Tag: mlb

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Miami Marlins Break Glass Ceiling hire first woman GM in MLB history

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Kim Ng joins the Miami Marlins as the first woman MLB general manager. Ng formerly worked with the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers. (USA Today file photo)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

The Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball became the first team of any of the four professional sports leagues in the United States when they announced today the hiring of Kim Ng, a female executive as their new General Manager.

She is the first female GM in Major League Baseball history. Ng will turn 52 next Tuesday, after graduating from the University of Chicago Ng went to work as a Intern for the Chicago White Sox, where she worked for 21 years, later an executive with then NY Yankees and LA Dodgers.

“On behalf of principal owner Bruce Sherman and our entire ownership group, we look forward to Kim bringing a wealth of knowledge and championship level experience to the Miami Marlins”. CEO Derek Jeter said in a statement.“I entered Major League Baseball as an intern and, after decades of determination, it is the honor of my career to lead the Miami Marlins as their next general manager,” Ng said in a statement.

Just like the Brooklyn Dodgers were pioneers in 1947 when General Manager Branch Rickey signed Jackie Robinson as the first black player in MLB, the Miami Marlins are the first team to sign a woman as their General Manager. Florida is the third most populous State in the country and one of the most diverse.

Congratulations to the Miami Marlins organization and Good luck to Kim Ng.

Stay well and stay tuned

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

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Baseball and Veterans Day

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Amaury Pi Gonzalez author in uniform with the US Army is one of five staff writers at Sports Radio Service who have served in the US Military. As Amaury writes about Veterans Day celebrated Wed Nov 11, 2020 (photo provided by Amaury Pi Gonzalez)

That’s Amaury’s News and Commenty

By Amaury Pi Gonzalez

No sport is more intertwined with the US military than baseball. Through the years many baseball players have served their nation, during times of war or peace. Some volunteered for war, some were drafted, other served in uniform in the reserves, regardless of their circumstances all showed their patriotism and selfishness to their country.

Among Hall of Fame players that served are:

Cleveland Indians Bob Feller. He left an over six-figure contract and joined the US Navy right after the Japanese attack in Pearl Harbor. He was the first American professional athlete (among all sports) to enlist and served in the US Navy from 1941 to 1945. In 1946 Bob Feller’s fastball was clocked at 98.6 miles-per hour, by a US Army device. It was the fastest at that time.

Boston Red Sox slugger Ted Williams. Teddy Ballgame is frequently mentioned as the last man in major league baseball to hit over .400 when he ended the 1941 season with a .406 batting average. His military career was also exemplary as a pilot during World War II and the Korean War, he and Larry McPhail,(high ranking baseball executive) are the only two to have served in two wars.

New York Yankee Joe DiMaggio enlisted in 1943, and never saw combat. The Yankee Clipper served as a physical education instructor in the US Army Special Services, mostly stationed in California and Hawaii.

New York Giants center-fielder Willie Mays was drafted by the US Army in 1952 during the Korean War. Although he did not see action during the war, he was much valuable to the military participating in media campaigns and public exhibitions to raise troop moral. He returned to the Giants in 1954 and led the National League with a .345 batting average, winning the Most Valuable Player.

New York Yankee legendary catcher Yogi Berra volunteered during the assault on Normandy, France, during the famous D-Day. Berra was told not to mention his secret mission to his family. He was on a rocket boat during the first waves of the allied invasion of Europe, landing at Normandy, France, which began the eventual undoing of Hitler and his occupation.

The most famous #42. Jackie Robinson joined the US Army in 1942 and was commissioned a second Lieutenant in 1943. Honorably Discharged in 1944. While serving Robinson was arrested and court-martialed protesting segregation, but was acquired later. Pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm (He threw the best Knuckleball ever) pitched for the NY Giants and eight other teams, served in the US Army during the Battle of the Bulge, was injured in and received a Purple Heart

These Hall of Famers also served in uniform: Roberto Clemente, Tom Seaver, Rod Carew, Nolan Ryan, Don Larsen, Pee Wee Reese, Johnny Mize, Joe Gordon and many others.

