Tag: Oakland A’s

A’s environmental report for Jack London Square ballpark released: City of Oakland goal park to be a destination

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Oakland A’s team president David Kaval stands by the glass door at the Oakland Coliseum. Kaval  hopes if everything works out the construction of the A’s new park at Howard Terminal at Jack London Square should break ground by 2023 (file photo from the San Francisco Chronicle)

By Jerry Feitelberg and Joe Hawkes (SRS staff writers)

OAKLAND–The City of Oakland released an environmental impact report on Friday that proposes a new state of the art stadium for the Oakland A’s on the waterfront site at Howard Terminal. The new park would included 35,000 seats, 3,000 units of residential condos, housing, apartments, office working space consisting of 1.5 million feet and retail business space of 270,000 feet.

The A’s who have offices at Jack London Square will move the rest of their operations from their offices at the Oakland Coliseum to Jack London Square when the park is ready. The city said that they had envisioned big plans and ideas for the waterfront site and to convert it into a neighborhood for living, shopping, entertainment, and the A’s new park.

This is the A’s second attempt to get a park built in downtown Oakland their first attempt was at the Laney College location located at Lake Merritt but that was shot down after the college’s faculty staff objected to the A’s building a stadium at the site and it would disrupt business and traffic.

The A’s are now seeking the Howard Terminal site this time they have the city behind them on this project not to mention the 2018 legislation bill AB734 which the legislature passed which requires all complaints against the construction of the new park be filed under 270 days.

If the A’s can not move to Howard Terminal it had been suggested that the A’s could stay at the Oakland Coliseum location but the A’s and Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred are all in for moving to Howard Terminal and that the Coliseum location for a new park is not an option.

Kaval said that he was pleased about getting the environmental impact report out and looked at it as a step forward towards getting started on the new Howard Terminal ballpark “We are really excited to get our draft out there, and to advance the project forward so it can be voted on by the City Council this year, which is really our key goal.”

Opponents to the new park have stated that traffic, parking, poor transit access are some of the issues that dockworkers and maritime residents have said they are concerned about. The port is concerned about conducting their business while their are ball games taking place, traffic from retail, restaurants, and housing residents.

Stadium opponents spokesman Mike Jacob vice president of the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association said “that Oakland’s working waterfront is no place for a stadium, office and luxury condominium complex at this location.”

Jerry Feitelberg is an Oakland A’s beat reporter and Joe Hawkes is a news contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Giants Casali to back up Posey as Bart opens season in Sacramento; A’s Murphy expected back by opening day

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Former Cincinnati Reds catcher Curt Casali joins the San Francisco Giants in the back up roll to start the 2021 season. Catcher Joey Bart who started most of 2021 will open the season in Triple A Sacramento (AP News file photo)

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

#1 Amaury, How smart is the move sending San Francisco Giants catcher Joey Bart to Triple A Sacramento for more instruction. Last season Bart hit .233 and struck out 41 times.

#2 When Giants catcher Buster Posey opted to sit out the 2020 season due to Coronavirus concerns Bart was made the starting catcher. With all the high expectations of Bart he lapsed at the plate and will not be with the big club to start the season.

#3 The Giants acquired catcher Curt Casali as the back up catcher for Posey. Casali has been in the big league since 2014 playing for Tampa Bay before moving onto the Cincinnati Reds 2018 and now joining the Giants this season. Casali hit .167, 12 hits, no homers and 3 RBIs. Casali joins the Giants mostly for his defensive skills and experience working with pitchers behind the plate.

#4 Amaury, the A’s moved on acquiring players like Trevor Rosenthal pitcher, DH Mitch Mooreland, infielder Elvis Andrus, pitcher Sergio Romo, and resigning Yusmerio Petit after former A’s players Marcus Semien and Liam Hendriks had left are these big enough pieces to fill their shoes?

#5 A’s catcher Sean Murphy is recovery from lung surgery and is expected to be ready to start on opening day. The A’s will be looking at his back up Aramis Garcia who will be doing a lot of the catching in spring training. Garcia hit .143, six hits, five runs, five RBIs. Garcia spent the 2020 season in the minors.

#6 Amaury, the Oakland A’s Fanfest is normally at this time of the year but due to Coronavirus there have been no fanfests for the last two seasons normally held at Jack London Square.

