Tag: Baseball

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Cesar Chavez Day to be held on March 31st at the Coliseum

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

On Saturday March 31st, the Oakland Athletics will be celebrating a special day for César Chávez, the ex-UFW (United Farm Worker) leader. Over 200 members of his family, including his sister and son, will be there on the field for the ceremonial first pitch.

It is about time a Bay Area sports team chose to recognize such a great leader, which I happened to interview in the late 1970s in Salinas, for KOFY 1050 AM Radio Bay Area, during one of his famous marches.

Chávez co-founded the National Farm Workers Association. He was a very strong activist who defended the rights of legal migrant workers, who had to have a permit to come from Mexico and work on the fields back in the day. He was a man of great integrity and dignity. He passed in 1993, but members of his family will be honored on this special day at the Oakland Coliseum, home of the Oakland A’s, who are celebrating their 50th Anniversary in Oakland.

As a Hispanic, I said: “about time this man gets the recognition he deserved” and I applaud the Oakland A’s for being the first professional MLB team to do so.

Saludos,
Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

Oakland Athletics’ Spanish Announcer

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: 2018 MLB Predictions on West and East

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Photo credit: awfulannouncing.com

By: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

2017 was a great season for Major League Baseball, culminating with the Houston Astros defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers and winning their first-ever World Series.

After another great season in 2017, José Altuve will hang around for at least another seven years with the champs signing a brand-new $163.5 million contract on this month of March.

Many other exciting things happened in the 2017 season like the Minnesota Twins, who finished in last place in 2016, reaching the playoffs. The Cleveland Indians set a new American League record with 22 victories in a row. Los Angeles Angels slugger Albert Pujols reached the magical 600 home run mark. Pujols ranks #7 with 614 on the home run list and he is just 32 hits short of 3,000. Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltré reached 3,000 hits. The Los Angeles Dodgers won their fifth consecutive division title.

However, it wasn’t very good overall for our two local Bay Area teams, the Athletics and Giants, as both finished in last place. This was the first time they both finished as cellar-dwellers the same year. In 1995, they both ended up at the bottom with identical records of 67-77, but that season was shortened by a labor dispute.

So this is how I see this 2018 season that is just around the corner…

American League West
1. Houston Astros
2. Los Angeles Angels
3. Seattle Mariners
4. Texas Rangers
5. Oakland Athletics

The World Champion Astros are an easy pick to win this division again as they got even stronger after acquiring Gerrit Cole along with Justin Verlander.

The Angels picked up young Japanese prospect, Shohei Ohtani, considered by many as “The Babe Ruth of Japan.” Ohtani is a right-handed pitcher who hits left-handed with power. Angels also addressed their infield needs as they acquired Ian Kinsler who will play second base and Zack Cozart (shortstop). who will play at third for Mike Scioscia’s ball club. Scioscia will be on his 19th season as manager, at the start of this 2018 season, currently the longest consecutive tenure for a manager. The Angels watched the playoffs pass by them for the third consecutive season after finishing five games behind the Twins in the American League Wild Card race in 2017. They haven’t won a postseason game since 2009, even with the incomparable New Jersey native Mike Trout on their roster for the past six seasons. Trout is arguably the best player in the game. Because of an injury to his left thumb, Trout played in 114 games, hit .306, hit 33 home runs and drove in 72 runs.

For the Halos, their lone playoff appearance with Trout came in 2014, when they were swept by the Royals in the American League Division Series. Trout remains signed through 2020, but the Angels’ window to capitalize on the 26-year-old superstar in his prime is shrinking.

I had the pleasure of covering Trout for the past seven seasons in Anaheim since his rookie year. In my opinion, he is not only the best player in the game, but he is a great man who is talented, dedicated and always joyful to take the field. He is the whole package.

The biggest question mark for the Angels will be: Can their pitchers stay healthy?

They still have a young and talented rotation with Richards, Othani, Shoemaker, Heaney, Skaggs and Ramirez. They could go to a six-man rotation sometimes during the season, like when they have long stretches of consecutive days, without any days off. It will be fascinating to see how the young Ohtani will do and how would he be used.

I believe the Angels are a serious Wild Card contender. The Angel Stadium in Anaheim will be rocking this year, not only because they have Trout, but Pujols will begin the 2018 season with 614 home runs with the titles of only active player with over 600 and #7 on the top 10 all-time home run list. The Dominican is only 32 hits shy from 3,000.

Not to mention they were the team to sign Japanese super prospect, pitcher and hitter, Shohei Ohtani. The Angels will debut the third-largest electronic message board in baseball in Anaheim. All of this could make their owner, Arte Moreno, very happy this year, but most of all, contingent play all the way until October.

