Tag: mlb

Photo credit: @ChicagoSports

By: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

Vladimir Guerrero was one of four players inducted to the 2018 National Baseball Hall of Fame on Wednesday. He opted to go into Cooperstown with the Los Angeles Angels hat instead of his first MLB team, the Montreal Expos. Guerrero is a pioneer for the Los Angeles Angels as he is the first ever member of the Angels to be inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in their franchise history that began in 1961.

Not only is Guerrero the first ever to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame as an Angel, but he is also the first ever position player born in the Dominican Republic to go into Cooperstown–the other two are pitchers, Juan Marichal (1983)and Pedro Martinez (2015).

Guerrero was in New York and appeared on the MLB Network.

“I’m forever thankful, for this beautiful moment” Guerrero said through Jose Mota (Fox Sports interpreter and broadcast partner). At the BBWAA news conference Thursday at the St. Regis Hotel in Manhattan, New York. This was his first public appearance since his election. He was with the Class of 2018: Chipper Jones, Jim Thome and Trevor Hoffman.

I look at Vladdy and that reward for all that hard work,” Angels owner Arte Moreno said. “I look at the fans, because they got to see a great player–and we’ve had some really good players come through Anaheim. Obviously, Rod Carew was there, Nolan Ryan was there for a long time. There were a bunch of really good players. But to see someone wear our colors [entering the Hall] is a proud moment for our fans.”

With the Angels in six seasons, Guerrero hit .319 with 173 home runs, 616 runs batted in in 846 games and won the American League MVP in 2004. Previously with the Expos, he played eight years with .323 with 234 home runs as well as 702 runs batted in 1,004 games. His last two seasons were in 2010 with the Rangers, where he played 152 games .300 with 29 home runs and 115 runs batted in, and in 2011 with the Baltimore Orioles, where he played 145 games, hit .290 with 13 home runs and 63 runs batted in.

For the very humble man from the Dominican Republic, this was his greatest moment in his professional baseball career, which he is enjoying with all his family. He will still have to make an acceptance speech on July 29th when his plaque will be unveiled at Cooperstown.

Covering Vladimir Guerrero was a real pleasure. He was a man that played with tremendous joy of the game. He had a truly stellar career where he played with class and great dignity. He was also a consummate five-tools baseball player with one of the best arms from right field in recorded history. Not to mention one of the most popular baseball players ever. I am sure I will see him again this season in Anaheim.

Felicidades Vladimir. Te lo mereces.

Photo credit LA Angels: LA Angels announcer Jose Mota (left), Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero (center) and LA Angels announcer Amaury Pi-Gonzalez (right)

By: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

Larry “Chipper” Jones, Vladimir Guerrero, Jim Thome and Trevor Hoffman are part of the one percent of all the MLB players in history that have been able to make it to the most prestigious sports Hall of Fame in America. Today, the votes were made public and on July 29, this quartet will be enshrined at Cooperstown, New York. Combined with the induction last December of Jack Morris and Allan Trammel (Modern Baseball Era Committee selection), that means a total of six players’ plaques will be unveiled this July 29 at Cooperstown. This ties the maximum inducted in this decade, with the 2014 class of Greg Maddux, Frank Thomas, Tom Glavine, Tony LaRussa, Bobby Cox and Joe Torre.

The official announcement was made Wednesday live on MLB Network around 3 pm PT. Chipper Jones made it on his first try, while Vladimir Guerrero and Trevor Hoffman were very close in 2017 and were expected to make it this year.

Here was the final percentage of the vote: (at least 75% needed to get in)

Larry “Chipper” Jones: 97.2

Vladimir Guerrero: 92.7

Jim Thome: 89.8

Trevor Hoffman: 79.9

In their sixth year of eligibility, these three got a slight increase from 2017 totals, but still fell short:

Roger Clemens: 57.3

Barry Bonds: 56.4

Curt Schilling: 51.2

Many believed Edgar Martinez was going to make it this year, but he ended up with 70.4 percent. However, his numbers have been trending up and could easily be elected next season. In the history of designated hitters, he was one of the very best. It is always a disadvantage and I know baseball fans as well as professionals that have seen many decades of baseball who still believe that the DH should not be in the Hall of Fame. For the record, Martinez played 16 years in the majors, and 12 of those years he played third-base, also play some first base.

Jones will be inducted with the Atlanta Braves uniform, Jim Thome with the Cleveland Indians, Trevor Hoffman with the San Diego Padres; but to this day, we do not know if Vladimir Guerrero is going with the Montreal Expos or the Los Angeles Angels. He played for the Expos in his first eight years, the next six with the Angels, and the final two: one year with Rangers and one with the Ori.

Last year, Guerrero sat with yours truly and my broadcast partner Jose Mota at Angel Stadium’s FOX Sports (Spanish) telecast. I believe he was tilting towards going in as an Angel. As a matter of fact, he was there because the Angels retired his #27 jersey prior to the game.

The 2019 first time eligible are:

Mariano Rivera

Roy Halladay

Todd Helton

Andy Pettitte

Lance Berkman

I would say you can bet your house that Mariano Rivera will go in. The American League Reliever of the Year is called “The Mariano Rivera Reliever of the Year. He ended his career with a record 652 saves. If he doesn’t get in next year, there should be an investigation in Washington D.C. Also, I do not even want to think what would happen in Panama.

Photo credit: @NBCSports

By: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

Rafael Palmeiro has the numbers to be in the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Now, the 53-year-old said, “I am missing the game” and he wants to come back to the MLB. However, his chances are not very good as his prime days have passed.

Palmeiro was born in Havana, Cuba, and played in the MLB for 20 years (1986-2005) with the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Rangers (again) and returned to the Orioles for his last two seasons in the league.

His very last season (2005) was on July 15, at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington. In the fifth inning, he hit a double to the left field wall against Mariners pitcher Joel Pineiro. That was Palmeiro’s 3,000 career hit. I was broadcasting the Mariners games in Spanish that year and I just had the call that game. ESPN Deportes picked it up; I have the CD of that moment. Palmeiro also received a copy of that CD. After the game, I interviewed Palmeiro, who was very happy and gracious.

Palmeiro is the only Cuban-born player to reach the 3,000 hit plateau. In my opinion, he finished with excellent numbers that are Cooperstown-worthy: 20 career years combined for a .288 batting average, 3,020 hits, 585 home runs, 1,835 runs batted in–all in a total of 2,831 games played.

Unfortunately, Palmeiro’s career didn’t ended very well. Former Rangers teammate and fellow Cuban, Jose Canseco, identified Palmeiro as a fellow steroid user in his 2005 book, Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant ‘Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big, and claimed he injected Palmeiro with steroids.

On March 17, 2005, Palmeiro appeared at a Congressional hearing about steroids in baseball, and while under oath, denied ever using steroids. He stated, “Let me start by telling you this: I have never used steroids, period. I don’t know how to say it any more clearly than that.” Five months later on August 1, 2005, Palmeiro was suspended for 10 days after testing positive for steroids.

Palmeiro is part of that ugly phase in the game–the steroid era. After an excellent career, he wants to comeback and play in the major leagues. “There is no doubt in my mind that I can do it,” he recently said. This January 24, the inductees into the Hall of Fame will be announced, but his name will not be on the list.

For Palmeiro, the numbers above on his career can help him secure a spot in the Hall of Fame. However, the steroid scandal caused him to fall off the ballot.

Here is the deal: If Rafael Palmeiro plays in one more MLB game, he will become re-eligible for the Hall of Fame.

Buena suerte Rafael!

Photo credit: @sportingnews

By: Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

Since MLB commissioner Rob Manfred took over for Commissioner Bud Selig, his main mission has been the speed of the game and how to move the game at a faster pace. Manfred could implement a variety of pacing measures during this 2018 season.

The 20-second pitch clock is perhaps the most notable. They’ve already been experimenting with a 22-second clock in the minor leagues. If this rule goes into effect in the Major Leagues, a pitcher would be charged with a ball, and if he takes more than 20 seconds between pitches, there will be only one warning per game on this. Hitters will have a 30-second timer between batters, and if they take longer than that, they will be charge with a strike.

I could see down the line, some argument when a hitter keeps fouling pitches on a 3-2 count, it takes too long to come to a decision that maybe done by the all-popular today “algorithms.” Algorithms can perform calculation, data processing and automated reasoning tasks. An algorithm is an effective method that can be expressed within a finite amount of space and time and in a well-defined formal language for calculating a function.

There are other rules in the oven such as a second mound visit to a pitcher in the same inning that must result in the removal of that pitcher from the game, the control of the amount of time between innings, and the number and length of pitching warm-ups. However, the last one is not coming this season.

On Thursday, MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi reported that the MLB Players Association rejected the league’s most recent proposal of pace-of-play rules, which was a revised version of an initial proposal submitted last year, addressing the players concerns with the original.

However, after the union’s rejection of this revised proposal, MLB could still implement the original rules changes; even if the MLB Players Union do not agree with it. During the last off-season the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) gave the MLB the right to do so.

Before we get lost in the “legal matters” here, both sides: Manfred and the MLPA will continue negotiating all this stuff next week, and only God knows where it will end. Just remember the MLPA is one of the strongest unions in the country.

People should relax here. It is not basketball, it is baseball, the game was meant to be the way it is. Too bad this generation needs something to happen every 10 seconds because baseball is not like that. This is exactly what happens when non-baseball people are running the game. Maybe soon you will be able to play a game of baseball on Twitter and be done in a couple of minutes with 280 characters.

I can see in the future where they would like to find a way to “end” a hitter that has a 3-2 count on a pitcher, and keeps fouling pitch after pitch, after pitch…which would take too long. Maybe if he fouls 10-12 pitches he would be awarded first base automatically, since the pitcher obviously could not “put him away.” Those who like the OBP (On Base Percentage) will be delighted with this rule.

Umpires are bound to become extinct from the game of baseball as robots are already taking over our labor force, some fast food places already have robots handing food and you can easily order without a human in sight. Or you can always tell Alexa to do something for you, while your robot sweeps your house.

Man invented computer and computer could be its demise. I think I saw a movie with that script. Since baseball is traditionally slow to change, chances are that by the time baseball is ran by computers, the whole world is already slaved by technology. When that happens it will be a “One World Government.”

Hold on now…I can already hear the Home plate Robot saying: P-l-a-y B-a-l-l…the same voice that says PlayStation.