Wisely’s base hit ties it, Fitzgerald scores on walk off wild pitch Giants edge Jays 4-3 at Oracle

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Heliot Ramos is greeted by San Francisco Giants third base coach Matt Williams after hitting a bottom of the fourth inning home run against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oracle Park in San Francisco (AP News photo)

Toronto (41-50). 000 000 300. 3. 3. 0

San Francisco (45-47). 000 000 013. 4. 9 1

Time: 2:27

Attendance: 32,924

Tuesday, July 2, 2024

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–Before defeating the Toronto Blue Jays in a thrilling come from behind walk off pitchers’ duel this pleasant July evening, the San Francisco Giants announced a series of transactions that complimented the recent trade of Austin Slater to the Cincinnati Reds.

Last year’s Cy Young trophy winner, Blake Snell, returned from his rehab assignment in Sacramento . Southpaw hurler Alex Young came to the Giants as part of the Slater deal and was optioned to the River Cats. Thairo Estrada and Wilmer Flores came off the IL, and Nick Ahmed was designated for assignment.

The first of these movements was the most critical. The Giants have been moving towards playoff contention at a Snell’s pace; his return to the 26 player roster gave San Francisco reason to hope that the team could play the second half of the season without a rotation of Webb and three days of bullpen.

Snell pitched only five innings this evening, but what a five innings those were! If you looked at the Giants’ pitching numbers, you’d think it had been a bullpen game. If you watched the game, you knew it was old fashioned strong pitching, cut short only by the desire to stretch Snell out gradually he allowed only one hit, a second inning single to Davis Schneider, and three walks while throwing 73 pitches, 45 for strikes on his way to a no decision that brought his atrocious pregame ERA of 9.51 down to an ugly 7.85, but the numbers were incidental. Snell was in charge from the first of his first out until his last. Randy Ramírez replaced him and hurled a perfect sixth.

Flores started at first base, batting fifth, and went one for four.

Jorge Soler originally was slated to lead off as the designated hitter, but an unspecified viral infection made him a last minute scratch, so Thairo Estrada, originally batting seventh and playing second was inserted in his place.

Brett Wisely batted ninth and played second. His two out single with runners on first and second in the bottom of the ninth tied the score of this nail biter. Fitzgerald, who had occupied Wisely’s places in the original lineup card, was moved up a notch in the batting order and a few feet over on the field to play short. He hit a home run in the eighth and scored the winning run on a wild pitch to Estrada to nail down San Francisco’s walk. off wind.

The Blue Jays, whose season thus far has been about as disappointing as the Giants’, chose 菊池 雄星 (Kikuchi, Yūsei) to start this three game penultimate first half series. Kikuchi, who had established himself during his eight years with Tokyo’s Seibu Lions, where he went 69-45, 2.69.

He spent a mediocre three years, 2019-23 with the Seattle Mariners and two more after that with Toronto.. He was 4-8, 4.12, going into the game this evening. But he did a beautiful job, allowing only two runs, both of which came on leadoff home runs, one by Héctor Ramos in the fourth and the other Fitzgerald’s in the eighth. Kikuchi was his old self Tuesday night.

He threw 7-1/3 strong frames, facing 27 batters and striking out 13 of them while holding them to six hits without issuing a single base on balls. He, too, had to be satisfied with a no decision although he shaved 0.12 runs off his ERA.

San Francisco’s all star right fielder Héliot Ramos broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth, a 418 foot blast into right center off a 95mph four seamer. It was his 13th round tripper and part of his 15th multi hit game in Oracle Park this season.

Disaster struck the Giants after Ryan Walker took over on the mound for the top of the seventh. With one down, he walked Danny Jensen gave up a double off the Bank of America advertisement to the left of the 399 foot marker in center field to the pinch hitting Spencer Horwitz.

Kevin Kiermaier pinch rancor it Horowitz, but that proved unnecessary because Ernie Clement smacked an 85mph slider over the Hanwha Life advertisement in right center, landing 385 feet from the plate and putting the Jays up, 3-1.

Walker retired his next two opponents, one by one on a called third strike. Luke Jackson pitched a perfect eighth, and Erik Miller allowed naught but a walk while fanning one Blue Jay to earn the win, giving hi a record of 3-2, 3.43.

The series will continue Wednesday, evening at 6:45. Logan Webb (7-6, 3.09) will start for the orange and black. Chris Bassitt (7-7, 3.43) will be on the hump for the squad from the Rogers Centre.

A’s Lose Game One In Series With Boston Red Sox 12-9

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Oakland A’s Lawrence Butler (4) is congratulated by teammate Shea Langeliers (23) after hitting a three run home run in the top sixth against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in Boston on Tue Jul 9, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Oakland A’s (34-59) had a nice start taking an early 2-0 lead but a horrendous second inning that gave Boston Red Sox (50-40) eight runs after scoring 3 in the first inning made all the difference in the game. The Red Sox only scored one run for the rest of the game. Each team had 13 hits but those stats that indicated a close game were clearly inaccurate. Boston had control of this game from the second inning on.

Tuesday afternoon the A’s traveled back to Boston to take on the Red Sox in a another tough set of games. Again the A’s face another giant in the American League East. Every team in this division is a tough customer and the Red Sox are currently in third place.

Oakland is enjoying some pretty decent offense and in the second game of their last series, they managed 19 hits and 18 runs in a blowout win over the Baltimore Orioles. These guys can hit and were looking to be more consistent over their past two series against the Orioles and the Angels and they had some success.

Joey Estes started for Oakland and went 1.2 innings, allowing seven hits, eight earned runs, and struck one batter. For the Red Sox starter Brayan Bello pitched 5.1 innings allowing nine hits and five earned runs.