The Mariners are basically the same team as last season. 2017 was a disappointment. It looks like the great Felix “The King” Hernandez is not the same dominant pitcher. Also, most of their starting rotation has been hurt. They are still a great offensive team with Segura, Canó, Cruz, Seager and company, provides enough runs for them to stay in games, but just like the Angels, their pitching is suspect. Ichiro is returning to Seattle (his first team in 2001) on a one- year contract because the M’s said that he is going to play. Ichiro reportedly said he wants to play until he is 50. He is 44 to start the season.

The Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics have not been picked to win this division, but both teams have lots of talent. In this case, the A’s have a lot of younger talent compared to the Rangers. For Texas, Adrian Beltré, who reached the 3,000 hit mark last season, and a sure pick for Cooperstown, is on his last contractual year. Elvis Andrus, Joey Gallo and Rougned Odor provide solid leadership and offense. The starting rotation has four lefty starters: Cole Hamels, Martín Pérez, Mike Minor and Matt Moore. Their bullpen needs a boost. Bartolo Colón signed a minor league deal with the team, but we all know no team would sign Colón to play in the minor leagues. Well, at least not with his control.

Question: Who will play the longest, Colón or Ichiro? My bet is on Colon since the Dominican Republic native will be looking to win at least six more games so he could pass Nicaraguan Dennis “El Presidente”Martinez as the Latin pitcher with most wins in history (245). Dennis Martinez won two more games than Juan Marichal, who ended his Hall of Fame career with 243 wins. But even with Colon, a very-respectable number five pitcher on any rotation, the Rangers are likely going to be the underdogs this season. My guess, if Colón wins those six games, he will consider retirement.

The Oakland Athletics finished last for the third consecutive season in 2017 with a 75-87 record, but manager Bob Melvin was always an optimist with an abundance of hope.  One of the best home run hitting teams in baseball that plays in one of most difficult home run parks, Khris Davis returns for at least another year, as he signed for 2018, for $10.5 million. Davis hit 43 home runs and drove in 110 runs last season and is the highest paid player in the roster. Davis became the fifth A’s player to hit 40 home runs in a season, alongside Reginaldo Martinez “Reggie” Jackson, José Canseco, Mark McGwire and Jason Giambi.

Strong in the infield with a young, talented Matt Chapman at third and Matt Olson at first, at the corners–“The Matt Boys” supply lots of power. Marcus Semien will enter his sixth major league season and third with the A’s at shortstop. Veteran Jed Lowrie, who gives them an all-around performance at second base.

The A’s picked up Stephen Piscotty of the Cardinals to play in the outfield. He returns to the Bay Area after spending three years in St. Louis. He attended Stanford University.

The A’s also addressed their catching situation shortly after they signed veteran Jonathan Lucroy.

The A’s bullpen improved as they acquired left-handed pitcher Ryan Buchter, signed Yusmeiro Petit as a free agent and acquired right-handed pitcher and young hardthrower Emilio Pagán early after his season ended from Seattle on the trade that sent the talented Ryon Healy to the M’s.

Melvin will have a young pitching staff. The A’s are starting off as pitching challenged. Jharel Cotton will be out for the entire season with Tommy John surgery, To replace Cotton, they signed Trevor Cahill for this season. Yes, the same Cahill who began his career with the A’s in 2009 and was an 2010 All-Star in Arizona.

Another familiar face in Oakland is returning, lefty Brett Anderson  who pitched with the A’s from 2009 to 2013. Kendall Graveman will be their Opening Day starter for the second year in a row also against the Angels, followed by Sean Manaea, and then guys like Daniel Mengden, Andrew Triggs, Paul Blackburn will all be in the mix.

This year, it could be a challenge for Bob Melvin as well as pitching coach Scott Emerson when it comes to pitching and looking for the winning combination.

The A’s are a glorious franchise that dates to 1901 as a charter member of the American League as the Philadelphia Athletics. They have won nine World Championships, the third-most of all current MLB teams. Only Yankees and Cardinals have won more World Series than the A’s. The A’s have a young and powerful offense, they were the fourth team with most home runs last year, with 234. When a team can hit for power, like the young A’s, they are always entertaining.

Sure, the A’s could surprise us. After all, it is baseball, and there are always surprises each season. Some say, “What excitement these young guys will bring!” and that could be true as the sky is the limit especially for guys like Davis,Chapman,Olson. But at the end of the day, it will probably be another tough season for the Green and Gold.

Note: There’s a new attraction at the Coliseum called “The Treehouse,” which is a new destination area above the left field bleachers in the Oakland Coliseum that is set to debut during the 2018 season. The Treehouse will be open to all fans and will feature two full-service bars, standing-room and lounge seating, numerous televisions and pre and post game entertainment. In good conscience, I had to pick the A’s to finish last again, but I would love it if they were to prove me wrong.

