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That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Mickey Mantle Rookie Card – The One that Got Away

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photo of 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle mint condition card that sold for $12.6 million (photo by Heritage Auction HA.com)

Mickey Mantle Rookie Card – The One that Got Away

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Mickey Mantle is as iconic an American sports figure as ever. Mantle played in 20 All-Star Games, retired in March of 1969 with 536 home runs, and won seven World Series with his Yankee team. His #7 uniform was the most famous number 7 in history.

The #7 is indeed the luckiest number for him. During a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium in 1969 (the year he retired), the Yankees retired his famous #7 uniform. I lived in New York after being discharged from the US Army and attended that game alone. I never forgot that in the middle of that doubleheader, they drove Mantle in a golf cart around the outfield as he waved at fans in a sold-out stadium. I remember it as a sunny, very hot, and humid day in the middle of summer in the Bronx.

Number 7, already retired, wearing a suit, spoke, and got a long ovation from the fans. To me (always an American League fan), at a time when each league just played inside its league and only met against National League teams in insignificant Spring Training games or during the World Series in October, Mickey Mantle was the best player I ever saw.

His power as a switch-hitter is legendary to this day. Mantle could hit a ball from the right side of the plate 450 feet and later during the same game, hit one from the left side of the plate 455 feet. Both home runs. For me, he was the man.

I probably bought thousands of baseball cards. In those days, they all came with a bubble gum inside; the company was Topps. I was not old enough to ever get hold of the Mickey Mantle Rookie card. I never witnessed him playing in the 50s.

But I know and remember that everybody in the 1960s wanted to get their hands on that rookie card, his first season, 1952. In 2022, a mint-condition 1952 Mickey Mantle Topps card sold for $12.6 million at an Auction in Dallas, Texas.

I always dreamed of getting my hands on that card, for me, that was the card the One that Got Away, but I’d collected and traded many cards when I was more focused on baseball as a fan, and in New York, I thought everybody was collecting them in the late 1960s. Even though the Mets were born in New York, people have been looking for that Mantle rookie card.

Although I watched Mantle play, I was never lucky to find that famous rookie card; I kept the program from that hot, humid day at Yankee Stadium when they retired his number 7 in the middle of a doubleheader. It is not worth millions like the rookie card, but for me, it is worth a lot because I was there, and I will take that memory of that day to my grave.

2025 seems like a different world and planet, with the internet and people watching a game on their cell phones. It has been generations since baseball cards were “the hobby” for many kids and adults nationwide. As my Mamá used to tell me, these adults were “the guys that never grew up.”

Mickey Mantle was an absolute superstar, idolized by men and women alike. He was the biggest playboy in New York, much bigger than Joe Namath. I had the privilege of meeting him in person, not when he was playing but years later when he and Joe DiMaggio were broadcasting Yankee games for the Yes Network, New York, and during a Yankee series against the A’s at the Oakland Coliseum to play the Oakland Athletics, sometime in the early 1980s.

Early in 1995, doctors discovered that Mantle’s liver had been severely damaged by alcohol-induced cirrhosis and hepatitis C, and he had an inoperable liver cancer.

Quote: “If I knew I was going to live this long, I’d have taken better care of myself” -Mickey Mantle.

HABANA CUBA RESTAURANT 387 So.First Street San José Suite 109 –Tel(408) 998-2822. Say hello to Habana Cub Restaurant owner Jennifer and tell her Amaury sent you.

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.

Headline Sports podcast Marko Ukalovic: Yanks Williams struggling in relief role; Braves Verdugo off to a hitting start in first two games; plus more MLB news

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Atlanta Braves Alex Verdugo (8) is greeted at by Braves manager Brian Snitker (43) after scoring a third inning run against the Minnesota Twins at Truist Field in Cobb County GA on Sat Apr 19, 2025 (AP News photo)

Headline Sports podcast Marko:

#1 After joining the New York Yankees pitcher Devin Williams doesn’t look like the All Star thrower he was when he pitched for the Milwaukee Brewers last season. The Tampa Bay Rays Brandon Lowe’s two run single off Williams was part of a four run rally. The Rays Jon Aranda hit a two run homer in the tenth against Yoendrys Gomez for extra measure to defeat the Yankees 10-8 that snapped the New York five game win streak.

#2 The Atlanta Braves Alex Verdugo said he’s not taking credit for the Braves going 2-0 since being recalled this week. Verdugo got four hits and scored two runs on Saturday night against the Minnesota Twins for a 4-3 win. Verdugo in those two games has been the key to the Braves line up so far.

