Tag: Houston Astros

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: MLB 2020 A stolen season?

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file photo from yahoo.com: Oakland A’s pitcher Mike Fiers is the target of some retaliation from other teams during the 2020 season. A’s manager Bob Melvin says nobody is happy about the situation and its time to move forward.

MLB 2020: A Stolen Season?
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
Amaury Pi-González

Mike Trout who makes enough money to start his own league, or at least a division, arrived at the Angels Spring Training in Tempe, Arizona and was not shy to talk about the scandal that has consumed the game: “It’s sad for baseball,” Trout said. “It’s thought they cheated.”’ referring to the Houston Astros players on the stealing-sign scandal ” I lost some respect for some guys” Trout considered the best player in the game, is trying to lead his Angels to their first postseason since 2014, continued: “You don’t know what helped them or what not,” he said. “But if you know what’s coming, it’s going to definitely help them.”

I don’t know if you take the trophy away or take the rings away, but they should definitely do something.” and continued on an obvious criticism of the Commissioner. About the punishment to players in the scandal, he added: “The players getting nothing, that’s definitely not right, for sure.”

On the other side of the country at Ft Myers Florida, Red Sox great David (Big Papi) Ortíz now retired an advisor for the team was defending Commissioner Manfred, at least giving Mr.Manfred the benefit of the doubt: “He’s going to do what’s best for the game.

He’s not the type of guy that’s going to accept you screwing things up in the game,” Ortiz said. “No, he’s good at making decisions. But people need to chillax and let him do his job. Players need to let him do what he thinks is better for the game and stop putting him on the spot and telling him what to do. That’s what I think should happen.”

These are two of the biggest stars in the game, Trout a future member of the Hall of Fame and Ortíz a sure thing in just a few years, they have totally different opinions. This divide is happening as we speak in baseball, baseball fans can’t stop talking about it, the players, the media eats-it up. At the end, you can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube. In my opinion, this whole thing was botched from the beginning.

I have great respect the Office of the Commissioner, and Mr.Manfred, but I believe he has shown little leadership since the story broke and continues to develop as more and more players are coming to the microphone to basically state their peace.

Will this 2020 season be overshadowed by this scandal? Can the beginning of the season make fans forgive all of this? How will the fans react? Are Astros hitters ready to be hit by pitches? It is a big baseball universe out there, we have 30 MLB clubs and many questions remains to be answered, plus players are furious and ready to strike over economic system and they seem to be united. MLBPA (Major League Baseball Players Association) has a lot of obstacles to clear in the next collective bargaining agreement.

More questions than answers,but for sure this 2020 season promises to be fascinating.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the radio voice for A’s baseball Spanish on 1010 KIQI for home games Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays and does News and Commentary each week http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports with Tony Renteria: Bickerstaff take over coaching reigns in Cleveland; NFL to add more playoff teams; plus more

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cavsnation.com photo: New Cleveland Cavaliers head coach JB Bickerstaff will take over the coaching duties after former head coach John Beilein resigned

On Headline Sports with Tony R:

#1 The Cleveland Cavaliers John Beilein resigned as head coach and replaced him with JB Bickerstaff who is the son of former NBA head coach Bernie Bickerstaff who coached around the league for many years.

#2 The NFL are adding more playoff teams will this be a matter of making the post season more competitive or is the NFL just milking that much more

#3 The Kings have won four of their last seven games and host the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night at Golden One Center their coming off two tough loses to Milwaukee and Dallas

#4 The players in baseball are ready to riot as MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is under pressure by the players to take the World Series Trophy back from Houston and officially cross the Astros off as the 2017 World Champions

#5 The sign stealing scandal has dominated baseball so much its all anyone talks about will fights with the Astros turn the average fan off and they’ll go somewhere else?

Tony Renteria talks Headline Sports each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Players say they will take action in their own hands against Astros; Will MLB act if beanball war starts with teams throwing at Stros?

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photo from newsday.com: Houston Astros Dusty Baker says he is asking MLB Commissioner to take action against any teams who will start on field trouble against the Astros during the 2020 season which could lead to beanball wars

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

#1 After a number of players have voiced their anger about the Houston Astros and sign stealing they have said their only choice left is to retaliate against the Astros which could amount a lot of bean balls this season.

