Tag: mlb

MLB podcast Michael Duca Tue Mar 25, 2025: How playing MLB games will work in minor league parks; Moniak’s release by Angels comes as a surprise; plus more news

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Los Angeles Angels Mickey Moniak heads home after hitting a home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning of a spring training game Wed Mar 5, 2025 in Tempe AZ. Moniak was released by the Angels on Mon Mar 24, 2025. (AP News photo)

MLB podcast with Michael Duca:

#1 Michael the Sacramento A’s are about to play an entire season in a minor league park that seats 14,014 fans including adding them on the outfield grass behind the fence. Do you see this concept working at Sutter Health Park. Will the amenities be acceptable for fans and players.

#2 81 games is a long season if you consider working in a tiny work space such as the players, fans, employees will have to at George M Steinbrenner Park for the Tampa Bay Rays and the Sacramento A’s at Sutter Health Park. In the course of that amount of games will there be a point where it’s workable or not workable for those involved?

#3 The Los Angeles Angels released outfielder Mickey Moniak on Tuesday. The moved shocked many who have followed Moniak who hit .219, 14 home runs last year. In two and half seasons with the Angels Moniak hit .242 with 100 RBIs and had an OPs of .709. Moniak was going to share the outfield duties with Jo Adell. His release comes two days before the regular season.

#4 Michael Duca ESPN with us on the podcast and like ESPN wrote about the New York Yankees they got to carry it like a battlescar can the Yankees really bounce back after their fifth inning World Series nightmare?

#5 Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts who lost 18 pounds couldn’t keep solid food down is reportedly on the mend and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had him in the line up for today’s exhibition game after being out of action since the beginning of spring training.

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

MLB podcast Stephen Ruderman: Raleigh signs 6 yr $105 million deal with M’s; Ex-Yank Gardner’s son cause of death still a mystery; plus more news

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Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh signed a six year $105 million extension on Mon Mar 24, 2025 and is considered one of the best catchers in Major League Baseball (AP News photo)

San Francisco Giants podcast Stephen Ruderman:

#1 The Seattle catcher signed Cal Raleigh to a six year $105 million extension deal. Raleigh last season hit .220 hit 34 home runs, 100 RBIs, and had 120 hits. Raleigh called the “Big Dumper” is considered one of the best catchers in baseball.

#2 Miller Gardner 14 the son of former New York Yankee Brett Gardner who passed on Mar 21st cause of death was not asphyxiation. Miller with other family members fell ill during a family vacation. Brett said that Miller passed away in his sleep peacefully.

#3  Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker will both be on the opening day roster as the two first round draft picks will take the last two spots on the pitching rotation for the Texas Rangers. The Rangers rotation are Nathan Eovaldi, Jacob deGrom, Jon Gray, Tyler Mahle, Rocker and Leiter. The Rangers also have been picked as a favorite to win the American League pennant.

#4 Arizona Diamondbacks have announced that left hander Jordan Montgomery will go under Tommy John next week. Montgomery 32 said that he knew his season was over due to the elbow injury and ironically it happened just two days before the regular season. Montgomery was 8-7, with a 6.23 ERA in 25 games and had 21 starts last season for Arizona.

#5 Stephen, Heliot Ramos looks like he could very well be the San Francisco Giants lead off hitter taking a spring training batting average of .308, with 12 hits, two home runs, and eight RBIs into Tuesday. Ramos belted a home run on Monday night against the Detroit Tigers at Oracle Park in San Francisco.

Join Stpehen Ruderman for the MLB podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Dodgers Roberts encouraged by Mookie’s progress; Yanks Yarbrough signs for 1 yr $2 million deal; plus more MLB

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Mookie Betts walks around in the Los Angeles Dodgers dugout and has been out of the line up since losing 18 pounds and having trouble keeping down solid food. Manager Dave Roberts says that Betts should be back in the line up on Tue Mar 25, 2025 (AP News photo)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he feels “really encouraged” by Mookie Betts recovery. Betts had been ill and couldn’t keep solid down and lost 18 pounds. Betts went through a full workout at Dodger Stadium on Monday and is expected to be back in the line up on Tuesday.