Sandy Alderson, once Executive for the Oakland Athletics, new York Mets and San Diego Padres, served during the Viet Nam war as a US Marine Lieutenant.

My apologies to those I did not mentioned and the many more that also served the country.

On behalf of all the staff here at Sports Radio Service and our veterans we salute you and thank you for your support. past and present collaborators; Ken Gimlin, US Army, Joe Cronin, US Army, Tony Rentería, US Marines, Jerry Feitelberg, US Army, Amaury Pi-González, US Army.

Stay tuned and stay well.

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

 

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Baseball Is Cheating Rewarded?

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AJ Hinch gets a new lease on life after spending the 2020 season suspended from the Houston Astros scandal. Hinch will be at the helm for the Detroit Tigers for 2021. (photo from the Detroit Free Press)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Alex Cora was hired by the Boston Red Sox as their new skipper for the next two years running through 2022 with a two-year club option for the ’23 and ’24 seasons. In 2017 Alex Cora was the bench coach for the World Champion Houston Astros.

Because of a coordinated cheating of signs, he was suspended for a year, together with manager A.J Hinch as well as General Manager Jeff Lunow, who is a very good General Manager, proficient in Spanish who sat with us during a few innings of a broadcast, a few years ago as the Astros visited Oakland.

Alex Cora’s suspension expired immediately after Dodgers eliminated the Rays in this most recent World Series. Cora also assumed the manager’s position (during that 2017 cheating season with the Astros) every time manager Hinch was ejected; which was in three occasions. To refresh our memories: The 2017 Astros team won the West with 101-61 record, 21 games over second place LA Angels. A’s finished in last place, 26 games behind. Then the Astros took the World Series from the Dodgers. Obviously, the cheating paid off.

Not a surprise Cora is returning to Boston, he is well regarded by the Boston Red Sox organization. As a rookie manager Cora guided the Red Sox to 108 victories and a World Series title in 2018. However, the next season (2019) under Cora, the club ended with a 84-78 record, in third place 19 games behind the NY Yankees.

The most famous baseball scandal was that of the 1919 World Series, between the Chicago White Sox and the Cincinnati Reds, most well known as The Black Sox Scandal. In 1920 four players admitted to a Grand Jury they had thrown the 1919 World Series in return from a bribe by a gambling syndicate led by Arnold Rothstein and his associates.

A total of seven players were involved. “Eight Men Out” is an excellent movie about that most famous scandal. 1920’s and 2020, are two different planets in baseball. The highest paid player in 1920 was the great Ty Cobb, $20,000 a season with the Detroit Tigers. The Detroit Tigers franchise in 2020 is worth an estimated $1.25 billion.

Major League teams have the right to hire whomever they want, they are a private business and that is their right. And, granted, Cora won a World Series as Manager of the Red Sox and nobody accused the Red Sox of cheating that year.

However, I would think that the memory of the 2017 Houston Astros cheating and winning a World Series, still very much fresh in our minds. In a way looks like you can cheat and wait a couple of years and you are back in the game. I do not want Alex Cora suspended for life, that would be ridiculous, but coming back this soon? I do not think is a very good look for Major League Baseball. The wounds are not healed yet.

If there is cheating inside an organization, the most culpable are those in charge, from the top down, General Manager, to the Field Manager, then the players, and in some instances, maybe even the owner. During these times, owners are not that involved with what happens down on the field.

Unlike the days of black and white television, and prior, where some owners were really “hands on” with the teams. Not that very long ago, owners that come to mind are Charlie O. Finley with the Kansas City and Oakland A’s and George Steinbrenner of the New York Yankees, those were hands-on owners, they were really bosses with lots of passion for the game and they were not shy to show it.

Back in the days of the Black Sox Scandal, things were different, teams were mostly owned by families with certain affinity to the game and not big corporations like today. Not to mention a record that will never be broken, that of the Owner and Manager of the Philadelphia Athletics for over 50 years. Connie Mack who won 3,731 games, tops in major league baseball, he also played prior to his managing-owner years and never wore a uniform while managing, famous for his white straw hat.

“Cheating is baseball’s oldest profession. No other game is so rich in skullduggery. -Thomas Boswell.

Stay tuned and stay well.

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

Headline Sports podcast with London Marq: Quakes-LAFC rescheduled match tonight after Covid outbreak; How injured 49ers can prepare for Thursday Night Football; plus more

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The San Jose Earthquakes Chris Wondolowski scored two goals against Real Salt Lake on Wed Oct 28th, 2020 at Earthquakes Stadium in San Jose (@ SJEarthquakes)

On Headline Sports podcast with London:

#1 The San Jose Earthquakes and LAFC match was scratched last Sunday due to a Covid-19 outbreak where three unnamed players were positive putting the breaks on the Quakes trying to improve on their 7-6-8 record. Quakes face LAFC in Los Angeles tonight at 8:00pm in the rescheduled match.

#2 London how do you see the outbreak impacting the Quakes chances to make post season they really needed that game against LAFC now that’s in the rearview mirror the Quakes host the Seattle Sounders on Saturday night and hold the last and final playoff spot eighth place in the MLS Western Conference.

#3 Turning to the NFL: The San Francisco 49ers are coming off a 37-27 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The 49ers have lost three of their last five games and after Sunday’s loss in Seattle have a short turnaround and host the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football.

#4 The Las Vegas Raiders (4-3) had their defense capitalize on the Cleveland Browns (5-3) Sunday when the Raiders shut the Browns out in the first and fourth quarters and the Browns only got two field goals in the second and third quarters. The Raiders who got ten points in the fourth quarter saw quarterback Derek Carr throw to wide receiver Hunter Renfrow for the game’s only touchdown in the 16-6 win.

#5 London, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is pushing the urgency to get the NBA season started in December with a 72 game schedule stating that the league stands to lose over $1 billion if they start later than that. The players have responded saying the season should start mid January. The owners have said they might go for a 50 game regular season, the owners have expressed their concern for revenue loss with no fans and to make that up with limited fans, sports betting, casinos, and hard alcohol. The owners would hope such an introduction would increase league revenue between $80 to $100 million.

Join London for Headline Sports each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Betts could be best Bet for NL MVP; How soon will the A’s see a front office shake up; plus more

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Mookie Betts is one of the odds on favorites to win the National League MVP for 2020 (@ Dodgers image)

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Los Angeles Dodger Mookie Betts has been named a candidate for National League MVP. Betts hit .292, 64 hits, 19 HRS, 39 RBIs for the 2020 regular season and was a standout during post season.

#2 Amaury the Oakland A’s front office is on the cusp of seeing a shake up with A’s vice president Billy Beane considering being a partner with owner John Henry at the Boston Red Sox, A’s assistant general manager Billy Owens would welcome an interview for the LA Angels general manager job, and A’s general manager David Forst has had some big league clubs express interest in his handy work.

#3 This week in the NFL: The San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo reinjured his high ankle sprain in the game in Seattle against the Seahawks and is expected to out six weeks and the 49ers George Kittle is expected to be out eight weeks this is a big hit for the San Francisco offense as they prepare to host for Thursday Night Football this week.

#4 The Las Vegas Raiders got by the Cleveland Browns for a road win for the Silver and Black. The Raiders held Cleveland to just two field goals in the 16-6 win. Raider quarterback Derek Carr threw for 112 yards and one touchdown.

#5 Finally the NBA might be close on negotiating a salary cap but the owners and players are asking for two different things to get the season started. The Players are asking for a January start. The owners want to get the season started in December with a 70 game schedule and they might play as little as just 50 games for the new season with no fan or very limited amount of fans.

