Tag: Andy Dolich

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: From My Notebook 1981 Players Strike

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Former Oakland A’s left fielder and Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson (left) and the author Amaury Pi Gonzalez (right) take time out for a photo at the Oakland Coliseum (photo from Amaury Pi Gonzalez Oakland A’s Spanish radio)

From My Notebook 1981 Players Strike

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

A lockout following the 2026 MLB season is considered “almost guaranteed” 90% chance by union officials,

 The current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) expires Dec. 1, 2026, with major disputes expected over a potential salary cap, team revenue sharing, and escalating contract numbers. 

History of Work stoppages: (Nine (9) Four lockouts and Five strikes. Mostly focused on free agency, salary arbitration, pension funds, and revenue sharing.

There have been nine major work stoppages in Major League Baseball (MLB) history between owners and the players’ union, consisting of four lockouts and five strikes. These labor disputes have primarily focused on free agency, salary arbitration, revenue sharing, and pension funds, with the 1994-95 strike and 2021-22 lockout being among the most severe.

However, the one I mostly remember was the very interesting 1981 season work stoppage. A 50-day strike from June 12 to July 31, 1981. It was the second strike in MLB history, and 712 games were cancelled, which is more than one-third of the season. Billy Martin was the A’s manager, and it was known as “Billy Ball”

The A’s won the American League West first-half title as they swept the Kansas City Royals 3-0 in the Division Series and later were swept by the New York Yankees 3-0. The A’s played both teams on the road at KC and at NY. Julio González was my broadcast and traveling partner during this very unusual season.

Rickey Henderson was having a very good year. He told me he was not happy with the labor dispute, but he was having a good season, and the labor dispute did not distract him from his play on the field. Was he right?

Well, in 1981, Rickey Henderson became a big star, which eventually led to his induction into the Hall of Fame years later. Rickey finished second in AL MVP voting, led the AL in hits with 135, runs with 89, and steals with 56, while hitting .319, fourth best in the American League.

 Rickey Henderson was Billy Martin’s favorite player; Rickey exemplifies the type of hustle that Billy always admired. As a player, Billy Martin was a hard-nosed, scrappy type of player; he loved players who hustled on the field, and Ricky Henderson was that type of player.

Note: Oakland A’s Andy Dolich’s creative marketing campaigns, which included the now-famous ‘BillyBall’ radio and television ads. Andy was the best executive the A’s ever had inside their marketing department. Oakland A’s fans can’t forget the song “Billy-Ball, the lyrics were a parody song in the tune of Charlie Brown by The Coasters. His work on the Oakland A’s “BillyBall” was a big hit. 

Andy Dolich won a Clio Award for his work on the Oakland A’s “BillyBall” campaign during his time as a marketing executive with the team in the 1980s.

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.

While in the Bay Area, great food and great prices. 998cuba.com

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Oakland A’s relocation podcast: Mayor to present resolution on Howard Terminal at Tuesday press conference; Could it change owners vote for A’s relocation?

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Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has called for a press conference for Tue Nov 7, 2023 to present a resolution in an attempt to keep the A’s in Oakland. This presentation is in hopes that MLB owners would change their A’s relocation vote to a no vote on Nov 14-16 in Arlington. (Las Vegas Review Journal file photo)

On the A’s relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum:

#1 Former Oakland A’s executive Andy Dolich wrote his own commentary in the Mercury News telling MLB owners to vote no on the A’s move to Las Vegas and keep them in the sixth largest market in Oakland and go back and finish negotiating with the Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and the city of Oakland.

#2 Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, the Oakland City Council, and the Port of Oakland are holding a press conference on Tue Nov 7 at Oakland City Hall regarding a proposal to keep the A’s in Oakland. Although a deal and a plan is already worked out to relocate the A’s upon the MLB owner vote Nov 14-16th in Arlington. The City of Oakland could use litigation to stop MLB and the Oakland A’s from relocating the team if the City can get a deal to build a Howard Terminal ballpark and show they can produce financing to keep the team in Oakland.

Join Daniel Dullum for the Oakland A’s podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum: Former A’s executive Andy Dolich says MLB owners should reject A’s relocation; Mayor, Oakland City Council, and Port of Oakland call for press conference Tuesday

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Former Oakland Tribune columnist Dave Newhouse (top) and former Oakland A’s executive Andy Dolich (below) in photo promoting their book “Goodbye Oakland.” Dolich wrote a recent San Jose Mercury News column asking MLB owners to vote no on relocating the A’s at the MLB owners vote on Nov 14-16. (photo from Books Inc.)

On the A’s relocation podcast with Daniel:

#1 Former Oakland A’s executive Andy Dolich wrote his own commentary in the Mercury News telling MLB owners to vote no on the A’s move to Las Vegas and keep them in the sixth largest market in Oakland and go back and finish negotiating with the Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and the city of Oakland.

#2 Dolich said that MLB owners would be making a huge mistake if they were to leave the sixth largest TV market for the smallest and that every possible effort should be made to keep the A’s in Oakland where they belong.

