this 2013 season.. According to this report, Major League Baseball will see revenue double for new broadcasts deals with national network partners; FOX, ESPN and TBS, that will add an additional $788.3 million a year to the league’s coffers.

Leading the way are the Los Angeles Dodgers, with the communications giant Time-Warner, with a broadcast rights deal of over 20 years between $7 to $8 billion, to be approved soon by Major League Baseball.

I know many have written the epitaph of Major League Baseball, specially since the National Football League has become the dominant league in America, but meanwhile, baseball has been prospering like never before. As a matter of fact, during the last 18 years, Major League Baseball have seen revenues grown by an incredible 264 percent.

Many fans that follow baseball have been amazed at the signings is this, off-season, beginning with the $240 million contract for 10 years the Seattle Mariners gave ex-Yankee second baseman Robinson Canó, if you are not a Red Sox fan, Canó is the best second baseman in baseball, if you are a Red Sox fan you will say Dustin Pedroia. But, joking aside, Robinson Canó is not only the best second baseman in baseball, but one of the very best players in the game today.

And there could be soon another big deal if Masahiro Tanaka is available to sign with a major league club. The pitcher was 24-0 with a 1.27 earned run average starting in 27 games for the Rakuten Eagles. The amazement comes not for guys like Canó, (although I believe to give a 31 year old player a 10-year deal for that money is crazy), but for the mediocre players that have been signings very lucrative contracts.

Granted, it has become such a large business, that teams sometimes keep players whose numbers have been dwindling, just because they are drawing cards to their parks. Best example, the $35 million contract for 2 years the San Francisco Giants gave pitcher Tim Lincecum.

The popularity of Major League Baseball was also helped by the MLB Network, a 24X7 only baseball channel, that covers the game as good as anybody, during the past decade they have provided great coverage, including during the off season, but especially during the regular season, when they cut to the live broadcast from game to game around both leagues. Giving you(the fan)a live and instant look at different games, key moments on those games, and history records, as they happen.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president for the Major League Baseball Hispanic Museum and does News and Commentary each week for Sportstalk Radio

After 53 years Cuba rejoining the Carribean series

Published on by lleonardbwLeave a comment

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary

The Elefantes del Cienfuegos ( Cienfuegos Elephants)in 1960-61 were the last Cuban champions to play in the Caribbean Series in 1960.

Since the first Caribbean Series, which took place in Cuba in 1949, Cuba was the team to beat and won the Series, 7 to 4 for Puerto Rico and one for Panamá . As a matter of fact Cuba they won the last five Caribbean Series in which they participated.

Cuba was undefeated in the 1960 Caribbean Series, which took place February 10 to 15, in Panamá . Their manager was Tony Castaño .

Earlier that year in Cuba, Castro’s communist system has been established, and that would be the last Caribbean Series for Cuba, as Castro banned all professional sports in the country.

The champion Cienfuegos team of Cuba was a powerhouse and they won it in undefeated fashion. Cuba’s Cienfuegos team beat twice each of their rivals: Puerto Rico, Panamá and Venezuela.
Rosters of the teams that participated in that last Caribbean Series in 1960 in which Cuba won for the last time. If you are a real baseball fan for the ages, you will surely recognize some of the names. Until 1960 Cuba was “the place”for American players to play in the winter, not only because Cuba’s proximity to the US,(90 miles)but because it was the best caliber of baseball and the best pay in the Caribbean.

