Atlanta Braves Mike Yastrzemski follows the ball of this three run home run off Houston Astros Bryan King in the sixth inning at Minute Maid Park in Houston on Mon Sep 21, 2026 (AP News photo)
That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:
#1 How did the Atlanta Braves clinch the NL East, and what did Mike Yastrzemski contribute in their 4–2 win over the Astros?
#2 What are the latest health concerns surrounding Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and Yankees star Aaron Judge as the postseason approaches?
#3 How close are the Tampa Bay Rays to clinching the AL East, and what made their 2026 home record noteworthy?
#4 How significant was Pete Crow-Armstrong’s 45th home run for the Cubs, and what historic combination of power, doubles and stolen bases did he reach?
#5 Why was Justin Verlander’s retirement one of Monday’s major MLB stories, and could other veteran pitchers follow him into retirement?
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.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Former Chicago Cub outfieler Moises Alou seen here trying to make a catch but fan Steve Bartman made contact with the ball first during game 6 of the NLCS playoffs on Oct 14, 2003 at Wrigley Field. Alou said one of his superstitions before games was to pee in his hands to help build calluses to get a better grip on the bat. (photo from ChicagoTribune)
Baseball Superstitions are how you spell Relief
That’s Amaury News and Commentary:
By Amaury Pi-González
In a game where the overwhelming majority of players fail to accomplish what they set their minds to, there is some kind of “relief” for the mind. That relief comes in the form of Superstitions. A .333 average means the player gets a hit roughly once every 3 at-bats. Legendary Hall of Fame players like Eddie Collins and Paul Wagner played in the Major Leagues for decades, both hit for a lifetime .333 average, and failed most of the time at the plate.
Superstitions aren’t limited to hitters or pitchers, but since the mind game is mostly between the two (the interaction is always with the pitcher throwing the ball to a hitter while everybody else stands still), here are some famous players I have met and watched play who resort to superstitions.
Luis Tiant. During my conversations with Tiant, he always smiled when I brought up the topic of his “Supersticiones,” and he took them seriously. I think “El Tiante” had many of these unexplainable things. 1-Always arrived at the park dressed in white. 2-Would smoke a good Cuban cigar all the time prior to the game. 3-Always had a solid gold chain around his neck, as he and his good friend pitcher Miguel Cuellar were devoted Catholics. To me, Tiant was funny most of the time, and as a Cuban-born myself, and not superstitious, I came to understand it as the mindset of a player making his living in one of the toughest sports in the world.
Dagoberto Blanco (Campy) Campaneris, also born in Cuba like Luis Tiant, became the first major leaguer to play all nine positions in a single game. His superstition was truly unique. But if you think all Cuban players are superstitious, you are wrong; Campaneris was not. The closest Campy came to that was in 1972, when he and his teammates all grew facial hair and then went on a big winning streak; that same year, the A’s won the World Series, his first of three in a row, under the incomparable owner Charles O Finley.
Baseball fans know many players and their superstitions; some have nothing to do with the play on the field, like Wade Boggs, the “Chicken Man,” who ate fried chicken before every single game for good luck and even published a book in 1984 titled “Fowl Tips”. No, Wade Boggs never did a commercial for Kentucky Fried Chicken. Colonel Sanders appeared in his own commercials back then; he did not like to spend money.
Few others worth mentioning:
-Turk Wendell, a reliever who brushed his teeth in between innings.
-Justin Verlander, future Hall of Fame pitcher, ordered the same Taco Bell meal before every start. No, he never did any advertising for Taco Bell.
-Sandy Koufax had the same-day superstition of not shaving on the day scheduled to pitch; his teammate Don Drysdale did the same.
-Moisés Alou told me during a pre-game interview with the Giants that he peed on his hands to build calluses to improve his grip with his hands and did not use batting gloves. I do not know if that was superstitious, but it was one of the most unusual things a player ever told me, so I listed it here. I have written about this as a member of SABR (Society for American Baseball Research),I have never heard any other player do this “ritual.”
Quote: I have only one superstition: “touch all the bases when I hit a home run”. -Babe Ruth
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.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
One of the questions of one year contracts San Francisco Giants pitcher Justin Verlander has a second year left on his $22 million two year contract will the Giants exercise his second year or choose to opt out? (AP file photo)
One-Year Contracts are Popular this Off-season
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
By Amaury Pi-González
The San Francisco Giants have been lukewarm in the market for free agents this winter. In an effort to strengthen their pitching staff(bullpen, they have signed four pitchers this offseason, three of whom are on one-year deals. Tyler Mahle (1year,$10M), Jason Foley (1 year, $2M), Sam Hentges (1 year, $1.4M). They “splurge” by signing Adrian Houser to a 2-year, $22 Million Contract. Last season, the Giants signed Justin Verlander to a one-year, $15 million deal; all they got from the future Hall of Famer was four wins, which cost the Giants almost $3.7 million per win.
