Tag: Amaury Pi Gonzalez

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Dusty Baker the best Happening for the Astros

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The Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker (12) heads out to pay a visit to the mound in a Sep 27th, 2020 game against the Texas Rangers at Globelife Park in Arlington (AP News photo)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Dusty Baker as manager of the Houston Astros was the calm after the storm and surely the best thing that could have happened to a team that was reeling from an infamous sign-stealing scandal.

The Astros who just eliminated the Oakland Athletics in the AL Divisional Series taking three of the four games at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles are a happy bunch going into the AL Championship Series, and four (4) more wins away from a consecutive trip to the World Series, as they lost the October Classic last year in seven (7) exciting games to the Washington Nationals.

Dusty Baker’s team has gotten this far without their #1 starter Justin Verlander a Cy-Young-type of pitcher who had Tommy John surgery and will not be back for at least another year. Dusty who is the ultimate players-manager, and who sometimes still feels like he is playing is the type of man at the helm the Houston organization badly needed.

Before the beat the A’s in the divisional series, they swept the powerful Minnesota Twins. The Astros escaped the booing by fans all over the country, since there were no fans allowed this 2020 season, and they are one of the most experienced bunch of players advancing to the ALCS. At the time of this article they will face either the New York Yankees or the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Astros are filled with great Latino talent, such established stars like; José Altuve, Carlos Correa, Yuliesky Gurriel, Martin Maldonado, Aledmys Díaz, newcomers Framber Valdés, Elodi Paredes, José Urquidy. During some games they wear a T-Shirt (under the jerseys) that read, Somos Astros, translated We’re Astros. Dusty understands enough Spanish to hold an interview or conversation and he seemed to have bonded with this team.

With 23 years as a manager and his whole life as a baseball man, once a very good baseball player with a 19-year resumé that traveled through Atlanta Braves, LA Dodgers and last two years here in the Bay Area with SF Giants and then with the Athletics his last team in 1985, he is the winning-est major league active manager as of today.

Dusty’s Houston Astros are playing well and with a mission to go back to the World Series again. The Oakland A’s had a good run, won their division, took care of the young Chicago White Sox, but they ran into a much more post-season experienced team with one of the best line-ups in the game.

Not an excuse, but the A’s lost to injury/surgery their best player, third-baseman Matt Chapman for the last part of the season and the duration of the seven (7) games they participated in the playoffs.

Wishing Dusty all the luck in the world, the rest of the playoffs. Hey Dusty, you should have a special mask with a small hole for your toothpick!

Stay well and stay tuned.

Astros beat A’s again 5-2; Need one more win to eliminate A’s

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The Oakland A’s pitcher Sean Manaea heads to the A’s dugout in the fifth after being lifted by manager Bob Melvin as the A’s struggle with the Houston Astros in game 2 in the ALDS at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles (AP News photo) 

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Houston Astros won Game Two of the best-of-five series against the A’s by a score of 5-2 Tuesday afternoon in Los Angeles. Oakland now has tow win three in a row to advance to the AL Championship Series. Will it be difficult?

Yes, it will. It can be done. In 1984, the Chicago Cubs won the first two games of the series with the San Diego Padres. The Friars stunned the Cubs, winning the next three to eliminate them. The A’s know that if they lose Wednesday’s game, their season is over.

The A’s drew first blood in the bottom of the second inning. With one out, A’s DH, Khris Davis, hit his second home run of the series to give the A’s an early 1-0 lead. The lead didn’t last long as Houston put two on the board in the top of the third.

With Josh Reddick on first and two out, Houston’s hot-hitting centerfielder, George Springer, blasted his first career home run off Sean Manaea to give the Astros the advantage 2-1.

Houston put one on the board in the fourth. Their DH, Michael Brantley, doubled to right. Kyle Tucker’s infield single sent Brantley to third. Carlos Correa drove in Brantley with Houston’s third run when he grounded out.

The A’s third baseman, Chad Pinder, led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a solo home run to make it a 3-2 game. The A’s didn’t know that was the last time they would score.

Houston put the game away in the fifth. Catcher Martin Maldonado ended Sean Manaea’s day when he homered to left. A’s manager, Bob Melvin, replaced Manaea with Yusmeiro Petit. Petit had the unenviable task of facing George Springer.

Springer had four hits in Monday’s game and had homered in his last at-bat. Springer, who had fourteen homers in the regular season, hit his second dinger of the game to give Houston a 5-2 advantage.