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

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: MLB Owners and Winter Meetings Cancelled

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Major League Baseball calling off it’s winter meetings is a cause for concern after losing over $3 billion in revenue will MLB open the season and stand to lose more revenue again for 2021? (file photo from CBS Sports)

By Amaury Pi-González

2020 Baseball season is over; the Los Angeles Dodgers were crowned World Series Champion during an unprecedented 60-game season and Playoffs. However, the pain inflicted by this 2020 in baseball is not over yet.

The league announced the cancellation of both the owners meetings in November and winter meetings in December. The agendas will be conducted virtually as needed, by the now very well-known Zoom meeting. Owners meeting: Owners, presidents, general managers and managers from the 30 teams talk about economics, on-field issues as well as trades and free agents.

Winters meeting: All Major League baseball teams and their minor league affiliates convene each December to discuss business and conduct the off-season trades and all transactions.

According to The Wall Street Journal the 30 teams lost an estimated of $3 billion. The biggest blow, no fans in the stands, no ticket sales no parking revenues, no food drink or souvenirs sold. And we must not forget that some businesses in the vicinity of many parks also suffered, even if they were open.

No surprise that most MLB teams have reduced their staffs, some more than others, its early October MLB released schedules for all 30 teams for the 2021 season, however, the Office of the Commissioner Rob Manfred has still two biggest fears for next season which are, (1)-Are we going to have a vaccine, and (2) – Are we past the Pandemic. If both answers are yes, things could begin to return with a sense of “normalcy” of some form.

Even if 2021 is played with a 162 game schedule, like for example (2019 when nobody could predict this Pandemic) and everything went ‘honky dory’ there is another problem in the horizon. After the conclusion of the 2021 season there is bitter labor-management negotiations looming. The Basic Agreement between Major League Baseball and the Players Association expires.

Baseball fans do not sweat it. The greatest Baseball philosopher Yogi Berra once said: “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future”.

Stay well and stay tuned.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead Spanish radio announcer for Oakland A’s baseball on 1010 KIQI San Francisco and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Tony LaRussa returns as Manager after Nine year Hiatus

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Tony LaRussa in 1979 in his first managing job with the Chicago White Sox (1979-1986) has come full circle after managing the Oakland A’s (1986-1995) and St Louis Cardinals(1996-2011) and after nine years (2020) LaRussa is back managing the White Sox once again (file photo from pinterest.com)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Tony LaRussa last managed in 2011 guiding the St Louis Cardinals to a World Series title. The Hall of Fame manager, now 76 is coming back as manager of the Chicago White Sox. During the wild card Series between the Oakland Athletics and the Chicago White Sox this past September, Tony was seated to my left a few booths away, by himself, taking notes.

I went over to say Hi. He has served in front office jobs for multiple teams since 2014. After the news of his hiring by the White Sox, he told ESPN “My heart was always in the dugout” He has always been a perfectionist who hates to lose a game, some might call him a “control freak”. During the recent national anthem protest he told ESPN Dan LeBatard Show, “I would not allow it on my team”, while he was the Chief Baseball Officer for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Tony LaRussa was one of the first managers to use everybody in his bullpen to win many games, with the likes of Gene Nelson, Rick Honeycutt and Hall of Fame close Dennis Eckersley. El Show de Tony LaRussa (about 5 minutes) was in Spanish preceding every A’s game during his years with the Athletics, he loved to talk about pitching and his great pitching coach Dave Duncan.

He was always talking baseball strategy and he loved each minute of it. The ultimate baseball professional. Many games he would ask a starter like Mike Moore to give him 5 1/3 innings and then he would turn it to the bullpen. Now that “style” is in vogue, but on steroids as in the recent World Series where there was more action in the bullpens than on the field.