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

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast Tue Feb 23, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Athletics Have Their Closer and their Designated Hitter

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Former San Diego Padre reliever Trevor Rosenthal seen here throwing during Sep 13, 2020 game against the San Francisco Giants at Petco Park in San Diego. Rosenthal has signed on with the Oakland A’s for $11 million for the 2021 season (AP News file photo)

Athletics Have Their Closer and their Designated Hitter

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

Closer: After losing Liam Hendricks to free agency as he landed with the Chicago White Sox, the Oakland A’s acquired veteran closer Trevor Rosenthal for $11 million and one year. Pending a physical he will be wearing the Green and Gold very soon in Spring Training. Rosenthal is 30 years old and during eight years as a closer showing 132 saves.

During the 2020 season he pitched for Kansas City and San Diego and recorded 11 saves. Between Kansas City and San Diego he made 23 appearances saved 11 games, with a 1.90 ERA.

He enjoyed his best years with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2014 when he saved 45 games and 2015 with 48 saves as an All Star. Designated Hitter: With the departure of Khris Davis, going to Texas a few weeks ago, the Athletics have picked-up veteran Mitch Moreland for one-year.

Moreland is a first baseman and designated hitter, and will probably be their DH most of the time and when Matt Olson needs a rest at first base, he will provide the back-up. Mitch Moreland is an 11 year career with Texas, Boston and San Diego, combined numbers are .252 average with 176 home runs and 588 runs-batted-in.

Spring Training: Frankie Montás, Oakland’s Opening Day starter last season is experiencing flu-like symptoms, Melvin said: “He’s several days into it,” Melvin said during a Zoom call before the A’s first workout of spring on Wednesday. “He does feel the effects of it.

He was having some symptoms, more flu-like than probably anything else at this point. He’s going to be a little bit behind.” Catcher Sean Murphy who enjoyed a very good rookie season in 2020 is out of action and not in Spring Training.

According to manager Bob Melvin, the catcher woke up one morning a couple of weeks ago and noticed discomfort while breathing. He went to the hospital and later that day had surgery.

David Forst, the team’s general manager described the injury as a “freak thing” that could have been caused by something as simple as a hard cough during his sleep that led to a pulmonary bleb (a small air pocket or blister) that created a small hole in his lung, Doctors said that while the surgery was not necessary, it was recommended to avoid a recurrence.

Young lefty A.J.Puk threw and felt “free and easy” coming back after shoulder surgery. His would be a very important part of a young and talented rotation, if he can make the team this season, something the organization will like to see in 2021.

Stay well and stay tuned.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez for That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast each Tuesday mornings at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Ex-A’s pinch runner Washington says lawsuit is about stopping McDonald’s from practicing systematic racism

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Former Oakland A’s pinch runner and owner of some 14 McDonalds franchises Herb Washington says that the McDonald’s Corporation has forced him to sell seven of his stores to white owners because he’s black (AP News photo)

By Charlie O

A lawsuit has been filed in U.S. District Court in Ohio by former Oakland A’s pinch runner Herb Washington. Washington’s law suit claims that McDonalds discriminated against him forcing him to sell as many as seven McDonald’s franchise restaurants in 2017.

Washington now 69 is the largest owner of black owned McDonald’s restaurants in the chain in the 40 years of owning McDonald’s restaurants Washington had as many as 27 restaurants he has 14 now. The lawsuit that Washington filed states the reason why for the suit “because of the opposition to the relentless discrimination he has endured in the McDonald’s system.”

The seven restaurants that he was forced to sell were in the past three years to white owners. The lawsuit also says “McDonald’s subjected Mr. Washington to targeted and unreasonable inspections and harsh grading to manufacture negative internal business reviews on account of his race, which McDonald’s then used as pretext to dismantle Mr. Washington’s business.”

McDonald’s responded in a statement saying “This situation is the result of years of mismanagement by Mr. Washington, whose organization has failed to meet many of our standards on people, operations, guest satisfaction and reinvestment. His restaurants have a public record of these issues including past health and sanitation concerns and some of the highest volumes of customer complaints in the country”

Washington in his complaint said that McDonald’s steered black owners into disadvantaged areas and he was also forced to open a restaurant “in a distressed predominantly black neighborhood” in Rochester NY and that McDonald’s stopped Washington’s attempts to buy a store in the white suburb of University Heights Ohio which Washington says was sold to a white owner.

