Category: That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: First Good News for the A’s in 2021 -Now we wait–

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Oakland A’s team president David Kaval stands by the Howard Terminal location at the Port of Oakland on Wed Feb 10, 2021 where the Oakland A’s hope to fulfill their dream of a new ballpark (photo by Bay Area News Group)

First Good News for the A’s in 2021 -Now we wait–

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND–The Oakland A’s were looking for some good news, since they won the Western Division of the American League last year, they eliminated the Chicago White Sox during the Wild-Card Series, and then were eliminated by the Houston Astros.

Nevertheless, this week brought the best good news to the Athletics when a Judge of the Alameda County Superior Court ruled in favor of the A’s in a lawsuit that would have derailed the team’s plan of construction of the Howard Terminal waterfront stadium.

Things got delayed, but always an optimist Athletics President Dave Kaval said, after the ruling: “We were going to try to open by 2023. That obviously slipped. How far it slipped, I can’t answer that I don’t know yet. It depends on if the city can even get this to a vote this year. It depends on the other priorities the city council might have.”

There are a lot of moving parts here. We still have not reached first base, with the mission to score a new ballpark. The attention focused on the Pandemic and vaccination and all that, the attention for the project has cooled-off, understandably.

The Environmental Impact Report has to be approved by the City of Oakland. A few weeks ago A’s pitching great Dave Stewart submitted a $115 million bid to buy the city’s share, which was a bigger hit than the cost to buy the Athletics at $85 million, and that could complicate the whole enchilada. There are still a lot of moving parts regarding the construction of the Howard Terminal ballpark for the Athletics.

Like the great CBS Walter Cronkite used to say: “And that’s the way it is”

Stay well and stay tuned.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play announcer for the Oakland A’s Spanish radio flagship station 1010 KIQI Le Grande San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A’s get leg up on Howard Terminal Stadium; Superior Court Judge and AB734 ruling gets A’s on first base

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Oakland A’s president David Kaval says he’s glad the A’s won this first step to move forward towards a new Howard Terminal Ballpark at Jack London Square (file photo from the Mercury News)

By Amaury Pi Gonzalez and Joe Hawkes

Sports Radio Service staff writers

OAKLAND–The Oakland A’s caught what A’s team president David Kaval would call a huge break just when the future of the A’s new ballpark development had no new developments since March.  Wednesday an Alameda Superior Court judge ruled for the A’s that the A’s need to prepare an environmental impact report and meet the qualifications of the impact report .

Once the report is ready the A’s are still subject to complaints and legal challenges for example traffic and parking , and air quality issues. The A’s would have 270 days from any complaints or challenges filed. The coalition filed an appeal with the court on Wednesday right after the judges ruling.

AB734 a state bill passed by then Governor Jerry Brown in 2018 helped expedite arenas, stadiums and ballparks built in California. It helped the Sacramento Kings expedite their arena Golden One Center after the Kings met challenges in their developments. The courts moved the challenges through working or basically overruling those who had complaints and challenges such as parking, transit and air quality issues.

The A’s could very well enjoy that same cut through the red tape challenge and get to the next step and see groundbreaking of their new stadium located at Howard Terminal at Jack London Square finally get started.

The A’s have face many challenges to get the stadium project off the ground. In March the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association, Schnitzer Steel, the Harbor Trucking Association all filed a court lawsuit challenging the A’s on building at the port. The complaint said that in doing so would eliminate port jobs and put businesses there out of business.

Mike Jacob vice president of the general counsel of Pacific Merchant Shipping Association said he is hopeful that the court will agree “that the Howard Terminal project should not be certified for fast tracking and the A’s follow the standard environmental impact review process.”

Kaval said that the city of Oakland is responsible for releasing the environmental impact report and it’s completion. The most recent delays regarding the A’s Howard Terminal development was due to the pandemic and the opposing groups lawsuits.

Joe Hawkes is a staff writer and Amaury Pi Gonzalez does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: NBA tells Mavericks Owner Play the National Anthem

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In front of a limited amount of fans the Atlanta Hawks and Dallas Mavericks stand for the national anthem on Wed Feb 10, 2021 in Dallas (photo from Dallas Morning Star)

NBA tells Mavericks Owner Play the National Anthem

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

According to history, the tradition of playing the National Anthem at sporting events began in 1918, during the seventh inning of game one of the World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox.  The NBA was not founded until 1946.

Mark Cuban, billionaire-owner of the Dallas Mavericks said back in November his team will not play the National Anthem. The NBA sent a memo to all teams in the league that they all must play the National Anthem, to what Cuban responded: “We are good with it”.

