Category: Oakland Athletics

A’s bats come alive in 7-2 Cactus League win over Giants

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The Oakland A’s get the pitching and the hitting past the San Francisco Giants at Hohokam Park in Mesa AZ on Fri Mar 17, 2023 (@Athletics photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Friday, March 17, 2023

MESA, Ariz. – Oakland hammered San Francisco pitching for 14 hits on Friday, as the Athletics defeated the Giants 7-2 in Cactus League play before an enthusiastic St. Patrick’s Day crowd at Hohokam Stadium.

Thus far in spring training, both Bay Area teams are having similar success. The A’s improved to 8-11-2 while the Giants are 7-12-1.

A’s starter James Kaprielian (1-0) worked four innings, giving up an eanred run on five hits and no walks while striking out four. He was followed by Trevor May, Domingo Acevedo and Chad Smith, who combined for four strikeouts over three scoreless innings. Drew Steckenrider surrendered a run in the eighth.

“Last year, we did a lot of matching up and tried to give the guys in the bullpen their best chance for success,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said about the Athletics’ bullpen plans. “We haven’t determined roles, per se, but our philosophy is that the bullpen is all about getting outs.”

Ross Stripling went five innings in his second start of the spring for San Francisco, giving up four earned runs on 10 hits with three strikeouts and no walks. Stripling has a Cactus League ERA of 6.75. Scott Alexander and Tyler Rogers each threw a scoreless inning.

Oakland opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when Seth Brown singled to right-center, driving in Aledmys Diaz. Brown, who was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double, is batting .304 this spring after getting off to a slow start.

The Athletics made it 3-0 in the bottom of the second on a two-RBI single to left-center by Cristian Pache, driving in Conner Capel and Jace Peterson. Pache was hitting .423 in his last 15 games going into Friday. He’s tied for the CL lead in triples with two.

Joc Pederson’s single to center drove in Bryce Johnson to put the Giants on the board. Pederson is going through the process of learning first base after spending his career as an outfielder and designated hitter. He played centerfield for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic.

Tony Kemp’s run-scoring single to right-center in the bottom of the fourth plated Ramon Laureano, giving the A’s a 4-1 lead. Kemp had been struggling with a .100 average, but also has a .367 on-base percentage, thanks to eight walks and a hit-by-pitch.

The Giants cut the Oakland lead to 4-2 in the eighth on Brett Auerbach’s RBI single to center, scoring Johnson, who reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by Oakland catcher Kyle McCann. Auerbach, originally a Colorado Rockies 40th round draft choice, is hitting .250 with four runs batted in.

Oakland tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the eighth – two on RBI singles by Brent Rooker and Ryan Noda off Giants reliever Mauricio Llovera, and a groundout by Denzel Clarke after Melvin Adon replaced Llovera.

CACTUS LEAGUE NOTES: The Athletics’ average time of game this spring has been 2:47, compared to 3:07 a year ago. Across MLB, the average time of game has been 2:36, compared to 3:03 last spring. … Oakland has stolen 22 bases, second in the Cactus League behind Cincinnati (28). … This was the second of four spring training meetings between the Giants and A’s – the last two are March 26 in Oakland and March 27 in San Francisco. … Attendance for the St. Patrick’s Day contest was 10,190.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: The Clock is Ticking toward New Baseball Season

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Oakland A’s infielder Jace Peterson (6) tosses bubble gum out of the A’s dugout in Hohokam Stadium in Mesa AZ during an A’s photo shoot at spring training (Oakland A’s Facebook photos)

The Clock is Ticking toward New Baseball Season

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND–2023 is The Year of the Clock, and the clock is ticking towards a new baseball season as the Oakland A’s will punch the clock and go to work on Thursday March 30 at 7:07 at the Oakland Coliseum against the Los Angeles Angels. It will be the 55th season for the A’s at their historic Oakland Coliseum.

The same place where the A’s hoisted four World Championship flags. This place had survived many great and not-so-great moments, crazy games and one of the four World Series championships played in the middle of an earthquake in 1989, but for some of us who were there, it didn’t get any crazier than that.

This 2023 Oakland A’s team has players that you have seen like Tony Kemp, Nick Allen, Seth Brown, Christian Pache, and Ramón Laureano (among others), and many that you have seen but with another team, like Jesús Aguilar, Aledmys Díaz, Esteury Ruíz, or never seen at all, like the most interesting addition to this ball club, Japanese pitcher Shintaro Fujinami, who although he pitched for 10 years in Japan, will be a rookie in the majors.

An assortment of players will keep manager Mark Kotsay and his staff busy all summer long, looking for that ‘winning combination’ and will try to play as a unit and bring some positive results and fun moments to the A’s fans. One young A’s player that will become a star this year and take charge is catcher Shea Langeliers.

A’s No.1 prospect (# 39 MLB) Tyler Soderstrom, catcher, and first baseman survived the last cut and is still in Spring Training with two weeks until Opening Day. Will he make the roster? There is always a surprise or two in Spring Training.

To predict how the A’s will do this year is not that difficult, because nobody is expecting them to contend. Even the staunchest A’s fan will tell you that to play .500 all year will be the biggest goal for a team with these many moving pieces, but even that is unrealistic.

Any A’s fan should be happy to see the 2023 A’s version ending with 81 wins, which can also be said of many other teams that are not considered contenders. I know this 2023 year will be key for one A’s player; Ramón Laureano, trying to capture that 2019 season magic, his best for the A’s when he hit .288 with 24 home runs and 67 runs batted in.

His defense has always been there and owns one of the best arms from the outfield in the game. During the off-season rumors had Ramón leaving for the Yankees, the Phillies, and even the Marlins.

Ramón needs to stay healthy for the A’s. The team lost 102 games last season, positive minds believe 2023 should be a better year. Among my own survey, I ended with an average of a season for the A’s, this 2023 with a 76-86 record.

In 2022 (among all 30 teams) A’s last in combined average .216, #28 in home runs with 137, and #29 in RBI with 537. Their pitching had a 4.52 era which ranks #23 in all MLB. The Coliseum holds the distinction of containing the largest foul territory of any ballpark in the Major Leagues and this always helps their pitchers.

2023 is another rebuilding year for the A’s but could be also a year where this franchise announces a change of “geographic” direction to another State or maybe a change of address from the Oakland Ring Central to just six miles north on highway 1-80 by the Port of Oakland, a place called Howard Terminal.

I have friends on both sides, those that believe the A’s can’t leave Oakland but that they need a miracle for that to happen, and others who are gamblers and you know what they are thinking.

The disparity in baseball. Are you kidding? In 2022 there were four 100-win teams and four 100-lost teams, both tying the all-time record.

Famous winner and great baseball philosopher catcher Yogi Berra holds the MLB record for the most World Series rings, with ten, and was quoted as saying when it came to baseball knowledge; “In baseball, you don’t know nothing”.

Happy Weekend everybody!

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

A’s blanked by Royals 2-0; KC uses 7 pitchers in shutout

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The Oakland A’s starter Ken Waldichuk pitched 4.1 against the Kansas City Royals at Surprise Stadium in Surprise AZ on Thu Mar 16, 2023 (file photo by si.com)

Oakland. 000 000 000. 0

Kansas City. 000 020 00x. 2

Time: 2:30

Attendance: 6,098

WP: Ryan Weiss

SV: Jacob Wallace

LP: Ken Waldichuk

Thu, March 16, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

SURPRISE, AZ–Don’t let the line score that appears above this report fool you. You’re not reading an account of this afternoon’s action at Surprise Stadium. These lines are the jottings of a tired 82 year old fan who’s just watched and reported on nine games in five days, with half a day (i.e., one game) off to thaw out a frozen computer.

The action on the field at Surprise was a spring training exhibition game between teams representing Kansas City and Oakland, two cities well acquainted with the heartbreak of franchise loss.

The Athletics’ imminent departure lent an added tinge of unreality to the experience inherent in any spring training game, and the tinge was heightened by my having just covered the World Baseball Classic, where callow young minor leaguers, over the hill 4-A players, big league journeymen, and superstars compete, representing countries and regions to which they often have the most tenuous of connections.

But any brand of baseball has a charm of its own , especially in a small ballpark on a warm desert afternoon after five days spent in the cavernous confines of Chase Field in the heart of downtown Phoenix, a city where you can see convenient store clerks with pistols strapped in their holsters selling cheap beers to scruffy down and outers. It’s also a pity where you can experience kindliness and friendliness from people of all walks of life.

That’s enough about the context of our afternoon in Surprise.

Reviewing my emails last night, I learned that the A’s have trimmed their roster to 41, cutting a couple of players we saw perform quite well in the WBC, Adrián Martínez and Jordán Díaz.

The first thing I learned about spring training in Arizona is that you can stop and chat with Dave Stewart in the parking lot. Then I learned that a small stadium can be difficult to navigate

After the first pitch was thrown, I learned that

  • The Curse of the Ground Rule Double still is in effect. Slick fielding Nick Allen led off the game with a two bagger, stole second, and, in spite of walks to Ramón Laureano and Brent Rooker, was stranded there.
  • Catcher Kyle McCann has a pretty good arm. He cut down an attempted steal by Edward Oliver’s in the second.
  • However prepared you might think you are for the torrent of in game substitutions that is the bane of every baseball sportscaster, you’re not going to be able to get all those changes right on your score sheet.
  • They give the media a pretty decent free lunch at Surprise Stadium.
  • The attendance at this Cactus League exercise was higher than that at many MLB games in Oakland. 6,098 fans enjoyed themselves in the clean, sunny, and warm surroundings.
  • As my wife noted, it’s remarkable how green the grass can be on a baseball field in the desert.
  • It’s not often that you see someone pinch run for Ramón Laureano, but it happened in Surprise in the top of the seventh. Greg Deichmann was the replacement, and he beat out an infield single two innings later.

That’s all, folks. ’til April.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Three points on why A’s are leaning towards moving to Las Vegas

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7 year old Indie Erardy shows off her newly signed baseball as Oakland Athletic players sign for the fans at Las Vegas Ballpark on Sun Mar 4, 2023 before their exhibition split squad game against the Cincinnati Reds (Las Vegas Register Review photo)

Three points on why A’s are leaning towards moving to Las Vegas

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Three big points for the Oakland A’s today and their possible move to Las Vegas are all related to money. Here they are: 1-Revenue sharing:

During the Winter Meetings in December, commissioner Rob Manfred pointed to January 15, 2024, as something of a deadline for the A’s to have a binding agreement with the City of Oakland. Under the terms of the new collective bargaining agreement, the A’s would lose their status as a recipient of revenue-sharing

(MLB teams will receive at least $100 million annually from TV rights contracts)

2-MLB relocation fee:

Commissioner Rob Manfred said that under current guidelines he has control of charging a franchise fee and has already gone to his executive council, which has endorsed the position. “That’s why I was prepared to say it publicly,” Manfred said: “If they can get it done in Vegas, there will not be a relocation fee for them.”

(How much does it cost to relocate an MLB team? An expansion fee would run at least $2.2 billion, Manfred said in April 2021, calculating the average value of major-league franchises at the time) 3-Las Vegas factor:

While the A’s played a couple of games this weekend at their Las Vegas Aviators Stadium (AAA affiliate) at Summerlin. Clark County Commission Chairman Jim Gibson told the San Francisco Chronicle that while “the governor has said no new taxes, that doesn’t mean there aren’t public revenues available” The Commissioner appeared ready to lobby state officials (in the Nevada legislation) for some “gift” close to the $750 million that Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis received for a new stadium.

The Oakland A’s, according to the state of Nevada records, has recently formed a lobbying group for Nevada’s 2023 legislative session. A’s President Dave Kaval is listed among the names that make up the “Athletics Investment Group”. These lobbyists for the A’s are trying to influence legislation in Nevada’s government decisions regarding facilitating their relocation from Oakland to Sin City.

Stephen Edwin King is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels, some adapted to many famous films. Credited with saying this: “Money talks and BS walks”.

KIQI 1010/990AM San Francisco-Bay Area and Sacramento, returns as the A’s Official Spanish flagship station with 66 live broadcasts this 2023 season, beginning Opening Night from the Oakland Coliseum at 7 PM when they host the LA Angels.

Catch Amaury Pi Gonzalez and Manolo Hernandez Douen for all the play by play of Oakland A’s on the A’s Spanish radio network and News and Commentary with Amaury at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: A’s Roll the Dice Weekend in Vegas

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A’s played two game series in Las Vegas against the Cincinnati Reds at triple A affiliate Las Vegas Aviators park Cashman Park in Las Vegas on Sun Mar 5, 2023 (photo from mlb.com)

A’s Roll the Dice: Weekend in Vegas

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

Amaury Pi-González

One of the many Frank Sinatra hits over decades was “Luck be A Lady” which he also sang in the 1955 film “Guys and Dolls”, which also featured Marlon Brando. Sinatra and the famous Rat Pack was the King of Las Vegas, years before Elvis Presley arrived in Sin City. I had the pleasure of seeing both of them live in concert, there was nothing like it. If the Oakland A’s move to Las Vegas, there will also be nothing like it because it would be the first time in history that Las Vegas, Nevada would be home to a major league baseball franchise. And they will have 81 shows each summe

“Big League Weekend” A’s sent a split-squad of players to Las Vegas for two games against the Cincinnati Reds. The games were played at Las Vegas Ballpark, the home of the Oakland A’s Triple-a affiliate, the Aviators in Summerlin, a 20 minute drive from the strip.

Las Vegas has been home to a Triple-A team since 1983. This weekend the folks had the chance of watching the 2023 Oakland A’s in action. In 1996, the A’s played their first six games of their regular season at Cashman Field, Las Vegas, while the Oakland Coliseum was still under renovation with the return of the Raiders in 1995 from Los Angeles.

Remember? Yes, the Raiders who are now permanent residents of…Las Vegas. (Raiders’ owner Al Davis who moved to LA signed a letter of intent to bring the team back to Oakland in return the City of Oakland renovated the Coliseum (Mt.Davis) to the tune of millions of dollars which left Oakland taxpayers on the hook)

Quotes from this weekend series:

(Saturday)

–Jason Giambi was the 2000 American League MVP for the A’s and he is all for the A’s to make their permanent residence in Las Vegas, where he has lived since 1998. He mentioned either the A’s or an expansion team. Giambi was at Saturday’s game with his traveling youth baseball team, the Henderson Hawks, and spoke about the possibility of the A’s moving to Las Vegas. He said he felt for “some of the greatest fans in the world” with an A’s move, “But also,” he added, “to be relevant anymore in baseball, you have to be competitive.”

A new stadium, in a new market, might allow for that. Giambi also said “there is no competition for the summer sports dollar in Las Vegas “I came here as a Triple-A player, and it was the best five days of my life. Are you kidding me?” “There’s nothing like it. You can wake up in the middle of night, 2 o’clock in the morning, go get breakfast, go watch a show, anything you want to do. It’s a little bit of the Wild, Wild West. It’s not like that anywhere else.”

Saturday score: Reds beat the A’s 10-9, in front of 8,805 paid fans (capacity at Aviators Stadium is 10,000) the attendance was 88% of capacity.

–A’s Manager Mark Kotsay: “It’s no secret that we’ve been pursuing paths in Oakland and Vegas. So maybe there’s more buzz around it because we’re going right now and the process has seemed to be shifted a little bit,” Kotsay said, “For us as an organization, we continue to pursue both in Oakland and in Vegas and we call that the parallel path. For us, we’re always looking for the opportunity in front of us.”

–Don Logan, president and COO of the Triple-A Aviators, told ESPN.”It makes sense. My perspective, make the best deal you can in Vegas and start to turn this community on” “Las Vegas offers a dynamic that no other team has. We have 45 million visitors annually in this market, and that’s what we want — heads in beds. That’s what Las Vegas is about.”Logan also mentioned that a retractable-roof stadium would be needed for the summer when temperatures regularly hit 110 degrees who added that Las Vegas first look at the A’s in a ‘quiet examination’ for a potential relocation in the year 2004.

–David Forst, general manager of the Oakland A’s said “I’m hoping the A’s get a stadium. I don’t take sides. The only thing that affects the way we operate in baseball operations is actually having a facility. “We really can’t spend a lot of time thinking about the where right now.”

Sunday score: Reds beat the A’s 12-4, in front of 8,024 paid fans.

Next for the A’s: With three weeks of Spring Training left, they will face Colombia who is one of the teams in the World Baseball Classic that starts the competition this week. A’s will open regular season on March 30th when they host the LA Angels, first pitch at 7:07.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez and Manolo Hernandez Douen for all the play by play of Oakland A’s baseball on the A’s Spanish radio network and catch That’s Amaury News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Golden State Warriors podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Curry close to making a return Kerr just not sure when; Warriors host Clippers tonight at Chase

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The Portland Trailblazers Damian Lillard takes a shot against the Golden State Warriors left to right Draymond Green (23), Anthony Lamb (40) and Jordan Poole (3) at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Wed Mar 1, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Jerry F:

#1 Jerry, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry has been out of action since Feb 4th when he injured his lower leg from all indications he’s pretty close to returning.

#2 After watching Curry workout on Wednesday Warriors head coach said that Curry can do more and was impressed with his improvement after recent practices.

#3 Curry has had his share of injuries in the past and the ankle being one of the most famous injuries he’s been on the shelf for a few weeks on this lower leg injury assuming whenever his return is talk about his capabilities to battle in an NBA game coming off this injury?

#4 Jordan Poole has filled in for Curry averaging 22 point per game, grabbing 2.8 rebounds, 6.4 assists, netting 41.8% of his shots, and is 36.6 percent for three pointers.

#5 The Warriors take on the Los Angeles Clippers (33-31) tonight at Chase Center. The Clippers are coming off a 108-101 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night. Clippers like the Warriors are battling for a top spot in the playoffs how do you see this match up tonight?

Join Jerry for the Warriors podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Changes in baseball coming to a park near you

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The Major League Baseball 15 second pitch clock will now be joined by the hitters clock the batter has eight seconds to get in the batter’s box and hit or could be charged with a strike call these rules will be implemented for the 2023 season. (photo from mlb.com)

Changes in Baseball Coming to a Park near You

That’s Amaury News and Commentary–

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

“The Only Constant in Life is Change” – Heraclitus, a Greek Philosopher once wrote. Baseball Commissioner Robert Manfred is no Heraclitus, but under his tenure, he is changing the game of baseball. Well, trying anyway. We remember Mike Hargrove, who played in the 1970s and 1980s also better known as “The Human Rain Delay” because of his deliberate routine at the plate before each at-bat and before each pitch.

The record books show he played for 12 years in the major leagues, but if we could add all the time he spend at the plate, we can probably increase it by two more years. If he was playing this 2023 season he could not do those antics at the plate. To be fair there were others that took all the time in the world at the plate like, for example, Nomar Garciaparra.

Beginning this year, hitters will have to be ready inside the batting box and ready to hit in eight seconds. These are changes that you will “discover” this season if you attend a game or in your living room in front of the television, or if you watch the games on your telephone. When I was a kid growing up in Cuba, I can imagine what my grandfather Armando would have told me if I said to him, “Abuelo, I am going to watch the game on the telephone”. I know his answer, but I will not translate it here.

1-Pitch Clock.

Mike Moore, pitched for 14 years, four of those with the Oakland A’s, and I know I could shave, put aftershave, a t-shirt, and a nice shirt in between his pitches. He will also (if he were pitching today) could not take too much time in-between pitches.

Commissioner Rob Manfred is implementing changes after trying them in the minor leagues. Starting this 2023 season, pitchers will have 15 seconds to deliver the ball, with bases empty and 20 seconds with at least one runner on base. If a pitcher exceeds the clock time he could be charged with a balk (with runner(s) on base.

The hitters will also have to be ready inside the batting box and ready to hit in eight seconds. Years from now, when robotics are running everything, baseball could clone a pitcher like Hall of Fame Greg Maddux, because anyway by that time, bases on balls would have been banned, just like the Umpires, they all left us, like the Dodo bird, all extinct and if a pitcher can’t throw strikes, he is in the wrong line of work.

2-Defensive Shift

A team must have two infielders to the right of the second base and two to the left of the second base, all four on the outer part of the infield. It is expected to be more traditional and it could and should increase batting averages, therefore more people running which equals more action, and more excitement. Before the shift, (the baseball that we all knew) infielders didn’t play outside the infield. I do not believe Ted Williams would have supported the shift all the time, for every .220 hitter, as we have seen recently. After all, who can hit .400 anyway?

3-Larger Bases.

The bases that were 15 square inches, this season will be 18 square inches. The study revealed that this keeps players healthier as far as bases-related injuries with a decline of 13.5 % in the minor leagues in 2022, at every level of the minors. The minor leagues have become the experimental laboratories for baseball.

And who is getting more responsibilities? The Umpires will have to live and die by the clock. We will altogether see how it works. By the way, these changes begin during the 2023 Spring Training games in Arizona and Florida. Oh yes, the “free runner” at the second base starting each extra inning game in the top of the tenth inning is back and it looks like it is going to stay.

Manfred seems to be its biggest fan. Please excuse my cynicism, and with all respect to the Commissioner; if the purpose is to end the game right away; why not start with a runner at third base in the top of the tenth? Credit him with a triple which is still the most difficult to get. Make the player happy. Statistics have shown that if you have a runner at third with no outs it usually scores around 50% of the time. In Las Vegas, you have a 1 in 5 tries chance to win any price in a slot machine.

Like everything in life, some like it, and some do not. The biggest critic so far is ex-major league pitcher Rob Dibble. “It’s idiotic,” Dibble responded to a question about MLB’s implementation of a pitch clock, and he was just getting started. “I heard what Theo Epstein said [and] it was idiotic. He’s working for Rob Manfred who doesn’t love baseball the way we do. “I think the game is fine. You can have analytics, you can have the old-school mentality, it all works,” Dibble continued. “But when you start hating on the game and saying ‘we need a pitch clock, we need pitchers to work faster’ you know what’s going to happen? Guys are going to throw fewer strikes. There’s going to be less active.” Others like ex-A’s currently with the New York Mets, Mark Cahna like it. “I am open to change. I think I can evolve with the times, and be open-minded. I think the rules are just great. I think it’s really good for baseball”.

Robert Manfred is not going to win a popularity contest with those that love traditional baseball. Baseball takes its time, it is game of leisure and strategy and patience. I remember years ago Dusty Baker telling me he loves fishing, because it develops patience. Managers have to think ahead, and a pitching change still the biggest move a manager will make.

The clock will play a big role this year in major league baseball, but (so far) it is not sponsored by Seiko, Rolex or Longines. Just enjoy the game, do not get hang-up on the clock, because the clock never stops anyway.

Get ready, baseball season is coming soon.

Talking about things coming soon: A fascinating tour of Oakland sports history and a look toward the future of professional sports in the East Bay will be available soon in hard copy by April 11. A book “Goodbye Oakland, A Fight for Survival” by Andy Dolich and Dave Newhouse. Pre-orders on Amazon books, if you do not want to wait until April.

Adios muchachos!

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez for his latest perspectives on sports on That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Spring Training–Commissioner speaks – A’s open Cactus League

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Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao walks away from the podium after addressing the media on the firing of Oakland police chief LeRonne Armstrong on Wed Feb 15, 2023 at Oakland City Hall. The Oakland A’s who are seeking funding for the Howard Terminal project is grant money that Thao is trying to identify. (AP News photo)

Spring Training: Commissioner speaks – A’s open Cactus League

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND–While in Oakland. the new Mayor of Oakland Sheng Thao is in a middle of a crisis after firing Oakland’s Chief of Police LeRonne Armstrong, the tenth Chief of Police in Oakland in the past ten years, in Phoenix, Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred spoke at the opening of baseball’s Cactus League media day regarding the A’s situation and the long-running saga of their new ballpark and the go-no-go relocation to Las Vegas.

Rob Manfred says Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher has focused on Las Vegas of late as a new home for the franchise. Commissioner Manfred is invested in making sure that 2023 is the decisive year for the A’s to ‘fish or cut bait’ regarding their “parallel” situation.

The Howard Terminal proposal has been stalled by money (government grants that were not approved) as well as concerns for affordable housing, Manfred addressed that situation by saying the A’s and the City of Oakland in the housing issue; “I don’t think they are in agreement on the affordable housing issue,” Manfred said. “The threshold issue right now I think in Oakland is how to handle the funding for the infrastructure.”

After a recent visit to Las Vegas, where the A’s owner was well received by a powerful group of casino magnates, the Governor of Nevada Joe Lombardo said through a spokeswoman that there are “other possibilities, aside from taxing the residents on how to support the A’s economically if they chose to move to Las Vegas.