Washington was a pinch runner for the Oakland A’s during the 1974 and 1975 seasons and went onto the World Series where the A’s won it all in 1974. A’s broadcaster Monte Moore always introduced Washington as the A’s “pinch runner deluxe” during A’s broadcasts when he came out to run. Washington scored 33 runs in 105 games during his two years in Oakland.

Charlie O is a contributor reporter for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Swinging A’s World Series Hero Passed at 73

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Former Oakland Athletic Angel (Cuqui) Mangual who passed away on Tue Feb 16, 2021 at 73 years old played for the Oakland A’s for seven season (1971-1976) and was on three of the World Championships teams during that time (photo from conlasbasesllenas.com)

Swinging A’s World Series Hero Passed at 73

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND–In 1972,1973 and 1974 the Oakland Athletics became the only other Major League franchise, other than the New York Yankees to win at least three straight World Series titles. Angel (Cuquí) Mangual was 73 years old, he played for the Oakland A’s during his seven year career (1971-1976) but impacted Charlie O Finley Swinging A’s in a big way.

During Game 4 of the 1972 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds, the Puerto Rican outfielder became an instant hero as he delivered a game-winning hit for the victory. The A’s had a Major League record three pinch-hit singles in the ninth inning.

The Athletics went on to win the Series in seven games. That was the first of three-consecutive World Series titles, followed in 1973 with another seven game thrilling win against the New York Mets and then in 1974 the Swinging A’s took the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games. Angel Mangual set the pace for the Swinging A’s dynasty of the 1970’s.

Angel’s younger brother José (Pepe) Mangual announced the passing of his ill brother. José played for six years from 1972 to 1977 with the Montreal Expos and New York Mets. Mark Oliveras, considered the best manager in the history of professional baseball in Puerto Rico said: (quote)”I remember that in Puerto Rico and the United States they compared his abilities to those of Roberto Clemente. Even his body language reminded me of Roberto, his smile and the way he comported himself. His health has not been good in the last few years. I will always remember him, may God have him next to him in eternal glory”.

Angel once said about Clemente: “Roberto me ayudó mucho cuando estaba con la organización de los Piratas de Pittsburgh y siempre me decía como jugar el béisbol, pero lo que más me impresionaba es que siempre estaba hablando conmigo” Trans: “Roberto helped me a lot when I was with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, and always told me how to play baseball, but what most impressed me about him, is that he was always talking to me”.

May Angel “Cuquí” Mangual Rest in Peace.

Stay well and stay tuned.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president of the MLB Hispanic Heritage Hall of Fame Museum and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Petit and Romo just what A’s relief needed; Golf with no fans and celebrities different at the AT&T; plus more

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Former Minnesota Twin pitcher Sergio Romo throws a pitch against the Cleveland line up in a game on Fri Sep 11, 2020. Romo joined the Oakland A’s pitching staff as of Sun Feb 14, 2021 (AP News file photo)

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Marcus Semien and Liam Hendriks won’t be in the A’s spring training camp no longer with the A’s but relievers Yusmeiro Petit and Sergio Romo will be. Talk about the impact they will have on closing games this season. 

#2 Petit signed a one year for $2.55 million deal plus incentives and and Romo is on board for one season for $2.25 million.

#3 Petit last season pitched in 26 games was 2-1 ERA 1.66 and Romo last season was 1-2 4.05 last season a 60 plus game season this year a full 162 games how preparation will Petit and Romo need?

#4 Amaury turning to pro golf, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am has been an event without fans and celebrities has this made a difference in this PGA Tour.

#5 Tennis pro Serena Williams whose currently participating in her 24th Grand Slam at the Australian Open. Williams was talking about how excited she was to own a women’s professional soccer team called the Angel City FC in Los Angeles. This has to be a great new venture a new and exciting business for Serena.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez for That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast Tue Feb 16, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Athletics Veterans in the Bullpen

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Aug 24, 2020 Oakland A’s reliever Yusmeiro Petit throws against the Texas Rangers in Arlington during last year’s regular season. Petit is signed with the A’s for the 2021 season. (AP News photo file)

Athletics Veterans in the Bullpen

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND–The A’s solidifying their bullpen after they lost star closer Liam Hendricks, who was considered the best closer available among all the free-agents during the off-season, now with the Chicago White Sox and Joaquim Soria now with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The team is keeping Yusmeiro Petit, 36 years old and a solid veteran arm, one of manager’s Bob Melvin’s favorite and acquired “el veterano” Sergio Romo, who turns 39 in March. Petit and Romo won two World Series for the team across the bay.