And that was the end of that story. The NBA is a private business and they have the right to remind their teams/owners of their policy. The NBA sent the notice to all teams, but it was written because of the Dallas Mavericks and their owner.

Mark Cuban is one of the most passionate team owners in the NBA. Last year he was fined $500,000 for saying that director of officiating Ed Rush wasn’t fit to manage a Dairy Queen. He has said that the referee system in the NBA is a decade-long broken training system. He has been fined for at least $2.6 million.

When in Dallas, Cuban is always sitting on the Mavericks side, and has said he enjoys the whole experience and feels he is part of the team, like another player and often warms-up with the team prior to a game.

He is as competitive and passionate as any owner in the league. It reminds me of the once owner of the New York Yankees, George Steinbrenner.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president for the MLB Hispanic Heritage Hall of Fame  Museum and does News and Commentary on http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: MLB: De-Juicing the Pelotas

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The New York Yankees Luke Voit designated hitter led MLB in home runs with 22 will have to swing a little harder this season as MLB has unwound the balls just a tiny bit to reduce the amount of home runs hit. Here is Voit swinging for a ground out against the Miami Marlins last season on Sun Sep 27, 2020 at Yankee Stadium (AP News photo)

MLB: De-Juicing the Pelotas

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

MLB announced today starting dates for all 30 teams to report to Spring Training. As well as the plan for a full 162 game season, with playoffs as in the past, pre-pandemic 2019. The Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants February 17 to 22, for pitchers and catchers first workouts. April 1 is Opening Day.

Last few years Major League Baseball introduced a bevy of changes. This 2021 season is going to have one of the most interesting changes in recent memory. MLB is going to alter the baseball, and therefore hope to reduce the ratio of home runs.

Recently the KBO, Korean Baseball Organization increased the weight of its baseball less than one twentieth of an ounce and moved the COR about 0.01 in 2019, the result was a 33% decrease in home runs. MLB paid attention to such numbers and hope to accomplish something similar.

After the league saw a record 6,776 homers hit in 2019 (the last 162-game season that was played), the home run rate fell from 6.6% of plate appearances in ’19 to 6.5% during the pandemic-shortened ’20 campaign. It might be the worse kept secret that baseballs have more juice than ever in recent memory, and combined with the new style of hitting the famous “launch angle” home runs are becoming, boring?

What MLB is trying to do this 2021 season is De-Juicing the Pelotas. And what is going to do is basically reduce a 375+ foot fly-ball by about 1 to 2 feet, which will return a reduction of 5% less home runs.

This will also result in an increase in doubles and triples. Another change pertaining to the baseball: MLB wants five (5) more teams to store baseballs in a humidor at their home park. As of today the Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies, Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Mets and Seattle Mariners already store their baseballs in humidors.

Of these five teams, Arizona was the only one showing a decline in home runs once the humidor was installed. To this day, the other five (5) teams that will add the humidor are unknown. Plus, my friends that are National League fans will be happy to learn 2021 there will not be a DH, everything stays the same.

Enjoy it, I am afraid this will be the last year with no DH. But not so quickly for those that like less home runs and more bunting, hit and run and strategy that seems to be absent these days. We are not going to regress to the dead ball era, where from 1900 until the arrival of Babe Ruth in 1919 nobody hit home runs.

Ruth hit an MLB record 29 home runs in 1919 and that was Page One material then. John Franklin “Home Run” Baker led the American League from 1911 to 1914 with a total combined of 42 home runs.

I do not think we are going to go that far back in the time machine in 2019 Houston Note: Juiced Pelotas: In 2019 Astros All-Star pitcher Justin Verlander won his second Cy Young of his career, with a 21-6, 2.58 ERA and gave-up 36 home runs most in his stellar career. This is what he said in 2019 about the juiced balls: “Major League Baseball is turning this game into a joke”.

Stay well and stay tuned.

Join Amaury for News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com and Amaury works as vice president for the Major League Baseball Heritage Hall of Fame Museum

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: The Dead Ball era is back in baseball; No way A’s could keep La Stella; plus more

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MLB plans to use a ball with less bounce and less give to reduce the record amount of home runs that have been hit over the last three years (photo from CBS Sports)

On That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast:

#1 With the record amount of baseball hit for home runs in the last three seasons MLB has decided to get some balance in games that have turned into a home run derby and deaden the ball which brought to mind of what you said of this 2021 season could be called “new dead ball era”

#2 Amaury important is it for Tommy La Stella to join the Giants? Scouting reports say La Stella is one of the toughest outs in baseball. La Stella joined the Giants for three years for $18 million. The Oakland A’s couldn’t hold onto La Stella because of his price tag the A’s won’t keep players after a certain budget threshold.