Significant A’s note: Celebrating their 50th Anniversary in Oakland. On April 17, the A’s game vs. Chicago White Sox will provide free admission for everybody. During every Wednesday home game in the regular season, fans can pick the price they pay for their tickets. In addition, there will be more Fireworks at the Coliseum this season.

National League West
1. Los Angeles Dodgers

2. Arizona Diamondbacks
3. Colorado Rockies
4. San Francisco Giants

5. San Diego Padres

I do not see anybody better here than the Dodgers. Although, they will begin their season without their top clutch hitter and third baseman, Justin Turner, who was hit by a pitch in Spring Training on his left wrist, causing a fracture, but no surgery was necessary. He will begin 2018 on the DL.

I think the Dodgers will shoot for a sixth consecutive division title this year. 2018 is the last year on the contract for the best pitcher in the game Clayton Kershaw. With a solid offense, good defense, great bullpen, they should be able win the west.

Arizona is a serious candidate for a wild card as well as Colorado. Arizona signed Japanese right-handed reliever Yoshihisa Hirano as well as veteran catcher Alex Avila. This season, they should take advantage of a window of opportunity since outfielder A.J Pollock, and left-handed pitcher, Patrick Corbin, are eligible for free agency after the season. Their superstar first baseman, Paul Goldschmidt, is just two years away from the same situation.

The Rockies have a good young rotation, but lack a #1 pitcher, a stopper to halt losing streaks. Well-balanced, all-around players like Nolan Arenado–an MVP contender every year–are hard to come by. He finished 2017 with a .309 average, 37 home runs and 130 RBI. He became the first and only third baseman in history to win five Gold Gloves in his first five years in the majors.

Charlie Blackmon is arguably one of the best players in the game. The center fielder enjoyed a tremendous 2017 where he hit .331 with 37 homers and 104 batted in.

Ian Desmond and Carlos González were held back due to injuries, but are two solid players that could easily bounce back. The Rockies appear to hope to improve on the wild card finish they had last season. This Rockies team can hit anyplace, not only in Coors Field.

In 2017, the San Francisco Giants finished 64-98. This offseason, the Giants acquired veterans Evan Longoria and Andrew McCutchen to play in the outfield, while trying to complete revamping their outfield by picking up veteran Austin Jackson.

Madison Bumgarner was struck in his pitching hand by a line drive hit by Kansas City’s Whit Merrifield in the third inning of a game on March 23 and was diagnosed with a left hand fracture, so he will begin 2018 on the DL. Also, Jeff Samardzija will begin this season on the DL with strained pectoral muscles. That being said, the Giants need a healthy closer in Mark Melancon, who was on the DL three times in 2017.

Brandon Crawford and Brandon Bell, also known as “The Brandon Boys,” will need better years offensively. Longoria and McCutchen provide much-needed power to a team that finished last in both leagues last season with a puny 128 home runs and last in runs batted in with 612.

Although Buster Posey hit a solid .320, he only hit 12 home runs and drove in 67 runs. During his nine-year career with the Giants, only once has Posey drove in over 100 runs in 2012. Despite all that, Posey remains the face of this franchise.

Pablo Sandoval is looking for some at-bats to regain the magic he had during the Giants’ three World Championships. Every projected starting position player with the Giants, with the exception of second baseman Joe Panik, is in his 30’s.

At the beginning of Spring Training, the Giants signed left-handed reliever Tony Watson for two years, with a third year option. He is 32, so he fits right in with the Giants over 30 crowd.

It’s hard to believe that AT&T, once SBC and PAC Bell Park is 18 years old! I remember calling their first game there. The San Diego Padres, who finished in the cellar in 2016, passed them last year. The Friars’ big deal this offseason was signing free agent first baseman Eric Hosmer to a sweet eight-year, $144 million contract.

I would place the Giants on top of the Padres this season because they seem to have a deeper club, and they shall start the season with a healthy Madison Bumgarner, unlike 2017. The Padres deserve a lot of respect, they are an overall young club that’s continuing to improve.

The Giants will have to win 17 more games this year to reach the .500 mark with 81 wins. It will not be easy. But if they do, a wild card for Bruce Bochy’s Giants could be in sight.

In today’s game, it doesn’t matter if you win 100 games during the regular season as many teams have won just over 80 games and won the World Series.

Case and point: Last World Series they won in 2014, they ended season with 88-74.

Significant Giants note: On August 11, Barry Bonds’ #25 will be retired at AT&T Park, in a series against his first team, the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Rest

American League
East: The Boston Red Sox have to win this division, just because they have more pitching than the Yankees plus they also improved their offense signing free agent J.D. Martinez. The Yankees have a serious and perhaps the best bullpen in the world. However, the Red Sox’s starting rotation is much more superior, so I see the Yanks good for a Wild Card berth.

Central: I think the Cleveland Indians to win the division, and should be easy for the Tribe.