Game recap: Oakland got a great start scoring two runs in the opening inning as they got going early. Brent Rooker doubled Miguel Andujar home and Shea Langliers singled Brent Rooker home for the early 2-0 lead.

The Red Sox answered back in the same inning scoring three runs and taking the 3-2 lead. A couple of singles from David Hamilton and Rafael Devers brought runners home and Oakland had given up the lead. A’s pitcher Joey Estes began to struggle early.

Joey Estes’ struggles continued into the second inning and when the dust had settled, he had given up seven hits and eight earned runs in a disastrous 1.2 innings. Tyler Ferguson relieved Estes looking to stop the bleeding but did not fare much better giving up three more hits and three more runs in 0.1 innings.

Boston now led 11-2 and Oakland was digging a huge hole with a lot of game still left to play. The Red Sox had an amazing second inning with a Ceddanne Rafaela triple, a Rafael Devers double, a Masataka Yoshida single and back to back home runs. Wilyer Abreu had a three run homer and Dominic Smith a solo home run.

Boston had dismantled both Joey Estes and Tyler Ferguson. As if things were not going bad enough for Oakland, rain began to fall over the ball park. This game had turned lopsided early.

Michel Otanez relieved Ferguson in the bottom of the fifth inning giving up no hits, no runs with two strikeouts.

Oakland made a bit of noise in the sixth inning. Going into the sixth the A’s had not yet hit a home run but Lawrence Butler turned that stat on it’s ear hitting a three run homer. Butler, Shea Langeliers and Zach Gelof scored on that long ball.

Otanez started to struggle in the bottom of the sixth inning with back to back walks and Boston had two runners on base with two outs. That was it for Otanez relieved by Scott Alexander. Alexander got Oakland out of the inning unscathed and the score remained 11-5 in favor of Boston going into the seventh inning.

With no outs, the A’s had runners on the corners, with Brent Rooker on third and Tyler Soderstrom on first. Zach Gelof sacrificed and Rooker scored and Oakland inched a bit closer 11-6. The A’s now had 11 hits through eight innings and had 15 runners on base leaving too many runners stranded.

Boston scored another run in the eighth inning extending their lead to 12-6. Wilyer Abreu sacrificed and Rafael Devers scored. Austin Adams had taken the mound in the bottom of the eighth inning for Oakland, walking Rafael Devers and hitting both Connor Wong and Masataka Yoshida to start the inning. Adams had gotten out of the inning with minimal damage.

Oakland went into the ninth three outs away from dropping game one to Boston. With two outs, the A’s had runners on the corners for the third time in the game. Zach Gelof came to the plate hitting home run #10, a three-run home run. Butler popped out for the third out and Boston had won game one 12-9. Both teams finished with 13 hits. It was the bottom of the second inning that turned this game around for Boston.

The A’s will be back at work in game two with first pitch scheduled for 4:10 PM with toasty temperatures getting up to 90 degrees and no rain predicted.

JP Sears will take the mound for Oakland with a 5-7 win-loss record and a 4.74 ERA. The Red Sox will start Nick Pivetta who has a 4-5 win-loss record and a 4.06 ERA.

He Was A Giant? J.R. Phillips 1B 1993-98 #31 By Tony the Tiger Hayes

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

JR Phillips San Francisco Giants Topps 1995 #590

J.R. Phillips -1B – 1993-96 – # 31

By Tony the Tiger Hayes

Tall and handsome, with a tattoo of a large American Eagle perched on his rippling left bicep and a Patrick Swayze- worthy mullet – the swashbuckling J.R. Phillips would have made a great fictional character in a Hollywood sports film or even a baseball themed romance novel.

The problem for the Giants – who foolhardily floated the idea of Phillips as a replacement for franchise icon Will Clark – was that the strapping lad was not the creation of a screen writer or some drug store fiction scribbler.

The 6-foot-2, 205 pound Southern Californian was very much a real dude and in turn, not a particularly good real- life major league ballplayer.

An all or nothing slugger with gigantic, upper-cut stroke, Phillips once fanned 165 times in a baseball professional season.

That portion of his game was prominently on display as a Giant.

In fact, San Francisco had not seen a swinger as brazen as J.R. Phillips since leisure-suited lotharios populated Union Street fern bars in the 1970s.

But initially there was hope for Phillips. After Clark left the Giants via free agency after the 1993 season, the Orange & Black had their fingers crossed that they had some how struck gold with Phillips.

The 22-year-old had led the Pacific Coast League in home runs in 1993 and dazzled in a late-season cameo for San Francisco.

But it was a major ask for Phillips whose baseball pedigree was about as impressive as a junk yard dog applying for a runway slot at Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

Phillips ultimately flopped. But then again, so did every other dud first base candidate who tried to follow in Clark’s footsteps for several years after his decampment.

Why Was He a Giant?

Not only was the intense Clark one the most popular Giants of the Candlestick Park era, Clark was one of the most successful Giants in terms of both personal production and his prominence in transforming the Giants into a winning organization after many dormant seasons.

A charismatic 1984 baseball Olympian, Will also served as a major marketing tool for the Candlestick Park-addressed franchise.

Clark’s eight year tenure with San Francisco encompassed three of the team’s most successful seasons of the ‘Stick era: the team’s first division title in 16 seasons (1987), first pennant in 27 years (1989) and most regular season wins at that juncture (103) in 1993.

Moreover, Clark was also MVP of the 1989 NL Championship Series, a five time All-Star, Gold Glove winner (1991), and Silver Slugger winner 1989. He batted .299 in his eight-year Giants career.

In ‘89 he famously drove in the winning run vs. the Cubs to send San Francisco to the World Series vs. Oakland.

With liberally smeared lamp black under his eyes and an always turned-on intensity, the member of the College Baseball Hall of Fame was the living and dying face of Giants baseball.