#3 Forget baseball the face of baseball two way star Shohei Ohtani and his wife Mamiko Tanaka have announced the birth of their child on Saturday. “I am so grateful to my loving wife who gave birth to our healthy beautiful daughter,” Ohtani wrote in an Instagram post. “To my daughter, thank you for making us very nervous yet super anxious parents.”

#4 Toronto Blue Jays right hand pitcher Jose Berrios was suspected Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh was tipping his pitches to the Mariners bench. When Raleigh was walking back to the dugout Berrios let Raleigh know what he thought of it. The Jays lost to the Mariners 8-4 in 12 innings on Saturday. Berrios said “people are trying to fight with us in the field, I don’t respect that. I don’t like that.”

#5 Marko, how do you explain the Sacramento A’s having baseball’s second best road record at 8-4 and a home record of 2-7. The A’s picked up their fourth win in five games on this current road trip against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday. Are they having a tough time at Sutter Health Park or are the visitors just pumped and ready to win in Sacramento?

Marko Ukalovic filled for Charlie O who does Headline Sports podcasts Sundays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

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Giants Hang on To Level Series Beating Angels 3-2

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San Francisco Giants starter Landon Roupp was brining the heat against the Los Angeles Angels at the Big A in Anaheim on Sat Apr 19, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The San Francisco Giants (14-7) took game two of their three game series with the Los Angeles Angels (10-10) 3-2. They had taken a 3-0 lead going into the bottom of the fourth inning.

It all changed thanks to Angel slugger Mike Trout who knocked two home runs out of the park and very nearly hit a third in the ninth inning. San Francisco stubbornly hung onto the one-run lead through the three final innings and came away with the win.

Game recap: Friday, the Angels took a 2-0 lead early in the game; Saturday it was the Giants who got the early lead in the first inning 2-0. Matt Chapman who had been quiet in game one hit a two run home run with Willy Adames on base, a great start.

The Giants built on that lead in the third inning when Willy Adames singled Mike Yastrzemski home but Adames was thrown out at second base trying to advance. Going into the fourth inning San Francisco had a 3-0 lead.

In the bottom of the fourth inning Mike Trout came to the plate, always a threat. He made good on that reputation hitting a 435 ft home run to left and the Angels were on the scoreboard. Trout struck again in the sixth inning, another solo home run and Los Angeles was within one run of the Giants 2-3.

Angels starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks finished five innings allowing four hits and three earned runs, two walks and only one strikeout. He was relieved by Reid Detmers who pitched 2.2 innings allowing one hit with two strikeouts. Ryan Johnson finished off the top of the eighth inning for the Angels and would try to do more of the same in the ninth inning.

San Francisco pitcher Landen Roupp had struck out nine batters through seven innings. He had allowed the two runs with five hits and only one walk. His command was impressive. He was relieved in the bottom of the eighth inning by Tyler Rogers who would try to protect the San Francisco lead. Rogers did a great job with a three up three out inning going into the ninth.

Leading by a single run, San Francisco badly needed an insurance run or two. They only had a single hit in the top of the eighth inning off the bat of Jung Hoo Lee as the Giants were still clinging to the 3-2 lead.

The ninth inning was more of the same for San Francisco three up and three down. Heliot Ramos lined out, LaMonte Wade Jr. flied out and Wilmer Flores grounded out. The Giants were living on the edge trying to hang onto the one run lead.

Giant’s closer Ryan Johnson would face the heart of the Angel lineup in the bottom of the ninth inning; the first batter at the plate Mike Trout who without doubt had the power to deliver a hat trick.

He very nearly had a third home run that was fielded by Jung Hoo Lee for the first out. In fact Johnson thought that ball was out of the park and you could see the relief on his face when it stayed in.

Logan O’Hoppe grounded out and the Giants were one out away from leveling the series. The Giants hung on when Nola Schanuel lined out for the third out and that was the ball game. San Francisco was really tempting fate in the ninth inning but a lot of credit to the Giants who held tight and shut the door on Los Angeles.

Game notes: Friday the Giants dropped game one in their series with the Angels at Anaheim Stadium 2-0. What was even more disappointing was that the Giants lost despite an amazing performance on the mound by Logan Webb.

Webb allowed the two runs in the second inning but was flawless for five innings striking out 12 batters which included striking out Mike Trout three times. San Francisco struggled big-time at the plate and got those bats working in Saturday’s game two.