#2 One of the players that teams might go head hunting for is the Astros Jose Altuve whose possible wired under the jersey incident in the World Series has got the Dodgers and Yankees in particular pretty hot

#3 Astros manager Dusty Baker says that out of concern he’s asked MLB to make it clear that anyone retaliating against any of the Astros players should face discipline by baseball.

#4 If the Astros wind up winning a bunch a games again will there be doubts about how legit those victories will be?

#5 Oakland A’s pitcher Sean Manea made it clear in an interview this week that he’s very angry with the Astros and that their cheating took a lot away from Manea and other players who could have won those games against Houston.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Museum and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Houston Astros apologizes but action would be better

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photo from newyorkpost.com: Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker left and owner Jim Crane right speak with the media from the Astros spring training camp in West Palm Beach Florida on Thu Feb 13th

Houston Astros: Apologizes, but Action would be better

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

Amaury Pi-González

On their first day of Spring Training the Houston Astros gave a press conference where owner Jim Crane, new manager Dusty Baker and players José Altuve and Alex Bregman were present. It was a Mea Culpa for the sins of stealing signs.

We had a great team meeting last night,” Altuve’s statement read. “I want to say that the whole Astros organization and the team feel bad about what happened in 2017. We especially feel remorse for the impact on our fans and the game of baseball. Our team is determined to move forward, to play with intensity and to bring back a championship to Houston in 2020.”

This is all well and done, everybody was expecting an apology and admission of wrong doing. A better idea was suggested by a good friend of mine who recently wrote a letter to the Houston team. This is what my friend wrote: “How about the Houston Astros players donate all the money they made cheating in the playoffs and in the World Series to St Jude hospital and Williamsport little league?

Probably that will help a little bit”. That is the best idea I have heard.The Astros players would not have to file for bankruptcy if they did this. it would be a huge move for their name sake as well as their employers,but most important they will be donating to a great cause. But that,obviously would have to come from the players hearts.

Sacramento based McClatchy Newspapers files for bankruptcy

The Demise of Print Media continues as McClatchy Co, Filed for Bankruptcy. They operated 20 daily newspapers in fourteen states This will end family control of America;s second largest local news company. Another punch in the gut to independent journalism.

By filing they hope to shed much of its pension obligations and about 55 percent of it’s debts would be eliminated as they now try to reposition for a digital future. Translation: Social Media claims another news print victim.

The publisher’s origins date to 1857 when it first began publishing a four-page paper in Sacramento, California, following the California Gold Rush. That paper became The Sacramento Bee. The Miami Herald,Kansas City Stars and dozens of newspaper who covered Major League Baseball as well as other sports are part of McClatchy. Many more jobs in journalism are being eliminated these days,courtesy of Silicon Valley.

Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria: Can Dusty right the ship in Houston?; Kings host the Heat Friday night; plus more

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sfchronicle.com photo: Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker meets the media during his press conference introducing him as the new manager at Minute Maid Field in Houston

On Headline Sports with Tony R:

#1 How weighty of an issue is it really for new Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker taking over the helm of a team who will hear it everywhere they go and how much work does Dusty have in front of him to clean up the mess from the sign stealing scandal

#2 The Sacramento Kings have won two of their last three games their biggest win comes against the Minnesota Timberwolves 113-109 in a game where neither team gave up

#3 The Kings have had such a tough road experience and head coach Luke Walton is trying to see if in late in the game he could keep the defensive pressure up against opponents to protect the lead.

#4 Golden State Warriors deal Glen Robinson III and Alec Burks to the Philadelphia 76ers which many say will weaken the team. Head coach Steve Kerr said it was said seeing them leave.

#5 The San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler says the Giants should have a powerful line up and he lends that to player development

Join Tony Renteria each Thursday for Headline Sports at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Dusty Baker the calm after the storm

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photo from newsday.com: Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker addresses the media Thursday at Minute Maid Park as Baker takes over the helm amongst the sign stealing scandal that rocked the team

Dusty Baker: The Calm After The Storm

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

Amaury Pi-González

Johnny B.Baker Jr, (Dusty) has landed in Houston. He is now the new manager of the Houston Astros, and this is a calming and healing effect as he is coming right after the biggest baseball scandal of our lifetime. The sign-stealing scandal that culminated in the firing of the manager and general manger of the Houston Astros, manager-to-be in New York Carlos Beltrán and implicated the name of some of the games biggest stars and some managers. As baseball continues their investigation there might be more shoes to fall.

