Tag: mlb

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

World Series MLB The Show podcast with Augie Mesenburg: Rangers take 2-1 series lead on D-Backs; Texas’ Seager slugs 2 run HR makes the difference

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Texas Rangers Corey Seager belts a two run home run in the top of the third inning off Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon Pfaadt (32) at Chase Field in Phoenix on Mon Oct 30, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the World Series MLB The Show podcast with Augie:

#1 The difference was two runs and the Texas Rangers Corey Seager was the factor in slugging a two run blast to give the Rangers a leg up for the eventual game three, 3-1 win at Chase Field in Phoenix.

#2 Seager also showed some talent with the glove turning a double play making a sliding stop and it made a defensive difference in the eighth inning preventing the Arizona Diamondbacks from scoring.

#3 Max Scherzer who many thought was all but finished performed in the starter role going three innings, two hits and two walks, while four Ranger relievers mopped up and kept the D-Backs just to one run for the rest of the way.

#4 “This is what you play for. This is where you want to be at this moment,” Seager said after game 3 on Monday night. Seager who won NLCS and World Series MVP in 2020 says he’s a driven player and has been here before.

#5 Game 4 Tuesday night will see the Rangers starting Andrew Heaney (0-0 ERA 6.00) and the Diamondbacks will start Joe Mantiply (2-0 ERA 4.26) first pitch 5:03pm PT at Chase. How do you see this game 4?

Augie Mesenburg is a podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com and is a reporter for KHAI 103.5 FM in Honolulu

World Series MLB The Show podcast with Stephen Ruderman: Game 1 was lowest rated ever; Football outdrawing World Series in TV ratings; plus more news

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The Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Merrill Kelly delivers against the Texas Rangers in game 2 of the World Series on Sat Oct 28, 2023 at Globe Life Field in Arlington (AP News photo)

On World Series MLB The Show podcast with Stephen:

#1 Game 1 of this 2023 World Series has gone down in MLB history was the lowest rated and least watched World Series of all time. Game 1 drew 9.18 million which is 100,000 less than the previous low the 2020 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays.

#2 Right now football is outdrawing the World Series. As expected two the Las Vegas Raiders and Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football outdrew game 3 of the World Series. Some say the season is long and when the Fall Classic comes. It’s too late in October early November fans would say “enough already” regarding the long schedule of 162 regular season games.

#3 Should baseball shorten it’s schedule to end the regular season by from 162 games to 154 or start the post season by September 15th. As it is right now the World Series will lap over into the first week of November.

#4 MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is considering reducing the amount of pitchers that a team can carry. Teams can carry on 13 pitchers the league average per start was down this past season.

#5 Stephen, we didn’t get a chance to get your opinion regarding Manfred’s comments before game 1 of this World Series where he said that Schools over Stadiums ballot referendum is a “significant development” he left little doubt that the initiative could block financing for the A’s Las Vegas ballpark and that would leave the deal dead.

Stephen Ruderman is a baseball beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Diamondbacks plan to continue to leave roof open for game 4; Ex-Senator Frank Howard dead at 87; plus more news

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A look at Chase Field home of the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix on Apr 22, 2023 against the San Diego Padres. The Diamondbacks had the roof open for game 3 of the 2023 World Series and plan to leave it open again for game 4 against the Texas Rangers on Tue Oct 31, 2023. (AP file photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary:

#1 Things in the Arizona corridor has cooled off a bit and no rain in sight so the Diamondbacks opened up the roof and they plan to do the same for game four tonight. It’s rare that happens because it gets pretty toasty during the regular season.

#2 Amaury, former Washington Senator Frank Howard has passed away at age 87. Howard lived a good long life and was a slugger of 382 home runs and batted .273 and won a World Series with the 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers. Howard played not only with the Dodgers and Senators but he moved to Texas when the Senators relocated to Texas in 1972. He was known as Hondo and was known as a gentleman of a giant at 6’7.

#3 Milwaukee Brewer manager Craig Counsell who is on his last week of his contract is set to meet with the Cleveland Guardians for the vacant manager job. Counsell is also being sought by the New York Mets who financially can offer Counsell more money than either Milwaukee or Cleveland.

#4 Tommy Pham did something that surprised manager Troy Lovullo asking Lovullo to insert former Oakland A’s infielder Jace Peterson in the line up as a pinch hitter in game 2. Pham already had four hits and the D-Backs were in front of the Rangers 7-1. It gave Peterson to get a swing in the World Series. Peterson ended up hitting into a force out but got a thrill to play in the World Series.

#5 Amaury, Looking back on some of these division and championship games. No one thought a number of these series would involve sweeps and teams like the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros winning all their road games. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred says he likes the playoff format. Meanwhile MLB Union Executive Tony Clark said that a 84 game winner like the Diamondbacks for example made it to the World Series where you had 100 game winners like Orioles, Braves and Dodgers who were eliminated early. Clark said he was concerned about the value of being a 100 game winner but getting canceled early in post season.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez for News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: What’s next on the A’s relocation to Las Vegas?