The Giants only had four hits in game one and got a lot more in Saturday’s game. Landen Roupp took the mound Saturday for San Francisco. The Angels started Kyle Hendricks. Roupp went seven innings giving up five hits and two runs. Hendricks pitched five innings four hits and three earned runs.

The rubber game will be played Sunday afternoon on a beautiful 77 degree Easter with first pitch scheduled for 1:07 PM. The Giants Justin Verlander (0-1 ERA 6.75) will give it another go on the mound Sunday now in his 20th season and looking for his first win. The Angels lefty Yusei Kikchi (0-3 ERA 4.13) will start for the Angels. The Giants have struggled against lefties this season and will try to turn that around.

Rooker and Langeliers Stir The Brew in Milwaukee; Athletics even series with 3-1 win

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Sacramento A’s starter Luis Severino (40) delivers against the Milwaukee Brewers line up in the bottom of the first inning at American Family Park in Milwaukee on Sat Apr 20, 2025 (AP News photo)

Rooker and Langeliers Stir The Brew in Milwaukee

By Mauricio Segura

The Sacramento Athletics may have changed addresses but their fighting spirit packed its bags right along with them. Behind clutch home runs from Brent Rooker and Shea Langeliers, the green and gold snuck by the Milwaukee Brewers 3-1 Saturday night at American Family Field.

From the first pitch, it was clear that runs would be at a minimum. Both starting pitchers, Luis Severino for the A’s and Chad Patrick for the Brewers, settled in quickly.

Severino, a two-time All Star known for his fiery fastball during his Yankees days, looked sharp. His only blemish came in the third inning when Garrett Mitchell doubled and later scored on a routine groundout by Caleb Durbin to give Milwaukee an early 1-0 lead.

The A’s answered back in the fifth. JJ Bleday and rookie Jacob Wilson sparked the rally with back-to-back singles. Miguel Andujar, a former Rookie of the Year runner-up, laced a double to left field, scoring Bleday and tying the game at 1-1. Andujar, who has been quietly productive since joining the Athletics, continues to show flashes of the player who once roamed the Bronx outfield.

The game turned in the sixth inning with a single swing off of Brent Rooker’s bat. His thunderous sixth home run of the season deep to center, gave the A’s a 2-1 lead. It was a vintage Rooker swing, all muscle and impeccable timing, that left Milwaukee’s outfielders as spectators.

Severino kept mowing down Brewers hitters into the late innings. By the ninth, manager Mark Kotsay turned the ball over to Mason Miller’s triple-digit heater to seal the win. But before Miller could slam the door, Shea Langeliers gave him a little extra cushion with his fifth homer of the year, another blast to center field off reliever Joel Payamps, making it 3-1.

Miller, who touched 102 miles per hour on the radar gun, made quick work of Milwaukee’s final three batters. Brice Turang flied out harmlessly to right. Jackson Chourio, the Brewers’ highly touted rookie, struck out swinging. Christian Yelich, the former MVP, fought but ultimately went down on a foul tip to end the game.

It was a textbook road win for the Athletics: timely hitting, solid defense, strong starting pitching, and a closer who simply overpowers hitters.

For all the talk about the A’s rebuild, nights like this are a reminder that the green and gold have plenty of pieces worth watching. As the team continues to forge its new identity away from Oakland, performances like these give their fans reason to believe that better days are not just in the distant future but already unfolding.

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times

Sacramento A’s Relocation podcast Daniel Dullum: Sale of Coliseum on hold until 2026; AASEG looking to purchase A’s half of property

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Usher Leland Anderson greets fans at the Oakland Coliseum before the Colorado Rockies and Oakland A’s match up on May 22, 2024. The Oakland Coliseum Complex property sale is expected to be completed by February 2026 as purchased by the African American Sports Entertainment Group (AP file photo)

On the Sacramento A’s Relocation podcast Daniel Dullum:

#1 Daniel last Monday Oakland City officials held a vote to delay the closing date of sale for the African American Sports Entertainment Group share of the Oakland Coliseum complex. The delay will be until early 2026.

#2 The sale would go to a group of developers and investors AASEG who are negotiating with Alameda County officials and are in negotiations right now.

#3 If the deal is settled it would sell half of the City of Oakland’s ownership of the 112 acre property that would include the Oakland Coliseum and Arena, administrative offices, the parking lots to the AASEG. The sale was set to be close on May 30th.

#4 Will this deal get done? The deal between AASEG and Alameda County must be approved separately as the A’s own the other half of the Coliseum property. The County had met directly with AASEG in January.