The Twins did great last year. This offseason, they signed underrated starter Lance Lynn, and they be back as a wild card. Look for their young-powerful third baseman Miguel Sanó to have a monster year. Also, Paul Molitor is an excellent skipper.

West: Houston Astros are going to win the division again. Angels, Yankees, Twins and Toronto will be among wild card contenders.

Duo to watch? Yankees’ Judge and Stanton. Together, they both could produce over 100 home runs.

National League
East: Washington Nationals on a class of their own, should win by 10 games, they won it by 20 last year. There is nobody close to them.

Mets would need two more Céspedes in their lineup, but their pitching should be good.

Central: The Chicago Cubs can win it again with St Louis coming in a close second.West: The Los Angeles Dodgers can win the division again. Arizona, Colorado, Milwaukee and San Francisco will be fighting for those wild cards.

Atlanta and Philadelphia should be better, fighting for .500 record.

World Series: Houston Astros vs. Washington Nationals.
A’s Opening Day on March 29 vs. Los Angeles Angels at 1:05 pm PST.
Giants Opening Day on March 29 at Los Angeles Dodgers at 4:08 pm PST.

Play Ball!

Athletics in Spanish – Oakland A’S Baseball on KIQI 1010AM and KATD 990AM Spanish Language Radio, covering the Bay Area, Oakland,San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, Stockton. Broadcast of 74 live A’s homes games.including three on the road from San Francisco. SAP in Spanish on TV.

Athletics in English – NBC Sports California/MLB Net/FOX Sports 1. Radio: 95.7 FM The Game, the flagship station for the Athletics Radio Network.

Bumgarner hit by line drive; Mad Bum possibly out six to eight weeks

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Photo credit: @Deadspin

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Friday, March 23, 2018

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – For the second time in two days, the San Francisco Giants’ pitching rotation was dealt a serious blow as spring training draws to a close.

Thursday, it was Jeff Samardzija finding his way to the shelf. Friday, it was ace Madison Bumgarner.

In the top of the third inning of the Giants’ Cactus League contest against the Kansas City split squad, Bumgarner was hit on his pitching hand trying to field a line drive by Royals’ second baseman Whit Merrifield.

After a brief discussion with the team trainer and Giants manager Bruce Bochy, Bumgarner was immediately pulled, replaced by right-hander Ryan Halstead, activated from the minor league camp.

Bochy said after the game that Bumgarner suffered a fracture on the side of his left hand, just below the knuckle on his little finger (fifth metacarpal).

Bumgarner will have pins inserted on Saturday, and is reportedly expected to miss six to eight weeks.

“There’s no way around that,” Bumgarner said. “They’ll put the pins in, and hopefully, it’ll heal the way it’s supposed to, and heal quickly.”

“I can’t give you any details until I get some more,” Bochy said, adding that it was too soon to determine any prognosis or timetable for Bumgarner to return. “They’ll let us know soon just how long this will take.

Asked about who will start on Opening Day, Bochy said, “I don’t know yet. We had guys set to go on certain days. It’s what we’ll talk about on the flight to San Francisco.

“Obviously, we’ll have to make some adjustments … It’s just a downer. This was (Bumgarner’s) short day. I really feel for him. Obviously, you know what he means to us … And how he was, the way he was throwing the ball all spring. Unfortunately, you have to deal with these things, but this was really a downer today.”

After a strong start in 2017, Bumgarner missed nearly three months after suffering a shoulder injury (Grade 2 left shoulder sprain and bruised ribs) while riding a dirt bike on April 20.

This was Bumgarner’s sixth and final scheduled spring training start. He’s 1-2 with a 3.43 earned run average in 21 innings. Bumgarner’s 30 strikeouts are second in the Cactus League to the 32 punch-outs by Cleveland’s Trevor Bauer.

Bad luck continues for the Giants’ rotation. San Francisco is already expected to place Jeff Samardzija on the disabled list to start the season, after an MRI revealed a strained pectoral muscle.

“And that’s never a good thing, but we have a lot more depth this year,” Bochy said. “So, we’ll get this thing figured out in the next couple of days on what we’re going to do with this rotation. There’s nothing we can do but push on.”

FIRST TIME
Brandon Belt played left field for the first time all spring for the Giants. Hitting third, Belt was 1-for-3 Friday.

Belt is hitting .396 this spring with three home runs and 11 RBIs.

THE GAME
Kansas City’s split squad surged ahead in the third inning and stayed there, holding off a late San Francisco rally to beat the Giants 9-6.

After Merrifield reached on the liner back to Bumgarner leading off the third, he went to second on Ryan O’Hearn’s base hit, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Chester Culbert single.

Culbert gave the Royals their first lead on a solo home run off Bumgarner in the second inning. Pablo Sandoval tied the game for San Francisco with a solo shot to right off KC starter Jakob Junis (2-0), leading off the bottom of the second.