To this day, Giants fans rhapsodize about Will’s first career at-bat home run off Nolan Ryan and a wild fight with Ozzie Smith and multiple Cardinals after a hard slide into second base.

But despite batting .387 in the final month of the ‘93 campaign – and a solid .283, 16, 73 for the season -Giants officials believed Clark – who would be 30 at the start of the 1994 season – was on a downward trajectory.

Club officials secretly fretted Clark was not committed to physical conditioning and his usefulness would peter out before he reached the end of his next contract period.

The club refused to budge from a three-year $15 million offer, with a club option for a fourth season.

So, disheartened Giants fans helplessly watched Clark walk away to Texas where Rangers principal owner George W. Bush was pleased to hand “The Thrill” a cartoon sized check for $30 million over five seasons.

Bay City ticket buyers weren’t the only one’s frustrated. In 1993, Giants rookie manager Dusty Baker had watched Barry Bonds, Robby Thompson, Matt Williams and Clark lead the Giants to a then club record 103 victories.

Why mess with the recipe for a delicious and deeply satisfying meal, Baker wondered.

“My first reaction is I would have loved to have kept Will,” said Giants manager Dusty Baker, after Clark’s departure became official. “But If Willie Mays and Hank Aaron can be traded, anything can happen in baseball.”

Saying he was “very disappointed” that the Giants could not come to terms on a new contract with Clark, San Francisco general manager Bob Quinn announced the club would find it’s 1994 first baseman from a hodgepodge fronted by the uninspiring Todd Benzinger with fellow journeymen Mark Carreon and Dave Martinez also thrown into the mix.

Lastly, he mentioned Phillips.

Though the marketable rookie was the most intriguing candidate, initially Giants bigwigs played down the phenom.

“We don’t want to place too much pressure on (Phillips),” said Quinn of the MLB novice, who had bopped a combined 39 professional homers during the ‘93 season. (11 to top the Arizona Fall League; 27 to lead the PCL and one with San Francisco.)

Baker also pumped the brakes on the kid.

“I’m not ready to put the “Next Will Clark” label on J.R.,” said Baker. “Todd Benzinger is my first baseman for now.”

And with that comment, absolutely zero fans went out and bought season ticket plans.

Though a decent hitter for average and an excellent defender, the mundane Benzinger possessed limited run producing power and even less pizazz.

Benzinger, a Cincinnati- area native and member of the Reds 1990 World Championship club, was steady, but hardly a highlight reel machine.

Plus, he didn’t exactly present as an bankable figure. While Phillips resembled a square-jawed professional wrestler or muscular Oklahoma oilfield roughneck in appearance -the buttoned-down Benzinger looked more like the guy you would pay to do your taxes or possibly someone who collected Osmond Brothers records for fun.

Everyone, including, apparently, Phillips, knew, the Giants were really itching for the next sellable “Will the Thrill” or at least “J.R. the Star.”

“(I know) they’re not going to hand me the job,” Phillips said after Clark’s departure became official. “But I think they want me to play first. I will be disappointed if I don’t win the position. I know what I can do.”

Why Was He a Giant?

With a young J.T. Snow entrenched at first base in the majors, California left Phillips exposed to the 1992 minor league draft. The Giants – who risked losing Clark after the upcoming 1993 season- were all too happy to take Phillips off the Halos hands for $25,000.

Phillips, an Angels fifth round draft pick out of his La Puente, CA high school had bashed 55 career home runs over his first five minor league seasons. But he was a strikeout machine, hit for a low average and was a shoddy defender.

But the Giants swiftly loaded J.R. onto the back of truck with the words “Reclamation Projects” stenciled on the side.

(Ironically, San Francisco would not solve their post-Will Clark woes until Snow – who eventually flamed out in Anaheim – was acquired from the Angels to play first in 1997.)

The club added the fledgling Phillips to the 40-man roster and invited him to 1993 spring training.

Phillips did not cause much Cactus League commotion, but once the ‘93 Pacific Coast League season began, he commenced hammering balls into the Sonoran Desert night sky like shooting stars with purple- hued afterburners.

It seems Giants veteran minor league batting coach Duane Espy had noticed some fixable flaws in Phillips’ swing. After 31 games, Phillips was batting .286, with 8 home runs and 23 RBI.

Six weeks into the PCL season, reports began filtering back to Fog City about a potential future replacement for Will Clark.

“(Espy’s) changed my whole approach to battling. He took me into this little room and showed me video tapes and told me ‘this is what we’re going to do with you,” Phillips told the San Francisco Examiner in May of ‘93. “I never realized my swing was so bad until he showed me.”

Phillips moved up onto the plate, shortened his swing and began pulling the inside pitch.

When major league rosters expanded in September, J.R. – after topping the PCL in both home runs (27) and RBI (94) – was recalled to San Francisco to help in the quest to keep the seemingly unstoppable Atlanta Braves at bay.

He Never Had a Giants Bobblehead Day. But…

In his first big league start, Phillips, subbing for Clark, teamed up with 21-year-old rookie RHP Salomon Torres – a Giants prospect even more hyped than J.R. – to upend the Cardinals, 3-1, at St. Louis (9/4/93).

Phillips barreled- up a triple that caromed off the center field fence in his first at-bat, then in his next plate appearance bombed a two-run home run to right, scoring Bonds, off future Forever Giant Rene Arocha.

“It’s a great feeling. I’ll take it anytime,” said Phillips, of his first two big league hits. “Really, on the home run, I was just trying to move Barry up.”

“We didn’t bring these guys up just to look at them,” Baker said, of the fresh reinforcements.

(The victory kept the Giants incredibly shrinking lead in the NL West at 3.5 games ahead of the rampaging Braves. Atlanta would eventually capture the NL West in the waning hours of the ‘93 regular season.)

Before & After

When spring training rolled around in 1994, Phillips appeared more than ready to take command of Clark’s vacancy.