#5 In 2025 AASEG made a deal to buy the A’s half of the Coliseum for $125 million. The approval of the sale needed to be approved by the Alameda county supervisors. The A’s had bought the county’s share back in 2019 for $85 million. Last fall the Oakland City Council approved the sale of the property to AASEG. Last Monday now the City Council voted to delay the sale. Council members Rebecca Kaplan and Ken Houston extended the closing date of the sale so it would align the timeline with the city and county.

Daniel Dullum does the Sacramento A’s relocation podcasts each weekend at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Despite Solid Pitching By Logan Webb-Giants Drop Game One to Angels 2-0; Halos Anderson pitches six innings of shutout ball

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San Francisco Giants starter Logan Webb delivers to the Los Angeles Angels line up in the bottom of the first inning at Angels Stadium in Anaheim on Fri Apr 18, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The San Francisco Giants (13-7) fell to the Los Angeles Angels (10-9) 2-0 in game one of their three-game series. Logan Webb had a spectacular game with no walks, 12 strikeouts stumbling a bit in the second inning.

Webb struck Mike Trout out three times. It was a tremendous outing for Webb but the Giants still got stuck with a loss. There was very little going on offensively for San Francisco coming away with only four hits.

Game recap: After a quiet first inning, the Angels had a very productive second inning. Three doubles and a Matt Chapman error had gave Los Angeles a 2-0 lead. Zach Neto doubled Nolan Schanuel home for the early 1-0 lead. Neto would go on to score when 3rd baseman Matt Chapman encountered a fielding error. Jo Adell and Schanuel also had doubles in the inning.

A pitchers duel got underway with six scoreless innings. Webb had a great start despite the two runs. He really pulled it together finishing six innings allowing four hits, one earned run, no walks and 12 strikeouts. He was relieved in the seventh inning by Randy Rodriguez. Webb had dismissed Mike Trout not once or twice but three times in the game.

The Angels Ty Anderson also had a good game going six innings allowing three hits, no runs, two walks and six strikeouts. He was relieved in the seventh inning by Brock Burke who allowed 1 hit and no runs.

Going into the eighth inning the Giants had to get something going. They were running out of time . The Giants had two walks in the inning but Matt Chapman and Willy Adames both struck out, Heliot Ramos lined out and that was the inning.

The offense for San Francisco had been extremely quiet. The Angels had five hits in the game, the Giants four. San Francisco had been on second base a couple of times in the game but their offense was for the most part pretty stagnant.

It all came down to the ninth inning for San Francisco. It was their final chance to get some offense going while Los Angeles would be looking to hang onto their 2-0 lead and finish off San Francisco.

The Angels Kenley Jansen would try to close this game out and take the first game of this three-game series. It was a three up and three out for San Francisco and Jansen got the job done for the Los Angeles win.

The Giants had wasted an incredible pitching effort by Logan Webb having trouble hitting off Angel pitcher Ty Anderson. It was just one of those night’s where not much was working.

Game notes: After splitting a series with the Phillies to start this past week, the San Francisco Giants headed out west taking on the Angels in a three game series Friday night. It was a 60 plus degree day with the promise of mid-Seventies over the weekend a far-cry from the horrendous conditions in Philadelphia.

Logan Webb was on the mound for San Francisco while the Angels started Ty Anderson. The Giants have been playing some very good baseball taking early leads as well as some come from behind wins. The Giants have slipped into third place with the Padres and Dodgers holding down the first two spots in the National League West. The loss Saturday didn’t help their position against the Dodgers and Padres in the standings.

Saturday the Giants will be looking to even the series with first pitch scheduled for 6:38 PM. San Francisco will send Landen Roupp (1-1, ERA 4.80) to start this game and the Angels will feature Kyle Hendricks (0-1 ERA 4.20) on the mound.

Late Rally Falls Short as A’s Bow to Brewers 5-3

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Sacramento A’s pitcher JT Ginn delivers to the Milwaukee Brewers in the bottom of the first inning at American Family Park in Milwaukee on Fri Apr 18, 2025 (AP News photo)

Late Rally Falls Short as A’s Bow to Brewers 5-3

By Mauricio Segura

The Sacramento Athletics’ recent hot streak cooled on Friday evening, as they dropped the opening game of their weekend series against the Milwaukee Brewers by a score of 5-3 at American Family Field. Despite a late-inning push, the green and gold couldn’t overcome an early Brewers lead fueled by timely hits and solid pitching.

