Category: San Francisco Giants

by Amaury Pi Gonzalez

MESA AZ–As I spoke with Oakland A’s manger Bob Melvin during batting practice at the new Hohokam Stadium he told me he still has not decided who are going to be his starters after #1 Sonny Gray and #2 Scott Kazmir. Those two(free of injuries the rest of this spring training)you can write in ink, but the second part of that rotation? A’s pitchers A.J.Griffin and Jarrod Parker are not going to be in the rotation come April, they’re still rehabbing. Were still a couple of weeks away until the A’s end their Arizona part of spring training and head to the bay for three games against the World Champion San Francisco Giants, looking to tie the A’s this year with a fourth World Series title.

I have seen Sonny Gray in two outings here in the desert; and he looks as good as ever and would not be surprised if he has a very good year, even among those competing for the Cy Young in the American League. Scott Kazmir is the veteran of this staff right now, may I say the “super veteran” almost like the Bartolo Colon of the A’s staff, he has won in the past and there is no reason to believe he will not win this year.

After that, however, things get much more complicated. A’s pitchers Kendall Graveman, Jesse Hahn, get used to these names, because they could easily make this team right now. However, the two times I have seen Drew Pomeranz pitch here, I do not see how Bob Melvin doesn’t give him a spot in that rotation, #3, 4, 5? I do not know, but I expect Pomeranz to make this starting rotation.

Jesse Hahn cost the A’s catcher Derek Norris and Kendall Graveman was even a more expensive trade, he cost them one of the best players in the league, Josh Donaldson. And then…do not forget Jesse Chavez, who is always in the mkix, starting, in the bullpen, he is always ready, his determination and poise always has him fighting for a rotation spot, or even the bullpen. Jesse Chavez is the ultimate “team pitcher”.

So you ask how’s about Barry Zito? The ex-Cy Young Award winning with the A’s has not done much to hurt his chances; but for this veteran it could even be another team in his future, a possible Billy Beane trade? Do not bet against it! These are the Oakland A’s, they traded Cespedes in July and Donaldson after the season, that was the heart of their lineup, and they went Adios.

There is no more important decision for a major league manager than when to take a pitcher out of a game; but this year for manager Bob Melvin the most difficult decision might be which of these new faces make his rotation. He works well with pitching coach Curt Young, who is as good as any pitching coach today in baseball. Curt Young is a quiet man, but works very well with manager Bob Melvin, and there is little doubt in my mind, that Curt Young’s input is the key to Melvin’s ears.

But at the end, Bob Melvin is the guy that has to make the call. I asked Melvin how much of a challenge this year to have so many new faces in camp, and he told me: “We like that, there is no problem, we are getting used to each other”.

Unless they are some major surprises, like first baseman Ike Davis returning to his “slugger”form when he was with the New York Mets, and the A’s get great run production from him, as well as from Brett Lawrie, the new third-baseman hopefully he can play 124 or more games and stay healthy, the Oakland Athletics this year in one of the strongest divisions in baseball. The A’s will go as far as their pitching takes them. I do not expect this team to score a lot of runs.

The starting rotation will probably be named later this spring training, because these young arms are competing and looking very good, which makes Melvin’s decision tougher but sweet. All we know is that Sonny Gray will open the season April 6 at the Oc.com Coliseum against the Texas Rangers, minus the Rangers #1 pitcher Yu Darvish, Tommy John surgery out the whole season.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish TV voice for the Angels and the Spanish radio voice for the A’s and does News and Commentary on http://www.sportsradioservice.com

by Michael Duca

SCOTTSDALE AZ–The back pains of San Francisco Giants centerfielder Angel Pagan is a big bump in the road and definitely something to be concerned about. Pagan who had off season back surgery and has missed three pre season games this week said that he never felt better coming off the surgery but now the back problems have returned.

Back injuries do not heal that well and the only way you could find out if it healed well is to go out and try it out. If it’s not healed you make worse. It’s not good news for the Giants no matter how you slice it. Even without Hunter Pence whose out six to eight weeks. Also not having Pagan the Giants will have to go out and find another outfielder.

They will have to scrounge up an outfielder from somewhere that is released by another team their going to have to do something to replace Pence and Pagan. Pagan missed over the course of two seasons 157 games this is not good in anyway shape or form and the Giants have tried to rehab Pagan and you want this process to be smooth and uninterrupted and this is a pretty big occurrence with this injury Pagan at this juncture of the pre season.