It was Panda’s third homer and 15th RBI of the spring. Sandoval is hitting .313 in 18 CL games.

Culbert led the Royals split-squad offense, going 4-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored.

The Royals added three runs in the sixth and two in the seventh.

Jerry Sands, sporting No. 98, hit his second CL homer for San Francisco on a towering drive to left in the eighth inning. The sellout crowd of 11,002 chanted “Jer-ry, Jer-ry” as he circled the bases.

Sands had major league stints with the Dodgers, Tampa Bay, Cleveland and the White Sox between 2011 and 2016.

San Francisco scored four runs in the ninth. Kelby Tomlinson and Dylan Davis had RBI singles in the rally.

Steven Duggar was 2-for-4 in the Giants’ 11-hit attack.

BARNEY NUGENT AWARD
Outfielder Chris Shaw was voted the 2018 Barney Nugent Award by the Giants’ players, coaches and training staff. The award is given in recognition of the player in his first big league camp “whose performance and dedication best exemplifies the Giants’ spirit, much like Nugent did.”

Nugent worked as an athletic trainer for the Giants from 1993 to 2003.

ON DECK
This was San Francisco’s final 2018 Cactus League game in Scottsdale. The Giants head to Sacramento to face their Triple-A affiliate River Cats at Raley Field (6:05 p.m.), then move on to Oakland for the first game of their annual three-game set with the Athletics at 1:05 p.m. on Sunday.

The Monday-Tuesday games against the A’s are at AT&T Park, both starting at 7:15 pm PST.

TAGS
San Francisco Giants, Cactus League, Madison Bumgarner, Sports Radio Service

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Samardzija on DL for right pectoral muscle; Giants go with four-man rotation

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Photo credit: @SFGiants

On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca:

#1 The big news is that Jeff Samardzija goes on the D.L. after giving up three home runs in back-to-back starts. Did that send up a red flag for you that something was wrong with Samardzija?

#2 Samardzija underwent an MRI and it revealed he had a strained right pectoral muscle in his chest.

#3 The MRI came after Samardzija gave up two home runs in an inning of a Triple-A game. He hit the next hitter and then he was removed.

#4 How will Samardzija’s absence impact the Giants’ rotation?

#5 Michael’s favorite spring training moments in Giants camp during the exhibition sesaon.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Dcua at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

A’s Jharel Cotton undergoes successful Tommy John surgery; A’s lose fourth game in a row

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Photo credit: @rockies_fanly

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Thursday, March 22, 2018

MESA, Ariz. – Following through on a previously reported diagnosis, Oakland Athletics’ right-hander Jharel Cotton underwent successful ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction (Tommy John) surgery at a hospital in Arlington, Tex.

The A’s said Cotton will remain in Arlington until Saturday, then return to Oakland on Sunday to begin the rehabilitation process.

Cotton was projected to be in the A’s rotation in 2018. He was 0-1 with a 3.75 ERA in four Cactus League games, while holding opponents to a .195 batting average.

Cotton was 9-10 in 24 starts over two stints with the A’s last season.

Elsewhere, the A’s optioned catcher Dustin Garneau to Triple-A Nashville. This leaves the Athletics with 35 active players in camp, including 32 on the 40-man roster and three non-roster invitees.

THE GAME
Colorado led early and hung on to beat Oakland 4-2 in the Athletics’ next-to-last Cactus League game before a crowd of 7,356 at Hohokam Stadium. It was the A’s fourth Cactus League loss in a row.

Charlie Blackmon liked what he saw in the game’s first at-bat, belting a home run off A’s starter Andrew Triggs. In the second inning, Ian Desmond’s RBI single made it 2-0. Desmond drove in Trevor Story, who reached on an error and stole second.

Chris Iannetta hit a solo home run in the top of the fifth off Triggs, extending the Rockies’ lead to 3-0. Oakland’s Marcus Siemen hit a two-run shot off Chad Bettis, pulling the Athletics to within 3-2.

Iannetta’s RBI double in the seventh – after Gerardo Parra – put the Rox up 4-2.

Triggs surrendered six hits and two earned runs – both on home runs – while striking out three in 5 1/3 innings. Emilio Pagan, Frankie Montas and Trevor Cahill – the free agent who was recently signed to a one-year contract – threw in relief for Oakland.

Bettis was the winning pitcher (2-0), logging four strikeouts, two walks and two earned runs. Austin House worked a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his second CL save.

Siemen wound up 2-for-4. Jed Lowrie, Stephen Piscotty, Matt Chapman and Bruce Maxwell had the other Oakland hits.

The Athletics host Milwaukee on Saturday before heading back to Oakland on March 25 for the opening game of the annual Bay Bridge Series.