Dusty is a winner he has managed,for 10 years with Giants, Cubs, Reds and Nationals with a total record of 840-715 a .540 percentage. But he was also a winner and a very good player who played the outfield for 19 years and retired in 1986 with the Oakland Athletics,the year when José Canseco won the American League Rookie of the Year, and when the A’s began their last great championship run.

He was always a team player,he won the National League pennant for the Giants in 2002 and took them to the World Series. As a player he was a good hitter, who ended with a .278 average. His best season 1981 with the Dodgers hit for .320 with 29 home runs and 97 runs batted in. Many times in Spanish,and as a player and manager later in the 1990’s when I was working for the Giants I always interviewed him in Spanish, which he is fluent. Was lucky to travel with the Giants towards the end of the 1990’s,he was always accessible and even after tough loses, which every manager encounters,he always had a kind word

The ultimate player manager, he is liked by the players,he is a manager that brings great enthusiasm to the game, he is humble and with the baseball knowledge ‘he bring to Houston that old school mentality. One of the most remembered things on Dusty’s career was when Hank Aaron (The Real and most beloved Home Run King) on April 8, 1974, he was on deck when Aaron hit home run 715 to pass Babe Ruth in career home runs.That was a well documented moment in history,which he always remembers and feels proud to have played along the great Hank Aaron.

With roots in California and here in the Bay Area one of the handful of players that have played for the A’s and the Giants. His last four years managing, where with the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals he won between 90 to 97 games each year. This is also a great opportunity for Dusty with a team that together with the A’s are the two best clubs in the Western Division going into this season. It could be a great race.

Dusty Baker is exactly what the Astros needed, he brings that healing factor. He is not a computer manager, he is a human manager, and this is the best thing the Houston team has done since the scandal. Like attorneys would say “the Astros are trying to re-rehabilitate their image” and Dusty is the “hombre perfecto” for that job.

Felicidades Dusty, we will see you late March during the first home stand of the Oakland A’s as the Houston Astros are scheduled to visit following the first series of the season against the Minnesota Twins.

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

Headline Sports with London Marq: Big fan push for changing NBA logo to Kobe; How Reid and Shanahan will coach to win on Sunday; plus more

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nypost.com photo: Simulated look at new Kobe NBA logo if switched from the current Jerry West NBA logo

On Headline Sports with London:

#1 Huge fan push to change NBA insignia from Jerry West to Kobe Bryant and the push is catching on

#2 The Super Bowl is normally one of sports biggest events but after the death of Kobe his death has overshadowed the big game.

#3 Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is looking for his first Super Bowl with the Chiefs while San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is looking to recover from the last Super Bowl he coached in. As an assistant coach Shanahan had the Falcons ahead in the Super Bowl only to cave and lose the Super Bowl. Shanahan is looking to get it done on Sunday.

#4 On ESPN Stephen A said there was no way that the 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo outplays the Kansas City Chiefs Pat Mahomes on Sunday

#5 How important is it that Dusty Baker hired by the Houston Astros who are trying to get away from the sign stealing scandal and Dusty is a player’s manager, doesn’t use technology or computers to manage a game or need to steal signs.

London Marq joins Sports Talk each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Congress will be asking detailed questions as to how signs got stolen

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wkyt.com photo: The Houston Astros Jose Altuve waits his turn at bat could be called as a witness to whether he was wearing a wire or electronic device that help him indicate which pitch was coming next during the 2017 season.

Amaury does the News and Commentary podcast each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

#1 There is little doubt that Congress will call witnesses and former players and current players and coaches into the sign stealing scandal to come to testify

#2 Amongst the center of the probe will be former Houston Astros manager AJ Hinch and former general manager Jeff Luhnow and current Astro Jose Altuve

#3 In the congressional inquiry congressmen will be expected to turn this scandal upside down while they get to the bottom of what exactly happened?