#3 The Dominicans won the Caribbean Series this week, they went 7-0 behind some fine hitting and pitching. Former San Francisco Giant pitcher The Dominican Dandy Juan Marichal was a product of the Dominican Republic pitching system.

#4 The Chiefs head coach Andy Reid who said his heart bleeds for the injured in the auto accident when Reid’s son Britt and also the Chiefs assistant coach hit a car parked on the side of the road hit and injured a 5 year old who  is suffering life threatening injuries.

#5 The Biden administration asked MLB to delay the season one month until they can get the players vaccinated. The decision could cancel Cactus and Grapefruit League games and the regular season could start straight away first week of April. The Arizona Cactus League has also asked the 15 Cactus League teams to delay for a month as well.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez for News and Commentary podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast Tue Feb 9, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud

 

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: ESPN Pedro Gómez dead at 58

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The late great Pedro Gomez who worked in print at the Arizona Republic, Sacramento Bee, San Jose Mercury News among others and moved to TV at ESPN was a solid beat writer and investigative reporter during the Barry Bonds steroid era, well respected amongst his colleagues and the players. Gone at 58 (file photo Apple News)

ESPN Pedro Gómez dead at 58

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

On Sunday, while watching the Super bowl, I learned that ESPN sports reporter Pedro Gómez had suddenly passed away at the age of 58 at his Arizona home. Since Pedro Gómez is a very common name in Spanish, I thought that maybe it was not true, that it was somebody else, some other Pedro Gómez, but too soon I found out -unfortunately- it was the Pedro Gómez I knew.

We used to run into each other at Spring Training in Arizona when he worked for the San José Mercury News and other newspapers as well in other cities and here in the Bay Area. Sometimes Pedro would be at a Golden State Warriors game and would join me to do commentary in Spanish over the radio during half time from the Oakland Arena.

I remember one time he took his little boy Rio to a Warrior’s game with his wife, he was holding Rio his son, a toddler, and he adored his kid who is now a man and a baseball player in the Boston Red Sox organization.

The Red Sox issued a statement on social media, saying … “Our hearts go out to the Gómez family, including Pedro Gomez’s son, Rio, a pitcher in our minor league system.” Pedro’s parents were Cuban exiles who arrived to the US in the early 1960’s, about the same I did, when there was a huge Cuban wave of exiles into the US.

We often talked about Cuba, and the time he went there to do a report for ESPN during a baseball exhibition between the Cuban team and the Tampa Bay Rays, we had a very nice conversation regarding his trip to the island and when he reported that his father pledged never to go back to Cuba as long as the Castro regime was in power, which is the sentiment of most Cubans who left the country.

I remember when he asked me If I have been back and if I planned to, which I responded, no, I am just like your parents in that regard, I am not going back as long as the country doesn’t have any freedom and the system doesn’t change.

Pedro was a people’s person affable and always seems to be in a good mood, a true professional always ready to cover any sports story that came his way and he did very well for many years. An excellent journalist.

I joked with him every time I saw him, because of his likeness to a young Camilo Pascual, the ex Cuban pitcher of the Washington Senators and later Minnesota Twins, I would ask him if he was sure he was not related to Pascual and he would laugh and say no, I am not.

During one Spring Training game at the Dodgers training camp in Arizona and inside the Press Box, Alanna Rizzo the Dodgers sports television on-the-field reporter, whose mother was also a Cuban exile, Pedro and yours truly were together and I joked saying that three Cubans is the most a press box could tolerate because more than three and there could be a revolution.

Pedro laughs and responded to me: “yo creo que si” trans- “I think so”. I like to remember him this way, talking baseball with me and about the things we had in common. I am very saddened because we have lost a very good man, and way too young. My sincere condolences to his family.

May he Rest in Peace.

Stay well and stay tuned.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio voice for the Oakland A’s at 1010 KIQI LeGrande San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: República Dominicana Wins Caribbean Series, Again

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Criollos de Caguas the Aguilas Cibaeñas of the Dominican Republic are the Caribbean Series 2021 Campeones defeating Puerto Rico on Saturday for the Championship (image from @elacid0)

República Dominicana Wins Caribbean Series, Again

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

With a 4-1 victory over Puerto Rico’s Criollos de Caguas the Aguilas Cibaeñas of the Dominican Republic are the undefeated champions (7-0) of the 2021 Serie del Caribe that ended Saturday in Mazatlán, México.