The confident rookie started the exhibition season batting 4-for-5, including a mammoth 450-foot homer.

“We’ll go in with our eyes open,” Baker said regarding roster competition. “There’s nothing I would love more than for someone to make my decision hard.”

In the final week of Cactus League friendlies, Phillips continued his hot spring: tripling and whacking a two-run jack, to up his exhibition average to an impressive .333. J.R.’s 17 RBI topped the squad.

He was named winner of the Harry S. Jordan Award, denoting the Giants top rookie in spring camp.

The same Giants press release that publicized Phillips spring achievements, also listed Benzinger’s stats as .256, 1, 4.

Despite the wide discrepancy in spring numbers, the Giants chose to send Phillips back to Triple-A Phoenix to open the ‘94 season.

Benzinger was an eight-year veteran and top notch glove man. He also played quite well in 1993, batting .288 hitter in 86 games off the bench for San Francisco. Todd got the nod as opening day first baseman in 1994.

“Benzinger deserves the chance based on what he did last year,” Baker said. “He fits well into the lineup. We like what J.R.’s shown, we like his attitude. He’ll be back, and when he’s back, he’ll be here for a long time. People want to rush these kids too soon. If they fail, then what? It’s also important to have a person in between J.R. and Will (Clark). It’s tremendous pressure to follow. His future is ahead of him. We feel he can still get better before he’s ready to come to the big leagues.”

The second-year skipper told the stout rookie to work on raising his batting average, cut down on his strikeouts, and improve on defense after committing an alarming 28 minor league errors in 1993.

Phillips seemed to understand Dusty’s dugout perspective.

“I’m disappointed, but Todd deserves it. He’s been up there,” the husky batsman commented. “He did a hell of a job last year. I wish him all the luck in the world. What they’re doing is trying not to rush me. They told me I’m the first baseman of the future. They said when it’s my time, I’ll be there.”

But it wasn’t his time in 1994. The ‘94 season, with it’s infamous labor conflict, was a lost year for Phillips.

After beginning the season with Phoenix of the PCL, Phillips received a call-up in June, but batted a miserable .132 in 15 games.

The ball player, partially blamed the pressure of replacing a crowd favorite for his poor showing.

“I haven’t been swinging at strikes. I’m swinging at balls,” Phillips lamented.

The extended stay in the minors allowed Phillips to iron out some of his issues. Once again he proved PCL pitching was not a mystery – hitting .300, 27, 96, before breaking his forearm late in the season.

The labor issues spilled into 1995, but when spring training finally opened, the Giants, this time, proffered a full vote of confidence to the procrastinating prospect.

The hard swinger was named the Giants regular first baseman. On opening day at Atlanta (4/26/95), Phillips creamed a Greg Maddux pitch for a long home run, in an otherwise dismal 12-5 lop-sided loss.

J.R. however, soon fell into a deep slump, collecting just ten hits in his first 99 at-bats. After batting 0-for-2 in an 11-6 win at Montreal (5/29/95), the lethargic contestant was batting an icy .101.

The Giants could no longer justify playing Phillips every day and he was returned temporarily to Phoenix. Carreon was named starting first baseman by default.

Later in the ‘95 season the light seemed to come back on for Phillips.

A day after depositing a gigantic homer into the right field football bleachers at Candlestick off the Pirates RHP Paul Wagner, J.R. clocked a pair of round trippers against Pirates RHP Steve Parris for a career topping 5 RBI game in a wild 8-7 home win (8/10/95).

By September 15, the wayward phenom was batting over .300 in his previous 31 games.

At the time, Phillips took a moment to reflect on his roller coaster big league odyssey.

“It’s been very frustrating,” the weary Californian acknowledged. “Stupidity is more like it. I look at the things I could have done.”

Phillips ended up the ‘95 season appearing in a career high 92 games with San Francisco. On the positive side he achieved career bests in homers (9) and RBI (28). But he also batted an inexcusable .195 and struck out 69 times – or nearly 30 percent of the time.

It was back to the drawing board for Phillips, which in his case was located south of the border.

Phillips logged time in the Mexican Winter League after his disastrous ‘95 Giants campaign. Upon reporting to spring training in 1996, J.R. declared to anyone with a pen and pad that he was back on track.

He offered a new batting stance as evidence. Phillips would now be holding the bat very low, with his wrists about parallel to his waist before swinging.

After going 6-for-10 with a pair of homers to start the Cactus League, it looked as if he actually knew what he was talking about.

“I’m very comfortable that way,” he said.

Phillips indicated he was close to reclaiming a spot in the Giants lineup. If not at first base, then possibly the outfield. He even brought a catcher’s mitt to camp.

Phillips was also beginning to sound like someone who had brought a few extra bottles of tequila back from Jalisco.

Besides anything short of getting run over by a turnip truck, Carreon – who had reached career highs in hits, home runs and RBI in 1995 – was now San Francisco’s clear cut starter at first. The outfield was booked too. As far as catching – well – was he legitimately nuts?

Dusty Baker said it was time for some introspection on Phillips’ part.

“It’s not like I took J.R.’s job from him. Carreon did that,” Baker said. “If J.R. had been doing relatively well in the first half of the season, he might have gotten more of a chance. I was told a long time ago the best way to keep your job is to keep your competition on the bench.”

Phillips kept the spring training pressure on. After an impressive three- homer weekend in the final portion of the ‘96 exhibition schedule, he was batting a lusty .388 for the spring. The Giants had no choice but to include him on their 1996 opening day roster.

J.R. said he learned a lot by his ‘95 failures.

“I tried to keep up with the great Matt Williams and Barry Bonds, and I didn’t play my game,” he said. “The turning point was when they sent me down and Carreon started getting hot. Coming up as a pinch hitter off the bench was difficult. I’d never had to do that.”