#4 Also in the probe look for former New York Mets manager Carlos Beltran and former Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora to be asked what role they played while with Houston Astros

#5 Oakland A’s pitcher Mike Fiers said he had just about enough when he reported that signs were being stolen with high technology when he played with the Astros and guilt more than anything played a role into his coming forward.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Museum and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Sign-Stealing Scandal–Politician calling for Congressional Oversight Hearing

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congress.gov photo: Illinois Rep Bobby Rush is calling for an official congressional investigation into the sign stealing scandal involving MLB general managers, managers, players and front office staffs
Sign-Stealing Scandal:  Politician calling for Congressional Oversight Hearing
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
Amaury Pi-González
Representative Bobby Rush from the State of Illinois wants an official Congressional Oversight hearing on the current scandal. He had said so in a letter to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, which is in charge (among other things) of oversight of major league sports. So now the government might get involved as major league baseball is going to an unprecedented crisis.
Last time Washington D.C. got involved in a baseball scandal was 2005. The Mitchell Report – (steroids era) some players had to testify in public open hearings among those were Mark McGwire,Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro. During that scandal Barry Bonds and Bret Boone were Implicated, while others like José Canseco and Ken Caminiti admitted their use of steroids.
As the Office of the Commissioner of baseball continues this wide investigation others aside from Representative Bobby Rush are also voicing their opinions. The Los Angeles City Council is expected to vote in a resolution urging MLB to recall the World Series trophies awarded to the Astros in 2017 and Red Sox in 2018 and award them to the Dodgers instead.  Pitcher CC.Sabathia, who announced his retirement last season,said that the Yankees got cheated by the Astros and Manfred should take their away their title.
Looks like Dusty Baker is getting interviewed this Monday by the Houston Astros for their open managerial position. Good luck to a good genuine baseball man.
The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum will be participating again at the Oakland Athletics Fanfest this next Saturday the 25th from 9:30AM to 3:00PM at Jack London Square. Admittance if Free. All are welcome to visit our new bilingual website https://www.hhbmhof.com/
Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio voice of the Oakland A’s and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Sign Stealing Scandal Altuve–Fallout “I never worn an electronic device”

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usatoday.com photo: Jose Altuve Houston Astros has been accused of wearing a wire to help in sign stealing

Sign Stealing Scandal: Fallout “I Never worn an Electronic device” -José Altuve”.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

Amaury Pi-González

My father in Cuba used to tell me: “A veces pagan justos por pecadores” -translation: “One does the harm and another bears the blame”.

It doesn’t matter how many people were cheating in this sign-stealing scandal, the game’s integrity, credibility is in question in this very serious ethical crisis, even if it were only a handful of people. All because the misuse of technology, replay monitors near the dugout, managers, coaches, players maybe wired. All involved in cheating the game of baseball. When this happens the whole sport suffers.

I like to believe not all 750 players, plus managers and coaches, general managers and others on the 30 major league teams where on this Sign-Stealing journey, and we can only go on what the MLB investigation will reveal. All 30 teams open their Spring Training in less than thirty days. I can only image what the scene will be on the first day for the Astros at their West Palm Beach, Florida facility. The media, not only sports media, but in general the major news media.

Within moments of learning that the Manager and General Manager of the Houston Astros were let go,Terry Francona, veteran Manager of the Cleveland Indians was on MLB Network: “We did not do that in Cleveland”.

Today José Altuve the heart of the Astros, three-time AL batting champion, denied wearing an electronic device under his uniform, according to his agent Scott Boras. This was in response to social-media speculation that Altuve did not want his jersey ripped off by his teammates after his walk-off home run against Aroldis Chapman of the Yankees in Game 6 of the 2019 American League Championship Series, because he was wearing an electronic device on his chest to provide signals on which type of pitch was coming.

Many have said baseball must take harder measures of punishment. Like for example taking the 2017 crown from the Houston Astros who defeated the LA Dodgers in seven games during the World Series and giving the title to the Dodgers.

Although MLB has not released in full their investigation (still ongoing) I doubt they want to re-make history. This investigation continues as they continue interviewing managers, general managers, scouts, even the names of such baseball royalty as two-time World Series champion and Hall of Fame member Tony LaRussa have been mentioned in the whole mess.

The next chapter will be coming soon. But this story is not close to its end, yet.

I leave you with this moment in baseball history:
During the 1919 Black Sox scandal a gambler by the name of Arnold Rothstein fixed that World Series. A huge scandal for the game. A young boy pleaded to “Shoeless”Joe Jackson as he left the Grand Jury room, “Say it ain’t so,Joe, say it ain’t so” Jackson replied, “yes kid,I’m afraid it is so.”

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish color talent for San Jose Sharks hockey and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com