Tag: mlb

Bats come alive as A’s pummel Dodgers 16-6

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by Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland Athletics, who had scored just one run and had but nine hits in their last two games, snapped out of their collective slump and battered Dodger pitching for 16 runs and 21 hits to earn a split of the two-game series.

The A’s were playing by National League rules as they were able to score early and often as they showed that when they are hitting as they did Wednesday night, they can be a formidable opponent.

The A’s scored twice in the first inning. Mark Canha singled with two out. Khris Davis, playing left field, hit an opposite-field dinger to put the A’s in the lead 2-0. For Davis, it was his second big fly of the year and the first since opening day. The Dodgers got one back in the bottom of the first to cut the deficit to one.

The A’s scored five times in the top of the fourth. The Dodgers countered with a run in their half of the inning, but the A’s were rolling at this point 7-2. The A’s scored nine more runs in the last four innings of the game to ice the win. LA scored two in the sixth and one each in the eighth and ninth.

Game notes- Daniel Mengden went five innings and allowed 4 runs, 3 earned, 7 hits, 5 strikeouts and no walks as he won his first game of the campaign and improved to 1-2. Dodger starter lefty Alex Wood’s line was 3, and 2/3rds innings pitched, and he gave up 7 runs on 7 hits. He also struck out five and did not issue a walk.

Hitting stars for Oakland were Marcus Semien, Matt Olson, Khris Davis, Matt Chapman, Jonathan Lucroy, Jed Lowrie, and Daniel Mengden. Semien was 2-for-5, and he had 4 RBIs. Olson, who did not start the game, finished the night with 3 hits and one RBI. Davis had three hits, including a homer, and 2 RBIs. Chapman was 2-for-6, and he had a tater in the 8th with a man on, and he finished the night with 3 RBIs. Jed Lowrie also had three hits including a three-run homer in the ninth and a total of 4 RBIs for the game. Lucroy had three hits, and Mengden knocked in a run with a single.

The Dodger attack was led by Matt Kemp and Yasmani Grandal. Grandal hit a solo home run in the fourth inning off Mengden.

The A’s used four pitchers to improve to 5-8, and they are in fourth place in the AL West. The Dodgers drop to 4-7, and they are residing in fourth place in the NL West/

The A’s are off on Thursday and are on their way to Seattle to face the Mariners. The Mariners are off to a good start with a record of 6-4. The A’s are hoping that their hitters will stay hot this weekend.

Dodgers’ pitchers baffle A’s hitters as they shut them out 4-0

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Photo credit: @Dodgers

By Jerry Feitelberg

The A’s hitting woes continued Tuesday night in Los Angeles as they were held to just five hits and no runs by four Dodger pitchers. Hyun-Jin Ryu, who needed a good outing to keep his spot in the rotation, did not allow a hit until the fifth inning and finished the night after six innings. Ryu walked just one batter and struck out eight. He threw 90 pitches to pick up his first win of the year. The Dodgers won 4-0.

The A’s Sean Manaea lost for the second time this year. Sean gave up back-to-back home runs to the first two hitters he faced in the first inning. Chris Taylor and Corey Seager took Manaea deep and that would be all the runs the Dodgers would need to win the game.

The Dodgers added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Liam Hendriks gave up a solo home run to Matt Kemp leading off the inning. Clay Bellinger singled and scored all the way from first on Logan Forsythe’s double down into the corner in left field. Hendriks walked Austin Barnes. A’s manager Bob Melvin saw enough and ended Hendrik’s night.

The A’s threatened in the eighth. With two out, Stephen Piscotty singled. Marcus Semien doubled, and Piscotty would have scored had the ball not bounce into the stands for a ground-rule double. Piscotty had to stop at third. Third baseman Matt Chapman flew out for the final out, and the A’s threat was over.

Game Notes: Trace Thompson made his first appearance as an Oakland Athletic in the top of the sixth when he hit for Sean Manaea. He did not get a hit.

The A’s line score was no runs, five hits, and no errors as they drop to 4-8. The Dodger line was four runs, eleven hits, and no errors. They improve to 4-6.

Up Next: Game two of the two-game series will be Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium. Daniel Mengden will pitch for Oakland, and he will be opposed by lefty Alex Wood.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Memories of the 1988 World Series–Athletics vs. Dodgers

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Photo credit: halloffamememorabilia.com

By: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

The Athletics are visiting Dodger Stadium for a brief two-game inter-league series for their first interleague series of the year.

In 1988, the Dodgers turned the baseball world upside down with a huge upset of the A’s in the World Series. That season, the A’s were one of their best teams in history as they won the American League pennant with a 104-58 record.

The team made history when Cuban-born Jose Canseco became the first 40/40 man in baseball with 42 home runs and 40 steals. He also ended the season with a .307 batting average and drove in 124 runs. Not only that, he was the American League MVP.

Canseco recently told me during the A’s 50 Players in 50 Years reunion at the Oakland Coliseum: “Mi mejor temporada.” English translation: “My best season.”

When Canseco first came to the A’s, he was afraid to speak Spanish, but after a couple of years, I had no trouble speaking to him in Spanish. After he retired, he told me his Spanish was terrible. Well, it wasn’t completely terrible, but it wasn’t the greatest either.

For the record, the interview I did with him on that day this season in Oakland, I began asking questions in Spanish, but after two minutes into the interview, he listened to my questions in Spanish, but replied in English. I decided not to play it on our pregame show that night. Yes, that’s Jose for you.

During that 1988 World Series, Manolo Alvarez of WQBA radio in Miami was covering it, and I had to convince Canseco to finally give an interview for the Spanish-speaking folks in Miami to Alvarez. Jose refused to talk to Alvarez, so I had to convince him to give that interview because it was important. Years later, when the Marlins were born in 1993, Alvarez started doing color for Spanish radio in Miami with Rafael “Felo” Ramirez.

Rickey Henderson, who started his Hall of Fame career of 25 years, started with the A’s in 1979 and played there until 1984. After that, he went to the Yankees, so he was not part of that championship team.

In 1988, Mark McGwire had a huge season with 32 home runs and 99 runs batted in, Dave Stewart won 21 games (his second of four consecutive years winning 20 or more games), Bob Welch ended with 17 wins, Storm Davis won 16, Curt Young 11 and Todd Burns won eight games, and the great Hall of Famer and Fremont native Dennis Eckersley–arguably the best closer of his time–saved 45 games.

The first game at the end had the feeling of a seventh and deciding game when Kirk Gibson won the National League MVP that year and hit that memorable home run to the right field seats a pitch in the ninth inning from Eckersely, that would leave the A’s on the field as the Dodgers scored two runs and won it 5-4. After that first game, the A’s won only one game and lost the series in five.

I share many stories on the field prior each game at Dodger Stadium and the Oakland Coliseum with many reporters from all over the country and were talking about a sweep by the A’s, because on paper, they were a highly-superior ball club.

I remember Evo Luis Alonso, a reporter for Voice of America, on an interview. Before the first game, he asked me if I thought the A’s where going to sweep. That was the talk then, because if you really compared both teams, the A’s were the better team and almost nobody disagreed with that. Well, maybe Tommy LaSorda, who’s never at a loss for words, and told me in his unique Spanish prior to the series that his team had a great chance. And he was right! But that’s Tommy and how he communicates with others.

Interestingly enough, the Dodgers who are hosting the A’s for this brief, two-game interleague middle of the week series in Los Angeles, have not won a World Series since 1988 since they beat the A’s.

For anybody that was with the A’s in 1988, that was probably the most unfortunate story, to lose to the Dodgers. The A’s went on to win the 1989 World Series vs. Giants, which was interrupted by the Loma Prieta Earthquake, but the A’s were the better team beating the Giants before and after the earthquake, then went to Cincinnati in 1990 and the Reds won that World Series.

