Category: Oakland Athletics

Jose Canseco trying a juice at a Las Vegas promotion will be participating in the Battle for Vegas. Canseco a Las Vegas resident will be involved in the community event. Canseco will joined by members of the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, at the local event. (Las Vegas Review Journal file photo)

By Amaury Pi-González

Ex-A’s star, first 40-40 man in baseball history, World Champion and MVP José Canseco will participate in the Battle for Vegas. In its fourth year, a popular community event that brings members of the Las Vegas Golden Knights and Vegas Raiders, and this year the A’s are joining the local event. The event will take place on July 22 at Las Vegas Aviators Ballpark.

The A’s Community Foundation was added as a sponsor for the Battle for Vegas 2023 charity softball game, which will benefit the Public Education Foundation and Big Brothers Big Sisters this year. A’s President David Kaval said in a statement according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal: “As the A’s work toward finalizing relocation to Las Vegas, we are proud and honored to support Reilly Smith and members from Vegas Golden Knights, along with Maxx Crosby and his teammates as they engage in a friendly game of softball at our affiliate team’s ballpark while raising funds for deserving nonprofits.”

The Oakland A’s are getting its community efforts going in Las Vegas ahead of their potential relocation. Commissioner Rob Manfred in Seattle, for the All-Star Game, said that the A’s had begun their relocation efforts, later to be voted by MLB team owners.

Canseco is a resident of Las Vegas, where he owns and operates a popular Car Wash off the strip. Kaval added about the A’s participation in this community event: “We can’t think of a better way to start engaging with the Las Vegas community scene and the charity softball game.” While James Sullivan, co-founder of the Battle for Vegas, said: “We are thrilled to have the A’s Community Foundation as a Battle for Vegas partner.”

Team Reilly includes the NHL Champions Golden Knights Jack Eichel, Adin Hill, Keegan Kolestar, Nicolas Hague, Logan Thompson, and Zach Whitecloud, Shea Theodore, and fan favorite Ryan Reaves. Team Maxx includes Crosby and Raiders Nate Hobbs, AJ Cole, Daniel Carlson, Tre-von Moehrig, and Dylan Parham. The A’s will be represented by Canseco, who will be in both, the game and the home run derby.

This Las Vegas charity event has raised more than $550,000 since 2018 for local nonprofits. Gates open at 5 PM July 22, with the home run derby starting at 6:30 pm and opening pitch for the game at 7:30 PM, all at the A’s Triple-A Affiliate Las Vegas Aviators Stadium.

This year’s competition will benefit the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation, distributing funds to Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Southern Nevada, and The Public Education Foundation of Las Vegas.

Note: The Teachers Union and vote in Las Vegas efforts won’t affect A’s ballpark, according to the LVCVA, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez for Oakland A’s play by play action on the A’s Spanish radio network on 1010 KIQI San Francisco and 990 KATD Pittsburg and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Major League Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark said that the relocation of the Oakland A’s will impact players, front office personnel, stadium employees, fans, visiting teams. No one will be left out from the effects of the A’s moving to Vegas. (AP file photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amaury it’s been since early June when Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said that the MLB owners will take a vote on the Oakland A’s relocation move to Las Vegas here we are second week of July day of the 2023 All Star game no vote is planned. Is this an indication to you that the 30 owners are far apart on this relocation move to Las Vegas and more than eight teams are voting no on the relocation idea.

#2 Tony Clark of the MLB Players Union says that one of the issues of relocating to Reno or Las Vegas to play games in over 100 degree heat in temporary homes for the A’s during the 2025-27 seasons is a concern for visiting MLB teams who come to Nevada to play the A’s.

#3 Clark also said that there are a lot of people affected by the A’s move to Las Vegas, the players, manager, coaches, visiting ball clubs, fans, Oakland Coliseum employees and front office personnel. This move will have those groups having to move and accept a lower pay scale and possible pay cuts in because of lower wages offered in Nevada.

#4 Amaury do you think one of the factors that is stalling the owners from taking the vote is that Manfred has waved the relocation fee and that teams will take in less revenue since the A’s will now play in the 40th and smallest market in MLB and have the smallest ballpark in MLB.

#5 Bally’s who owns the Tropicana site has offered four more acres of land space making it 13 acres to build the new ballpark on it and giving it more room for the retractable roof. Does such an offering from Bally’s sweeten the deal for the A’s getting more space?

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play announcer on the Oakland A’s Spanish radio network at 1010 KIQI San Francisco and 990 KATD Pittsburg and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sergio Varona standing behind Evelio A. Mendoza and Amaury Pi-González Oakland A’s KNTA 1430AM Radio. That year broadcast 120 games in Spanish. (photo from Amaury Pi Gonzalez)

A Cuban Legend joined our broadcast

By Amaury Pi Gonzalez

Sergio Varona, born in Cuba, who settled in San Francisco, California, and was the sports editor for El Bohemio News, a weekly Spanish newspaper in San Francisco joined the Oakland A’s Spanish radio broadcast in the mid 1980s, bringing a lot of his knowledge in professional baseball.

Varona was a manager for the Cuban National Baseball team when they won the world cup of Baseball and also a manager for the professional baseball team “Alacranes de Almendares” in the 1950s a team in which Bob Allison, Tommy LaSorda, Sandy Amorós and other major leaguers played during the famous Winter League in Cuba.

Everyone who knew Sergio missed him very much; he passed in 2015 in Pembroke Pines, (Miami area) Florida. Sergio Varona also received the Salón de la Fama del Deporte Cubano (Cuban Sports Hall of Fame) and received an award for “Periodismo”, Journalism.

During our broadcast, Sergio was like “a second manager,” but in our booth. He brought a totally different angle to the games as his commentary was a well-seasoned professional opinion of the game as it was played, that day. He would never scream or root for the A’s on the air, he was the consummate professional and analyst, straightforward and honest with everybody.

Sergio Varona was a good close friend of Bill Rigney, another lifelong baseball man who played in the majors with the New York Giants from 1946 to 1953 and later managed in the major for 18 years for the NY and SF Giants, LA and CA Angels and Minnesota Twins. Rigney for a time was also doing commentary working for the Oakland A’s radio and television.

Varona and Rigney would talk strategy prior or after and it was priceless, just to listen, because these guys played and managed at the professional level, something that not many broadcast teams are privileged to have on board today. Also, unlike today, at that time very seldom an ex player of ex manager was hired to do commentary on the air.

Varona was only available for our weekend broadcast, Saturday and Sundays, but he left a mark with his commentary. People would call the station and asked questions, (Ask Sergio). I would gather those questions and would ask him during the live broadcast. I would give the name, where they lived , and then read the question.. Sergio would answer the question, live on the air. Questions were received by mail or folks called them in.

The games were on KNTA Radio 1430AM Santa Clara, Gene Hogan was the General Manager. We called 120 A’s games, all home and the most of the road games . The road games were recreated from the studio in front of a television monitor, with the consent of the A’s TV broadcast.

Sergio Varona was full of knowledge and insight and shared that knowledge and insight with yours truly. Muchas Gracias Sergio.