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Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred talks with the media before game 1 of the 2023 World Series on Fri Oct 27, 2023 at Globe Life Field in Arlington (photo from Jason Burke former host of Locked on A’s)

Trick or Treat? What’s next on the A’s relocation to Las Vegas?

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

Amaury Pi-González

Here are the following essential steps for the Athletics Soap Opera Relocation.

1-Owners Vote: Next month, MLB owners will vote to approve or disapprove the relocation from Oakland to Las Vegas. 75% of the vote is needed to support the move.

2-Schools over Stadiums: This group is still fighting to get a referendum and attempting to collect 102,000 signatures from four different Nevada districts to get it to next year’s election in November (for those keeping score, that would be November 2024). This group has until July of 2024 to collect these signatures.

3-No funding: If they get the referendum and it wins on election day,  that would strip the funding for the ballpark in Las Vegas.

If this happens, Mr.Fisher must decide; one option is selling the team. The owner had repeatedly said the team was not for sale.

So there is the field of dreams or land mines (depending on what you wish) that the Oakland A’s still have to navigate.

Trick or treat?

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

World Series MLB The Show podcast with Charlie O: Diamondbacks prove why they’re in the Fall Classic with 9-1 win; Manford addresses A’s relocation owners vote

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Arizona Diamondbacks Ketel Marte swings for a two RBI single against the Texas Rangers in the top of the eighth inning at Globe Life Park in Arlington on Sat Oct 28, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the World Series MLB The Show podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Charlie how did the Diamondbacks make it look so easy in game 2 on Saturday night for a eight run, 8-1 win at Globe Life?

#2 The D-Backs pitcher Merrill Kelly had his mix of pitches going and kept the rugged tough Rangers line up off balance going sevens inning, three hits and one run for a quality performance to tie the series 1-1.

#3 The D-Backs also got some hitting from Tommy Pham who had four hits and two runs, Ketel Marte got a key two RBI single the Diamondbacks poured it on.

#4 In game 1 after giving up two runs in the ninth inning to the Rangers and the Rangers Adolis Garcia got a game winning hit in the 11th inning on Friday night. On Saturday night do the Rangers now look at this game 2 as just getting roughed up a bit and the best is yet to come?

#5 During the pre game at game 1 of the World Series the press had a chance to ask MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred about the Oakland A’s relocation vote that’s about come up in Arlington on Nov 14-16. The question was regarding the Schools over Stadiums referendum. The A’s have a lawyer trying to go to a hearing to get the petitions thrown out because the language is misleading and the petition language is misstated. Schools over Stadiums argue they have a constitutional right to gather signatures for the petition drive and that the petition language is not misleading. A hearing has been scheduled with the A’s lawyer and Schools over Stadiums on Mon Nov 6. How do you see this going?

Join Charlie O for the World Series MLB The Show podcast Sundays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

World Series MLB The Show podcast with Stephen Ruderman: Diamondbacks made deals to help get to World Series including Corbin Carroll

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The Arizona Diamondbacks Corbin Carroll slugs an RBI single against the Philadelphia Phillies in game 7 of the NLCS on Tue Oct 24, 2023 at Citizens Bank in Philadelphia on Tue Oct 24, 2023. Carroll could be the Diamondbacks MVP for 2023. (AP News photo)

On the World Series MLB The Show podcast with Stephen Ruderman:

#1 Stephen, how much were the Arizona Diamondbacks built with trades with key players that got them to this season’s World Series.

#2 You had a chance to see the Diamondbacks during the season including at Chase Field on a two game trip against the San Francisco Giants. Was it on that trip you realized these guys were for real or was that earlier in the season?

#3 The Diamondbacks were a team who had surprised everyone they last were in the post season in 2017, they have lost 110 games two years ago and the last three seasons they had finished below .500.

#4 The Diamondbacks have beaten some of the best teams in MLB to get here, they got to the post season winning 84 games and just plowing through the post season.

#5 Stephen, talk about Corbin Carroll he might end up being the Diamondbacks MVP. During the regular season he was key on the offense hitting .285, 161 hits, 25 home runs, 76 RBIs. In Carroll’s last two games in game 1 of the World Series had a triple and a run scored. In game 4 against the Philadelphia Phillies scoring two runs, three hits and an RBI.

Stephen Ruderman is a podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

World Series MLB The Show podcast with Augie Messenburg: Garcia and Rangers showing why their in Fall Classic

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Adolis Garcia of the Texas Rangers slugged a game winning home run in the 11th inning at Globe Life Field in Arlington on Sat Oct 28, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the World Series The Show podcast:

#1 Augie there is very little doubt the Texas Rangers are a tough customer the way they defeated the Houston Astros in the ALCS and they went to the mat with the Arizona Diamondbacks in game 1 of the World Series.

#2 The Rangers are close again Augie they got the World Series twice under manager Ron Washington but couldn’t seal the deal. Under manger Bruce Bochy who has won the World Series three times could he pull it off for the Rangers this year?

#3 Talk about how important Adolis Garcia means to the Rangers in this post season. He didn’t take any guff in the ALCS against the Astros when he got plunked with a Bryan Abreu pitch and in game 1 of this World Series he got the game winning home run in the 11th inning he’s been key for the Rangers.