Baseball is a funny game. In retrospect, I believe the A’s could have won three straight again like they did in 1972-74, but the baseball Gods were not in the Atleticos’ favor.

I will never forget the 1988 World Series or the two that followed for that matter. I felt fortunate that I was with the A’s during those three consecutive World Series. I mean, not a lot of teams would go to three World Series in a row. We do not see a lot of that today. Anyways, there were lots of memories and people I met during that 1988 World Series, one of them was the great Spanish tenor, Placido Domingo, who came to my broadcast booth at the Oakland Coliseum prior to a game there and told me he was a big baseball fan and a fan of Jose Canseco.

A few of us are still with the A’s and remember that 1988 was a very special and successful year, which ended with a very bad memory. I do remember saying something after that first game lost to the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium like, “I hope this is just not the precursor of what is going to happen the rest of the series,” because that first game felt like it was the seventh and deciding game. Many historians consider the 1988 World Series as one of the greatest upsets in World Series history.

A’s stay in Los Angeles to start interleague play against Dodgers

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s (4-7) start inter-league play Tuesday night against the defending National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers, winners of the NL West division the past five seasons, have started slowly as they are just 3-6.

The Dodgers have played six games with the SF Giants and won three of them. They went to Phoenix to play the D-Backs for three, and they were swept. The Dodgers will send two left-handed pitchers to face the A’s in the two-game series starting Tuesday night. Hyun-Jin Rya is 0-0, and his ERA is 7.36. The Dodgers have a prospect ready in the minors and Rya will need a strong start to maintain his position in the rotation. On Wednesday, Alex Wood will pitch. Wood was pushed back as he was ill due to a bout of food poisoning. Wood is 0-1 with an ERA of 1.93.

The Dodgers’ position players are struggling to get going so far this young season. The infielders are Cody Bellinger at first, Chase Utley at second, Corey Seager at short, and Logan Forsythe at third in place of the injured Justin Turner. The catching chores are handled by Yasmani Grandal and Austin Barnes. Yasiel Puig patrols right field for LA, Joc Pederson will be in left, and Chris Taylor is the centerfielder. Matt Kemp and Kiki Hernandez will also play in the outfield depending on whoever is the opposing pitcher.

Oakland will send Sean Manaea out to pitch the first game of the series. Manaea has been a bright spot in the A’s rotation. He went 7 2/3rd innings in his first outing and eight innings against the Texas Rangers last week. Manaea’s record is 1-1, but he has a minuscule ERA of just 1.15 and has 11 strikeouts to his credit so far. On Wednesday, righty Daniel Mengden will make his third start. The Dodgers have never seen Mengden’s quirky motion, and that might help him baffle the Dodger hitters. Mengden needs to go at least six innings if he wants to keep his spot in the rotation. Mengden is 0-2, and his ERA is 6.55. The A’s have Trevor Cahill ready to return, and lefty Brett Anderson might be called up sooner than expected if Mengden can’t do the job.

The A’s hitters are coming around. They lost two of the three games they played against the Angels. The hitters did well Friday as they scored nine times but the bullpen was not up to the task. They won on Saturday but were spellbound by the sensational Shohei Ohtani who held them to just one hit on Sunday. The versatile Chad Pinder will not be available as he is on the 10-day disabled list. Centerfielder Boog Powell hurt his ankle, and he too is on the 10-day DL. Mark Canha and Franklin Barreto were recalled from Nashville.

After the two-game set with the Dodgers, the A’s are off on Thursday. They head to Seattle to face the Mariners for three games over the weekend then return home to face the Chicago White Sox and the Boston Red Sox.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips: Giants have two two-game splits so far on homestand; Diamondbacks take first place team into AT&T for three-game set against Giants

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@sfgiants photo: San Francisco Giants starter Ty Blach makes a delivery against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday at AT&T to conclude the two game series

On the Giants podcast with Morris:

#1 Seems like the Giants couldn’t do much with the Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw, who went eight innings and gave up a run.