Brewers starter Freddy Peralta kept the A’s lineup quiet early, striking out six through five innings and scattering seven hits. His effort limited the Athletics’ damage to just one run during his tenure on the mound. Peralta improved to 2-1 with a tidy 2.31 ERA.

Meanwhile, the Athletics’ J.T. Ginn, fresh off a winning performance against the Mets last weekend, found tougher sledding against Milwaukee’s lineup. Ginn surrendered three runs on five hits and two walks through 4 2/3 innings. Christian Yelich proved to be Ginn’s toughest challenge, driving in two runs including a key RBI single in the third inning that contributed to the early Brewers advantage.

Milwaukee jumped ahead in the third when rookie Caleb Durbin recorded his first Major League hit, later scoring on Jackson Chourio’s double. Yelich’s subsequent RBI single made it 2-0. In the fifth, Yelich added his second RBI single of the game, stretching Milwaukee’s lead to 3-0 and chasing Ginn from the game.

The A’s offense, which had powered through Chicago earlier this week with nine extra-base hits in a single game, struggled to replicate that magic against Milwaukee pitching. Oakland’s batters could only muster scattered singles through most of the contest. Tyler Soderstrom, who entered leading the Majors in home runs with nine, managed two singles but couldn’t deliver the powerful swing he’s become known for this season.

Gio Urshela finally put the A’s on the board in the sixth, driving in JJ Bleday on a fielder’s choice. But Milwaukee quickly answered back with two more runs in the seventh, capitalizing on fielding errors and timely hits to push their advantage to 5-1.

Down but not out, the A’s fought back in the ninth. Brent Rooker, who had an impressive series against the White Sox going 6-for-13, doubled to score Max Muncy, and Tyler Soderstrom added a sacrifice fly to narrow the deficit to 5-3. With the tying run at the plate, Milwaukee’s Trevor Megill struck out Shea Langeliers, extinguishing Oakland’s comeback hopes and securing the Brewers’ victory.

Despite the setback, there were positive notes for Oakland. Lawrence Butler extended his hitting streak to four games and continues to impress with his recent performances. Miguel Andujar had a strong night at the plate, collecting three singles.

With this loss, Oakland’s record slips slightly to 9-11, while Milwaukee moves to 11-9. The A’s will look to bounce back Saturday with Luis Severino (0-3 ERA 4.01), seeking his first win of the season, facing Chad Patrick (1-0 ERA 1.76) at 4:10 PT.

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.

Sacramento A’s podcast Jeremiah Salmonson: Swinging A’s stay hot on road trip sweep Sox in Chi-Town

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Sacramento A’s Brent Rooker (25) congratulates Tyler Soderstrom (21) who hit his Major League leading ninth home run in the top of the seventh inning against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field in Chicago on Thu Apr 17, 2025 (AP News photo)

Sacramento A’s podcast Jeremiah Salmonson:

#1 A combination of four pitchers for the Sacramento A’s did in the Chicago White Sox in by shutting them out 8-0 at Rate Field on the South Side of Chicago Thursday. JP Sears started it off by pitching six innings, three hits, no runs and two strike outs.

#2 A’s manager Mark Kotsay used three pitchers to help combine for the shutout over the Sox, after Sears left he was relieved by Noah Murdock who went 1.2 innings, with one hit and two strikeouts, middle reliever TJ McFarland pitched one third of an inning no runs, no walks and no strikeouts, and Jason Alexander mopped up going one inning with two strikeouts.

#3 The White Sox didn’t even put up a threat with only four hits. The A’s had runners circling the bases all afternoon with one run in the fifth, two in the sixth, one in the seventh, and three in the ninth.

#4 In the series the A’s won game one by a lopsided score on Tuesday 12-3, on Wednesday a little close but a win for Sacramento 3-1, and Thursday afternoon no mercy in the 8-0 shutout for the A’s.

#5 The A’s go into Milwaukee with confidence after a sweep in Chicago. The Milwaukee Brewers are second place in the NL Central and are 7-3 at American Family Park. The Brewers have won six of their ten games. The A’s have the second best road record at 7-3 in baseball behind the San Francisco Giants who are 9-3 away.

Join Jeremiah for the A’s podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants Fall To Philadelphia 6-4 Ending In a Tie Series

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By Barbara Mason

The San Francisco Giants fell behind in the first inning 5-1 and never recovered losing to the Philadelphia Phillies 6-4 tying up their four game series at 2 apiece. Matt Chapman and Tyler Fitzgerald both had home runs, Chapman a 2-run homer and Fitzgerald a solo shot. The Phillies only had one more run in the eighth inning but it was enough for the win. Philly pitcher Christopher Sanchez was a huge part of this win striking out 12 in 7 innings in a brilliant appearance on the mound. He allowed four hits and 2 earned runs.