On Friday the Athletics were involved in a four-player trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Athletics got more bullpen help with lefty Adam Kolarek plus outfielder prospect Cody Thomas. In return they send infielder Sheldon Neuse and minor league right handed pitcher Gus Varland.

Right now, looks like a very good deal for the Athletics, as Kolarek last season was 3-0 with a 0.95 earned run average in 20 games and 1 save. Kolarek is the ideal lefty to face a lefty hitter in a game situation late in a game.

Sheldon Neuse played some infield for the A’s and Gus Varland is a prospect and might be the key for the Dodgers who are basically loaded with talent and tweaking their club as they are favorite to repeat this year again.

The Western Division this season will be a three-team race, between the reigning division champion Athletics, the Houston Astros and possibly the Los Angeles Angels. I will have my analysis of this division before the season opener April 1.

The Oakland Athletics open the season at home with a 4-game series against the Houston Astros, followed by the World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers for a three-game series.

Stay well and stay tuned.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio voice for the Oakland A’s on flagship station 1010 KIQI La Grande San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: First Good News for the A’s in 2021 -Now we wait–

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Oakland A’s team president David Kaval stands by the Howard Terminal location at the Port of Oakland on Wed Feb 10, 2021 where the Oakland A’s hope to fulfill their dream of a new ballpark (photo by Bay Area News Group)

First Good News for the A’s in 2021 -Now we wait–

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND–The Oakland A’s were looking for some good news, since they won the Western Division of the American League last year, they eliminated the Chicago White Sox during the Wild-Card Series, and then were eliminated by the Houston Astros.

Nevertheless, this week brought the best good news to the Athletics when a Judge of the Alameda County Superior Court ruled in favor of the A’s in a lawsuit that would have derailed the team’s plan of construction of the Howard Terminal waterfront stadium.

Things got delayed, but always an optimist Athletics President Dave Kaval said, after the ruling: “We were going to try to open by 2023. That obviously slipped. How far it slipped, I can’t answer that I don’t know yet. It depends on if the city can even get this to a vote this year. It depends on the other priorities the city council might have.”

There are a lot of moving parts here. We still have not reached first base, with the mission to score a new ballpark. The attention focused on the Pandemic and vaccination and all that, the attention for the project has cooled-off, understandably.

The Environmental Impact Report has to be approved by the City of Oakland. A few weeks ago A’s pitching great Dave Stewart submitted a $115 million bid to buy the city’s share, which was a bigger hit than the cost to buy the Athletics at $85 million, and that could complicate the whole enchilada. There are still a lot of moving parts regarding the construction of the Howard Terminal ballpark for the Athletics.

Like the great CBS Walter Cronkite used to say: “And that’s the way it is”

Stay well and stay tuned.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play announcer for the Oakland A’s Spanish radio flagship station 1010 KIQI Le Grande San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A’s get leg up on Howard Terminal Stadium; Superior Court Judge and AB734 ruling gets A’s on first base

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Oakland A’s president David Kaval says he’s glad the A’s won this first step to move forward towards a new Howard Terminal Ballpark at Jack London Square (file photo from the Mercury News)

By Amaury Pi Gonzalez and Joe Hawkes

Sports Radio Service staff writers

OAKLAND–The Oakland A’s caught what A’s team president David Kaval would call a huge break just when the future of the A’s new ballpark development had no new developments since March.  Wednesday an Alameda Superior Court judge ruled for the A’s that the A’s need to prepare an environmental impact report and meet the qualifications of the impact report .

Once the report is ready the A’s are still subject to complaints and legal challenges for example traffic and parking , and air quality issues. The A’s would have 270 days from any complaints or challenges filed. The coalition filed an appeal with the court on Wednesday right after the judges ruling.