#2 Fortunately for the Giants they got good pitching as well from Ty Blach, who pitched six innings giving up four hits and a run.

#3 The Dodgers in extras did get help from their bench as pinch hitter Kyle Farmer, who hit a opposite field double for an RBI to score teammate Cody Bellinger for the go-ahead and winning run.

#4 This was a tightly-played series between the two rival teams with both games of the rain shortened two-game series going extra innings.

#5 The Arizona Diamondbacks (7-2)–first place in the NL West–open a three-game series at AT&T Park tonight as this will be another test for San Francisco, who will try and use a strong offensive line up against the competitive D-Backs.

Morris Phillips does the San Francisco Giants podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

McCutchen walks it off in the bottom of the 14th in Giants’ 7-5 win over Dodgers

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Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO — Welcome to one of the biggest rivalries in all of major league baseball, Andrew McCutchen of the San Francisco Giants.

McCutchen hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the 14th inning, helping the Giants defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-5 before a sellout crowd of 42,302 at AT&T Park Saturday.

It was the sixth hit of the game for McCutchen, whose previous career high was five that he picked up on May 14, 2010, while playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

The three-run home run by McCutchen capped a 12-pitch at-bat against Wilmer Font to give the Giants a dramatic come-from-behind victory.

McCutchen was down 1-2 against Font and then fouled off seven consecutive pitches, and then on the 12th pitch of the at-bat he launched the pitch into the left-center field seats for the victory.

Kelby Tomlinson and Joe Panik each singled off of Font before McCutchen’s first home run as a member of the Giants.

“I was just trying to fight him off, fight him off, until I got comfortable enough to whatever he threw up there I was ready to hit,” McCutchen said. “He didn’t elevate it too much there, and I was able to elevate.”

It was a four-RBI game for McCutchen, who saw his batting average raise from .083 to .258.

“Finally showed up today. Finally,” McCutchen said. “It’s only what, Game 7, but when you’re not getting hits, it feels like it’s forever. Feels good to show up today and do the job.”

Buster Posey also hit his first home run of the season for the Giants, as they improved to 4-3 on the young season, while the reigning National League Champion Dodgers fell to 2-6 on the season, their worst start in 42 years.

The Giants led on three different occasions, as they led 1-0, 3-1 and 4-3; however, the Dodgers tied it up every time and took the lead for the only time in the top of the 14th inning.

Roberto Gomez pitched the 14th inning to pick-up his first major league win, as the Giants used all nine relievers.

The Dodgers took their only lead of the game in the top of the 14th, as Logan Forsythe drove in Yasiel Puig with a single.

After just the sixth rainout in the history of AT&T Park, and first since April 11, 2006, the two old rivals played a 14th inning, five hour 16-minute game that started at 3:05 (local time) and ended at 8:21 (local time).

Font was the last reliever for the Dodgers, as manager Dave Roberts used Clayton Kershaw and Hyun-Jin Ryu as pinch hitters.

Chase Utley tied up the game in the top of the seventh inning, as he launched a pitch that landed on the arcade in right field. Utley’s double play mate, Corey Seager picked up two hits and reached five times and Rookie of the Year Cody Bellinger also picked up two hits.

“We just came up short again,” Roberts said. “That’s five runs in 14 innings. You have to look at each at-bat and the quality needs to get better. There needs to be a better pitch-to-pitch focus.”

Chris Stratton pitched five innings for the Giants, as he gave up two runs and walked four in a no-decision.

Veteran Rich Hill gave up three runs on five hits, while walking just two and striking out six.

NOTES: Kershaw, who came up as a pinch hitter will start the brief two-game series finale on Sunday for the Dodgers. Ty Blach will take the mound for the Giants in a rematch for opening day at Dodger Stadium.

The Giants struck out 18 times against Dodgers, tied for the second most in team history. This was the second time in team history that they struck out 18 times in the same game.

They struck out 18 times on September 1, 1967 against the Cincinnati Reds, and it ties the most ever against the Dodgers, as the Dodgers also did to the Giants on August 31, 1959.

The San Diego Padres struck out 20 Giants on June 18, 2001.

UP NEXT: The Giants and Dodgers conclude the series Sunday afternoon at 1:05 pm PT.

Chapman Error, Five-Run Seventh Inning Helps Angels Stun A’s 13-9

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By Matthew Harrington

The Oakland A’s bullpen surrendered eight runs, turning a 6-1 lead into a 13-9 loss Friday night to the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium The A’s mashed five homers, but Daniel Gossett couldn’t escape the fourth inning after allowing five runs. A’s manager Bob Melvin’s bullpen struggled to close out the contest over their 4 2/3 innings. Shohei Ohtani hit his third homer of the season and Justin Upton launched a three-run shot for the Halos. Los Angeles starter Parker Bridwell didn’t escape the second inning.

Oakland carried a 9-7 lead heading into the seventh inning, but the Angels scored five to take the lead. Andrelton Simmons singled and Jefry Marte doubled off reliever Ryan Buchter to put two runners in scoring position with no out. Ohtani grounded out without plating a run, then Matt Chapman made a sensational snare of a Martin Maldonado liner to the third baseman’s right to keep both runners from advancing.

Melvin went to his bullpen, calling on closer Blake Treinen and his blazing fastball to close out the Angels’ threat. The new school method of bringing your closer in at a moment of high leverage, despite the inning blew up in the A’s face when Matt Champman’s throw on a Zack Cozart grounder went errant, allowing Simmons and Marte to score and tie the game. Treinen issued a free pass to perennial threat Mike Trout to put runners on first and second, but Justin Upton golfed a 96 mph 3-2 sinker to deep center field for a three-run jack and a 12-9 Angels lead.

Treinen (0-1, 0.00 ERA) would be tagged with the loss, but all runs in the seventh were unearned, thanks to the Chapman error. Santiago Casilla would allow another run in the bottom of the eighth on a wild pitch.

Parker Bridwell was on his way to a lopsided loss before the rally. Jed Lowrie hit a solo homer in the top of the first for a 1-0 edge. Matt Chapman scored on a wild pitch in the second, then Stephen Piscotty scored on a sacrifice fly. Matt Joyce hit a two-run homer, while Marcus Semien went back-to-back for the 6-0 lead.

The Angels got a run back in the bottom of the second, thanks to their two-way phenom Ohtani. The DH took a fastball from Gossett deep for his third homer of the season. Ohtani will also pitch on Sunday.

The Angels rallied for four more runs off Gossett in the bottom of the fourth on RBI hits by Simmons, Valbuena and Maldonado. Matt Chapman took Cam Bedrosian deep in the top of the fifth inning with Matt Olson on base to give Oakland back an 8-5 lead, but Simmons would knock in another run off Yusmeiro Petit in the bottom of the fifth and Liam Hendriks would walk Ohtani with the bases loaded for a 8-7 A’s lead.

Matt Olson took former A’s closer Jim Johnson deep in the top of the fateful seventh inning, hitting his second homer of the season to give the A’s the 9-7 edge before the collapse by the pen in the bottom of the inning. Johnson (1-0, 1.42) vultured the win by pitching in the inning before the breakout.

Game Notes: The A’s get some reinforcements Saturday, with recent waiver claim Trayce Thompson, brother of hoopster Klay, expected to join the team.

Gossett is expected to be sent down in a corresponding move with the A’s not needing a fifth starter in the rotation due to three off days in two upcoming weeks.

They’ll send Andrew Triggs to the mound for Saturday night’s tilt in Southern California. The right-hander is 0-0 with a 1.80 ERA and 7 K’s from his April 2nd start against Texas. The A’s won that game 3-1.

The Angels send JC Ramirez and his seven-plus ERA to the hill.

Up Next: The A’s and Angels meet again Saturday night at 6:07 pm PT.

SF Giants’ series opener against Dodgers postponed due to rain; make up doubleheader Apr 28th

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Photo credit: sf.curbed.com photo

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO — It does not happen to the San Francisco Giants in the Bay Area often, but it happened in the first two weeks of the season.

The Giants’ series opener against the defending National League Champion Los Angeles Dodgers is being postponed due to rain.

With the rainout tonight, tomorrow’s game will now begin at 3:05 pm instead of the scheduled 1:05 pm start due to the weather. Derek Holland will start for the Giants, as his home debut will be pushed back one day.

The makeup game between the Giants and Dodgers will now be part of a day-night doubleheader that will take place on Saturday April 28, as the first game will begin at 1:05 pm and the scheduled 6:05 pm game for that night will be pushed back to a 7:05 pm start.

This is the first rainout at AT&T Park since April 12, 2006, when the Giants game against the Houston Astros postponed due to rain. That was the second game in a row that the Giants and Astros were postponed by rain, as the game on April 11 was also postponed.

Since moving into AT&T Park in 2000, this is only the sixth rainout and the second against the Dodgers. The game between the Giants and Dodgers was also was on April 12, 2003.

Other Giants games postponed since moving to AT&T Park came in the first month that the park opened back in 2000, as the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks was postponed due to rain with then President Bill Clinton in attendance. Just three weeks later, the game against the Colorado Rockies was also postponed due to rain.

In the 60-year history that the Giants have been in San Francisco, this is just the 33rd postponement. A game on May 1, 1992 against the Philadelphia Phillies was postponed due to a city curfew.

Suddenly surging Giants to face Dodgers again

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Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Harness

The last time the San Francisco Giants saw the Los Angeles Dodgers, Joe Panik was the only one in a Giants uniform to generate any offense.

The second baseman accomplished a rare feat by hitting solo home runs in consecutive 1-0 wins to start the 2018 season, but the lack of offense caught up to the Giants last Saturday and Sunday, and the Dodgers were able to rally and get a split of the four-game series at Dodger Stadium.

Lefty Derek Holland will take the hill for Friday night’s series opener at AT&T Park opposite Dodgers righty Kenta Maeda, who shut out the Giants over five innings in a 5-0 win Saturday night.

Holland, meanwhile, was on the wrong side of that contest, as he gave up five runs – three earned – on three hits, walking three hitters and striking out four of them.

One thing that is drastically different for the Giants, which was nonexistent in the opening series of the season, is the offense. The Giants split a two-game series at home against Seattle, during which they scored 14 runs.

Even more remarkable was the 10-1 explosion Wednesday afternoon, most of those runs coming against Seattle ace Felix Hernandez. The day was punctuated in the fifth inning, when Pablo Sandoval, noticeably trimmer than his days in Boston, launched a three-run homer into McCovey Cove beyond the right-field bleachers.

Things figure to be a little tougher against Dodgers pitching, as Rich Hill will take the mound for the Dodgers on Saturday, as he faces Chris Stratton. To close out the series, Ty Blach will hope to follow up his stellar effort in the season opener in beating Clayton Kershaw head-to-head, and he will be opposite Kershaw again on Sunday.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: A’s First Homestand, Promotions and Attendance

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

I believe the Oakland Athletics’ future is bright, especially since they brought Mr.Dave Kaval as their President. He has the energy, vision and leadership to guide this great franchise into their next great chapter. The first homestand of the season ended today. There’s more on that below.

If you owned a restaurant and nobody was walking in, you might want to go on the street and grab five homeless souls and bring them in to eat for free, right? It would be a charitable mission but not profitable.In that case God will bless your heart, but not your pocket. But baseball is totally different. Unlike a restaurant, baseball is a seasonal business, where you have six months and days to sell as many tickets as you can. Baseball and professional sports in general sells in advance, like for example to season ticket holders, which gives you a guarantee revenue stream. When your season tickets holders are not plentiful, then you move to Plan B. The team’s 50th Anniversary in Oakland is part of Plan B. With countless of special days and promotions already programmed prior to the season. Nothing wrong with that, this is a great franchise with a total of nine World Series titles, only the New York Yankees with 27 and St. Louis Cardinals with 11, have won more than the A’s, who have been playing at this Oakland Coliseum since 1968.