#2 New York Yankees signed left hander Ryan Yarbrough to a $2 million one year deal with a $250,000 in contract bonuses the Yankees announced on Monday. Yarbrough 33 pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays in spring training and opted out of his contract Sunday after learning that he would not be on the opening day roster.

#3 Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ranger Suarez will not open the season and will be on the injured list as Suarez is recovering from a lower back injury. Suarez could be ready to pitch sometime in April according to Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski.

#4 At the Sacramento A’s and San Francisco Giants Triple A team the Sacramento River Cats ballpark Sutter Health Park the grounds crew will have replacement grass on standby in the event the grass starts to brown or deteriorate. The A’s and River Cats are considering the amount of games being played on the shared field they will need the sod on standby.

#5 The Phillies left hand pitcher Matt Strahm did not pitch in the final Grapefruit League game on Monday due to a finger injury while packing. Strahm tore a fingernail on his left middle finger while preparing for a trip to the Phillies spring training home in Clearwater Florida.

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.

Orange & Black @ Orange & Black Giants score 3 runs in 5th to defeat Tigers 6-4 at Oracle Park

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San Francisco Giants Heliot Ramos is thrilled after hitting a home run against San Diego Padres on Sun Sep 15, 2024 at Oracle Park in San Francisco. On Mon Mar 24, 2025 Ramos was three for four with a home run, three hits and three RBIs against the Detroit Tigers at Oracle Park in San Francisco (AP News photo)

Detroit (12-14) 000 200 000 2 5 0

San Francisco (20-6) 100 031 01x 6 11 0

Time: 2:17

Attendance: 24,144

By Lewis Rubman

Monday, March 25, 2025

SAN FRANCISCO–The players have broken camp, and your San Francisco Giants are ready to wrap up spring training with a couple of games against their transbay rivals, the Oakland Athletics. No, wait a minute! There’s something wrong here. It’s the Detroit Tigers your Giants are facing. Not even ex-Athletic A.J. Hinch at the helm can change that. Some things never change, though.

There’s always the fear of injury. The Giants, fearing a recurrence of the back injury that stole their exciting center fielder, 이정후, AKA Lee,Jung Hoo, from them half-way through last year’s letdown season. anxiously await his full recovery from his latest setback.

In the 17 Cactus League games Lee had appeared in, Lee hit .300 with an OPS of .967. No one wants a repeat of Blake Snell’s 2024 on again, off again recovery saga. Lee returned to action in Sunday’s game against the River Cats in Sacramento and went one for two, with a run scored and another driven in over five innings. He went 0 for 3 Monday night.

Matt Chapman seems to have recovered his groove at bat, but his fielding, which can be elegant, has suffered a noticeable decline this spring.. Last year, he, like many of his teammates, committed a lot of hidden errors, including late or poorthrows that prevented double plays and so were unchargeable.

This spring, they’re more visible. Chappy’s five errors in 15 games are a concern. He alleviated some of that this evening with a beautiful backhand grab on Manuel Baez’s scorcher down the third base line and a hard, accurate throw to first to retire the Tigers’ shortstop in the top of the fifth..

For what it’s worth, however, San Francisco, having defeated Detroit, 6-4, in a game that wasn’t as close as the score might indicate, can feek It was one of those games in which by the sixth or seventh inning inning you spend more time and attention trying to keep track of the substitutions than on the action on the field, so don’t expect much detail from the report.

San Francisco used five hurlers, starting with Robbie Ray, who went five frames and allowed two runs, both earned, one four hits, which included a pair of solo home runs in the fourth, He struck out four and gave up one free pass, gaining the win.

Ray was followed by Lou Trivino, Spencer Blevnins, Tyler Rogers, and Eric Miller, each of whom pitched an inning. Blevens gave up a single in the seventh. The only other Giant reliever to suffer any damage was Miller, who yielded two runs, both earned, on two hits, and a walk.