For the second year in a row the Dominican Republic defeated Puerto Rico in the championship game to win their 21st Caribbean Series. Outfielder Juan Lagares of the champion Doninican Republic was the Most Valuable player and today the Los Angeles Angels announced they signed Lagares to a minor league contract.

At the conclusion of this year’s Serie del Caribe here is where the countries by total championships: Dominican Republic 21 titles, Puerto Rico 16, México 9, Cuba 8, Venezuela 7, Panamá 2, Colombia 0. The 2022 Caribbean Series will take place at Estadio Hiram Bithorn in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Stay well and stay tuned.

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

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: A Spring Dream

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MLB Spring Training logos for Cactus League and the Grapefruit Leagues 2021 (from SportsLogos.net)

A Spring Dream

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

I had a wonderful vivid dream last night. I was at a ballpark in Spring Training a sensationally sunny and spectacular day with perfect weather watching a baseball game, walking among fans, talking to the fans (like I usually do) taking it ‘all in’. One of those dreams, even when I woke up I tried to go back, closed my eyes and see if I could squeeze it a little more…I just didn’t wanted to wake up.

For anybody that loves baseball this is the time of the year when you think about baseball, around Super Bowl time, what is basically a mark for all baseball fans that this is the last big important event in sports, before the doors open to pitchers and catchers and teams go to their camps to start the long journey of another summer.

You become enamored with this time of the year if you are truly a lifelong baseball fan and specially in Spring Training where a hot dog and a cold drink tastes better that anything in the world.

Because it is baseball and time doesn’t matter, but memories do, because they stay with you. For years I have visited various Spring Training camps, did work, got my credentials, media notes, some interview with players, would stay inside the press box, for a few innings, and then mingle with the fans, talking baseball, take in the whole experience, feel blessed and lucky to do something that I enjoy, can report and it is part of my job.

Just remembering what I was dreaming last night makes me happy, like a 5 year old kid opening a Christmas present December the 25th and to think some people can afford a Napa restaurant where an appetizer that you can’t even see in your plate is $100 but there is no way you can get more pleasure than eating a hot dog under the sun and drinking an ice-cold beer. Arizona baseball during Spring.

Then reality hits me. Wait a minute; soon the baseball parks in major league cities this year, their “attendance” will have thousands of people standing 6-feet apart waiting to get to a table, with medical people to inject you with a vaccine, for something that came from hell, to disrupt all of our lives.

Truth-be-said, for the majority of these people that would be the only time they visit their local baseball park this year, because, after all most people are not baseball fans. Many said “good riddance” to 2020 and announced 2021 was going to be a much better year, really?

So far this year is the continuation of a flight that has not stopped its turbulence since it took off and still doesn’t know when it will land. I am an optimist by nature, but I also have my feet planted on the ground. If you were born and raised loving the game of baseball it becomes inescapable for the rest of your life, especially during Spring.

Keep dreaming, not only is free but it is fun. One writer, also a poet that I always admired is Edgar Allan Poe, a great writer that went into the mysterious type of stuff. This is, for me, one of his best quotes: “All that we see or seen is but a dream within a dream”.

Stay well and stay tuned.

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

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Super Bowl LV, The Great One vs. The Cool One

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The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) meets with then New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) (arrowheadpride.com file photo)

Super Bowl LV: The Great One vs. The Cool One

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Super Bowl LV is ready for a great match-up of quarterbacks between The Great One, Tom Brady of Tampa Bay Buccaneers champions of the NFC, future Hall of Famer and The Cool One, Patrick Mahomes of the AFC Champion and reigning NFL Champions Kansas City Chiefs.

No team has repeated as Super Bowl champion since the 2003-04 Tom Brady’s New England Patriots, who are currently tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers with six Super Bowl wins. The Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers are the only other franchises with at least five Lombardi Trophies. Two Quarterbacks for the Ages, Tom Brady vs. Patrick Mahomes

The Great One: Brady, His style is solely about what wins games. If that means throwing the ball less, he will do that. If it means giving it to his running back more often, he will execute that also. If he needs to pass, he still has a very powerful and accurate arm to do the job.

When he turned 40 years of age, he was the oldest QB to start in Super Bowl history, back in Super Bowl LII, when he surpassed Payton Manning, when the Patriots faced the Eagles. Now he is 43 and he still doing it.