AB734 a state bill passed by then Governor Jerry Brown in 2018 helped expedite arenas, stadiums and ballparks built in California. It helped the Sacramento Kings expedite their arena Golden One Center after the Kings met challenges in their developments. The courts moved the challenges through working or basically overruling those who had complaints and challenges such as parking, transit and air quality issues.

The A’s could very well enjoy that same cut through the red tape challenge and get to the next step and see groundbreaking of their new stadium located at Howard Terminal at Jack London Square finally get started.

The A’s have face many challenges to get the stadium project off the ground. In March the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association, Schnitzer Steel, the Harbor Trucking Association all filed a court lawsuit challenging the A’s on building at the port. The complaint said that in doing so would eliminate port jobs and put businesses there out of business.

Mike Jacob vice president of the general counsel of Pacific Merchant Shipping Association said he is hopeful that the court will agree “that the Howard Terminal project should not be certified for fast tracking and the A’s follow the standard environmental impact review process.”

Kaval said that the city of Oakland is responsible for releasing the environmental impact report and it’s completion. The most recent delays regarding the A’s Howard Terminal development was due to the pandemic and the opposing groups lawsuits.

Joe Hawkes is a staff writer and Amaury Pi Gonzalez does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Krush for Elvis-A Trade of Convenience-

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Former Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus throws the ball in this Mar 11, 2020 photo as Andrus heads to the Oakland A’s as the A’s were looking for a shortstop (AP News photo)

Krush for Elvis-A Trade of Convenience-

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

OAKLAND–The Oakland Athletics do not have to look anymore for an everyday shortstop, after Marcus Semien left for Toronto. Today, the A’s and the Rangers made an interesting trade. The A’s traded Khris Davis DH/outfielder to the Texas Rangers for shortstop Elvis Andrus and catcher Aramis García, who played for the Giants last year. In the deal the A’s also send young catcher Jonah Heim as well as minor league right-handed pitcher Dave Acker to the Rangers.

Elvis Andrus began his 12 year career with the Rangers in 2009 and he showed how good he was going to be when he visited the Oakland Coliseum during his very first trip. Last season he hit .197 with three home runs and seven runs batted in a total of 27 games. However, he is a career .274 hitter with 1,628 games played at shortstop, most by a shortstop in Major League Baseball since that debut during a night game at Oakland.

Khris “Krush” Davis hit only .200 with 2 home runs and ten runs batted in 30 games last season. He was a very productive slugger specially during a three-year period with the A’s from 2016 to 2018 when he hit over 40 home runs and 100 runs batted-in or more each season.

The proverbial trade of convenience, because both players needed a change of scenery, both had down years in 2020 but if they can regain some of their productivity at the plate, it could benefit both ball-clubs as well as prolong their careers. Elvis Andrus has been a solid defensive shortstop and a very productive hitter, with excellent speed running the bases.

When I first saw Elvis Andrus during the first game he ever played at the Coliseum he showed tremendous defensive skills and as a hitter not an easy out, top-of-the-order hitter with good speed.

I remember at that time (first time we saw him play) we spoke highly of him during our Spanish broadcast of the Atléticos Radio Network. In 2019 and 2020 Khris Davis lost his confidence after the A’s signed him for a two year deal.

Krush gave A’s fans a lot of thrills, the young man of an African-American father and Mexican mother is a good guy, decent man but his swing was just not there. A’s players got along well with Krush and we wish him nothing but the best in Texas, a ballpark much more friendlier for his home-run swing than the Oakland Coliseum.

Andrus was tutored back in his early years by Omar Vizquel, one of the greatest defensive shortstops in history. Andrus as well as Vizquel both from Venezuela, the land of shortstops and Elvis Andrus always will be grateful to his compatriot.

Some of the other shortstops from Venezuela: Chico Carrasquel, Luis Aparicio (Hall of Fame), David Concepción, Omar Vizquel, Ozzie Guillén, Carlos Guillén, Alcides Escobar, Alex González, César Izturis, Eugenio Sánchez, Gleyber Torres. It is my opinion that Dave Concepción as well as Omar Vizquel should join Luis Aparicio someday in the Hall of Fame at Cooperstown.

Stay well and stay tuned.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play talent for the Oakland A’s Spanish flagship station 1010 KIQI LeGrande San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com