TAGS
Oakland Athletics,Cactus League,Sports Radio Service

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Venezuela in a Huge Crisis That Also Affects Baseball

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Photo credit: @VoCommunism

By: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

On March 8, 2018, ABC News said that as Venezuela’s economic crisis worsens, rising numbers are fleeing in a burgeoning refugee crisis that is drawing alarm across Latin America. Independent groups estimate that as many as three million to four million Venezuelans have abandoned their homeland in recent years, with several hundred thousand departing in 2017 alone.

Many of those migrants are arriving by foot in Colombia and landing in the Andean nation’s emergency rooms with urgent medical conditions that Venezuelan hospitals can no longer treat.

After the Dominican Republic, Venezuela has the most foreign-born players in the Major Leagues. In the past, I have spoken with players from Venezuela that told me how hard is to really concentrate on a game of baseball, which is their job and what they do, because of what has been happening in their motherland. The majority of them are disgusted, and some if you said you want to talk about it, they roll their eyes and tell you, we better not, because it is not pretty.

For years now, the Venezuelan government has followed the mold of that of Cuba. When Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Fidel Castro of Cuba were alive, they were great friends and allies. Castro would visit Venezuela and Chavez would visit Cuba. The same political philosophy is shared by both governments.

According to the Colombian Red Cross, about 35,000 Venezuelans enter the country at the Simon Bolivar International Bridge each day.  Most of those dozens of thousands are entering by foot, and most of them to find food and work, The Colombian Red Cross also revealed that many arrive into their country after fainting on the journey, because they had nothing to eat.

News from Latin America usually does not make headline news here in the United States, but the current situation in Venezuela is getting into the alarming stages, and soon I am sure you will see and read more of that situation. Extremely sad what has happened in Venezuela.

Venezuelan oil production is collapsing, as the country sinks deeper into debt. For a long time, Venezuela was not only the biggest petroleum producers in Latin America, but also one of the top producers in the world.

I feel for all the Venezuelan players in Spring Training right now. During the last few years, I met a few that have sold their homes in Venezuela and moved to the United States. Can you blame them?

I hope and pray that some solution can come to the country and the good people of Venezuela whom right now are in a spiral. Maracaibo, where the great Luis Aparicio (Hall of Fame shortstop) was born, is one of the richest oil producing areas in the world.

Lake Maracaibo is one of the world’s richest and most centrally located petroleum-producing regions.

A recent report by Reuters said that Venezuelans reporting losing on average 11 kilograms (24 lbs) during the year 2017. We have seen in photographs and on Spanish-speaking television channels that people in Caracas go into trash cans searching for food. Caracas used to be one of the great cities in Latin America with a population of two million.

Jason Hawkins resigns as San Jose State head baseball coach

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Photo credit: mwcconnection.com

By: Ana Kieu

Jason Hawkins was the San Jose State Spartans head baseball coach for the 2017 season.

Hawkins submitted his resignation, effective immediately. SJSU’s director of athletics, Marie Tuite, made the announcement on Tuesday.

In Hawkins’ one season as head coach, the Spartans had a 19-35-1 win-loss record.

Brad Sanfilippo was appointed as an interim head coach in January 2018, but will not be taking over as the head coach as SJSU’s search continues for the vacant position.

A national search for the next SJSU baseball head coach will occur during the season. The Spartans open their 2018 schedule with a four-game, non-conference home series, starting with Northern Colorado on Friday, February 16, at San Jose Municipal Stadium.

For Transactions
SJSU — Accepted the resignation of baseball head coach Jason Hawkins.

Puerto Rico wins second straight Caribbean Series title with 9-4 victory over Dominican Republic

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Photo credit: @PostSumo15

Sports Radio Service is the Only Bay Area Outlet covering the Caribbean Series.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: 4 | 7 | 0

PUERTO RICO: 9 | 9 | 2

By Lewis Rubman

February 9, 2018

Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico — History repeated itself Thursday night in Charros Stadium. Puerto Rico’s Criollos de Caguas won their second consecutive Caribbean Series championship, and they managed to pull if off by overcoming a seemingly insurmountable deficit in the seventh inning for the second time in two days.

The Dominican Republic’s representative, the Aguilas Cibaeñas, were’t the only obstacle to Puerto Rico’s stunning victory. A strong rain began to pelt the ballpark in Zapopan about two hours before the scheduled game time of 8:00 pm, causing fear that the contest might be cancelled, but resulting in a only a half an hour’s delay before the first pitch was thrown.

That pitch was thrown by Criollos right hander, Adalberto Flores, Puerto Rico’s starting pitcher in their victory over Mexico on the Series opening night of February 2. That pitch resulted in a third to first  ground out by the Dominicans’ second baseman, Abiatal Avelino. Flores then got two quick strikes on second baseman Gustavo Núñez’s, and that’s when things started to go south on the Criollos. Flores walked Núñez, who stole second, and Junior Lake. A strike out of Edwin Espinal almost got Flores out of the jam, but DH Juan Carlos Pérez smacked a double to right center field that put the team from the Cibao up by two before the Puerto Ricans had had a chance at bat. When Lake doubled Núñez home from first in two innings later, the score stood at 3-0.

Rusney Castillo’s round tripper to left center with two outs in bottom of the third cut the Dominican lead to two runs.

Joe Colón replaced a clearly under performing Flores at the beginning of the fourth. At first, he looked effective, but his own lack of control and the poor play of his infield made a bad situation worse. After Ronny Rodríguez grounded out, Carlos Paulino walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. The usually sure handed Irving Falú bobbled Héctor Gómez’s grounder to second, and Yefri Pérez, up next, benefited from third baseman David Vidal´s inability to handle his hard hit bouncing ball, reaching first on an error that brought Paulino in with the Aguilas’ fourth run.

Meanwhile, the Cibaeño starter, lefty Raúl Valdés kept mowing down the Puerto Rican batters, allowing them only two hits over six innings of play. The Dominicans’ 4-1 lead going into the seventh seemed just as safe as Cuba’s 4-0 seventh inning lead of the previous afternoon. It turned out to be exactly as save as that lead had been. Valdés walked Anthony García on a 3-1 pitch. Johnny Morrel’s fly ball out to left was deep enough to allow García to tag up and move to second. Valdés walked Vidal and then was removed by manager Lino Rivera,who replaced him on the mound with Ramón Ramírez.

This was not a successful move. A wild pitch to Gotay sent Vidal to second, and then Gotay’s single to right brought in García and Videl, putting Puerto Rico just a run behind the heretofore coasting team from Quisqueya. Dayron Varona’s single to right moved Gotay to second and Ramírez to the showers. In came Wilfrin Obispo, whose third pitch to Jonathan Morales ended up in the left center field bleachers. Puerto Rico finished the seventh inning on top of the Dominican Republic, 6-4.

The question in the top of the eighth was whether the Criollos could hold on to their lead. They could. In the bottom of the inning, the question was if they ever would stop scoring. They eventually did, but not until Jusmiel Valentín, García, and Johnny Morrel had crossed the plate.A walk by Yefri Pérez was all the offense the Aguilas could muster against Miguel Mejía, who came in to close out the win for the now two-time champions of Latin American baseball.In spite of the rain, which lasted until about 7:45, and the ungoing cold, it appeared that at least 90% of the 15,551 people who had bought tickets showed up.

Andrés Santiago, who relieved Colón at the start of the sixth was the winning pitcher, with Mejía getting the save, his second of the Caribbean Series.

The next game will probably take place on Feburary 2, 2019.

Mexico routs Dominican Republic 8-1

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Photo credit: @MiLB

MEXICO: 8 | 9 | 0

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: 1 | 8 | 6

By Lewis Rubman
Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico
February 7, 2018

Sports Radio Service is the only Bay Area outlet covering the 2018 Caribbean Series.

Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico–Mexico’s hopes for a Caribbean Series championship died when the Dominican Republic defeated Cuba on Monday. The next day, a large gathering of the team’s fans came to Charros Stadium to mourn that loss and abuse the losers.

Thunderous boos and cat calls showered down from the stands when Mexico’s starting lineup was introduced over the public address system, especially at the mention of manager Benjamín Gil and and Japhat Amador, the burly slugger from the hometown Jalisco Charros who was one of Culiacán Tomateros’ 15 reinforcements for the Series. The only players who escaped this display of the crowd’s displeasure were the starting battery of pitcher Sergio Mitre and catcher Gabriel Gutiérrez.

The booing of the home team’s line up was made even more unusual by the scheduling rules of the Caribbean Series, under which each team in the elimination round plays two games as home team and another two as visitors. In this contest, Mexico played as the visitors, so the team that the home town crowd incongruously was jeering technically wasn’t even the home team. This situation was only one of many that gave a surreal flavor to the night’s events.

It seemed as if the team that had been Mexico on Monday had become the Tomateros de Culiacán on Tuesday. But even this seeming reversion to form was unreal because of the large number of re-enforcements in the Tomato Growers’ roster.

To make matters stranger, the hapless Mexicans soundly trounced the high flying Dominicans, who played as if they were the team that hadn’t been able to win any of its first three games. The Aguilas Cibaeñas made one error in each of the first three innings and a total of six for the game. The Mexicans slugged out all of their eight runs and nine hits in the first seven innings of play. The Mexican attack included a double and homer by the previously heartily abused Amador, who received delirious cheers upon performing these exploits.

It was a game in which the public address announcer, while action was occurring on field during the home — or was it the visitors’? In the half of the seventh, they asked the crowd to please stop dancing and remember that baseball is a game that brings people together, so they should turn their attention to the giant screen where a young man was asking a young woman to marry him. (She said yes!)

As the last out of the game was being made, the public address system played “Cielito Lindo,” wilth its refrain of “¡Ay, ay, ay, ay! Canta, no llores,” “Ay,ay, ay, ay! Sing, don’t cry.”

The crowd joined in.

Mitre got the win with the help of four relievers. Losing pitcher Angel Castro took the loss. Of a total of six Aguilas pitchers, only Rafael de Paula and Cesilio Pimentel escaped without giving up an earned run. They pitched two-thirds of an inning and an inning, respectively.

More inhibited crowds are expected to see the semi final games, to be played later today, with Puerto Rico playing the Dominican Republic in the afternoon game and Cuba and Venezuela duking it out in the night game.

Cuba beats fraternal rival Puerto Rico 6-3

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Photo credit: cubadebate.cu

CUBA: 6 | 11 | 0

PUERTO RICO: 3 | 6 | 1

By Lewis Rubman
Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico
February 6, 2018

Sports Radio Service is the only Bay Area outlet covering the 2018 Caribbean Series.

Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico–Fraternal rivals Cuba and Puerto Rico faced each other Tuesday afternoon in a duel to better their place in the pecking order of the Caribbean Series semifinals, which will begin Wednesday afternoon.

The contest that was closer than its final score of 6-3 would indicate.

Puerto Rico’s representative, the Caguas Criollos, drew first blood with Anthony García´s home run off Cuban starter Ulfrido García that left the park just over 330 feet from home and the left field fence. It was his first round tripper of the tourrnament.

In the top half of the third, Frank Morejón homered, his second of the Series, off Caguas starter Jake Fisher’s 0-2 offering to even the score for the Granma Alazanes (Sorrels), Cuba’s representative in this week long battle of champions. It also was his first four bagger of the Series.

Each team tallied twice in the fifth frame. Morejón brought Carlos Benítez in from second with a rule book double to left and then advanced to third on Raúl González’s fly to right. An infield single to short by Roel Santos brought the Cuban catcher home with his team’s third run. The Criollos quickly wiped out the Cubans´ advantage with back to back homers into the left field bleachers by Rubén Gotay and the right field bleachers by David Varona, the first circuit blast for both them in this year’s Caribbean Series.

Caguas had a chance to make a definitive statement in the bottom of the sixth. Anthony García led off with a single to right. Rusney Castillo pinch hit for designated hitter Johnny Monell, fouled off the first pitch and then sent García to third with a single to right center. With runners on the corner and nobody out, manager. Carlos Martí called on Lenadro Martínez, a lefty like Ulfrido García, to pitch to switch hitting Rubén Gotay, who had homered in the previous episode. Between them, they worked the count to three and two before Martínez got Gotay to hit a grounder to shortstop Yordan Manduley behind second base, where he fielded it, stepped on the bag, and fired to Guillermo Avilés to complete the double play and preserved the tie.

Martínez completed his relief assignment in the good old fashoned way by entering the game, as he did in the sixth inning and shutting Puerto Rico out until its 27th batter was retired four innings later. He did this on 47 pitches, 27 of which were strikes.

The Criollos’ failure to capitalize on their opportunity in the sixth cost them dearly. They had brought Luis González in to pitch the sixth and replaced him with Joe Colón, the first right handed hander for either team, to pitch Cuba in the top of the seventh. Colón retired the first to Sorrels he faced, but then walked the dangerous.Morejón on four pitches before serving up a pitch that ninth place hitter Raul González whalloped into left field for a tie breaking double.

Righty Andrés Santiago took over for Colón in the top of the eighth, hoping to keep the Cuban lead at a single run. Instead, he allowed two Alazanes to cross the plate. Manduley started things with an infield single that could just as well have been scored as an error by shortstop Jesmuel Valentín. Madnuley continued to profit from sloppy Caguas fielding when Jonathan Morales´s passed ball enabled the Cuban shortstop to advance to second. Cepeda loaded the bases with a single to left, and Avilés drove them in with a double to left that sent Yoelkis Céspedes, running for Cepeda, to third. A cameo appearance by Alfred Despaigne was wasted by an intentional pass that set up an inning ending double play. But the damage was irreparable. Martínez continued his mastery over Puerto Rico’s batters, and the Cubans won by three.

The practical effect of Tuesday afternoon’s contest on the semi final schedule depends on the result of the Tuesday night game between Mexico, who will be fighting for pride in an attempt to salvage one victory in its horrendous Caribbean Series, and the Dominican Republic, who will be fighting for a second or third place berth.

Game time is 8:00 pm CT and 6:00 pm PT.