The Oakland Athletics are on their way to their first road trip of the 2018 season. They will first travel to Anaheim to face Othani and Trout for three games, then by bus up North on Highway 5, some 35 miles to Dodger Stadium for a two-game inter-league set against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and conclude their trip with three games at Safeco Field in Seattle, before returning to Oakland for the last home-stand in April, where they will face the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox.

As they leave for Orange County, the first home-stand of the season was not that great at the box office. This was the attendance for the first eight games of the season in Oakland. Against the Angels on Opening Day, Thursday 27,764, followed by 27,655 the next day, Saturday 17,012 and then 14,644 on Sunday. The Texas Rangers came in on Monday for four games, Monday 7,416, Tuesday 9,597, Wednesday 7,909 and then last game of the home stand on Thursday afternoon 10,132. The first homestand, and first eight games of the season ended with a 3-5 record.

The Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night games against the Rangers, brought me memories of the days when Charlie O Finley owned the team, and after he won the three consecutive World Series in 1972, 1973, 1974 when he didn’t wanted to retain those players because he just didn’t believe an owner should pay millions of dollars to baseball players. Catfish Hunter, Reggie Jackson, Campy Campaneris, among others, they all said Adios to Oakland, they wanted to get paid, and Finley would not paid them, as simple as that. Yes, those years after those three championships were really the dog days, I remember well because that is when I began in this business. The A’s average per-game attendance: 1976: 9,697, 1977: 6,157, 1978: 6,506.

After that, Finley sold the team to the Haas family and things changed for the better. There where pennants and World Series at the Oakland Coliseum. The Haas family revived this great franchise in Oakland, with Roy Eisenhardt, Andy Dolich, and a front office that went to work on marketing and reaching the community. But most importantly, they had the best promotion that all fans appreciate the most–winning. In 1988, the A’s were the first baseball team in the Bay Area to draw over two million fans, which at that time was considered very impressive for this market, and then they followed the trend by winning pennants and going to three World Series.

Celebrating their 50th Anniversary in Oakland has been fun already, with the reunion of 50 players in 50 years during that first home-stand, there is also the Tree House in left field, a new attraction for people to mingle, relax, drink, watch the game, inside or outside on the porch. There is a New Farm area in right field, which is very interesting. The A’s are also giving free tickets to the North Bay residents affected by the fires of 2017. On June 10, a Sunday vs the Kansas City Royals, and will include tributes to the first res-ponders and firefighters.

When the A’s return to Oakland Monday, April the 16 vs. Chicago White Sox, and the next day, April 17, everybody will be admitted free at the O.Co Coliseum.

A franchise in transition trying to build a new ball park in Oakland, with young promising players that could some day be All-Stars is moving ahead after a rough start at the box office. Yes, is has been cold, but there were other things happening, like the Warriors next door ending their regular season and limping on their way to the playoffs trying to repeat as champions.

Note: Now, outfielder Trayce Thompson is with the A’s, so he can just walk next door and watch his brother Klay Thompson (guard) with the Warriors during the playoffs.

March Madness with Villanova winning the national championship along with many other events in this very complicated entertainment world might have been a factor on the A’s attendance. The Bay Area offers many attractions and the entertainment ticket for sports here is always challenged. We are just beginning April and there is a long season ahead.

Among the many optimist here below is one of my favorites, and remember, the world belongs to the optimist.

“Even the darkest night will end, and the sun will rise.”
–Victor Hugo, Les Misérables.

Amaury Pi-González is the Spanish Voice of the Oakland Athletics, and a pioneer in establishing Spanish baseball radio in the Bay Area. Inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame in 2010. Games are on KIQI 1010AM/990AM radio in the Bay Area and Northern California. They can also be heard in Spanish on the SAP on NBC Sports California. Total of 74 games (71 home games plus three on the road) from AT&T Park in San Francisco.