The Tigers used nine pitchers over eight innings. Tyler Horton, the first of the lot got tagged with the loss,

Ramos went 3 for 4, with three RBIs, and a homer for the hosts. The other Giant with a multi-hit game was Patrick Bailey, at 2 for 4, with two RBIs.

The two teams, both clad in orange and black, will continue to confuse the crowd Tuesday, at 5:05PM PDT. The Giants will then fly to Cincinnati to open the season on Wednesday, returning for their home opener on April 4 at 1:35 in the afternoon.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: 2025 MLB Predictions

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A ten year old boy/fan is thrilled to have caught Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Otani’s home run ball at the Tokyo Dome on opening day against the Chicago Cubs on Wed Mar 19, 2025 and showed the baseball to the media. Author Amaury Pi Gonzalez predicts the Dodgers will return to the World Series this season and face the Texas Rangers (AP News photo)

2025 Major League Baseball Season Predictions

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

It is the time of the year to look into my crystal ball and see how teams will do this year.

American League (East)

1-Baltimore

2-Boston

3-New York

4-Toronto

5-Tampa Bay

The Baltimore Orioles are back in force this season. The bullpen is healthier; they lost Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander to free agency, but they still have a young, dynamic lineup and are the best team in this division.

Boston Red Sox is always in the mix and one of the best organizations in baseball. They added Alex Bregman for third base and Walker Buehler, a very good pitcher. They have a shot at a wild card.

The Yankees lost their #1 ace starter, Gerrit Cole, to Tommy John surgery. Even if they were healthy, their rotation would not be the best. Without Cole, they cannot win that division; their best hope is a Wild Card. Their lineup suffered as they lost Juan Soto, but they still can score enough runs to be competitive.

Toronto Blue Jays. I don’t feel them this year. Their last shot to win big with Vladimir Guerreo Jr. and Dante Bichette, who will be free agents after the season. They are good for fourth. Any of the seven Canadian NHL teams have a better shot at winning the Stanley Cup than the Blue Jays winning the World Series.

Tampa Bay Rays will play in a new stadium provisionally while they repair Tropicana Field. It is not because they will play at Hal Steinbrenner Jr ballpark for this year, but the simple fact remains is that they do not have it.

American League (Central)

1-Kansas City

2-Detroit

3-Cleveland

4-Minnesota

5-Chicago

Kansas City Royals should win this division, still with the leadership of catcher Salvador Pérez

Detroit could be in the mix; it’s a young team with lots of potential.

Cleveland and Minnesota will fight to be wild cars, and Chicago will start rebuilding early again. If you like trades, go to Chicago.

American League (West)

1-Texas

2-Seattle

3-Houston

4-Athletics aka ATH

5-Los Angeles

Texas Rangers are loaded and ready to shoot for the top; with Hall of Fame manager Bruce Botchy, they have enough offense, good enough to pitch a great defense, all the components of winning this division, and maybe…maybe a trip to the World Series.

Seattle Mariners are picked just about every year to win, but, nada. This year they “could”finally win it, butt they are not betterr than the Rangers.

Houston Astros and José Alrtuve in left field, without Alex Bregnam anymore at third base. Well, third is a good palce fdor them.

Athletics, aka ATH (now in Sacramento for how many years…? could win this division if they did not have to play the Rangers, Mariners, and Astros, or if they played the Angels every day, they might win it. It is a new city, a new park, and a great attitude from many young and talented players, with an outstanding manager in Mark Kotsay. I like to see the A’s win the Division or a wild card and then play the postseason at Oracle Park(If the Giants do not make it) because there is no way MLB will let the A’s play a postseason in a 14,000-seat park. But this season (again), they ended in fourth place.

Los Angeles Angels, another last-place finish. I’m sorry for one of the true gentlemen of the game, Mike Trout, whom I covered and broadcasted many of his hits as a rookie and then fMVP seasons and who is trying to ride what could be a Hall of Fame career. With only one Trout in this lake, they will not fish much in 2025. Oh, and I’m sorry for a great man and Manager, Ron Washington; he doesn’t deserve this punishment.

National League (East)

1-Atlanta

2-Philadelphia

3-New York

4-Washington

5-Miami

Atlanta Braves, With Ronald Acuña Jr back this year and Matt Olson, Austin Riley, and Michael Harris, have enough powder to get into lots of rallies, and the pitching is still top-notch. They are the team to beat. And for another year, a treat for winning the league.

Philadelphia Phillies, with their great, passionate fans, could win or at least go down to the wire with the Braves, but second place is a safe bet.

New York Mets. Drama in Queens is always on the air. They talk about a pennant but fall short. The NY media creates bogus trade rumors. What else is new?

Washington Nationals should be happy not finishing last. They won their World Series a few years ago, so they should keep enjoying that.

Miami was my second city when I was a teenager. Bienvenidos a Miami, but I’m sorry—they are still a last-place club. Keep the nightclubs in South Beach going!

National League (Central)

1-Chicago Cubs is the best team in this division. Like Sinatra used to say:”My Kind of Town”.

2-Cincinnati Reds (I pick them to surprise everybody, including themselves….if they could only have pitching, this is an inspiring young and fast team

3-Milwaukee Brewers. The days when they were on top are coming to an end. Keep the Beer production.

4-St Louis Cardinals. They always seem to have a lot of Cards and have won 11 World Series, only second to the Yankees. This 2025…close, but no cigar!

5-Pittsburgh Pirates. Last place, in Spanish, also, último lugar.

National League West

1-Los Angeles is the Best team in this Division and League, probably in baseball. They are going for it again, with lots of influence in Japan, as they are already undefeated there.

2-Arizona. If the Dodgers collapse, which will probably be the biggest earthquake of all, the Diamondbacks will win this race

3-San Diego. A lot has to be said about an afternoon game at their beautiful park in San Diego; their fans are restless and looking to put it all together. Maybe?

4-San Francisco Giants. They are now under the Buster Posey Government. They made some interesting off-season changes and could win 82 games. Wild Card?

5-Colorado Rockies. No comment. But the Rocky Mountains are spectacular.

World Series? Texas Rangers vs Los Angeles Dodgers.

You might agree or disagree with me, and that would be normal after all this is America. But remember, at the end, it is only baseball!

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.

Sacramento’s Major League Moment Has Arrived

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Newly renovated Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento shines in the late March Sun as the Giants took on the River Cats (Photo: Jeremiah Salmonson/SRS)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO — Baseball in Sacramento is nothing new. Yet, having a team at the sports pinnacle of competition call the city home is uncharted territory.

The Sacramento River Cats have been playing in the West Sacramento ballpark since the year 2000. Sutter Health Park, formerly known as Raley Field, sits across the Sacramento River from downtown and the capitol building of the state of California. On hot summer nights, the delta breeze rolls in to cool the ballpark down, making it one of the best minor league baseball experiences in the country.

Yet, it was nowhere near Major League Baseball standards.

With the A’s departure from Oakland this past fall after decades of uncertainty surrounding a stadium, the Athletics Baseball Club finds itself in the cozy confines of Sutter Health Park for the 2025 season and beyond. The current plan is for the A’s to be in Sacramento through 2028, but who knows how that timeline will hold up. Nevertheless, the ballpark needed significant upgrades for the A’s to call it their home, albeit temporarily.

Who was responsible for improving the stadium?

Well…

The River Cats and the stadium are now owned by the chairman and owner of the Sacramento Kings, Vivek Ranadive. Vivek purchased the club and the stadium in an August 2022 deal that some saw as a first step in bringing MLB to Sacramento. “I’ve been in touch with the commissioner, I’ve gotten to know him, Rob Manfred, and they will be creating a new team,” Vivek said in Spring 2024. “They want it to be on the West coast, they would love it to be in California, and I think this is a great showcase for us. We can prove that there’s a market here and we can make the team successful. I think we are in full position to get the new franchise… We are investing in making this an MLB-level stadium, and our hope is that it leads to a permanent MLB team.” Clearly, for Vivek, this is about more than a temporary stay for the Athletics.