When the White Sox parted ways with Rick Rentería after his White Sox were eliminated by the Athletics, they were looking for an experienced manager, with wisdom and success and the gravitas of Tony LaRussa. Tony is one of two managers in history to have won World Series with teams in both leagues, with the Oakland A’s in 1989 and with the St Louis Cardinals in 2006 and 2011. George (Sparky) Anderson with the Cincinnati Reds in 1975 and 1976 and then with the Detroit Tigers in 1984

Born in Tampa, Florida, Tony LaRussa will take over a young and very talented ball-club in the Chicago White Sox, who is loaded with young and established Latino stars and a team that could be very close to winning a World Series.

The White Sox hope Tony is “el hombre” to take them to the Promised Land, as he returns to the Windy City where he managed for the first time in the major leagues in 1979. Tony resides here in the Bay Area and is the founder of the Tony LaRussa’s Animal Rescue Foundation, a non-for-profit organization with offices in Walnut Creek.

Questions like: At 76, would he be able to relate to his young ballplayers? He has not managed for nine (9) years, how would he be received in their locker room and with the media in Chicago? And many others. It will be interesting to see how his first season develops.

In Major League history, these are the top three managers in wins. 1-Connie Mack 3,731 2-John McGraw 2,763 3-Tony LaRussa 2,728

As of today the two oldest managers in MLB: Tony LaRussa, 76 and Dusty Baker, 71.

Buena suerte Tony.

Stay well and stay tuned.

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: The day the Manager became a Computer

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Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash removes pitcher Blake Snell (4) in the sixth inning of game six on Tue Oct 27, 2020 at Globe Life Park in Arlington vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers (AP News photo)

The day the Manager became a Computer

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash will probably be named the Manager of the Year in the American League. These awards are given for the regular season. He managed his ball club to the best record in the American League, 40-20. With a team riddled with injuries during the season, Cash did a very good job. However, he made one inexcusable move in the deciding six-game of this World Series.

It was a do-or-die game for the Rays, as the Dodgers were leading the Series 3 games to 2. Cash sent his best pitcher to the mound, lefty Blake Snell in hope to get more than a few innings from the 2018 Cy Young Award winner. Snell was pitching a great game and after four innings had given-up no runs and two hits, while striking out nine. While the Dodgers were celebrating on the field, this is what Blake Snell said to the media. “I wanted to go the whole game”. And why would he not? He was on, executing pitches, dominating a very dangerous lineup.

Then the six inning happened. Snell gave up a soft single to center to Austin Barnes. Manager Cash immediately came out, bringing his best reliever during the regular season, Nick Anderson, who right away gave up a double to left field to Mookie Betts advancing Barnes to third base, followed by a grounder by Corey Seager to first-baseman Choi who threw to the plate, but was late, Barnes scored, a fielder’s-choice and the Dodgers within just a few minutes had tied the game 1-1.

Anderson then threw a wild pitch and Mookie Betts scored, the Dodgers had their first lead 2-1. Regarding why he took Snell out of the game who only had thrown 73 pitches, Cash said: “I didn’t want him/Snell to see Mookie or Corey for a third time”. With that decision by manager Kevin Cash, the game was lost right there and so the hopes of the Tampa Bay Rays to win their first World Series.

Mookie Betts homered in the eighth inning against righty Pete Fairbanks for the final score of 3-1 and the World Series title to the Dodgers for the first time since their huge upset of the Oakland A’s in 1988.

Tampa Bay Rays philosophy, has always been right from their front office is to play all the numbers, like a milk shake you put it in a blender and then you have the result. The problem is that sometimes a manager needs to have a “feeling” for the game and just because Nick Anderson was his best reliever during the 60-game season; it is simply stupid to bring him in a situation where his best pitcher was leading them to a victory and a tied Series. Anderson’s numbers in the regular season: 2-1 (0.55 ERA) in 19 games he saved six. Anderson’s Postseason numbers: ten games, 14 2.3 innings, 16 hits, nine runs, three home runs, four walks, nine strikeouts.

Rays reliever Nick Anderson’s said after the game: “I take a lot of the blame”.