CIENFUEGOS (CUBA):
MANAGER:
Tony Castaño .
PITCHERS
Camilo Pascual (15-5), Pedro Ramos (12-5), Raúl Sánchez (12-4), Ted Wieand
(4-4), Tony Díaz (3-1), Héctor Maestri (1-0), Pedro Carrillo (1-1), Walter
Craddock (0-1), Dagoberto Concepción (0-0), Roberto Tano , quien también
jugó en los jardines (0-0). Orlando Peña (10-9).
CATCHERS
Dutch Dotterer (.212), José Azcue (.264), Rafael “Son” Noble (.222),
Arturo Suárez (.333).
INFIELDERS:
George Altman, 1B (.251,14,32), Ossie Álvarez , 2B (.260), Octavio “Cookie”
Rojas, 2B (.204), Don Eaddy , 3B (.256), Leonardo Cárdenas , SS
(.279,11,34), Hiraldo (Chico Ruiz) Sablón (.214).
OUTFIELDERS
Román Mejías (.281,5,28), Tony ” Haitiano ” González (.310,10,35), Rogelio
” Borrego ” Álvarez (.248,12,36), Dan Dobbeck (.236), Ultus Álvarez (.208),
Roberto Tano (.214).
Del grupo no fueron Arturo Suárez , Ted Wieand y Walter Craddock . Orlando
Peña asistió como refuerzo .
CAGUAS ( PUERTO RICO):
MANAGER:
Victor Pellot Power.
PITCHERS
Juan ‘Term ” Pizarro, Earl Wilson, George Brunei, José ” Pantalones ”
Santiago, Julio Navarro, Bob Guigie , Ray Ripplemayer .
CATCHERS
Hector Valle, Frank Rivera.
INFIELDERS
Victor Pellot Power (1B), José Pagan (2B), Elwood Huycke (3B), Félix
Torres (SS).
OUTFIELDERS
Orlando Cepeda ( también jugo primera ), José García , Félix Mantilla, Tommy
Davis, Herminio Cortez , Herman Davis. Igualmente figuraron Roberto Vásquez ,
Luis De León , George Figueroa, Genito Toman .
MARLBORO (PANAMA):
MANAGER:
Welmer Shantz .
PITCHERS
Bob Milo, William Kirk, Humberto Robinson, Robert Waltz, Stan Pitula ,
Leonardo Martinez Ferguson, Julio Borbón , José Lisondro , Vibert Clarke, Ken
Rowe.
CATCHERS
Welmer Shantz , Marcos Cobos , Abdiel Flyn .
INFIELDERS:
Jim Gentile (1B), Elias Osorio (1B), Pablo Bernard (2B), Héctor López
(3B), Lee Tate (SS), Alonso Brathwaite , Eugenio Houradou and rookie Ruthford
“Chico” Salmón .
OUTFIELDERS:
Stan Palys ( also played first base ), Henry Mitchell, Bob Perry, Eddie
Napoleón , Joe Caffie . Jim Gentile was injured with club, but did not play)
RAPIÑOS (VENEZUELA):
MANAGER:
Lester Moss.
PITCHERS:
Ed Hobough , Billy Muffet , Marcelino Sanchez, Rafael Melendez, Marcos
Barboza , Ted Bowfield , Ramon Castellanos , Julian Ladera .
CATCHERS
Lester Pedden , Lester Moss.
INFIELDERS:
Cedlio Prieto (1B), Bob Aspromonte (2B), Luis ” Camaleón ” García (3B), Luis
Aparicio (SS), Luis Añez .
OUTFIELDERS
Willie Davis, Stan Miley , Al Grunwald , Pastor Romero, Roberto Zambrano ,
Johnny Callison , Johnny Davis y Norman Cash. Los tres últimos no viajaron ,
también jugaron Teolindo Acosta, Alejandro Vargas y Gilberto Valbuena .
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
BATTING
Tommy Davis, Puerto Rico (.409).
RUNS BATTED IN: Stan Palys , Panamá (12).
HOME RUNS
Héctor López , Panamá , Tommy Davis, Puerto Rico y Félix Torres, Puerto Rico
(3).
Rogelio ” Borrego ” Álvarez , Cuba, Dan Dubbeck , Cuba y Stan Palys , Panamá (2)

One Homerun each:
Les Padden , Venezuela, Bob Perry, Panamá , Elwood Huycke , Puerto Rico, Joe
Caffie , Panamá , Willie Davis, Venezuela, Eddie Napoleón , Panamá , Elias
Osorio , Panamá , Luis Aparicio , Venezuela, Al Grenwald , Venezuela, Frank Rivera,
Puerto Rico, Octavio “Cookie” Rojas, Cuba and José Pagan, Puerto Rico.
PITCHING
Camilo Pascual , Cuba, (2-0)
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Camilo Pascual , Cuba.
NOTE: George Altman of Cuba and Eddie Napoleón of Panamá had beter batting average than Tommy Davis of Puerto Rico with .438, but they did not have enough at bats.

Can you highlight how many players and managers above were in the show after Cuba?

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Museum and does News and Commentary each week for Sportstalk Radio

Why was Bill King snubbed by the Hall of Fame

Published on by lleonardbwLeave a comment

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary

OAKLAND–Bill King was nominated again for the Ford C. Frick Broadcasters Award, but he was snubbed.

Why? I think it’s tougher for a west coast announcer, unless he is known nationwide.

We here in the west, and even here in California with 35 million people, larger than many countries in the world, and with five Major League teams(no US state has that many) are still playing ball when the people on the east coast are going zzzzzzz.

Many things have changed in our business of broadcasting, obviously there was a time when independent radio stations proud themselves of carrying Major League Baseball, radio used to rule in the world of baseball and had no rival, then television came about and for a while it was ‘the game of the week’.Today every team, everybody televises just about every game home and out of market.

Today without a radio or television, you can listen to a live game that is happening in Chicago, while sitting at the airport in New Delhi, India in an assortment of devices, in some cell phones that the only thing they do not have is a microwave.

But honestly, Bill could care less if he was or was not elected. You see, Bill King was not your typical sports guy, he was a renaissance man, his life was much more than calling a Rickey Henderson stolen base. He is in heaven laughing at all this silliness down here. He is saying: “Holly Toledo, look at all you people down there, don’t you have a better thing to do, than to write about this?”

I could care less what or which Hall of Fame, Bill King belongs in all of them. By the way, not only in baseball, if you ever heard Bill calling a Warriors game, on the radio, he made you see the game better than if you were watching on television .

I wrote about this when Bill was doing Warriors, for El Mundo News of Oakland, many moons ago, and I still have not changed my mind. The times I spoke with Bill, like the last time I saw him, when he called his penultimate game in 2004 at Safeco Field in Seattle, we sometimes spoke about something else besides baseball, and for that, and that alone, I will never forget him.   What Armando Galarraga and Bill King have in common?

Galarraga a pitcher with the Detroit Tigers in 2010 threw a perfect game, but Jim Joyce the umpire at first base blew the call on what was out number 27 in-a-row. Galarraga was robbed, we all saw it. Bill King is a Hall of Fame announcer, we know it also, but he has been robbed, again.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio voice for Oakland A’s baseball and does News and Commentary for Sportstalk radio