Well, he didn’t have to do it for much longer- at least not for San Francisco.

After starting the 1996 season a squalid 5-for-25 – albeit with a pair of home runs – the Giants decided to finally cut ties with the once promising player – trading Phillips to Philadelphia for “future considerations.”

“He has tremendous power potential,” said Giants GM Quinn. “It didn’t happen in this uniform, maybe it will happen elsewhere.”

Phillips looked forward to the new horizons.

“I thought something was going to happen,” Phillips confessed before departing the Giants clubhouse. “I feel good about it.”

Phillips played in Philadelphia about as well as he did with the Giants, before moving on to fruitless stops in Houston and Colorado. He played his final pro season in 2005.

Giant Footprint

The decision to let Clark walk to the Rangers detrimentally set the Giants franchise back for years. Who knows what the team could have accomplished if Bonds, Williams, Thompson and Clark would have had more than one season together joining forces in their prime.

After going 103-56 in 1993, the Giants would not produce another winning season until 1997, with the arrival of Snow, Jeff Kent and others.

Will Clark meanwhile batted over .300 in six of his remaining seven seasons in the majors, ending his career with a .303 batting average.

Thirty years after he left the Giants as a player, San Francisco retired Clark’s familiar uniform no. 22.

In 242 career big league games, Phillips batted .188, with 23 home runs and 87 RBI.

Oakland A’s Relocation podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Ballpark Deal between A’s and Tropicana in Vegas could fall through

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Tropicana Hotel is under construction even if the Oakland A’s deal fall through Bally’s plans to continue working on the property. The Tropicana towers are scheduled to be demoed by April 2025 ballpark or no ballpark according to reports. (Photo by Sports Radio Service on Fri Apr 8, 2024)

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Things are changing around for the Oakland A’s and owner John Fisher. The price on the Tropicana ballpark in Las Vegas has gone up 20% according to developers, those working on the project in Las Vegas and according to Alex Espinoza at the Rickey Blog.

#2 Already Fisher is trying to get $500 million to pay for his share of the construction costs which he was looking for investors to help him out with there has been nothing but crickets since that was announced about a month ago. The cost of building the ballpark goes up every day every week as there is no plans on the drawing board how this is going to get started.

#3 It was also reported that Las Vegas developers and investors say that is very unlikely that Fisher will sign a binding stadium agreement and makes a deposit for $100 million for the Tropicana ballpark unless he can find partners or investors to help pay for the deposit which Bally’s who runs the Tropicana can not afford to pay the $100 million.

#4 The report continues saying that John Fisher needs to get a new partner for construction because Balley’s needs to complete construction on the project. Bally’s needs to have the deposit from Fisher and the A’s or the A’s loses it’s authority to develop the Tropicana site and the ballpark. Which would mean the A’s would have to start the process all over again.

#5 The report continues that the Tropicana will continue to be demolished but it hasn’t nothing to do with the ballpark. The deal between Bally’s and the A’s could fall through and the A’s who are out of Oakland at the end of the 2024 season are supposed to start playing interim games in Sacramento on artificial turf starting in 2025 that scenario could also turn ugly if the players complain about playing on turf.

Jeremiah Salmonson is podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

w

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Giants Ramos, Webb; A’s Miller, excited to be All Stars; Braves Ozuna an All Star for third time; plus more news

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Francisco Giants pitcher Logan Webb (left) and catcher Patrick Baily (right) discuss strategy against the Atlanta Braves during Webb’s last outing on Thu Jul 4, 2024 at Truist Field in Cobb County GA. Webb has been selected to represent the Giants with teammate Heliot Ramos at the 2024 All Star Game in Arlington. (AP News photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary:

#1 Amaury didn’t get a chance to ask you about the San Francisco Giants All Star selections with Heliot Ramos and Logan Webb. Ramos is hitting .299 with 63 hits, 12 home runs, 41 RBIs. Webb is 7-6, ERA 3.09. Talk about the season they’re having.

#2 Oakland A’s reliever Mason Miller has been selected to represent the Oakland A’s at the All Star Game. Miller is 1-1, ERA 2.39 has been lights out in relief and has consistently thrown over 100 MPH to opposing hitters to get 14 saves.

#3 For the third time Atlanta Braves Marcell Ozuna will be participating in the 2024 All Star Home Run Derby. Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr will be making his first appearance at the Home Run Derby. Ozuna and Witt were already to scheduled to play in the All Star Game but were selected for the Home Run Derby.

#4 Maybe it would have been better for former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Raul Mondesi has been sentenced in the Dominican Republic for corruption. Mondesi was mayor of the Dominican town of San Cristobal. Mondesi was sentenced six years and nine months for embezzling up to $5 million during his time as mayor between 2010-2016.

#5 New York Mets Pete Alonso will participate in his fifth straight home run derby. Alonso is trying to win for a third time. Alonso says that if he wins he plans to help donate to the Wounded Warrior Project and Tunnel of Towers and help refurbish amateur baseball fields.

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

San Francisco Giants podcast with Marko Ukalovic: Ramos and Webb represent Giants at All Star Game; Slater dealt to Reds

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Francisco Giants Heliot Ramos was selected with teammate pitcher Logan Webb for the 2024 All Star Game in Arlington Texas. The selection was announced Sun Jul 7, 2024 (AP News photo)

On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Marko:

#1 Marko, just wanted to open the show asking about your reaction to Heliot Ramos and Logan Webb selected to represent the Giants at this year’s All Star Game.

#2 The Giants dealt outfielder Austin Slater to the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday. Slater hit .200, 18 hits and one home run. Was the main reason for dealing for Slater a lack of hitting and hitting for average. Did you see this move coming and were you surprised?

#3 Marko, going into the Cleveland series the Giants knew they would have their hands full as the Guardians had a home series record of 11-0-1 so far this season.