With Vivek’s vision for the city in mind, the team got busy on improvements to the stadium this past offseason. On Sunday, I had the opportunity to attend the first baseball game at the new and improved venue, a matinee affair.

The stadium and playing surface underwent significant improvements that include a new 75’ x 32’ scoreboard in right-center field, a new network along with improved audio systems, a renovated visiting clubhouse, a new multi-level home clubhouse that includes a weight room and hitting tunnels, a new grass and dirt playing surface specially designed to handle the heat and heavy use this summer, and an additional rooftop seating area on top of the home clubhouse.

The improvements are impressive, and they surely elevate the grounds to MLB standards. Kings president of business operations John Rinehart, who oversaw the renovations, and owner Vivek Ranadive can be proud of the new-look ballpark.

Giants starter Landen Roupp discussed what he thought about the upgrades after his five innings of one-run ball on Sunday: “It’s beautiful, a lot better than it was. It felt good to play here again and see the upgrades. It was really nice.”

Giants scheduled opening-day starter and Rocklin (a 20-minute drive from Sacramento) native Logan Webb also had good things to say when asked about his initial impressions of the stadium: “I noticed the scoreboard, and the batter’s eye. The grass is nice… it looks good!”

The Athletics will officially christen the new digs in the first MLB regular-season game on March 31st at 7:05 P.M. PST. The A’s will take on the visiting Chicago Cubs in the much-anticipated three-game series at Sutter Health Park.

So, while baseball in Sacramento is not new, MLB baseball in the capital city certainly is. It’s an exciting time for local baseball fans, as a year of anticipation finally becomes reality. The stage is set for the city to show what it can offer MLB, and don’t be fooled—the league and commissioner Rob Manfred will be watching closely.

Jeremiah Salmonson is a Sacramento A’s beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants Fall Short in Sacramento, Drop Exhibition to River Cats 4-3

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Sunset over the Tower Bridge in Sacramento during the late innings of the Giants vs River Cats matchup. (Photo: Jeremiah Salmonson)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO — The San Francisco Giants visited Sacramento on Sunday evening, playing as the home team at Sutter Health Park. The Giants faced off against the River Cats at 5:05 PM PST in the upgraded venue that will soon host the Sacramento A’s regular-season games beginning March 31st. However, the River Cats came away with a 4-3 victory over the Giants in West Sacramento.

The Giants started scoring early, jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Jung Hoo Lee doubled home Heliot Ramos with a line drive to right-center field, and later Luis Matos reached base on a throwing error, allowing Lee to score.

The Giants’ offense struck again in the second inning, extending their advantage to 3-0 when Christian Koss doubled in Casey Schmitt. Unfortunately, this marked the end of their scoring for the night, as the River Cats took control from that point forward.

In the fourth inning, the River Cats began chipping away at the deficit as Logan Porter doubled home Hunter Bishop, cutting the Giants’ lead to 3-1.

Giants starter Landen Roupp turned in a strong performance, pitching five innings while allowing just one hit, one earned run, and one walk, with eight strikeouts. Roupp remains in contention for the fifth spot in the starting rotation. Time will tell if he or Birdsong gets the nod for Manager Bob Melvin. 

In contrast, Hayden Birdsong, competing with Roupp for the rotation spot, struggled significantly. Birdsong entered in the sixth inning but was pulled after recording just one out, allowing three hits, two walks, and three earned runs. The River Cats took advantage, scoring three runs in the inning to pull ahead 4-3.

Kai-Wei Teng and Justin Garza combined to pitch the remaining 3 1/3 innings for the Giants, holding the River Cats scoreless. Despite their efforts in the ninth, the Giants’ offense couldn’t produce additional runs, and the game ended in a 4-3 loss. 

After a strong spring, the Giants are feeling good as they return to San Francisco on Sunday night. They have two official spring training games remaining before Opening Day on March 27th against the Reds in Cincinnati.