The A’s bullpen shut down the Houston offense the rest of the way. They did not allow a hit over the last four and 2/3rds innings of play.

The Houston bullpen stopped the A’s cold. After Davis’ single in the fourth, the A’s offense went to sleep. They retired thirteen A’s hitters in a row. Marcus Semien ended the drought in the ninth with a single. Houston closer, Ryan Pressley retired Tommy La Stella for the first out in the ninth. He got Pinder to ground into a game-ending 6-4-3 double play. The Astros win 5-2.

Game Notes- The line score for Houston was five runs, six hits, and no errors. The Line for Oakland was two runs, six hits, and no errors.

Five home runs were hit in the game. Houston hit three. The A’s hit two.
Sean Manaea was the losing pitcher. Manaea went four and 1/3rd innings. He allowed four runs, five hits, and two home runs. Yusmeiro Petit allowed one run, which was Springer’s second homer of the game.

Lefty Framber Valdez was the winning pitcher. He went seven innings and allowed two runs and five hits.

Game three will be placed Wednesday afternoon at Dodger Stadium. The Astros will be the home team. The teams have not announced the starting pitchers. The game will start at 12:35 pm.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Astros rally in late innings to clobber A’s in game 1

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The Houston Astros Carlos Correa (1) take Oakland A’s starter Chris Bassitt deep in game 1 of the ALDS at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles Mon Oct 4, 2020 (AP News photo)

That’s Amaury’s podcast:

#1 Oakland A’s starter Chris Bassitt was doing such a masterful job up until he had to face the Houston Astros in game 1 of the ALDS. It was the fourth inning the Astros came through with three runs.

#2 From what you could see Amaury what wasn’t working for Bassitt, was he getting behind on the count, was he missing his velocity, or was he just pressing?

#3 The Astros had their big boppers working for them in Carlos Correa and George Springer they can provide some offense.

#4 The ALDS is a neutral site series at Dodger Stadium played in hot temperatures it was 91 at game time does a neutral site location take away any advantage for the A’s.

#5 Sean Manaea who pitched in the A’s last season post season wild card game will start Tuesday in game 2 at Dodger Stadium. Will he feel that type of pressure like he did last year?

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

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Broadcasting Road games from TV screen is nothing New

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Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster Charlie Steiner is one of many MLB broadcasters who are doing games virtual from his own living room as no broadcasters will be traveling for the Division Series because of Cornonavirus (file photo from LA Times)

Broadcasting Road games from TV screen is nothing New

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

Baseball broadcasters this year are not traveling, because of Covid-19 restrictions by Major League Baseball. So, they are calling the games from Television monitors at their home park, while their teams are on the road. In some cases, some broadcasters like LA Dodgers play by play man Charlie Steiner are doing the games (when Dodgers are on the road) from his living room.

As unusual as that might seem, I have done that for many years, depends on the teams philosophy and how they market their product into the community. As a matter of fact, there have been many games I have done from the home broadcast booth at the home park, when the team was on the road.

In the 1980’s, I did broadcast games in the radio station inside a studio in front of a 19 inch television. There was no internet, no 45″ television I would call the media representative for the team on the road and ask him/her, to fax me the lineup and the media notes, so I can get ready for the game.

This was not easy. There was a time when, for example; if the team was playing in Baltimore (could be anyplace else) an engineer at the radio station here in the Bay Area would play an ‘endless cart-loop with continuous sound of crowd noise, to give the illusion I was in Baltimore (I did say in a disclaimer I was not broadcasting from the park where the team was playing) but still presented many challenges.

This was done legally with the consent of the team. Today, a game can be called and you can pipe the LIVE original crowd noise from the park where your team was playing. I had many experiences in this regard on radio as well as television.

Early 2000’s as I was hired to broadcast two Caribbean World Series of Baseball. Traveled to Century City, Los Angeles and called those games in English language for Fox Sports International, inside a studio with monitors in front of me of the games that were taking place in México and Venezuela.

However, 2020 there are no crowds allowed at ballparks, so even local stadiums use their own artificial crowd noise, or the radio station can originally use their own to give the illusion. Radio is imagination and creativity, so there is always a little acting you would have to do and create the ‘ambiance for a game that you are watching on a screen that might be 3,000 miles away from where you are sitting in front of a microphone.