#4 Michael Conforto hit a two run home run but it wasn’t enough as the Giants have now lost seven of their last eight day games.

#5 The Giants return back to San Francisco to host the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night for a 6:40pm PT first pitch. The Jays will be starting Yusei Kikuchi (4-8, ERA 4.12) vs. the Giants Blake Snell (0-3, ERA 9.51).

Join Marko for the Giants podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Barbara Mason: A’s Miller going to All Star Game; Oakland opens 3 game series in Boston Tuesday

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Oakland A’s pitcher Mason Miller whose been lights out all season in relief has been selected by the American League to represent the A’s at the 2024 All Star Game in Arlington Texas (image from the Oakland A’s)

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Barbara:

#1 Oakland A’s reliever Mason Miller has done it all season shutting the door on opposing teams and tossing flame thrower pitches over 100 MPH. He leads all rookie pitchers with saves in MLB with 14, he has 66 strikeouts in 37.2 innings and manager Mark Kotsay says he’ll represent the A’s well at the All Star Game in Arlington.

#2 Tough way to finish the three game series for the A’s on Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles. The A’s facing the O’s with the series tied 1-1 just couldn’t get enough run production in a 6-3 three run loss Sunday.

#3 The Orioles after getting embarrassed on Saturday in a 19-8 loss to the A’s turned it around on Sunday and opened up the contest with four runs to establish the lead early in the contest.

#4 The Orioles Heston Kjerstad set the tone in the top of the first inning with a three run home run off A’s starting pitcher Mitch Spence. The A’s ended up making three errors in the game for the loss.

#5 The A’s will try to see if they can pick up a series win as they open up a three game series against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night at Fenway Park. The A’s will be sending out Joey Estes (3-3, ERA 4.39) against the Red Sox starter RHP Brayan Bello (8-5, ERA 5.19)

Join Barbara Mason for the A’s podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Six run forth gives Ballers 14-9 win over Wheelers at Raimondi Park

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

There were plenty of Oakland Ballers at Raimondi Park in West Oakland who picked up a five run win over the Yolo High Wheelers on Sun Jul 7, 2024 (photo by the Oakland Ballers)

Yolo High Wheelers ((18-21) 040 050 000 9 9 2

Oakland Ballers (24-18) 004 611 20x 14 15 2

Time: 3:40

Attendance: 1,103

Sunday, July 7, 2024

By Lewis Rubman

WEST OAKLAND–Turnabout is fair play. What goes around comes around. History repeats itself, the first time as tragedy; the second as farce. Choose your cliché, this weekend’s battles royal between the Pioneer League’s two most recent entries had it.

Saturday afternoon, the Oakland Ballers fell behind their rivals from Davis 4-0 in the second inning. Yolo added two runs in each of the following three frames to amass a seemingly insurmountable 10-0 lead when the Ballers came to bat in the bottom of the fifth. They put a four spot on the board then and tacked on six more in the seventh to even the score only to run out of steam and fall 13-10.

That was a tough loss and a tough act to follow.

But the Ballers bounced back this Sunday afternoon, winning going away, 14-9, in ways that frequently harked back to Saturday’s debacle.

It started with another fearsome fourth run top of the second, which was particularly unsettling because the Wheelers also had posted a quartet of second inning tallies not just on Saturday, but on Friday as well. Sunday night’s featured a solo home run by Yolo’s DH, Justin Kirby, two singles—one of them on a bunt—, a double, and a misplay Myles Jefferson, usually a shortstop but playing second today.

It originally had been scored a hit but after much discussion was reclassified as an error. It was fitting that the game would end with Jefferson, who was moved back to his normal position in the top of the eighth, would pull off a beautiful play at short, for the game’s final out.

But the worm turned Sunday. Oakland answered Yolo’s attack with a counter offensive that evened the score in the third. A Payton Harden single, followed by an Austin Davis double off the left field wall and Trevor Halsema’s sac fly to left kick started the Oakland comeback. It continued with two way player JP Gates, in his designated hitter mode singled to left and trotted home on Dondrei Hubbard’s tying home run. That blast would be voted the play of the game.

It certainly changed the nature of the contest, but there was more to come. Instead of petering out, Oakland’s offense picked up in the fourth where it had left off in the third, sending ten men to the plate . The B’s began by clogging the base paths with one out, chasing Yolo starter JC Ariza from the mound, replaced by Jacob Stobart.

He walked Davis, putting the Ballers up by a run. With the count 2-1, Gates swung and connected for a two run single to right. Stobart plunked Hubbard. Noah Martínez smacked a two bagger to right, plating Gates and Hubbard. Now it was Oakland who had two digits in the R column.

Nightmare visions of Saturday’s squandered comeback briefly appeared in the visitors’ fifth, when five High Wheelers crossed the plate. Brayland Skinner walked, stole second, and took third on a wild pitch by Oakland’s starting pitcher, Christian Cosby, arguably the ace of the staff, having started the day with a record of 4-1, 4.79, which in the Pioneer League are Cy Young numbers.

Brylin Marine, Yolo’s batting leader, ground out to short but drove in Skinner, for Yolo’s fifth run. Bobby Lada’s double and a free passes to Brandon Blackford and Kirby loaded the bases and set the scene for Yolo’s last hurrah, a grand slam by Kirkland Banks. It came on the last of Cosby’s 118 pitches. Cosby was charged with nine runs, six earned, on seven hits, three walks, and a wild pitch. He struck out 10.

The Ballers added a superfluous but reassuring run in each of the fifth and sixth innings, and two final tallies in the seventh.

After Cosby’s departure, one out short of earning (by the skin of his teeth the win), the Ballers used three relievers. None of them permitted any Yolo runs. The eventual winner, Zach St. Pierre, threw 26 pitches in two hitless innings to gain his first win against two losses. Conner Richardson gave up a hit in 1-1/3 frames, in which he threw 33 pitches. Carson Lambert’s 17 pitch one hit ninth closed the book on the High Wheelers.