Tampa Bay Rays was the first teams to do the “experiment” of having a pitcher start a game as an “opener” with the only mission of pitching the first inning. It was in 2018 and it was used by many teams, including the Oakland A’s during their one-game wild card playoff at Yankee Stadium, which they lost.

Manager Bob Melvin named Liam Hendricks his “opener”. During this 2020 World Series we saw Kevin Cash use four outfielders a few times, aside from the defensive shift, which is now common in the game.

All this is well and good, baseball has changed big time, but a manager gets paid to manage the game as it happens and he makes decisions that do not necessarily have to follow the statistics. Just because Nick Anderson is his best reliever, you must bring him in the sixth (6th) inning and remove your best pitcher that was pitching a heck of a game? Folks, Anderson is very good, but he is no Mariano Rivera.

You can call it stupid, dumb, without basis, whatever, but for me this move by Kevin Cash in the sixth inning can be criticized and analyze ’till the cows come home’, but the bottom line is that the Rays lost the game and lost the Series.

Kevin Cash now will have to live and deal with this decision for the rest of his career. He is  lucky. Why Lucky? Because he manages a small market team, with a small following and a short history. There were times in baseball when a manager makes such move and the next day is fired, in New York in the days of owner George Steinbrenner, he would have fired you in 30 seconds after you made the decision.

But this doesn’t happen today, because of the computer (who was invented by man) is now running man and obviously many in the game of baseball. Some now just look at the “cold blooded numbers” and forget that baseball is played by humans not robots/computers. It is a game of feeling and that includes the manager.

Unless the Manager becomes a Computer.

Stay well and stay tuned

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

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: 32 Years later the Dodgers win the World Series

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The Los Angeles Dodgers Cory Seager swings for an RBI single in the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays in game 6 of the 2020 World Series on Tue Oct 27, 2020 at Globe Life Field in Arlington (AP News photo)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Congratulations to the Los Angeles Dodgers as they completed the mission, by winning the 2020 World Series in six exciting games against the Tampa Bay Rays. Game Six: Dodgers 3 Rays 1. There are a lot of stories to be told in every World Series, in this one that of the young Cuban-born Tampa Bay Rays rookie outfielder Randy Arozarena who established a new postseason record with 10 home runs, 28 RBIs, the affable Cuban-rookie was a highlight reel by himself.

Corey Seager, Dodgers shortstop won the Willie Mays MVP Award he hit .400 with 2 home runs and 5 RBI and no errors. Seager had a tremendous postseason spearheading this great offensive Blue Machine; he is now a Free Agent. Dodgers are a very rich organization and he should be rewarded with a juicy contract.

Seager gets a World Series ring, and also said he is buying two more rings as he announced he is getting married, right after their victory. Mookie Betts who came alive offensively with a double and a home run driving all three runs in that game six, and told David (Big Papi) Ortíz an analyst for FOX, when Ortíz told him he (Ortíz) would buy a present for himself after winning a World Series, (Mookie) was going to do something similar: “I think I am going to buy a Rolls Royce”. His contract-extension with the Dodgers was around $380 million, so he could buy more than one Rolls if he so desires.

The Dodgers did not have a positive Covid-19 test during the whole season, the Dodgers had the best record in baseball winning their division again for the eighth time-in-a-row, this time with 43-17 record during an abbreviated 60 game season. Dodgers veteran third baseman Justin Turner was removed from the series-clinching game six in the seventh inning, due to positive Covid-19 test, he was not there after the game to join his teammates for the celebration. This was announced after the game.

One move that will haunt Ray’s manager Kevin Cash for the rest of his life was removing his best pitcher, lefty Blake Snell in the six inning with a 1 to 0 lead, after totally dominating the powerful and difficult Dodgers lineup. But with this manager (like many other managers in today’s game) you win with the bullpen and you lose with the bullpen. His decision will be like a ghost that would be with him until he gets to win a World Series for his team.