I do not believe Verlander will be back. Obviously, the Giants cannot afford the “luxury” of carrying a future Hall of Fame pitcher at the end of his career. With these new pitcher signings, the Giants are prioritizing other arms, making his return less sure despite Verlander’s expressed desire to pitch in 2026.
If the Giants want to really get serious? They would go for Framber Valdez, but that would take a multi-year contract and around $200 Million. If you want to catch the Dodgers, you go all the way with pitching. Yoshi Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, and Roki Sasaki are the Dodgers’ rotation, and it’s lucky for the Giants that Clayton Kershaw retired. In 62 appearances vs. Los Gigantes in his Hall of Fame career, Kershaw compiled a 2.08 earned run average.
There have been a few multi-year multi-million contracts recently this winter. It is a hot pitching market, and so far, most of the largest deals have been pitchers, Dylan Cease to Toronto for (7 years $210M). Japanese pitcher Tatsuya Imai to Houston for 4 years, ($54M).
My prediction. We will continue this trend by teams of One-Year-deals, not only with the Giants but also with other teams. The looming 2026-2027 lockout is the reason for these short-term contracts and free agency. Players are seeking security ahead of the almost certain owners’ lockout expected around this time in 2026.
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.
LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874
From the second you step in the front door, the sounds of Latin America will gently seduce your ears and continue as you relax outdoors with your favorite cocktail enjoying the view. The wonderful flavors and aromas of our cuisine will not disappoint.
We use only the finest, freshest, local ingredients in every dish and every dish is prepared to order. Enjoy live mariachi music weekly and on special occasions, catch balet folklorico dance performances among other live entertainment. Come visit us and have a great time! Enjoy fast, friendly service, fantastic food & cocktails, music and allow us to share our beautiful Mexican heritage with you.
LaTerraza Mexican Restaurant at 1027 2nd Street in Old Sacramento give them a call at 916-440-0874.
San Francisco Giants designated hitter Rafael Devers (16) rounds the bases after hitting a three run home run in the top of the sixth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Field in Cobb County on Wed Jul 23, 2025 (AP News photo)
San Francisco Giants podcast Morris Phillips:
#1 San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Justin Verlander got nervous after it started raining Wednesday at Truist Park in Atlanta. The game was in fifth inning and Verlander wanted to get this one in as an official and was short three out to make that that happen for his first win of the season.
#2 The Giants had a 3-0 when the rains came and was afraid that once again his efforts to pick up his first win would be squandered away. Verlander holds the Giants record for the longest winless streak for a pitcher in Giants history. Verlander has gone winless in his first 16 starts.
#3 “I didn’t know. I figured something like that would happen,” Verlander said. “This would be the game that gets rained out or we have a two-hour delay and they don’t let me go back out.”
#4 Verlander threw five shutout innings, allowed a hit, and walked five Atlanta hitters and got some run support to boot.
#5 The return to Oracle Park on Friday to face the New York Mets. Starting pitcher for the Mets RHP Clay Holmes (8-5 ERA 3.48) for the Giants RHP Logan Webb (9-7 ERA 3.08) first pitch 7:15pm PT.
Los Angeles Dodgers two way star Shohei Ohtani throws batting practice before meeting the New York Mets Sun May 25, 2025 (AP News photo)
That’s Amaruy News and Commentary podcast:
#1 Amaury, Los Angeles Dodgers two way star Shohei Ohtani threw a 22 pitch bullpen session one of the pitches was a 97 mph fast ball how close does he look to returning to the mound.
#2 The Dodgers who had been struggling losing four of their last ten games are showing signs of improvement with a 7-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field in Cleveland. Ohtani and Dodger pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto were both key players in this game. Yamamoto pitched six innings giving up two hits. Ohtani hit a home run for his second straight game for a league leading 19 homers.
#3 Former Dodger Chris Taylor reached a one year agreement at the MLB minimum salary with the Los Angeles Angels on Monday. Taylor started in centerfield on Monday night against the New York Yankees and batted in the eighth hole.