Oakland A’s update: MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has been visiting several clubhouses and meeting with the players of each team and their union representatives to get a analysis on any concerns. Manfred visited the A’s clubhouse and asked the players about their thoughts on getting a new stadium. If Manfred showed up with $600 million in his back pocket he’s certainly entitled to have a majority opinion on that.

Baseball can decide if the A’s need a new stadium but until money appears the stadium won’t appear. It’s just that simple, it’s hard to get stadiums built in the state of California, it’s harder still to get something built with such limited usage to get built in the city of Oakland. At the same time Oakland is beginning to see itself in a different light as the east coast Brooklyn.

Oakland is the trendy place to be and it was named as one of the ten best places to vacation in the United States in the last year by one of the big travel magazines. So maybe under the new leadership, some leadership, or under any leadership from Mayor Libby Schaaf’s office maybe they’ll be able to figure something out.

Michael Duca is covering the Giants and A’s in Arizona during Cactus League play for http://www.sportsradioservice.com listen to the podcast below

by Amaury Pi Gonzalez

(Final: Angels 7 Dodgers 7)

GLENDALE AZ–Camelback Ranch is a huge Spring Training facility is shared by the LA Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox. It is all owned by the Pima Indian Tribe, including the Talking Stick Casino just across the 101 freeway. Anything you buy at these parks at Camelback Ranch, you do not have to pay taxes, courtesy of the ownership by the Pima Indians. A lot of real estate here in the Valley of the Sun, owned by Pima Native Americans, that is one of the advantages, not to mention that a gallon of gasoline here is just a bit over $2 dollars. Locals tell me that the Talking Stick Casino is the best around here, and there are a bunch of them. I went there last year, not on this trip, they do have a great gambling floor and very good professional entertainment and buffets.

This afternoon the Dodgers played the Angels. The rivalry between these Southern California teams is bigger than ever before. In the huge Los Angeles media market, the Dodgers and Angels have partnered on a billboard in
Hollywood to celebrate the 2014 Most Valuable Player Awards of Clayton Kershaw and Mike Trout, with the script “Is your MVP Red or Blue?” Then a hashtag so you can send a twitter.

Prior to the game today inside the Dodgers dressing room there was a very nice blue and white cake, celebrating the 27th birthday of Clayton Kershaw. The #1 hurler in baseball turned 27 today. Kershaw is the only pitcher in MLB history to have won three Cy Young Awards before his 27th birthday. Even Tommy Lasorda was in full Dodgers regalia today for the occasion. He was well received by the fans, and that is the usual protocol with Tommy and the fans, unless the Dodgers are playing the Giants.

The game was a sellout, but there were a lot of empty seats. It rained all morning leading to the game, it has been raining here since Tuesday. The game did started on time at 1:04 with a temperature of 64 fahrenheit, and cloudy skies, in previous days this week it has been in the mid 90’s. Ex-A’s ace lefty Brett Anderson is trying to make the Dodgers rotation, and started the game today. He has not been hurt in Spring Training and that is breaking news since this guy has lived in the 60 days disabled list with clubs in both leagues. Albert Pujols hit his first home run of the spring, in the first inning with a 2-2 count from Anderson. The shot went almost all the way to the last row of the left centerfield stands. After the game Anderson said “I threw him a fastball over the middle of the plate and he hit it 500 feet, that is what good hitters do with that pitch”.

For the Angels, ex-Marlin lefty Andrew Heaney got the start and after retiring the three first Dodgers in the first, allowed five runs and six hits in the second. He is a long shot to make the rotation as the fifth starter for the American League Champion Los Angeles Angels. Some of the hottest hitters on these two Los Angeles clubs, for the Angels Mike Trout continues his torrid hitting, today one more hit, he has a .500 average, Albert Pujols after that home run is at .357, lead off hitter Kole Calhoun, born in Buckeye, Arizona not far from this park, is also having a nice spring hitting .357, he is one of those “old school “lead-off hitters, takes lots of pitches, knows the strike zone and gets on for the big boys that hit behind him, Trout and Pujols. For the Dodgers second baseman Jason Turner went 2 for 2 and is hitting .423. Ex Angel Howie Kendrick is the Dodgers regular second baseman, but he, as well as veteran shortstop Alameda’s Jimmy Rollins did not play. Also for the Dodgers, Cuban rookie Alex Guerrero hit a very impressive home run to left field with two runners on, in the second inning.