Decades before he became the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan recreated college football games and called Chicago Cubs on the radio, just by reading the telegraph (there was no TV) using his imagination and honing his communicating skills, which later as an actor, Governor of California and President would become very handy.

Although there is nothing like calling a game at the location the game is taking place. In this always challenging world of broadcasting you have to be ready to work under all kinds of circumstances. 2020 has taken everybody to the limit in what can be done and what cannot be done.

This “season” as I spoke with various colleagues who are not traveling for the first time and have to do the games this way, I sympathize with them, but totally understand, because I have gone through that. However, they do have the advantage of today’s technology, unlike of the old days, when I had to deal with telephone calls and faxes.

As of Monday the Divisional Series get under way, all teams are now, and for the rest of the year, playing outside their home city. A bubble has been established and sometime prior to Halloween MLB will crown a champion. Stay well and stay tuned

Amaury has been broadcasting baseball for radio or television for various Major League teams for 43 years; he has been nominated for the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasters. Inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame (BARHOF), Cuban Sports Hall of Fame in Miami and The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum and Hall of Fame in California. Amaury is here for That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Can the Athletics win their Fifth World Series?

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Four World Series trophies sit in a case at the Oakland A’s offices at Howard Terminal the future home of the A’s new ball park. The A’s won each trophy in 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1989. Their hoping to get a fifth one but have some tough roads with the Astros coming up (file photo from glassdoor.com)

Can the Athletics win their Fifth World Series?

That’s Amaury News and Commentary Amaury Pi-González

Although they do not give MVP awards during the Wild Card series, there is no doubt Chris Bassitt will be the man to win it in my book. In a world where the baseball world seems to revolve around east coast teams, Bassitt is the best pitcher going in the business that nobody has ever heard of.

Playing without their main star third baseman Matt Chapman, who will not be back until next Spring, so far the A’s have gotten just enough offense to advance to the next round after eliminating a very dangerous offense in the Chicago White Sox, and the depth in their pitching continues to be the key.

Since they will not be back, because the rest of the postseason is on neutral sites, i.e. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles and Glove Life Field in Arlington, Texas, is they are fortunate enough to make it that far. The only time we will see them is when they return, as an eliminated team, or on a Victory parade in downtown Oakland. They will be on the bubble the rest of the 2020 journey.

The first of four World Series victories for the A’s was in 1972, the biggest picture was The Godfather, the Vietnam War was raging and there was a powerful earthquake in Managua, Nicaragua. Latino Legend Roberto Clemente lost his life that year as he chartered a DC-3 plane filled with help to the Nicaraguan people, when his plane disappeared.

The 1972 Oakland Athletics great victory over the Cincinnati Reds in that World Series brought the Bay Area its first title among all the main professional teams. The A’s were the first of three different teams to win consecutive World Series. With this run, the A’s also became the only other Major League franchise besides the Yankees to win at least three straight World Series titles.

With another World Series title the Oakland Athletics will tie the most by a Bay Area professional team. Five (5) Superbowls’ by the San Francisco 49ers. Warriors have won (4) NBA titles, Raiders three (3) Superbowl’s, San Francisco Giants three (3) World Series and San José Earthquake two (2) MLS titles. San José Sharks have not won a Stanley Cup. Note: San José Sharks have been in existence for 29 years and the San José Earthquakes for 21 years.

Beginning next Monday, when the Athletics face the Houston Astros in the best of five (5) ALDS, Bob Melvin’s club will have to navigate a Monday through Friday playoff series with no days off.

So far the team offense is not really clicking in all cylinders and the depth in their pitching could be what keeps carrying this team all the way to the World Series, where, it seems the guys waiting there for them will be the Los Angeles Dodgers, this time in Texas. Of course nothing like the last time these two teams met in 1988. And if that happens, the A’s dream is to win their Fifth World Series.

This is 2020. The Miami Marlins are still playing; they just eliminated the Chicago Cubs in the wild-card series. Founded in 1993, the Miami Marlins have never won a division, yet they have won seven (7) consecutive playoffs series since they were born and most importantly they have won two (2) World Series.

At this point in the playoffs, the Marlins are the biggest story. Their odds to win this year’s World Series were among the longest shots.

Stay well and stay tune.