Key Performers:
Heliot Ramos had a strong showing, going 2-2 with a double and a walk.
Landen Roupp delivered five innings of one-run baseball with eight strikeouts.

Up Next: The Giants return to San Francisco for their first game at Oracle Park this season, hosting the Detroit Tigers in Spring Training action at 6:45 PM PST.

Headline Sports podcast Charlie O Sun Mar 23, 2025: Rays McClanahan leaves with arm injury; Guardians Bibee signs 5 yr $48 million deal; plus more MLB news

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Cleveland Guardians starter Tanner Bibee delivers to the Cincinnati Reds in the second inning during the Grapefruit League action at Goodyear AZ on Mon Mar 17, 2025. Bibee signed a five year $48 million deal on Sat Mar 22, 2025 with the Guardians (AP News photo)

Headline Sports podcast Charlie O Sun Mar 23, 2025

#1 Tampa Bay Rays left handed pitcher Shane McClanahan suffered triceps tightness to his pitching arm. McClanahan will take imaging tests to get an idea how serious the injury is. McClanahan had Tommy John surgery and had not pitched in one game since August 2023. McClanahan pitched 2 1/3 inning giving up a hit and a walk, striking out three batters before having to leave.

#2  Cleveland Guardians right handed pitcher Tanner Bibee signed a five year deal on Saturday worth $48 million. Bibee will also pitch on opening day Thursday against the Kansas City Royals. Bibee went 12-8 with a 3.47 ERA last season.

#3  Arizona Diamondbacks closer Justin Martinez a right hander has signed a $18 million with five year contract. Martinez is competing for the closing job. The contract surpasses his one year MLB contract that was $772,200 and $335,7000 minor league salary.

#4 San Francisco Giants DH and outfielder Jerar Encarnacion suffered a fractured left hand during Friday’s spring training game attempting to make a ctach in the outfield. The Giants didn’t say how long that Encarnacion will be out. Encarnacion hit two home runs, 14 RBIs and a .302 batting average in spring training.

#5  Los Angeles Dodgers two way star Shohei Ohtani slugged his first home run of the 2025 season on Wednesday as the Dodgers would win the game against the Chicago Cubs 6-3 at the Tokyo Dome on Wednesday. The home run did have to be reviewed as the ball deflect off a fan and fell onto the field.

Join Charlie O for Headline Sports podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento A’s Relocation podcast Daniel Dullum Sun Mar 23, 2025: Vegas Stadium Authority is still waiting on A’s to come up with construction money

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The site of the Las Vegas A’s ballpark at the Tropicana on the Las Vegas strip which is being cleared for construction. The Las Vegas Stadium Authority is waiting for the A’s to come up with $100 million their share of the construction costs. (Las Vegas Review Journal file photo)

Sacramento A’s Relocation podcast Daniel Dullum:

#1 Daniel, after all this time and the deadline to pay for the A’s Las Vegas ballpark construction costs was due last December the Sacramento A’s owner John Fisher’s payment is still on hold at the tune of $1.75 billion.

#2 As of last week the A’s need to get private money and at a price that is of higher value then the team itself to get the Vegas park and shovels into the ground. No word from the A’s on the loan for the ballpark that was supposed to come from U.S. Bank and Goldman Sachs.

#3 The A’s right now need to come up with $100 million to just get started with limited public financing from the SB1 public funding bill that was approved in 2023 by the Nevada State Assembly for $380 million.

#4 Word is the Fisher Family has not come up with the funding and Las Vegas authorities can not confirm publicly or otherwise that the family has that kind of money or has that money to put down as of last week.

#5 A’s team president Sandy Dean said in an early March meeting with the Nevada Stadium Authority headed by Nevada Stadium Authority Chairman Steven Hill that the A’s will have the money coming from the Fisher Family and loans from U.S. Bank and Goldman Sachs. It’s yet to be seen. There are two questions regarding the financing of the Vegas ballpark #1 What will the Nevada State Assembly do if the Fishers can not come up with their share of the construction costs so that money from the SB1 bill can start funding the ballpark. #2 Will this land on the lap of MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred who helped spearhead the A’s relocation and will MLB be forced to go back to the drawing board and have to find a new location for the A’s who are playing their interim years in Sacramento?