#3 Dolich was an A’s executive under the Haas family between 1980-1994. Dolich and the A’s won three American League Championships getting in the World Series in 1989-1990 and won one of those World Series in 1989 against the San Francisco Giants. Dolich says the A’s can win in Oakland and team owner John Fisher just won’t spend the money to do it and the owners should not vote for the relocation.

#4 Dolich said that the A’s attendance is not because the A’s are the worst team in baseball but because it’s self inflicted as a mechanism to turn their customers off and the A’s can point to poor attendance for wanting to get out of Oakland.

#5 Dolich also wrote that he’s in favor of keeping the A’s at the Oakland Coliseum location and build the Coliseum complex to professional sports. Build a state of the art ball park for the A’s, a stadium to lure an NFL team. Have retail, hotels, and restaurants to lure customers that can change the Coliseum, neighborhood and bring more fans to East Oakland.

#6 The problem with all of these scenarios is that A’s owner John Fisher is not selling. If the deal does fall through or the owners do vote no will he go back to the City of Oakland with hat in hand and try all over again to get a ball park built at Howard Terminal?

#7 Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, the Oakland City Council, and the Port of Oakland are holding a press conference on Tue Nov 7 at Oakland City Hall regarding a proposal to keep the A’s in Oakland. Although a deal and a plan is already worked out to relocate the A’s upon the MLB owner vote Nov 14-16th in Arlington. The City of Oakland could use litigation to stop MLB and the Oakland A’s from relocating the team if the City can get a deal to build a Howard Terminal ballpark and show they can produce financing to keep the team in Oakland.

Join Daniel Dullum for the Oakland A’s podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Memories of Oakland-Billy Ball baseball (#3 in a series)

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Billy Martin former Oakland A’s manager and inset the book written by Dale Tafoya “Billy Ball” (photo from Athletics Nation)

Memories of Oakland – Billy Ball Baseball (#3 in a Series)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

Amaury Pi-González

Somehow the 1980 Billy Ball era is forgotten by baseball, unless you are a real A’s fan in the East Bay. The colorful Billy Martin only managed the Oakland As for three seasons but it left a remarkable place in the history of the Athletics franchise. Billy Martin was born in Berkeley, he was an original resident of Alameda County and once was a passionate and feisty player who later  became manager in the major leagues.

Billy Martin always loved Latino players. When I asked him during an interview he told me that “Latinos play with a lot of passion for the game, that passion that I had when I played”. During those years the A’s did not win a World Series or produced a real winner but there is no doubt Billy, a real character, left his fingerprints in the history of this franchise.

Billy Martin was the second baseman for the New York Yankees during the early 1950’s Yankee dynasty, winning titles in 1950,1951,1952.1953 and 1956. He played on great winning teams. As a manager he hated to lose and he demanded the most from his players.

As manager Billy was unique, as a player an even more eccentric as a manager. He managed the Twins, Tigers, Rangers, Athletics and Yankees. A 16-year managerial career and was successful with a record of 1,253 games won and 1,013 lost.

More than once when his team was in a real bad slump he will pick up his lineup out of hat. Billy Martin was always getting into trouble, at a bar after a game, or by kicking dirt on umpires. I used to call him “Una bola de Fuego” trans- A Ball of Fire.

During Spring Training in 1980 my broadcast partner Julio González and yours truly went to the then famous Pink Pony in Scottsdale. Julio and I invited Tony Armas, the A’s Venezuelan-born right fielder, a very nice mild manner guy.

As we three, approached an enter, just a few steps inside, Armas told us “no, no aqui, vamos a otro lado” trans – “no, not here, let’s go someplace else”. Tony noticed that at a table there was Billy, with his coaches, Clete Boyer, Lee Walls and pitching coach Art Fowler.  He didn’t want to go and eat there. Why? He explained to us later, Billy could “start” something and he didn’t wanted any part of it.

You might call it respect or afraid of your manager, or both, whatever, Billy brought that type of heat, his presence, he was like a Frank Sinatra type of guy, could get mad and spark something.

The Haas family bought the A’s that year and one of the best moves they made was to bring aboard Marketing guru Andy Dolich who used Billy Martin’s personality to the advantage of the team. A Billy Ball campaign which ultimately won Mr.Dolich a CLIO advertising award.

A CLIO is an annual award in advertising that recognizes innovation and excellence in advertising, aka an Oscar in advertising. Because of Billy Martin’s managing style, Andy Dolich recognized that was an asset to the organization and launched the Billy Ball Baseball campaign.

Billy Martin would later retire with the Yankees, whom he managed three more times, as owner George Steinbrenner (another character) fired him three times. Billy Martin died in an automobile accident in upstate New York on Christmas night in 1989. Although he managed the Oakland Athletics for just three years, to me Billy Martin is an unforgettable man of baseball, talented, explosive and always entertaining.

Amaury is the lead announcer for the Oakland A’s Spanish radio network at 1010 KIQI San Francisco and KATD 990 Pittsburg and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com and visit my website:  amaury-pi-gonzalez.com