#4 The Diamondbacks are a battling team they became that way toward the end of the season and they were almost unbeatable. Seeing how the D-Backs have been towards the end of the season and in the post season they could be a match for the Rangers in this World Series.

#5 Talk about today’s starting pitchers for the Diamondbacks Merrill Kelly (2-1 ERA 2.65) going for the Texas Rangers Jordan Montgomery (3-0 ERA 2.16) for game 2.

Augie Messenburg is a podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com and is a reporter for KHAI 103.5 FM Radio Honolulu

Oakland A’s relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum: Las Vegas Stadium Authority wants to break ground for A’s ballpark April 2025; Schools over Stadiums ready to fight lawsuit

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Proposed renderings of the Tropicana ballpark on the Las Vegas strip at Tropicana and Las Vegas Avenue. The Las Vegas Authority announced this week that construction is scheduled to begin December 2025. (image from the Oakland Athletics)

On the Oakland A’s relocation podcast with Daniel:

#1 Las Vegas Stadium Authority said they are ready to break ground at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino location for the Las Vegas A’s ballapark. Construction company Mortenson-McCarthy the A’s ballpark manager will be handling the building of the new park.

#2 In a community group engagement plan the Stadium Authority presented details of how minority and diverse businesses and vendors will play a part during the construction of the park.

#3 The plan also said that 51 percent of the construction will be done by minority, disabled and diverse groups and 15 percent of the construction work will be done by small local businesses sub contractors.

#4 Two law firms Hunton Andrews Kurth and Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck will be doing legal work for the A’s will negotiate on the A’s business dealings on various agreements. The Authority approved $1 million for legal fees for the law firms to represent the A’s in the business side of the venture.

#5 Meanwhile Schools over Stadiums is still on the march trying to get petitions in four Nevada Districts ready to submit for a ballot initiative to stop the use of public monies towards the A’s ballpark. A lawsuit filed against Schools over Stadiums by Attorney Bradley Schrager who represents the A’s stating the initiative is misleading and the words on the petition language are misstated.

#6 Schools over Stadiums spokesman Alexander Marks said of the A’s lawsuit  “Suing educators trying to put schools first sets a terrible tone for an organization claiming to now care about our community.” Alexander added that he’s confident that the referendum will go forward.

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

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Bob Melvin back with the Giants

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Bob Melvin Topps baseball card

By Amaury Pi Gonzalez

SAN FRANCISCO–When the Giants hired Gabe Kapler in 2020, they did not hire the right man. Now, they hired Bob Melvin and he is the right man.

This time Bob Melvin returns to the Giants, but as a manager. In 1986 Bob Melvin played the first of his three years with the Giants. That same 1986 when Melvin played catcher for the Giants, another manager, Dusty Baker retired as a player across the bay with the Oakland Athletics.

In total after playing with the Giants Melvin played for another seven years, a total of ten years in MLB. BoMel has also managed in: Seattle (2003-04), Arizona (2005-06), Athletics (2011-21 and San Diego (2022-23).

I first met Melvin in Seattle, when he was managing his first team, the Mariners and I was broadcasting home games for the Mariners in Spanish. He always had a kind word with yours truly, a mutual respect he always has shown with the media. Now, he is returning to the Bay Area, his original home base and were he was born.

Bob Melvin is the right man for the San Francisco Giants. After a bad 2023 where they finished next to last in the western division, this was not a surprise. Gabe Kapler had to go and they needed a new manager, and the moment the San Diego Padres gave permission to Melvin to interview with the Giants, is the moment I knew he was coming to the Bay Area again.

BoMel managed the A’s for 11 seasons and took them into six Postseasons, always a tough job with a team often with the lowest payroll in the game, he also won two of his three Manager of the Year Award with the A’s 2012 and 2018, the other time in 2007 with the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 2001 Melvin was a bench coach with the Arizona Diamondback and won a World Series ring.

Just like Dusty Baker (who also managed the Giants) during his 26 year-career as a manager. Bob Melvin is a player’s manager, Bright, affable, gets along with everybody, players as well as media wherever he has managed. Here in the Bay Area he is one the favorites all-time managers, very professional and hard working.

The Bay Area native had a difficult situation with the Padres in San Diego, a team loaded with high priced-talent, but just like in Hollywood, where movies with too many stars and egos do not produce a good film, the Padres were a disaster this year underachieving, until the last few weeks when they started winning, but it was too late. Manny Machado was one of those players that did not make the other players better, guys like Fernando Tatis Jr, and Juan Soto or Xander Bogaerts. The Padres had zero chemistry.

Some were surprised when Bob Melvin was given the opportunity to interview with the Giants, after all he had a year left in his contract in San Diego. I was not one of those, San Diego management understood his situation, one that was never comfortable for Melvin, specially with the guys in the front office. My contact in San Diego told me about this, just mid-way through this season, and people ‘in the know’ always were aware of the bad situation for BoMel in San Diego.

Giants just hired a winner, a good man and a bright manager, a strategist of character and honestly. I welcome him to the Bay Area, again.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead radio voice on the Oakland A’s Spanish radio network and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportradioservice.com