Brady was as drafted as a baseball catcher at Serra High School in San Mateo, California, also attended by NFL Hall of Famer Lynn Swann as well as baseball’s Barry Bonds, Jim Fregosi and Gregg Jefferies, among others.

Tom Brady in Super Bowl’s is Número Uno: First all time in the following – QB to start in three different decades: 2000’s, 2010’s, and 2020’s. Ten Starts. Most pass completions 256. Most passing yards in history 2,838. Most pass Touchdowns 18 with New England and most SB wins with six; last time he won a SB was in 2017.

The Cool One: Mahomes: All-around athlete. He can throw it for a touchdown or he can run it into the end-zone to score. Very quick, can and will throw from different positions, different arm angles, can throw the football sidearm.

There is little he cannot do at his age of 25. He plays with great style and flair when he was 23 he became the second African-American quarterback to win the NFL MVP award. This season he threw for 5,097 yards, 50 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Only QB in history to throw over 5,000 yards in a season in both, college at Texas Tech and in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs. He owns the largest contract (moneywise) in US sports, history. Ten-years with Kansas City worth $503 million.

In the world, only one athlete has a bigger contract, Argentinean-born Lionel Messi of the FC Barcelona (Soccer) of La Liga in Europe. $4 years $674 million, Who will win, Great or Cool? Not getting into the weeds, both of these teams and quarterbacks are championship caliber.

However, if it is between Great and Cool, I am afraid I will take Great 9 of out 10 times. When: Sunday, February 7, 2021 – Where: Raymond James Stadium, aka “Ray-Jay” Tampa, Florida.– Seating capacity: 65,618, with 22,000 expected to be in attendance, 7,500 of those are health care workers who were given a free ticket by the NFL. They all had received a covid-19 vaccine.

Announcers: Play by Play- Jim Nantz. Commentary – Tony Romo… Time: 3:30 Pacific Coast time CBS will use 120 cameras. Thirty-seconds of advertising approximately $5.5 million one of the most watched annual sporting events in the world, the NFL’s championship game is broadcast in over 130 countries in more than 30 languages.

Fly Over: Three (3) Air Force bombers to perform first ever trifecta for National Anthem. The planes: All in one of Super Bowl 55: B-52+ B-2+B-1 = 55! Half Time Show. The Weekend will perform.

Firsts: First time a team participating in the Super Bowl (Tampa) plays at their regular season stadium. Super Bowl that is played during a Pandemic. Those three Air Force Bombers do a flyover. Sarah Thomas first female Super Bowl official.

Tie breaker: The AFC has won the Super Bowl 27 times and the NFC has won the Super Bowl 27 times. Why do Super Bowl games have Roman numerals?. Lamar Hunt, Kansas City Chief Founder, is also credited for introducing Roman numerals to keep track of the championship title bowls.

Roman numerals are an ancient numeric system where numbers are represented by symbols. Developed around 500 B.C. as the Romans conquered most of the world that was known to them. Their numeral system spread throughout Europe, where for centuries if was their primary way of representing numbers. Happy Super Bowl!

Stay well and stay tuned.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez in his career does has covered the Super Bowl for Telmundo TV and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: How tight are the A’s?; Who do you like in Super Bowl LV?

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Oakland A’s outfielder Mark Canha seen here slugging a double against the Seattle Mariners on Sun Sep 27, 2021 at the Oakland Coliseum  says the clubhouse will be a lot different without former A’s infielder Marcus Semien around (file photo AP News photo)

On That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast:

#1 In a recent interview with NBC Sports Oakland A’s outfielder Mark Canha said that the impact of losing Marcus Semien will be felt and his presence will be lost in the clubhouse.

#2 Canha said that when he and Semien first came to the A’s in 2015 the clubhouse culture at that time was veterans ran the clubhouse and the rookies and younger players were expected to keep quiet and follow along.

#3 After some time Semien was instrumental in changing the clubhouse culture and was a positive presence and younger players and rookies were inclusive to say what was on their minds.

#4 There has been heavy criticism about the A’s letting pitcher Liam Hendriks and Marcus Semien that the organization is cheap and won’t spend the money. Critics feel that the team is less competitive without them. How does this image bode going into the pre season this month?

#5 Turning to the NFL and Super Bowl LV: A lot of anticipation Amaury is riding on this Sunday’s Super Bowl LV with two of the NFL’s best quarterbacks going head to head. For the Kansas City Chiefs Patrick Mahomes and for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tom Brady in a game that could be one for the ages.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play announcer for the Oakland A’s at Spanish radio flagship station 1010 KIQI Le Grande San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast Tue Feb 2, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud