Tag: mlb

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: A’s hoping Blevins can join big club this season; A’s stadium and flagship radio still in limbo

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sfgate.com photo: Jerry Blevins of the Oakland Athletics reacts after giving up a RBI double hit by Nelson Cruz of the Texas Rangers in the bottom of the seventh inning on June 17, 2013

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

#1 Oakland signed left-handed pitcher Jerry Blevins to a minor league deal. The deal would be worth $1.5 million if Blevins can pitch his way back to the majors.

#2 Blevins was a reliever for Oakland in 2007-2013 with an ERA of 3.30.

#3 Blevins, since leaving the A’s in 2013, has pitched for Washington and the New York Mets.

#4 The A’s said their need for left-handed pitching is that Blevins can stop hitters coming out of the pen.

#5 Lastly Super Bowl ratings at it’s worst ever, did having the Patriots back in it again have viewers tuning out?

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

 

Will 49ers waive territorial rights to allow Raiders to play in the City?

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San Francisco Demons XFL file photo: AT&T Park football configuration during the 2001 season of the XFL San Francisco Demons. The Oakland Raiders and San Francisco will share the park during the 2019 season.

By Joe Hawkes Beamon

SAN FRANCISCO — Plans by the Oakland Raiders are on the drawing board and sources say it’s very close that an agreement between the Raiders and San Francisco Giants will be hammered out. Matter fact it’s understood there is an agreement on the table as of Monday morning.

If an agreement is made it’s almost assured because of the smaller size of Oracle Park compared to the Oakland Coliseum the Raiders would most likely sell out every home game plus the idea that it’s the Raiders last season in the Bay Area and many Raider and NFL fans will want to take a last look at the team before they leave.

At issue is the San Francisco 49ers who have territorial rights in San Francisco and will they allow the Raiders playing in San Francisco. The 49ers are said to be studying any possible financial loses if the Raiders play in the city. The 49ers who play in Santa Clara a good hour drive from the City may ok the deal as the Raiders will play their last season in the Bay Area at Oracle Park.

The 49ers are looking to see what they would benefit from the deal from having the Raiders playing in San Francisco and that the 49ers may ask for a cut on tickets and TV shares from the Raiders if they waive their territorial rights. The 49ers have not commented on the Raiders playing in San Francisco and negotiations are still on the way.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said last week that he wanted the Raiders to make a decision as to where they will play as soon as possible. The NFL wants to begin making the schedule for the 2019 season without further delay.

The Raiders who chose not to play at the Oakland Coliseum anymore after the city of Oakland filed a lawsuit against the team in December. The Raiders had a tentative deal with the Oakland Coliseum and withdrew after Oakland filed the suit stating that the suit was over the relocation to Las Vegas calling the deal “illegal” the city of Oakland is seeking million of dollars from the Raiders and the NFL.

For football Oracle Park would seat up to 40,000 fans. Oracle Park hosted football when the XFL’s San Francisco Demons who played there in 2001, The California Mountain Lions in 2009 of the United Football League, Cal in 2011, NCAA bowl games the Shriners, Diamond, Kraft and Foster Bowls in 2002 to 2013.

Guess who’s coming back to the A’s? Sandy Alderson

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Photo credit: nypost.com

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s announced that former General Manager Sandy Alderson has been hired as a Senior Advisor to Baseball Operations. Sandy first joined the A’s in 1981 as General Counsel. He stayed with the club for seventeen seasons and was instrumental in building the club that won three straight pennants, and one World Series championship. Alderson turned over the reins as GM after the 1997 season and stayed on as President of the club until the end of 1998.

Three days after the 1998 season ended, Sandy left the A’s to become the number three man at MLB. He was an Executive Vice President there from 1998 until 2005. Sandy then became President of the San Diego Padres and held that post until the end of 2009. Sandy became the GM of the New York Mets from 2011 until 2018. He left that post due to health issues.