Tomorrow the Dodgers visit the Athletics at Mesa. I will be at that game, very early to see Bob Melvin and his A’S take practice. On Saturday the Dodgers visit Tempe to play the Angels, and I shall be there for that game. Since I will be doing Angels TV and A’s Radio again, I chose to cover those two teams. Arturo(Arte) Moreno, the Angels owner is in town, he is an Arizona native.

Media Notes: The LA Angels are the only team among all 30 Major League teams that televise every Spring Training game, they do a simulcast on Fox Sports TV and KLAA 830 AM Angels radio, Terry Smith play by play man and Jose Mota as Analyst, who once the regular season gets under way will be back as analyst with me on the Fox Sports West telecast. This Sunday’s game from Tempe, Arizona between the Angels and the Giants will be televised on Comcast Bay Area for Northern California.

The Cuban Connection: At today’s game in Camelback Ranch in Glendale, there were four Cubans in the press box(which is unusual in this part of the country).There was Alanna Rizzo, she works for Time Warner and handles all Dodgers pregame shows, Pedro Gomez(ESPN analyst),Alden Gonzalez, beat writer MLB.COM covering the LA Angels and yours truly. Alden, the youngest of the quartet, could not resist the occasion and took a selfie with all of us.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish TV voice for the Angels and the Spanish radio voice for the A’s and does News and Commentary each week on http://www.sportsradioservice.com

by Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO–Major League Baseball Players Association Rep Tony Clark said that it’s time to go all out and push for the former Cincinnati Reds Pete Rose to get on the Hall of Fame ballot. I totally agree with what Clark is saying Rose has served his punishment long enough for 25 years since former MLB Commissioner Bart Giamatti banned him for life on August 24, 1989.

It’s time to let Rose back not only in the game but let him in the Hall of Fame he has 4,256 career hits in his major league career with his years in Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Montreal. He was not a bad manager and he deserves his place in the Hall of Fame. If they do allow him back in baseball they should also reinstate the eight men out of the Chicago White Sox and have them back in too.

These players have been banned for a long time and in the case of the eight men out literally a lifetime ban as they never lived to see the day of anything close to the Hall of Fame or being allowed back in the game. Rose should be allowed back in the Hall of Fame at the age of 74. What capacity in baseball he would have maybe he would be a manager, maybe an assistant to the general manager or a consultant.

It’s not known when he will get a chance to get back in but Rose needs to be back in the game of baseball and baseball got tired of his shtick but on the other hand he’s Pete Rose he’s one of the most popular players to play this game and he really belongs in this game and I do believe what Clark said.

Giants manager Bochy shares his concerns about the about hitters and defense: As far as the sloppy hitting and some faulty defense in spring training it’s still early it’s March 18th and it’s just less than a month from opening day. We can ask about the hitting and fielding on May 18th or June 18th and if their still doing the same thing then the Giants have a problem.

Right now it’s March 18th and they haven’t played a real game yet and the exhibition games don’t count as far as fans going down and seeing their favorite Giants or A’s players but again the question about the Giants hitting and fielding needs to be asked two months from now.

Pablo Sandoval was brought up again and yes it’s a huge impact that he’s gone but the Giants have to move on there’s the old saying “that ship has sailed” the Panda’s ship has sailed, he’s not in San Francisco anymore and they have Casey McGehee at third base and he’s working out really well.

Matt Williams second year at the Nats: The Washington Nationals Matt Williams who took the Nats to the post season last year shows the kind of job he’s doing and that was only his first year as the Nationals manager. He’s from the old former Giants manager Dusty Baker lineage that he had when he was in San Francisco. Williams went from the Giants to play in Cleveland and Arizona. Williams later would manage at the Diamondbacks.

Jeremy Kahn is a San Francisco Giants beat writer and does MLB Commentary each week on http://www.sportsradioservice.com listen to the podcast below

by Amaury Pi Gonzalez

SCOTTSDALE AZ–First big decision on the new Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred is on tap. Pete Rose, who has been banned from baseball now for 25 years, asked the Commissioner to lift such ban. Commissioner Manfred said he is considering Rose’s request.

In Tampa, Florida, Alex Rodriguez is having a good spring after one year absence from the game. The 39-year old slugger is trying to comeback. We all know A-Rod’s sleazy past, his denial and confessions about steroids. Here in the Valley of the Sun, among the 15 teams training, Mark McGwire is a coach at the Dodgers facility in Glendale. About 20 minutes away Ryan Braun is roaming the outfield for the Milwaukee Brewers. Braun, who put the loyal Milwaukee fan-base through the ringer with his lies about steroids.