The crew from Davis also sent four hurlers to the mound. Following Ariza (3-1/3 IP, seven runs, all earned; seven hits (one out of the park); three walks, and a hit batter, all on 70 pitches) were Stobart (1-1/3 innings, four runs, earned, three hits, two walks, and a strikeout on 26 pitches); Kris Anglin (a hit in two thirds of an inning, 17 pitches; and Noah Estrella, who allowed Oakland its last three runs, all earned, in 2-2/3 innings, in which he gave up four hits and walk on 41 pitches).

Three Ballers had multi-hit games. Two way Gates led the way, going five for five. Move over, Ohtani! Noah Martínez went three for four; Davis, two for five. Davis, Gates and Martínez doubled. Hubbard, Martínez, and Jaylen Smith hit four baggers for the home team.

Kirkland Banks and Kyle Guerra, with two apiece, had multi-hit games for the High Wheelers. Each of them also homered. Bobby Lada and Banks banged two baggers. Marine, who went one for five, extended his streak of consecutive games reaching base safely to 25.

After their usual Monday day off, the Ballers will open a new six game home series, beginning Tuesday the ninth at 6:35 against the last place Great Falls Voyagers

Lopez plays hero as Earthquakes snap losing skid with 1-0 shutout win over Fire

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Hernán López was the Man of the Match as he celebrates his fourth goal of the season with his teammates as the San Jose Earthquakes defeated the Chicago Fire 1-0 at Pay Pal Park on Sunday JUL 7, 2024. (San Jose Earthquakes)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE — Hernán López is starting to live up to the hype.

The Argentinian striker scored the match’s lone goal in the 49th minute and it proved to be the game winner as the San Jose Earthquakes walked off the pitch at Pay Pal Park happily after a 1-0 shutout victory over the Chicago Fire on Sunday afternoon.

San Jose won for the first time in its last nine matches since defeating the Colorado Rapids 3-2 back on May 11th as it snapped a six-match losing streak. Chicago has lost three out of its last four matches.

López’s heroics were set up by fellow country man Cristian Espinoza. After receiving the ball inside his own defensive zone, Espinoza sent a perfect long ball out to López that split two defenders. López raced ahead along the left wing and fired a shot to far corner of the net beating Fire goalkeeper Chris Brady for his fourth goal of the season.

“We needed to win tonight. The [California] Clásico was disappointing. Then our game against St. Louis. I thought we were pretty flat coming out. So I thought we were on the front foot all night. Deserved the win. Just really happy with how our players responded,” Interim head coach Ian Russell said.

It was the first goal they scored in two over 5 halves of play and the first lead since the Rapids game back on May 11th as well.

Russell implemented a 5-3-2 type of formation where he had Benji Kikanovic play a defensive right wing back position while at the same time having Kikanovic press up high on the attack when the Earthquakes had possession.

“Just physically very fast,” said Russell regarding Kikanovic. “He can do it over and over. He’s not a guy that needs five minutes to recover. Very good in the air, works extremely hard. His defending has gotten a lot better over the last few years. I think he’s got a really high ceiling. He’s still young, so just really excited. He’s a guy that never complained, just does his business. He’ll do anything for the team.”

Chicago (5-11-6-21 points) began the match with a quick shot on net by forward Hugo Cuypers in the fourth minute, but ‘Quakes goalkeeper William Yarbrough was in the right position to grab both hands on the ball for his first save of the match.

Yarbrough had a bit of a mishap with the ball in the 23rd minute with it getting behind him after attempting to clear the ball out of danger, Rodrigues, who had one of his best defensive games of the season, bailed him out by backtracking and clearing the ball out of the box.

“Rodri (Rodrigues) is a classic defender. I love having him on my team in that backline. I love the confidence that he has. He loves taking risks, and I admire that. Today he had an excellent performance. We were frustrated, especially in the back. … And so to see tonight that all the hard work being put in paid off on a night like today, especially speaking specifically about Rodri, I’m basically so happy for the guy. I know he’s going to go home tonight and have a relaxed night, and he’s going to enjoy the day off tomorrow. Then he’s going to come back Tuesday ready to go again. We all have to, but Rodri is a dude who I love having in the back line and I love that no matter how things are going. I love the confidence that he shows to try to play this style regardless of what’s going on,” Yarbrough said.

San Jose (4-16-2-14 points) also had chances early on in the opening 45 minutes. López’s first shot attempt sailed wide right in the ninth minute and then two minutes later Jackson Yueill’s left footed shot was saved by Brady.

The Earthquakes came close in the 25th minute to breaking the seal when Kikanovic’s headed went over the right side of the net. Their best chance to get the first goal of the game in the first half came in the last minute of stoppage time when Rodrigues’ shot hit off the crossbar.

Chicago thought they had scored the equalizer in the 71st minute after Hugo Cuypers cleaned up the rebound off of a Thomas Barlow shot that caromed off the crossbar over to Cuypers who headed the ball into an empty net. However, after a VAR review, it was determined that Barlow was offsides on the play.

“We’ve had a lot of those close ones kind of go the other way. So in that moment, it was a relief that that happened. … I think it gave the players a little relief, and then we’re able to make some changes after that to kind of slow them down with it,” Russell said.

The Fire kept the pressure on in the final fifteen minutes with chances from Maren Haile-Selassie and Barlow went wide left and wide right respectively a minute apart in the 74th and 75th minutes.

Despite having seven minutes of stoppage time at the end of the second half, Yarbrough and the backline held down the fort and kept the Fire from scoring the equalizer.

Yarbrough finished the match with one save to earn his first and the team’s first clean sheet of the season. Brady made three saves on four shots on net in the losing effort.