#6 Can Oakland get back at the table if Vegas falls apart? Oakland has an interim Mayor Kevin Jenkins and Oakland will vote for a new mayor in November either Barbara Lee or Loren Taylor. If John Fisher has no where else to go would he and Rob Manfred reconsider working with a new Oakland Mayor and renew interest in building a downtown Oakland ballpark?

Daniel Dullum does the A’s Relocation podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Giants selling ownership stake – What does it mean?

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Giants selling ownership stake – What does it mean?

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

San Francisco Giants CEO Larry Baer says the money from the sale of 10% of the Giants will be used for ballpark improvements with the developments around the ballpark (San Francisco Chronicle file photo)

The San Francisco Giants dropped a 10% ownership stake in the franchise to the private equity firm Sixth Street, as reported today by the New York Times. The Giants did not confirm the specific share that it sold. Still, they said it was a “strategic partnership.” Larry Baer, Giants President, and CEO, said that the deal “allows (the Giants) to strengthen further our franchise on the field and in the community.”

That the Giants intend to use the money for improvements to Oracle Park and the Mission Rock mixed-use development surrounding the stadium, as well as the team’s Spring Training complex in Scottsdale. But it will not impact the team’s players’ payroll. And added, “This is about improvements to the ballpark, making big bets on San Francisco and the community around us, and having the firepower to take us into the next generation.” said Baer Major League Baseball Network revealed.

Major League Baseball and NBC Sports Regional Networks announced a new partnership today to stream games consumers for three MLB Clubs: Athletics (NBC Sports California), Giants (NBC Sports Bay Area), and Phillies (NBC Sports Philadelphia) – through MLB.TV during the 2025 season.

Fans in the Clubs’ home territories can now watch the networks’ game coverage live and on-demand with live pre-and post-game shows through the league’s streaming service, which is now entering its 23rd season. Talking about money for those who like to watch MLB games on TV.

This 2025 season- Packages for the A’s and Giants will be available monthly for $19.99 and can be bundled with MLB.TV’s out-of-market games for $39.99 a month. The Phillies package will be available for $24.99 monthly and can be bundled with MLB.TV’s out-of-market package for $44.99 per month.

Here’s a list of the current valuations for each MLB franchise as of late 2024,

1-New York Yankees $7.55 Billion

2 Los Angeles Dodgers $5.45 Billion

3 Boston Red Sox $4.5 Billion

4 Chicago Cubs $4.22 Billion

5 San Francisco Giants $3.8 Billion

6 New York Mets $3 Billion

7 Philadelphia Phillies $2.92 Billion

8 Atlanta Braves $2.8 Billion

9 Los Angeles Angels $2.7 Billion

10 St. Louis Cardinals $2.55 Billion

11 Houston Astros $2.42 Billion

12 Texas Rangers $2.4 Billion

13 Seattle Mariners $2.2 Billion

14 Toronto Blue Jays $2.1 Billion

15 Chicago White Sox $2.05 Billion

16 Washington Nationals $2 Billion

17 San Diego Padres $1.78 Billion

18 Baltimore Orioles $1.73 Billion

19 Milwaukee Brewers $1.6 Billion

20 Colorado Rockies $1.48 Billion

21 Minnesota Twins $1.46 Billion

22 Detroit Tigers $1.45 Billion

23 Arizona Diamondbacks $1.43 Billion

24 Cleveland Guardians $1.35 Billion

25 Pittsburgh Pirates $1.32 Billion

26 Cincinnati Reds $1.26 Billion

27 Tampa Bay Rays $1.25 Billion

28 Kansas City Royals $1.2 Billion

29 Miami Marlins $1.2 Billion

30 Oakland Athletics $1.1 Billion

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.