Category: That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred addresses the media from MLB headquarters on Fri Sep 9, 2022. Manfred earlier this season moved the 2022 MLB Draft as well as the 2021 All Star Game out of Atlanta due to what Manfred termed voter suppression that would impede voters ability to cast votes in the State of Georgia. Manfred then moved both events out of Georgia. (AP News file photo)

MLB Dropped the ball during this year’s 2022 All Star Game

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

The 2022 summer’s Major League Baseball Draft and the 2021 All-Star Game was not held in Atlanta, as it was originally scheduled. The withdrawal of the events that were to take place in July of this year was in response to Georgia’s enacted voting restrictions, which many in Washington, (including the President) called “Jim Crow in the 21st century. Because they say the legislation will disproportionately affect communities of color.

“I have decided that the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport is by relocating this year’s All-Star Game and MLB Draft,” Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. said in a statement at the time. “Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box.”

However, today we know that Major League Baseball overreacted. As of today with roughly two weeks before the national mid-term elections close to one million people have voted in Georgia, during the early voting, in person or via email. All polls regarding this matter are predicting that this mid-term election, coming in November 8th, will break all the voting records in the history of the State of Georgia. Because it is already on the way to a record.

Now we know, that the leadership of Major League Baseball made a big error, by removing the 2021 All Star Game from Atlanta to Denver, Colorado. Atlanta, Georgia prepared for this event yearns in advance. For Georgia it represented great lost of revenues, estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars to the Georgia economy, specially to the city of Atlanta among their local businesses that were poised to celebrate the mid-summer classic with thousands of tourist and baseball fans during the celebration of the All Star Week, which would have culminated with the All Star Game July 19, 2021.

The Commissioner of Baseball made a decision, that was more political than about baseball and it backfired on him big time. He wanted to be ‘politically correct’, overreacted and it blew up in his face. If Mr. Manfred ever had aspirations, once his reign as Commissioner expires to go into the political arena, this “move” probably killed those possibilities and he will have to live with it the rest of his life.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

No doubt about it Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker (12) is a players manager and they have responded by advancing to the 2022 World Series. It could be Dusty’s first World Series win of his managing career (AP News photo)

On That’s Amaury’s podcast:

#1 Amaury, Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker has managed in the World Series before but never has won one. This Friday he will get another turn in game 1 of the Fall Classic can Dusty’s Astros beat the Philadelphia Phillies?

#2 It was quite a ALCS with the New York Yankees for the Astros sweeping them in four games they were not distracted by all the booing at Yankee Stadium and focused on keeping the Yankees out of the run.

#3 Amaury game 5 was a razor close game for the Astros winning it by one run 6-5. The Astros scored their runs in bulk four times in the top of the third and twice in the top of the seventh enough to hold onto win.

#4 Talk about Dusty’s chance to get the ring if he can win this World Series against the Phillies.

#5 You’ve had many opportunities to speak with Dusty over the years in talking with him the coveted ring has to be on the top of his list.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez does News and Commentary podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Al Capone bobblehead photo from Amaury Pi Gonzalez

Las Vegas is not just for Gambling anymore

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

The moment you mention Las Vegas, gambling comes to mind, of course. But that is becoming less and less the case. Las Vegas Tourism reports that millions of people are coming to their city each year from all over the world for pure entertainment, and not just for the slot machines or the tables, poker, baccarat or sports betting.

It is a total family destination. The biggest entertainers in the world, perform at the Las Vegas strip. It is not only the Las Vegas (once Oakland) Raiders of the NFL or the NHL Golden Knights. The Las Vegas Grand Prix, Formula 1 is taking place November 2023, there is information and tickets are selling already over a year from the popular racing event. Basically, Las Vegas is the ultimate “event oriented” city.

This is far from the Las Vegas of the 1960’s at the Sands with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr., and Shirley McLaine, yes, she was also part of the “Rat Pack”. The 1970’s when Elvis make his big comeback as “The King” and opened the International Hotel, which later became the Las Vegas Hilton and since then now it is the Westgate.

The names might have changed, but Sin City is growing in stature every year. If you visit Las Vegas you will see tour guides with groups of people from France to China, from Japan to Germany to Australia.

There was a time in the young history of the City of Las Vegas (Founded in 1905) when the biggest businesses were gambling and legal prostitution. But today a watering hole in the middle of the desert founded by mafia characters, very much depicted in Hollywood movies, like Casino, and Bugsy is growing in many ways. Construction is everywhere.

Las Vegas has the most hotel rooms of any city in the United States, as of January 2016, 167,730 rooms; today close to 200,000 rooms. Is Las Vegas a city without problems? No, not by any means. Water is a very important commodity and an obvious necessity, after all, it is a city in the middle of the desert.

The US government issued a water shortage declaration on Colorado’s river in January 2022 and Southern Nevada’s water allocation was reduced to 7 billion gallons.

How about the A’s? I have talked to a lot of regular fans, and a lot of bay area people. The majority believe the A’s are moving to Las Vegas, some say they will not, some tell me “move already!” others still have faith in Oakland, and the rest are Sharks and 49ers fans and some are Giants fans, but not that many this year.

LAS VEGAS INFORMATION: Around 1 million residents between Las Vegas 644,594 and Henderson 309,955. It is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, a State with approximately 3 million people. City of Las Vegas is the number 40 designated media market in the US. STATE OF NEVADA: Does not have an individual income tax. Does not have a corporate tax but a gross receipt tax.

IF YOU VISIT LAS VEGAS: Although is not recognized as a city of museums, I recommend you visit the Mob Museum and pick up the ultimate bobble-head. My favorite, the Al Capone Bobble-head, a must!

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Baseball Hall of Fame Museum and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com