You might have been too young, or maybe not even born, but it was in 1988 when the Los Angeles Dodgers upset the baseball world by beating the much superior Oakland Athletics in five games. This Series is mostly remembered as the pinch-hit walk-off home run hit by Dodgers Kirk Gibson against the best closer in baseball at that time, Fremont’s own Dennis Eckersley in Game 1. Gibson would never bat again in that Series. I was there with the A’s, the first of three World Series in a row for Tony LaRussa’s A’s.

Kirk Gibson could barely walk after some injuries he suffered during the NL Championship Series. I remember saying on the radio after the game something like: “It was Game One, but it had a Game Seven feeling” and also a bad omen for the Athletics.

When you talk about that ’88 Series most people remember it as the “Kirk Gibson moment”. It was pitcher Orel Hershiser who would be the MVP. He won it all that year as he led the league with 23 wins and 267 innings pitched winning the Cy Young, setting the all time scoreless streak at 59 innings. He also won the Gold Glove.

Orel was Superman, he won Game 2 and Game 5, pitched both complete games (18) innings allowed a total of seven hits, struck out 17 and had a 1.00 earned run average. In today’s baseball and in World Series history, that is one of the most dominant pitching performances, against the excellent and powerful offensive Oakland A’s team.

The 1988 AL Champion Oakland Athletics won 104 games and was maybe the best Tony LaRussa A’s team he managed during his 10 years as manager at Oakland. The A’s would go on to win it the next season, 1989 against the SF Giants in a historic Series stopped by 11 days because of an earthquake. That was the last time the Athletics won anything of significance in October.

Fast forward to 2020, the Year of the Dodgers, but not as the underdogs this time. They had the best record during the Covid 60-game season, with 43-17. After winning their eighth consecutive Western Division, they went into the playoffs swept the Milwaukee Braves in the two game Wild Card Series then eliminated the Atlanta Braves in an exciting seven game NL Championship Series. Stayed at Globe Life Field in Arlington to host the AL Champion Tampa Bay Rays.

In 1988 the Dodgers were not the best team, but they beat the Athletics. But now 32 years later, the Dodgers had the best team and they won the World Series. For the Dodgers franchise this was their six World Championship title, one in Brooklyn in 1955 the other five in Los Angeles. LA crowned the Lakers NBA Champs just a couple of weeks ago, now herer come the Dodgers. I picked the Dodgers in six, in a previous article on this website,

So, we say Adiós to this historic 2020 season and until next Spring Training.

Stay well and stay tuned

Join Amaury each week for That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

2020 World Series podcast with Larry Crino: Dodgers breath some new life take 3-2 series lead

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Its a bang bang play at the plate when the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw throws to the plate to catcher Austin Barnes to beat the head first slide of the Tampa Bay Rays Manuel Margot who attempted to steal home in game 5 at Globelife Park in Arlington on Sun Oct 25, 2020 (AP News photo)

2020 World Series podcast with Larry Crino:

#1 Larry how big is that come back for the Los Angeles Dodgers with starter Clayton Kershaw held the Tampa Bay Rays to just two runs.

#2 Larry, will the bobbled ball in center by AJ Pollock and the relay throw to the plate that got away from catcher Will Smith that scored two runs that was going to be an anti Kurt Gibson/Bill Bunckner moment for the Dodgers in a World Series but coming back in game 5 might help not reliving that game 4 follie.

#3 Larry, the Dodgers didn’t want to waste this one getting runs early with two in first and one in the second to get a leg up for the eventual 4-2 win.

#4 Larry, talk about Joe Pederson he’s been key in this post season and he got a home run to help in the Dodgers bid for the game 5 win.

#5 The Rays Manuel Margot tried to steal hone but it backfired when the throw from pitcher Kershaw who stepped off to catcher Austin Barnes beat him at the plate tell us about that play.

Join Larry Crino did the MLB podcasts during the 2020 season each Monday Larry will be back for the 2021 season at http://www.sportsradioservice.com