Tag: Oakland A’s

Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O: Dodgers Lux out for season replaced at second with Betts; Ex-Red Votto signs minor league deal with Blue Jays; plus more news

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Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Mookie Betts (50) is moving to shortstop due to the season ending injury to shortstop Gavin Lux (AP News photo)

On Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O:

#1 The Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Gavin Lux has been struggling with shot hop throw to first place and then moved him to second base. Lux later torn his right ACL running bases on Feb 27 and had season ending surgery on Mar 7. Six time golden glover Mookie Betts will move from second base to shortstop. Manger Dave Roberts calls the move permanent.

#2 Charlie how surprised are you that former MVP and Cincinnati Red Joey Votto who pleaded with the Toronto Blue Jays to get another chance to play has agreed to a minor league deal to work his way back again. Votto is 40 and has played 17 seasons in the majors.

#3 Cincinnati Reds third baseman Noelvi Marte has been suspended for 80 games for PED use. Marte tested positive for Boldenone. Marte 22, hit .316 last season with three homers in 35 games. The Reds were counting on Marte’s services and this has to be a huge disappointment that he will miss half the season.

#4 The Baltimore Orioles are close to finalizing their sale to David Rubenstein who bought the Orioles from Peter Angelos for $1.725 billion. Angelos bought the Orioles in 1993 for $173 million.

#5 The Oakland A’s played two games in Las Vegas this past Friday and Saturday. How much were these two games showcasing the A’s before they move to Vegas in 2028? Both games at Las Vegas Ballpark were sold out. Our reporter Rich Perez said that close to 100 reporters had been credentialed and you safely bet there was no room in the pressbox. The A’s plan to hold these two games series every spring until they move there in 2028.

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

Oakland A’s podcast with Rich Perez: A’s-Brewers exhibition a showcase for A’s future home in Vegas

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Oakland A’s owner John Fisher spoke with the media on Sat Mar 9, 2024 at Las Vegas Ballpark regarding the new Tropicana ballpark renderings which has been compared to an Armadillo or the Sydney Opera House (renderings courtesy of the Oakland A’s)

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Rich:

#1 Rich, you’ve been all weekend at Las Vegas Ballpark talk about the sense the players get from being in Las Vegas away from their regular spring training facility in Mesa AZ?

#2 John Fisher the A’s owner addressed the media over the two game series in Las Vegas saying that in terms of the new ball park or the Sydney Opera House that Fisher wanted a park that would fit in with all the other innovations of the Las Vegas Strip.

#3 Bjarke Ingels Group is the A’s lead designer for the ball park and Fisher had walked with BIG Group around the Tropicana to get a idea and design of what would work on the nine acre space. Fisher said he’s thrilled with what they’ve come up with.

#4 The A’s once it’s done would have the largest scoreboard in Major League Baseball at 18,000 square feet which according to the rendering would be on the right hand side on the roof of home plate.

#5 Finally Rich talk about your experience over the last two days working with the A’s and Brewers at Las Vegas Ballpark and having to sit next to the dugout during this exhibition game which drew a lot of media to cover a series where the A’s could call their home in 2028.

Rich Perez covered the Oakland A’s and Milwaukee Brewers two game series at Las Vegas Ballpark on Mar 8th and 9th for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Rich Perez: Fans and players talk about Sydney Opera House model stadium at Las Vegas Ballpark at A’s exhibition game

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Las Vegas Ballpark the site of the two game series between the Milwaukee Brewers and Oakland A’s in Las Vegas for Fri Mar 8, 2024 and Sat Mar 9, 2024 (Las Vegas Review Journal photo)

On the A’s podcast with Rich Perez:

#1 Rich, your podcasting and covering the Oakland A’s for us at Las Vegas Ballpark for tonight’s exhibition game vs. the Milwaukee Brewers. You had a chance to get down on the field and also around the ball park and ask how Nevadans feel about spending $380 million in public money for a new ballpark.

#2 Are people in Las Vegas where your at right now convinced that they’ll get a return for their public money on a ballpark that the A’s and the State of Nevada expect to sell out every event there for some 30 years so it will be paid off?