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

 

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Baseball Hispanic Month – The Largest Minority

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Since 2018 the HHBM’s large mural at the Club Level entrance of the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum, home of the 2020 Western Division Champion Oakland Athletics, has been seen by thousands (photo by Mauricio Segura Escalante)

Baseball Hispanic Month – The Largest Minority

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Hispanics/Latinos in the United States are not a monolithic group, they come from all the countries where Spanish is the official language, Latin American countries as well as Spain. Baseball is very similar to the total population of the US who speaks Spanish, which (before the current Census being taken) were around 45 million people or 18.5 percent of the total population.

However, that was ten years ago. It would be very interesting to see the Census numbers after its completion this year. Hispanics will continue to be the largest minority in the US for years to come and in baseball (even with no minor leagues this year, where the numbers are higher) will continue to have an abundance of talent.

Of all the five professional sports leagues in the country, MLB,NFL, NBA,NHL,MLS, Major League Baseball with around 30 percent of all players Spanish-speaking is “Número Uno”. MLS (Major League Soccer) at the start of each season, their teams are permitted eight international spots on a 30-player roster.

There is no such rule in baseball; all you have to do is look at the Chicago White Sox team this season. The White Sox roster included 13 players and Rick Rentería the Manager. The Chicago White Sox were the first team in history to have a Cuban-born player in each of the top four slots in the starting lineup plus Gio González as the starting pitcher on that game.

The White Sox clinched a playoff berth and occupy first place in American League Central. They are a young team and one of the most exciting teams, like the San Diego Padres.

This past September 5th, MLB commemorated “Roberto Clemente Day” an annual celebration, honoring the great Puerto Rican player’s life and legacy and also named the month of September as Hispanic Heritage Month. Clubs celebrated the great Hall of Famer and humanitarian.

This September 18, The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame held an induction in the New York area, the event was held outside, because of the Coronavirus restrictions in the New York area. See below.

http://bronx.news12.com/hispanic-baseball-hall-of-fame-welcomes-new-inductees

The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum and Hall of Fame was founded in 1998 in San Francisco, California as a non-profit organization. Since 2018 the HHBM’s large mural at the Club Level entrance of the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum, home of the 2020 Western Division Champion Oakland Athletics, has been seen by thousands.

Stay well and stay tuned.

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

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: A’s glad wild card series best possible 3 games instead of one and done

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Oakland A’s pitcher Frankie Montas will get the start for Oakland tonight at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles as the A’s open a three game series in the Southland in the battle of two first place teams (file photo from the San Francisco Chronicle)

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

#1 Amaury one thing you can say about this year’s post season for the A’s they don’t have to play a one game wild card game unlike last season they went to New York and were one and done. This year’s wild card is the best two out of three.

#2 How badly will the A’s miss Matt Chapman for the post season as he’s out with a hip injury and Jack Lamb has been playing at third in his place?

#3 Lamb has provided some offense since taking over for Chapman Sunday he got a two run RBI single in the sixth and he’s hitting .200 and has been instrumental on defense during the series against the Giants at the Oakland Coliseum over the weekend.

#4 The A’s got two shutouts during the series with the Giants on Friday Chris Bassitt pitched over six inning giving up just three hits and on Saturday Jesus Luzardo pitched six innings of shutout ball and gave up five hits. The A’s pitching staff should be ready by next week when post season starts.

#5 Starting pitching to open the series with the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight at Dodger Stadium for the A’s Frankie Montas (3-4 ERA 5.86) for the Dodgers Dustin May 1-1 (ERA 2.86) first pitch is at 6:40pm.

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

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: 2020 Baseball – Surprised?

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Arizona Diamondback catcher Daulton Varsho puts the tag on Los Angeles Dodgers runner AJ Pollock who slides past in the 10th inning. The question has been does adding an automatic runner at second base in extra innings create more action to the game or a quick conclusion to the game. (file photo from yahoo.com)

2020 Baseball – Surprised?

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

How many are surprised that the 60-game “regular” season has one week left? I would bet, many, many of you. But this is reality; just a handful of teams had inconveniences on cancellations because they were hit with Covid. Over 40 games were cancelled because of a positive test. MLB did not use the now famous bubble, which was successfully implemented by the NBA who is now close to their final series for the title.

At the end the biggest decision and most successful for MLB was to “contain” the teams to their own geographical areas, East, Central and West. Obviously that restricted flying longer routes across country and therefore risking more contamination.

We have experienced the 7-inning doubleheaders, the “free” runner at second base when a game goes extra innings, the empty ballparks, the thousands of cut-outs at parks, some (San Diego) they even have some mannequins masquerading as fans. Subdued celebrations when somebody hits a home run or a walk-off hit, and soon to come no champagne or beer to celebrate inside the dressing rooms.