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Thursday afternoon the San Francisco Giants (13-6) took on the Phillies (11-8) in game four of their series looking to head off to their next series in Los Angeles Friday night in a more favorable climate and most importantly with a series win under their belt. After miserable conditions in the first three games of this series, the weather cooperated as game-time approached. The high today was forecast to be 62 degrees. Jordan Hicks took the mound for San Francisco looking to commandeer the game and take the series. The Phillies will start Christopher Sanchez in the final game of this series.

The Giant got on the board in the first inning. Matt Chapman singled Heliot Ramos home for an early 1-0 lead but the Giants would not score again until the sixth inning. Philadelphia had a very productive first inning taking a 5-1 lead. This was a great way for the Phillies to start the game however it was very early in the game with a lot of baseball still to be played. Their first five batters reached base on 4 singles and a walk. The Phillies could not have asked for a better start to the game. Kyle Schwarber had a 2-run single, Nick Castellanos had an rbi single and San Francisco pitcher Jordan Hicks threw a run-scoring wild pitch. Alec Bohm finished off the inning with a RBI triple.

It was a rough outing for Jordan Hicks who pitched through seven innings allowing 5 runs, 6 hits and four walks. After that opening inning Hicks calmed down and held Philadelphia scoreless until the eighth inning where they added one more run. Erik Miller had relieved Hicks in the eighth and allowed that additional run.

The Giants Matt Chapman hit a 2-run home run in the sixth inning and the Giants were within 2 runs of a tie game. The Phillies fought right back scoring a run in the eighth extending their lead to 6-3. They held on in the ninth inning allowing one San Francisco run winning the game by the score of 6-4 and leveling the four-game series.

Next up for the Giants will be a three-game series that gets underway tomorrow night in Los Angeles. They will take on the 9-8 Angels at Angel Stadium. Probable pitchers for the game will be Logan Webb for the Giants and Tyler Anderson for the Angels. The Giants will face Angels home run (6 home runs) leader Mike Trout. The Giants Wilmer Flores also has 6 home runs to his credit so far this season and he is always a threat when he comes to the plate. First pitch for this game is scheduled for 6:38 PM.

MLB podcast Michael Duca Thu Apr 17, 2025: Pirates Skenes will he have another Cy Young type season?; Braves Strider returns after missing last season; plus more news

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Pittsburgh Pirates Paul Skenes (30) pitches to the Washington Nationals in the first inning on Mon Apr 14, 2025 in Pittsburgh (AP News photo)

MLB podcast Michael Duca Thu Apr 17, 2025

#1 There is a lot of talk about the Pittsburgh Pirates Paul Skenes who is now considered an All Star. During the 2024 season Skenes had himself a season going 11-3 ERA 1.96 and so far this season is 2-1 ERA 2.96. Skenes says that he does focus when he gets some quite time and that brings him out on the field to make those starts. Can you talk about his skill as a pitcher and can he repeat the kind of season he had last year?

#2  Atlanta Braves right handed pitcher Spencer Strider faced the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday and threw five plus innings allowed two runs, struck out five, walked one and hit one batter in an 3-1 loss and it was Strider’s first appearance since he had surgery to repair an ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.

#3 Veteran umpire Hunter Wendelstedt who was working first base took a line drive that hit him in the face. Wendelstedt the son of former umpire Harry Wendelstedt hit the ground after being hit off the bat by New York Mets center fieldr Tyrone Taylor in the seventh inning. Taylor and Minnesota Twins pitcher Louis Varland reacted in shock after seeing the ball hit Wendelstedt.

#4 The Chicago White Sox who got lit up by the Sacramento A’s 12-3 on Tuesday night at Rate Field designated right hand pitcher Mike Clevenger for assignment on Wednesday. Clevenger allowed three runs in the top of the ninth inning in Tuesday’s game. He had been struggling with an 0-2 record and an ERA of 7.94 in five appearances so far this year. He was 9-14 in 28 starts and eight relief appearances for the Sox.

#5 Miguel, finally talk about the job that San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee has been doing he’s hitting .333, 21 hits, 3 home runs, and 12 RBIs. He’s played some outstanding defense and went two for three with two hits and two runs scored in his last game on Wednesday night in Philadelphia.

Join Michael Duca for the MLB podcast Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com