We all get it. For baseball gambling is the mortal sin, everybody understands that. A good argument could be made than previous to Pete Rose and to the ‘steroids era ‘scandals, the 1919 Black Sox scandal dominated the most negative story in baseball history, when after the 1919 World Series between the Chicago White Sox and the Cincinnati Reds, eight Black Sox players were accused of intentionally losing games in exchange for money from gamblers. The eight players later were acquitted by a jury, but Commissioner Kennesaw Mountain Landis banned, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Eddie Cicotte, Claude “Lefty” Williams, Buck Weaver, Arnold “Chick” Gandil, Fred McMillan, Charles “Swede” Risberg, and Oscar “Happy” Felsch the Black Sox for life.

So Pete Rose has been banned. His play on the field makes him a first ballot Hall of Fame inductee, yet he has never even been on a Hall of Fame ballot. Jose Canseco, who on his two books, confessed to have taken steroids, and also named others who also used the substances, was blackballed from the game, yet those who cheated are welcomed back. It looks like it doesn’t pay to tell the truth. We know the regular suspects, Sammy Sosa, Rafeal Palmeiro and others who really never got caught, but also were on the juice, the all-time MLB home run leader Barry Bonds, not long ago said he belonged in the Hall of Fame.

I am not a prude, and I believe in redemption, but it is time that baseball makes a decision on Pete Rose. I admire those that admit to their transgressions, more than those that wait and wait and wait (to see if it goes away) and then, when they are against the wall and their careers are in jeopardy, come and speak the truth.

The most influential man to walk the earth said: “let him who is without sin, cast the first stone”

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio voice for the Oakland A’s and the Spanish TV voice for the Angels and does News and Commentary each week on http://www.sportsradioservice.com

by Amaury Pi Gonzlaez

TEMPE AZ–Angels centerfielder Mike Trout was named the 2014 American League Most Valuable Player. Trout was the unanimous winner with 420 points in the balloting process. The 18th unanimous winner in the balloting process. He is considered the best player in MLB today and many selected him as “the face of baseball”to replace Derek Jeter, who retired last season.

Prior to winning his first MVP, Trout finished second in the voting in 2012 and 2013, to the inimitable Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers. At 23 years of age he is the third player in Angels history to earn the award, joining Vladimir Guerrero(2004)and Don Baylor(currently the Angels batting instructor)in 1979.

Tempe Diablo Stadium, in Tempe, Arizona has been the spring training home of the Halos since 1993 and today is the oldest of all spring training parks here in the Valley of the Sun, where a total of 15 teams hold their camps. The most famous #27 in baseball sat with me today for a few minutes prior to practice at Tempe Stadium.

Q: How does it feels when I say, Mike Trout the MVP of the American League?

T: “It’s awesome, really, a real honor, I try not to think about that too much, I am here to help our team win this division again and a World Series in October, which is our goal”

Q: Last season you hit 36 home runs and drove in 111 runs, scored 115 runs. Personally, what would you like to improve in this 2015 season?

T: “Well, last year is last year, but I did struck out much more than I should…and I hope this year I can cut down on my strike outs, I need to put the ball in play more and help the team and that is what I have been working this spring here with our hitting coach. Sometimes I am over aggressive at the plate, I have to be more selective”

Q: Last year in Anaheim I remember you saying a few words in Spanish, although our interviews on Fox Sports West are done in English, then I translate what you said in our pre-game show. How are you coming along with Spanish?

T: (Smile)”Hola, tranquilo(which means Hello, Fine) no, not really I am learning from Erick and from Albert and some of the guys, because I am prohibited to play winter ball down there, but they help me…however I still hjavde a long way to go before I can do a complete interview with you in Spanish”. (Erick is shortstop Erick Aybar and Albert is first basdeman Albert Pujols).

Q:Mike, you are having a great spring training hitting above .500 have shown everybody why you won the MVP. Is this because you are more confident with yourself than in the previous seasons?

T: “I feel great, and yes I do have much more confidence than my first spring training when I was very eager but a few years younger coming out of the minor leagues, but -look-this is a great team, we won 98 games last season more than anybody in baseball, we have great players here and it is really a privilege to play with these guys”

Q: You live with your parents in their home during the winter in New Jersey. How does that works?