So what are we going to end with? With 16 teams advancing, we might have a World Series winner that was a 500 to 1 shot to win. History will show that the 2020 Pandemic baseball named a Cy Young Award winner with 10 wins and an MVP with 24 home runs and 65 RBI and statistics that would make historians question the whole validity of this season.

History will judge this season. And there will be commentaries and many questions ‘until kingdom come’ – Questions like, did they have to play? Did they just play for the money? Some future Hall of Fame careers will definitely be affected by the numbers, i.e., If Mike Trout would have played a regular 162 game season in 2020; he would have ended with at least 20 more home runs. And that logic can be applied to all players of that ilk that are currently playing and could conceivably had 20 year careers.

My grandfather Armando used to say “time heals everything”.

We will see.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Oakland A’s play by play on the A’s Spanish radio network and flaghship station 1010 KIQI San Francisco LeGrande de casa Oakland Athleticos and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Gary Hughes A Scout and A Gentleman passes away at 79

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Gary Hughes (left) former MLB scout for the Boston Red Sox and the Arizona Diamondbacks worked in baseball for over 54 years is seen here with Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell (right). Hughes son is married to Counsell’s sister keeping baseball in the family. Hughes passed away Sat Sep 19, 2020 at age 79. This photo was taken on Aug 21, 2017 and in the bottom left hand corner seated in the Brewers dugout is former SF Examiner reporter Jorge Ortiz. (file photo taken by AP reporter Janie McCauley)

Gary Hughes: A Scout and A Gentleman

By Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND–Gary Hughes, longtime baseball scout passed today here in the Bay Area at the age of 79 of cancer. Popular and always affable, Gary a true All-Star baseball man who always had a kind word and never stopped talking baseball. He will be missed.

Personally, I will miss him because of all the baseball conversations we always had. A couple of years ago as I was broadcasting and A’s game at the Coliseum, he showed up in my broadcast booth, in the middle of the game to bring me a Rafael (Felo) Ramírez bobble head, the Spanish Voice of the Miami Marlins, Hall of Famer who passed away in Miami in 2017. Gary knew Felo, who was my mentor and somebody whom I used to listen to in Cuba as a kid. I had the privilege to work with Felo in 1998 during an NLCS for the USA and Latin American Spanish radio network.

I always called Gary the “Mayor of Key West”, because that was his favorite spot when he was not working. Great priceless memories of him talking about Cuban players, although not Cuban, he knew the history as good as anybody I knew. And I always enjoyed mentioning names of Cuban players from the past. Although he was not fond of the baseball situation in Cuba, he used to smile every time I tell him “You cannot get any closer to Cuba, than in Key West”.

Gary signed John Elway, to play in the NY Yankees organization, he was very proud of that, although Elway chose to play football. The quarterback for the Denver Broncos is in the NFL Hall of Fame.

He will be missed by countless people he touched with his experience and knowledge especially in the great game of baseball. Truly a nice man.

Rest In Peace Gary, you were a Great Scout and Gentleman.

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

 

 

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: A’s just miss getting a twin bill sweep in Seattle

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Oakland A’s pitcher Mike Minor (23) moves past his teammates receiving the fist bump after throwing a two hit shutout against the Seattle Mariners on Monday night in the second game of a doubleheader at T Mobile Field in Seattle (AP News photo)

On That’s Amaury’s podcast:

#1 The air quality in Seattle was over 200 which normally would force cancellation in a pro football game but this is MLB and it was game on for an afternoon doubleheader Monday between the Oakland A’s and Seattle Mariners at T Mobile Field

#2 The A’s had a four run 5-1 lead but in the bottom of the fifth inning the Mariners scored runs and added two more runs in the last of the sixth and never looked back to edge the A’s 6-5 in the first game of the doubleheader.

#3 In the second game the A’s exploded in the top of the third for five runs and added three more in the top of the sixth for a 9-0 win to split the doubleheader with the M’s.

#4 A’s pitcher Mike Minor went the distance throwing a two hit shutout and striking out eight hitters.

#5 The A’s open up a two game series tonight at Coors Field in Denver against the Colorado Rockies. Starters for the A’s Sean Manaea (4-2 ERA 4.46) and for the Rockies Antonio Senzatela (3-2 ERA 3.69)

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