#4 The Detroit Tigers Tarik Skubal’s strike to balls ratio is 82 Ks to 3 Base on balls. Skubal is being compared to former Detroit Tiger Justin Verlander who was unstoppable during his Tigers days. Skubal on Sunday pitched a complete 5-0 shutout against the Cleveland Guardians in Detroit. Skubal has movement on his pitches and was dealing.
#5 Boston Red Sox pitcher Walker Buehler has something to say about a pitch that he said was a strike. The reply did show the ball landed in the box. none the less Walker argued the ball was a strike against New York Mets hitter Juan Soto. Walker was ejected from the game and manager Alex Cora came out and had his say as well.
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.
Austin Wells of the New York Yankees hits a home run in the first inning of the Yankees’ game against the Milwaukee Brewers on March 29. The Yankees went on to win 20-9. Wells was using what some have dubbed a “torpedo bat.” Angelina Katsanis/AP
MLB podcast Michael Roberson Apr 5, 2025:
#1 Michael, talk about the torpedo bat. It has more mass one the barrel and gives players an advantage of impact as the bat meets the ball. The torpedo does what the traditional bat doesn’t. Is this bat legal and is it a better advantage say than the corked bat?
#2 The Los Angeles Dodgers were 8-0 going up against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night but it was sloppy baserunning that caught the Dodgers flatfooted and they wound up losing in a nail biter 3-2. The Dodgers were within two games of tying the Brooklyn Dodgers 1955 start of ten wins in a row.
#3 Cleveland Guardians Jose Ramirez had himself a Friday night slugging three home runs and making Cleveland history in hitting three homers in one ball game. Ramirez hit homers in the first, fifth and ninth innings.The Guardians ended up besting the Los Angeles Angels
#4 Micahel, Friday’s home opener for the San Francisco Giants wound up being a marathon going 11 innings as the Giants edged the Seattle Mariners at Oracle Park 10-9. The other story was Giants veteran starter Justin Verlander who struggled in 2 1/3 innings of work surrendering five hits and three earned runs. Verlander also struggled in his last outing. It was Verlander’s first start at Oracle Park since the 2012 World Series 13 years ago when he was with the Detroit Tigers.
#5 Michael wanted to ask you about the Sacramento A’s opening homestand. The A’s got swept in all three games to the Chicago Cubs and all three contests were not even close. The A’s so far have faired better on the road as they are so far 3-2 getting two wins in Seattle and one in Colorado. It should also be mentioned the A’s have not sold out any of the three games in Sacramento.
San Francisco Giants team president Buster Posey seen on the Oracle Park scoreboard on Tue Oct 1, 2024 the day of his taking over the position (AP file photo)
San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca:
#1 Michael, talk about some of the improvements that the Giants are going through. We’ll start at the top since the departure of former team president Farhan Zaidi talk about some of the differences in that president Buster Posey has made comparing to Zaidi?
#2 With the addition of Willy Adames he’s currently hitting a whopping .370, one homerun, five RBIs. From what you have seen of Adames in spring training how do you see his impact in the line up this season.
#3 Heliot Ramos has been in the lead off role so far this spring he’s hitting .250 with one RBI. Manager Bob Melvin is impressed with Ramos and wants to see how he’ll do for the rest of spring. What do you think of the notion of Ramos being the leadoff hitter?
#4 After suffering neck and shoulder injuries from the 2024 season pitcher Justin Verlander has had a great spring. Verlander was throwing 93.5 last season but has improved his velocity to 95 and over. Verlander has pitched in three pre season games and is happy what he can do with the fast ball.
#5 Giants pitcher Kyle Harrison lost ten pounds after suffering from the flu. After coming back from the flu his four seamer dropped from the high 90s has clocked below 90. Manager Bob Melvin said that Harrison is still working his way to trying to feel comfortable, “Maybe not quite there yet in terms of the velocity.”
San Francisco Giants pitcher Justin Verlander (35) watches the pitchers throw at the Giants Cactus League park in Scottsdale AZ on Wed Feb 26, 2025 (AP News photo)
On MLB podcast with Michael Duca:
#1 Your going to spring training what are some of the things that your looking forward to at the Cactus League.
#2 Your going to be in Scottsdale the spring training home of the Giants and you’ve host the San Francisco Giants podcasts for us what are some the things that you’ll be looking for in spring training.
#3 Justin Verlander is the big name on the Giants pitching staff but there is no surprise that Logan Webb got the call for opening day starter.
#4 Verlander will be helping out the young pitcher Yoda he will be. He’s already help Hayden Birdsong moving from one side of the rubber to the other.
#5 Mike Trout connected for a spring training home run on Wednesday it was his first home run in ten months and he’s recovered from his back problems and hopes to be swinging the bats for the Los Angeles Angels for 2025.