Sandy was a mentor to Billy Beane and handed him the job as GM when he stepped down from that position after the 1997 season. Beane is now the Executive Vice President for Baseball Operations for the A’s, and David Forst has the job of GM.

Beane had this to say about Sandy rejoining the club: “His mentorship and friendship have been invaluable to me over the course of my career, and I look forward to the expertise and perspective he will add at every level of the organization. David and I couldn’t be more excited to bring him back to Oakland.”

This will be Sandy’s 18th year with the club. All of those who know him including the media, players, and fans, are happy to see him back in Oakland. We all wish him great success in his new job and, most importantly, wish him good health.

Former Giants managing partner Peter Magowan dies at 76

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Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

Peter Magowan, who with a last effort kept in 1992 kept the San Francisco Giants from moving to Tampa, Florida died on Sunday from complications from Cancer, he was 76 years old.

Magowan, who grew up watching the Giants in New York, where he was born and then as fate would have it, Magowan and his family moved to San Francisco, just months after the Giants moved to the Bay Area.

It was Magowan, who formed a group of people to buy the team from then owner Bob Lurie for $100 million. That winter, Magowan signed Barry Bonds to a contract worth $43.5 million over a six-year period.

After the 2008 season, and 16 years at the helm, Magowan stepped down as President and Chief Executive Officer.

Just two years later, the Giants won the first World Championship since 1954, and within a five-year period, the team would win the World Series in both 2012 and 2014.

“Peter’s mark on the Giants and the San Francisco community can be felt throughout the ballpark, in which he was intimately involved in the design and planning and throughout the daily operations of the organization,” Giants president and CEO Larry Baer said. “He set forth a Giants vision to create a winning culture and to serve our fans and the community. Over the past 25 years, we have followed through on his vision and his impact on our community will be felt for decades to come.”

Prior to the coming to the Giants, Magowan worked for Safeway Inc., and was the chairman and CEO from 1980-1993 before he stepped down after he took over the Giants.

Magowan was a big fan of Willie Mays, as he gave the Hall of Famer a lifetime contract after he took over the team. He also brought back to the organization the late Willie McCovey, who passed away on October 31 at the age of 80 and Orlando Cepeda, and the two were named Special Advisers.

Peter Magowan has been a part of my life for a long, long time, first as a fan watching me play in New York and then, remaining a fan when we moved to San Francisco,” Mays said. “Along the way, he became my friend. Peter would call me often to check in. He and Debby cared about me and it was so easy to care about them in return. It’s hard to find the right words just now, but in losing Peter, I’ve lost a great, great friend. He was like my godfather. No one can replace him.

Magowan will be inducted into the Giants Wall of Fame at the team’s annual Fanfest on February 9.

He is survived by wife Debby, five children and 12 grandchildren.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: A Talk With A’s Top Prospect Jesus Luzardo

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Photo credit: sportingnews.com

By: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

On a sunny Saturday afternoon at Jack London Square where the 2019 Oakland A’s Fanfest took place, dozens of thousands of A’S and baseball fans in general tasting one of the appetizers of the 2019 season, the Fanfest, and in a couple of weeks, Spring Training, and the start of the season not far behind either.

The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum and Hall of Fame had the kiosk closer to Scott’s Seafood Restaurant, fans stopped by to talk baseball. Others got information on the museum and this year’s new A’s stars. La Pedrique, the A’s first base coach first stopped y to sign and meet the public, then later talented 21-year-old prospect, Jesus Luzardo.

Luzardo is a 21 years old and extremely personable with a big smile. He truly enjoyed meeting A’S fan for the first time. I talked to him in Spanish. A Miami, Florida resident, he is totally bilingual. He was born in Lima, Peru, but most of his family is from Venezuela and he identifies himself as a Venezuelan.

While Luzardo signed autographs and posed for photo with A’s fans, I learned a lot about this young prospect. Of the top 100 MLB prospects, he comes in as #7.

When I asked him about the feeling of wearing the A’s uniform, he responded: “It is great, it is tough to make it to this level, and I am very happy today.” Originally from the Washington Nationals organization, the rookie lefty told me he is good friends with ex-A’s lefty Gio Gonzalez, as they both live in the Miami area.

He told me “Gio helped me the time we spend together.”

I asked him about what type of pitcher he considers himself to be in power and in control. He told me “Everything, I can throw the fastball also a breaking pitch and I can be funky also.”

Luzardo is currently single, but told me he has a girlfriend with a huge smile. Al Pedrique, the A’s first base coach, is also from Venezuela, and prior to Luzardo, he came over to our kiosk to sign autographs. Pedrique believes this kid is “the real thing.”

When I asked Luzardo, who will report to Mesa, Arizona, for Spring Training, about making the rotation this season, he responded “We will see, but I am ready for Spring Training.”

According to scouts, Luzardo throws around 98 miles per hour and other secondary pitches. For his age, I found him to be very confident and very smart,when it comes to baseball. He told me he had been playing all his life and to be here is truly a dream come true. Many fans already have known about him and were excited to meet him, wished him good luck. One guy said to him that he will be in the A’s pitching rotation this year.

The opportunity is there for Luzardo. We all know the A’s have a very good young talented lineup, so pitching will be the main focus, especially starting pitchers and aside from Frankie Montas, Luzardo is one of the other young arms that could definitely win a position in the A’S 2019 starting rotation. He came to the A’s from Washington in a trade with closer Blake Treinien, and he could be the missing link for what could turn out to be a great trade for the A’s.

Buena suerte a Jesus Luzardo, muchacho con mucho talento y personalidad.

Translation: Good Luck to Jesus Luzardo, a kid with a lot of talent and personality.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: A’s Fanfest at Jack London Square This Saturday

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

Baseball fans will be delighted when the Oakland Athletics’ Fanfest takes place this Saturday, January 26 at Oakland’s Jack London Square.

The Fiesta begins at 9:30 in the morning and ends at 2:30 in the afternoon. A’s players will sign autographs. There will be questions and answer sessions, giveaways, fun for the kids and the whole family as this event is the first to celebrate the return of the baseball season. In less than a month, the managers, coaches and players will report to Spring Training in Mesa, Arizona.

The weather is expected to be spectacular for this Fanfest (not far from where the A’S are planning to build their new ballpark). All kinds of foods will be available and live music for all to enjoy. After the off-season, fans are ready to return and support the A’s fter a very successful 2018 season.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Barry Bonds Snubbed by Cooperstown Again

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Photo credit: @NBCSGiants

By: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

SAN FRANCISCO–In case anybody has forgotten, Barry Bonds still holds the record for the all-time home run leader with 762 over his career. Since he arrived from Pittsburgh in the early 1990’s, I traveled on the road with the Giants and Bonds under manager Dusty Baker and I called many of his home runs specially at AT&T Park (now Oracle Park) by the McCovey Cove in San Francisco. The reason he is not in the Baseball Hall of Fame is not because of his on-the field performance. Similar to pitcher Roger Clemens, who also had the same results this time.

Barry Bonds received 59.1 percent of the vote. You need 75% to get in. So the question is: Will he ever be inducted, and if so, when? I really cannot answer those questions because humans vote, and where there are committees and humans vote for these things, we never know what’s going to happen.

What we know is that in 2015 players were no longer on the Hall of Fame ballot for a maximum of 15 years. Now, it’s 10 years. So my educated prediction would be that he will make it during the next three years, and if not then it is up to the Veterans Committee. A player of Bonds’ caliber you would think is not looking forward to that committee, but maybe that is the best he could do. Giants great Orlando Cepeda was inducted by the vote of a Veterans Committee.

In baseball, like in politics and many other things, everybody has an opinion. As a player, Bonds belongs in Cooperstown. His accusations of steroids use obviously is keeping him out, there is nothing else stopping him from Cooperstown. When he went to court in San Francisco, all the public heard was Balco Laboratories and all the terminology for the steroids he allegedly used. He and the Giants didn’t enjoy very good publicity during that ordeal. And it was a circus as other players and even Mike Murphy, the longtime Giants equipment manager, had to testify that the size of his head got bigger through the years.

In conclusion, to get elected to any Hall of Fame, you need friends. And, to be honest, Bonds has a shortage of those, as of today; but like anything in life, things can change.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: A’s Radio History, Can It Repeat Itself in 2019?

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Photo credit: sportsradiopd.com

By: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

In 1978, A’s owner Charlie O Finley gave the broadcast rights for free to the UC Berkeley campus radio station, KALX 90.7 FM, with Larry Baer and Bob Kozberg at the microphone, calling the action. That same season I was calling the weekend games in Spanish for the old KBRG 105.3 FM San Francisco, with studios in the Merchandise Mart in Market Street. Carl Finley asked me to give the score every half inning in English because our signal was covering the Bay Area and the UC Berkeley campus station could not be heard at the Oakland Coliseum parking lot. By the way, if the name Larry Baer sounds familiar; yes, he is the same Larry Baer running the San Francisco Giants today.

The A’s ended their partnership in 2018 with 95.7 FM The Game, and as of today, there’s less than one month until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in Arizona, and the team has not signed a new flagship station. Could it be that the A’s will not have a radio station to carry their games? How can they find sponsors if they might just go into Spring Training with no radio signal? They could even be broadcasting the games on the A’s website, but no commercial over-the-air radio station? Can history repeat itself from 1978?

Of course, the A’s will have full coverage of all their games on television, but if they cannot secure a local radio signal, that would be news that they are not looking forward to announce. At this time last year, the A’s were already advertising their Fanfest at Jack London Square. But today just a week and days away (their Fanfest is on January 26th at Jack London Square) and that fan favorite is not advertised on a their radio station because they simply do not have a carrier.

Unfortunately, it’s embarrassing and ridiculous, but these are the times we are living these days, radio is not the medium that it once was back in the day. With the advent of social media (Facebook has done live MLB games in recent years) and local team television, the absence of local radio in 2019 is very possible. The A’s have their network station aligned, but no local flagship station to provide the coverage

Welcome to 2019!

Headline Sports with Tony Renteria: Kaepernick return talk, he won’t be back; Giants won’t use pitching openers; Antonio Brown wants to join 49ers; plus more

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Photo credit: time.com

On Headline Sports with Tony Renteria:

#1 There’s been talk that former 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s return to the NFL is long overdue. Is there a chance for Kaepernick to return to the NFL?

#2 The San Francisco Giants most likely will not use pitching openers to start ballgames. They will use the traditional starter and relievers during an nine inning contest.

#3 Tony talks about talk that Pittsburgh Steeler Antonio Brown, who wants to play for the 49ers, will need to work out his contract with the Steelers first before leaving.

#4 Tony takes a look at the NFL Championship Final Four in the NFC. Tony says it’s New Orleans 45 and the LA Rams 38.

#5 In the AFC: New England Patriots 31 and Kansas City Chiefs 30.

Tony does the Headline Sports each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with London Marq: Former pitcher Wetteland up on child sex abuse charges; NFL Championships game predictions; plus more

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Photo credit: @nypost

On the Headline Sports podcast with London:

#1 Former Major League pitcher John Wettland, who pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos, New York Yankees and Texas Rangers, was arrested for continuous sexual abuse with a child under 14. The abuse was reportedly to have taken place between 2004-2009.

#2 NFL Championships game and the road to the Super Bowl. London makes his predictions: New England and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC.

#3 In the NFC Championship: The Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints. One of these teams are just one game shy of getting into the Super Bowl.

#4 The Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck will be replacing the Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers in the Pro Bowl. In the regular season, Luck completed passes 67.3 percent of the time for 4,593 yards and 39 touchdowns.

#5 The NHL All-Star game will be in San Jose on Saturday, January 26 without Alex Ovechkin, who’s the Washington Capitals star.

London Marq does the Headline podcast at http://www.sportsradioservice.com each Wednesday