“We need to try to do something to change what we know we’re capable of. It definitely helps. You know when like today there’s a clean sheet but you’re going into [the] Kansas City [game] next weekend. I want three or four or five in a row. I’ll enjoy the night today, but tomorrow we have an off-day. I’m looking at film right away, seeing what I can improve on and certain things that I can discuss with teammates and do everything I can to make it two in a row. I like that pressure. I like that weight on my shoulders. It’s been a part of my entire career. And you know, hopefully we can make a turnaround,” Yarbrough said.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished the match with seven corner kicks. Chicago had five.

The club’s last shutout in regular-season play occurred on Sept. 9, 2023, in a scoreless road draw against D.C. United.

San Jose is now 15-16-11 against Chicago in the all-time series and 11-6-5 at home.

Quakes forwards Cristian Espinoza and Jeremy Ebobisse started Saturday’s match, extending their MLS-leading active consecutive games played streaks to 96 and 95, respectively.

Ebobisse made his 100th and 101st appearances with San Jose against St. Louis CITY SC last Wednesday and tonight against Chicago Fire FC, respectively.

With his start tonight, Earthquakes midfielder and captain Jackson Yueill passed Shea Salinas in games started for San Jose (184) for third on the all-time club list. The midfielder now only trails Ramiro Corrales (228) and Chris Wondolowski (313).

Midfielder Hernán López scored his fourth goal of the season in 10 MLS starts (12 appearances).

Espinoza notched his 11th assist of the season, tied for 4th in MLS. He is now is the Quakes’ all-time leader in game-winning assists with 15, passing Richard Mulrooney and Shea Salinas (tied, 14). With his assist tonight, Espinoza is only one goal contribution away from 100 for the Earthquakes. Only Chris Wondolowski’s 207 (167g/40a) and Ronald Cerritos’ 108 (61g/47a) are higher totals among San Jose players, past or present.

UP NEXT: San Jose continues its three-match home stand when they host Sporting KC on Saturday 7/13 at 7:30pm at Pay Pal Park.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: 2024: The Final Season of the A’s at the Coliseum (Part VII) -Jim Palmer Loves the Coliseum

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Baltimore Orioles broadcaster and former pitching great Jim Palmer who was at the Oakland Coliseum over last weekend with the Orioles (Fox TV photo)

2024: The Final Season of the A’s at the Coliseum (Part VII) –

Jim Palmer Loves the Coliseum

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

OAKLAND–The Baltimore Orioles visited the Oakland A’s for the last time in their history. One of the great pitchers, the one and only Jim Palmer, was there as a commentator for Orioles television. Jim Palmer won three Cy Young Awards (1973-1975-1976) as the best pitcher in the American League.

Palmer ended his career with a record of 268-152, an ERA of 2.86, and 2,212 strikeouts. In his 19 seasons with the Orioles, he pitched 3,948 innings and never gave up a Grand Slam. Plus, he also won 4 Gold Gloves Awards.

Now, that is a career. Because the Orioles are an Eastern Division team, they only make one trip to Oakland. They won two of the three games against the A’s and remained in first place over the second-place New York Yankees in what promises to be like two horses going down the stretch until the last day of the season, while Alex’s Cora’s the Red Sox are lingering in third place and looking to join the party.

I always speak with Jim Palmer, but because this was the last trip, he always remembers that the O’s were my childhood team, mainly when they used to hold Spring Training in Miami. As a teenager, I worked for them as a bat boy and sometimes ball boy during those Spring Training games in the old Miami Stadium, which used to be the home of the Miami Marlins of the old Florida State League, many years before the current Miami Marlins were born in the National League.

As an Orioles fan, I have followed his career since the 1960’s. They were the first major league team I saw in the US, and it was like my first love with baseball, I could never forget. During this visit to Oakland, he told me he would not attend the official induction ceremony on Sunday, July 21, in Cooperstown because he has a significant personal affair to attend.

This year’s inductees, Adrian Beltré, Joe Mauer, and Todd Helton, received enough votes from the Baseball Writers Association of America to enter the most famous Hall of Fame in sports. For the record, Jim Palmer was inducted into Cooperstown in 1990.

When I asked Palmer what his magic was in not allowing one Grand Slam in over 3,000 innings he pitched, he quickly responded, ‘I walk the guy.” At 78 years old, Jim Palmer is as sharp as ever. As far as coming for the last time to Oakland, “I love the Coliseum,” he said, referring to Oakland as a pitcher’s park with all the foul territory, where a pitcher gets more outs, something the A’s pitcher Dave Stewart told me years ago.

No pitcher in baseball won more games during the 1970s decade than the right-hander born in New York. Although it was not in Oakland, he pitched a no-hitter against the Athletics on August 13, 1969, at the old Memorial Stadium in Baltimore.

During the late 1970s and 1980s, Palmer was a spokesman and was shown in television commercials for Jockey brand men’s brief. I told him he probably had more fans of the opposite gender because of those television commercials, and he smiled. But in fact, the commercials did make him more famous than he was in the baseball world.

The same effect happened to another Hall of Fame member, Joe DiMaggio, known as “The Yankee Clipper,” but later generations knew about him as a “Mister Coffee” coffeemaker on television. In a time where a starter that goes six innings and allows few runs, is called a “quality” start, nobody seems able to go the distance, and 20 game winners are like the Dodo bird (no pun intended) an extinct species.

Note: The 1971 Orioles are the last team and only second club in history(1920 Chicago White Sox) to have four 20-game winners in a season the 1920 White Sox were Red Faber, Lefty Williams, Eddie Cicotte, and Dickie Kerr. The 1971 Orioles were Jim Palmer, Dave McNally, Mike Cuellar, and Pat Dobson in 1971. The only one alive today is Jim Palmer.

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