#6 Michael, talk about Anthony Rendon he’s expected in camp for the Angels and has had suffered injuries keeping him out of the line up at times over the last two seasons.
#7 The Dodgers owe eight players $1 billion did the Dodgers get into the red with the inflated payroll that they have.
#8 The salary cap has been a well talked about issue as the Collective Bargaining Agreement is up after the 2026 season it’s an issue that could trigger a players strike.
Sacramento A’s catcher Shea Langeliers sporting a Rickey Henderson T shirt at Surprise Stadium in Surprise AZ before their game against the Kansas City Royals on Mon Feb 24, 2025 (Sacramento A’s X photo)
On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:
#1 Amaury the Sacramento A’s open this first week at spring training in Mesa for the first time since 1968 without the Oakland moniker while it was expected it still sounds and feels very strange to those are following the A’s in Oakland and those who are following the club in Sacramento.
#2 Amaury, talk about the talk in spring training that baseball is moving down the list as a sport that no longer one of the most popular sports in America. That it’s viewership and interest has fallen and it might fall even worse now that MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and ESPN are no longer working together.
#3 Amaury, matter of fact when you go to ESPN’s headline banner on the main page of their website MLB no longer appears as one of the major sports in the banner. It now just shows NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAAM, and More Sports you have to now hunt for MLB on the banner. MLB is buried on the main page banner and ESPN barley mentions MLB in it’s news reports through it’s programming.
#4 How much responsibility does Manfred hold since he has two MLB teams playing in minor league parks for the 2025 regular season, the Tampa Bay Rays are going up for sale and they might move to Orlando, the A’s will not play any post season games in their interim park in Sacramento but at a neutral site if they make to the playoffs, the players are not happy that Manfred is using the robo umpire and they prefer the human umpire, and baseball could move to a salary cap after the 2026 season something the players oppose and could trigger a players strike.
#5 Just how confident are the San Francisco Giants in starting a 42 year old Justin Verlander and how successful will Verlander be in helping the Giants contend. There are those who say Verlander who suffered neck and shoulder pain last season at best could be a ten game winner. Some other critics say that Verlander is washed up.
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
Lawrence Butler of the Athletics conducts an interview at the Sawyer Hotel in downtown Sacramento on Mon Jan 6, 2025 regarding the A’s upcoming 2025 season in Sacramento (still from ABC 10 KXTV Sacramento)
On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:
#1 The Athletics selling out season tickets at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento does that signal that this relocation by the A’s was a successful idea or this is just a honeymoon in Sacramento and the A’s will eventually struggle in the standing like they had in past seasons?
#2 According to AI the most popular MLB Hispanic player of all time is former Pittsburgh Pirate Roberto Clemente who began his career in 1955 and in his second year in 1956 hit .311. After 1956 he hit above .300 in seven different seasons. He was defined as a pure hitter who drove in runs as well as being able to scores runs as well.
#3 According insiders three MLB teams were taken off Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki’s desired list the New York Yankees and Mets and the Texas Rangers. Sources are saying that Sasaki is down to three clubs the Toronto Blue Jays, the Los Angeles Dodgers, or the San Diego Padres. The San Francisco Giants have backed out of pursuing Sasaki. Sasaki is under 25 years old and is classified as a amateur and his salary will be limited from $5.1 million to $7.5 million per year. He will be regarded as a rookie phenom and could conger up endorsements that could add more to his finances depending how he performs in his MLB debut.
#4 Sasaki is another big signing possibility that has passed up the Giants. The Giants over the last two seasons missed signing in 2024 the likes of Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge, and Shohei Ohtani. For 2025 the Giants so far have missed out on the following free agent signings Juan Soto, Ha Seong Kim, and Corbin Burnes. They managed to sign Willy Adames and Justin Verlander. The Giants last Thursday avoided going to arbitration with LaMonte Wade Jr, and relivers Camilo Doval and Tyler Rogers. Are there a number of big name free agents avoiding San Francisco for specific reasons based on how the team has been a revolving door for managers, general managers, and team president changes and how CEO Larry Baer and team managing partner Greg Johnson who have final say have not been able to sign high profile players?
#5 The Seattle Mariners agreed to a one year deal with infielder Donovan Solano for $3.5 million. Also Solano could earn up to $1 million for plate appearances that ramp up to $200,00 for at bats totaling 300, 350, 400, 450, and 500. Solano hit .286, eight home runs, and 35 RBIs in 96 games with the San Diego Padres.