The Oakland A’s reported to Spring Training in Arizona and in less than a month on March 4 and 5 at Las Vegas Ballpark, home of the Las Vegas Aviators they will host the Cincinnati Reds The Las Vegas Ballpark is the home for the Las Vegas Aviators the Pacific Coast League Triple A affiliate of the Oakland A’s.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead Spanish play by play announcer with Manolo Hernandez Douen on the Oakland A’s Spanish radio network and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Nevada Governor on the Oakland A’s -Negotiations early in the process-

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An artists rendering of a potential Las Vegas A’s ballpark located near the Tropicana hotel on the Las Vegas Strip complete with retractable roof as speculated. Parking is missing from this rendering and public transit isn’t enough to shuttle 35,000 fans to 81 home games which needs to get worked out. (rendering by Stadium 51 in Las Vegas)

Nevada Governor on the Oakland A’s -Negotiations early in the process–

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

On Monday, February 13, one day after the Superbowl, Joe Lombardo recently elected Governor of the State of Nevada was mum on what public assistance the Oakland A’s could receive if they chose to move to Las Vegas and built their $1 billion ballpark.

The Governor said today; “Those negotiations are so early in the process that it would be detrimental for me to even talk about any details.” Last month Lombardo, through a spokeswoman, said he is not in favor of raising taxes to assist the A’s, but hinted that the team could be eligible for existing Nevada State Economic Development programs.

What the Governor said today leaves the door still open for the A’s to relocate to Sin City. Just two weeks ago the owner of the Oakland A’s was welcome by a group of casino magnates as the A’s seemed to have picked their favorite location in Las Vegas.

The Oakland A’s or an expansion team:

-There is a belief in Las Vegas by the government and local Casino magnates, that they will eventually have a major league baseball franchise, via expansion, but they also recognized that they see the Oakland A’s relocating to their city as a much quicker opportunity than if they are awarded an expansion team which will take a few more years.

The Baseball Commissioner already is on the record for telling the A’s that MLB would forfeit relocation charges. Commissioner Manfred said in April 2021, calculating the average value at the time that an expansion fee would run at least $2.2 billion for the team that chose relocation, the average value of a major league franchise that is huge bait for the A’s if they indeed make the move to Sin City.

In other words, the decision by the Commissioner to waving relocation fees to the Oakland team enhances the chances for Las Vegas of acquiring a storied franchise. The Athletics then representing Philadelphia was one of the charter members of the American League in 1901, with stops later in Kansas City and since 1968 and four World Series titles later in Oakland, California.

Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas is set for February 11, 2024, at Allegiant Stadium.

-Las Vegas, Nevada is growing in sports. The Pro Bowl took place early this month in Las Vegas and drew more than 50,000 people to Allegiant Stadium In March the NCAA men’s basketball West regionals will take place in T-Mobile Arena, the first time a portion of March Madness is taking place in this city In November the inaugural Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix will take place on portions of Las Vegas Boulevard and surrounding streets.

Lombardo said about the Grand Prix “We’re excited to bring them into the State of Nevada and be their host. It’s going to be a fantastic deal for us”. Currently, the NFL Oakland Raiders and the NHL Golden Knights made their home in Las Vegas and it is expected the city will eventually be also home to MLB and NBA.

Rob Manfred MLB Commissioner says 2023 is a big year when it comes to the future of the Athletics franchise.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead Spanish play by play radio talent for the Oakland A’s on flagship station 1010 KIQI San Francisco on http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: How AJ for JJ trade will work for A’s in 2024

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Former Miami Marlin JJ Bleday watches his launched third inning home run on Tue Sep 27, 2022 against the New York Mets at Citi Park in New York. Bleday joins the Oakland A’s that sent AJ Puk to Miami. (AP News file)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 The Miami Marlins strengthened their bullpen by trading for former Oakland A’s pitcher AJ Puk. Puk has a 3.12 ERA with 76 strikeouts.

#2 Puk does have a injury history he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2018 but made his big league debut as a relief pitcher. Puk did not pitch at all in 2020 because of shoulder surgery.

#3 Puk also missed part of the 2021 season for biceps strain. Can Puk stay healthy for a season now that he’s pitching for Miami?

#4 Amaury, talk about the A’s acquisition of outfielder JJ Bleday. Bleday broke into the majors last season hitting .167, five home runs, 16 RBIs, in 65 games and started in centerfield 27 times. How do you see him helping the A’s out this year.

#5 The A’s primarily will be showcased in Las Vegas at Aviator Stadium on March 4 and 5 in pre season baseball to see how the Las Vegas crowds will respond to the A’s. If the experiment is a success the A’s very well could start the 2024 season in Vegas and leave the Oakland Coliseum.

Join Amaury for That’s Amaruy News and Commentary podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com