T: “I spend a lot of time with my parent over there, yes, and I still have most of my High School friends and all my buddies there, so yes, I spend a lot of times, specially his winter in Milville”

Q: You are so accesable to the media. Do you expect now that you are the MVP and you are in high demand, to continue?

T: “I like to, I now you guys have a job to do, so I will see how it goes this season, but I have no problems with that, is part of my job, the team pays me well and anytime that I can talk to you and all the guys, I have no ‘problema’with that”.

Told him thank you and I see you soon in Anaheim, although I will still be watching you here for another week.

He thank me, walked to the left side of the dugout picked his glove and went on to the field to practice.

Mike Trout has innate type of talent, but at 23 years of age he comports himself like a real veteran. Do not be surprise if he wins a lot of MVP awards in the years to come. I hope he stays humble and very accessible, he is the same with the fans, always posing for photos with the fans, signing autographs and a real delight to be around.

One more thing. The older players, like future Hall of Fame star Albert Pujols told me that Trout listens to the veterans and that is very important, he still in a learning process. And that should be very scary news for the opposing pitchers.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is Spanish radio voice for the Oakland A’s and the Spanish TV voice for the Angels and does News and Commentary each week on http://www.sportsradioservice.com

by Michael Duca

SCOTTSDALE AZ–You just hope that the San Francisco Giants Hunter Pence heals as well as pitcher Matt Cain seems to have. Most of them seemed to come through with flying colors. There are other players that were a little nicked up like pitcher Javier Lopez who the other day I saw him throw a very solid inning Giants pitcher Sergio Romo threw to live hitters a few days ago in batting practice.

Giants outfielder Nori Aoki who is 1-15 with a bunt single I had a chance to see him hit a little over the course of spring training and on one of his at bats he got drilled in the shoulder. It’s had to say but you just can’t put a tremendous lot of stock this early in spring training, you just can’t in spring training put a lot into the numbers of a hitter.

Sure you want to see a lot of people do well in spring training, teams are facing a polar of their own division and their not going to tip their hand what they do and how their going to do things in the regular season. So teams are going to hold their cards a little closer to their vests. That having been said you’d like to see your lead off hitter doing better than .083.

Giant pitcher Jeremy Affeldt has a lot on his fast ball this spring, he has a vicious curve, he has a nice cutter to right handed hitters. He’s just an effective pitcher as he is in the clubhouse. The interesting thing about former Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval’s little tantrum when he said it was not about the money leaving the Giants but how the organization mistreated him and where he said he was only speaking to Hunter Pence and manager Bruce Bochy on the club. Somebody on the team actually tweeted out “really you (Pablo) can’t get along with Jeremy Affeldt?” Everybody can get along with Affeldt.

Giants catcher Andrew Sasac was aiming to be the back up catcher to Buster Posey but it won’t be the worst thing in the world if Sasac was sent down to Triple A affiliate Sacramento to start the year and maybe be given the opportunity to play a little third base in the minor leagues. He’s certainly not going to learn that position at the major league level.

Oakland A’s update: A’s general manager Billy Beane knows how to construct a team together with type O blood and make it work universally. They all fit anywhere and it wouldn’t hurt the Giants to have that kind of flexibility. A’s catcher Stephen Vogt has been an inspirational hitter for the time he was active on the A’s roster last season before his foot injury.

Vogt was hotter than a pistol earlier in the year and remained hot after the all-star break. He wasn’t hitting .340 after the break like he was before. He kept his average up around .300 and he was still attacking the ball. Vogt’s catching skills weren’t terrific but the A’s have catcher Josh Phegley on the roster.

I’ve listened to a number of people in spring training say that Phegley is the best defensive catcher in the game or one of the best defensive catchers they’ve ever seen. Again it’s the Billy Beane theory you mix and match, you have the defensive catcher in the line up and have Vogt be your DH on days when you got rabbits on the bases and when Billy Butler takes a day off from DH. The rest of the time you can Vogt behind the plate working on his major league catching skills at the major league level.

It’s spring time and A’s first baseman Ike Davis is getting back spasms he already played seven or eight games. Stuff happens wake up and see how much fun he’d be and there is a lot of things to think about that goes on. They think they should ignore all that, they have bodies like the rest of us and Davis made an effort to get back in the line up because he was a little afraid of being Wally Pipped.

Michael Duca covers the Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants in spring training for http://www.sportsradioservice.com listen to his podcast below