#3 Oakland A’s owner John Fisher says he’s secured half of the $1.5 billion of his share towards the construction costs of the ballpark. That would mean he still needs to find the other $500 million the clock has ran out and something needs to be decided on soon.

#4 Rich how much do you see of this hold up getting the funding and waiting for a design in the form of blueprints putting baseball and the A’s behind schedule.

#5 Your there in Las Vegas the Aviators ballpark although the players some of them anyway marvel at the artist renderings of the proposed Sydney Opera House ballpark some say this is just an idea but not the real thing?

Rich Perez is covering the Oakland A’s in Las Vegas for Fri Mar 9 and Sat Mar 10 for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s Relocaton podcast with Daniel Dullum: Kaval meets the media before A’s pre season game in Las Vegas

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Rendering of Las Vegas Tropicana ballpark part of the Armadillo series (renderings presented by the Oakland A’s)

On the Oakland A’s Relocation podcast with Daniel:

#1 Daniel you had a chance to look at the future Las Vegas A’s Tropicana Ballpark which has been referenced as a Sydney Opera Place look a like or a Armadillo which Oakland A’s owner John Fisher seems to take as a compliment.

#2 It’s a multilayered roof which has area that look out from behind the home plate and the outfield window has a view of Las Vegas Blvd where you could see the New York New York casino and hotel.

#3 Ironically when Fisher gave comments about the Armadillo renderings he was speaking to the San Francisco Chronicle from his Jack London Square offices where the A’s dream of having a ballpark is all but dead once the A’s start play in Las Vegas in 2028.

#4 Fisher also said the financing has been figured out $380 million from the State of Nevada, $200 million will be money owed, and the Fisher Family will pay $500 million this would include equity investors. The catch could be whose going to be on the hook for the final $500 million. Could that come from another investor group or will Fisher have that unsolved for the rest of the baseball season?

#5 When you look at all of it Daniel and we’ve talked to fans and analysts like yourself it seems that Schools over Stadiums is a long shot but the last chance to get an initiative on the November ballot that would stop the public money for financing the Tropicana. The other is the lawsuit filed by Strong Public Schools who say the Nevada Legislature’s vote was suppose to be a two thirds vote not a majority vote.

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

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Do you suffer from A’s fatigue?

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Former Oakland A’s pitcher Trevor May has been open being against the A’s leaving Oakland and also saying that A’s owner John Fisher should sell the team (AP News file photo)

Do you suffer from A’s fatigue?

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

I know some A’s fans because they have told me they suffer from fatigue about the team’s current situation. What is fatigue? Fatigue is common, and one of the main components of fatigue is “burnout.” The constant talk about “they are leaving,” “no, they are staying,” “it is not over yet,” “sell the team,” they are heard all over the A’s fan-hood.

There is also “anxiety” about the Oakland-Las Vegas-Sacramento-Salt Lake City Athletics. Ex-A’s closer Trevor May has spoken publicly about his anxiety as a pitcher months before he blasted the Oakland A’s ownership.

Anxiety is very real, and although sports is just a part of life, which is meant for people to enjoy, some fans have worked themselves up with something of an obsession about their team potentially leaving Oakland, which creates a constant state of anxiety for uncertain things.

All the cities involved are trying to have the A’s play their games at their respective home parks; their elected officials and the teams that own the parks are all trying to get a piece of the A’s.

There are people on their podcasts in the Bay Area dedicating most of their time to the Oakland A’s saga, from local journalists to some other people outside the Bay Area like David Samson, once President of the Miami Marlins, on his top-rated podcast as he said: “Whether they were close or not, my view has always been that there is a deal to be done to keep the A’s in Oakland.”

He also says that he doesn’t believe the owners would force John Fisher to sell the team, so he doesn’t see a forced sale as an option.

Whatever your situation about the A’s, most things are not under your control. For example, if you do not have a vote in the City of Oakland or are not an executive of the Oakland A’s with the decision-making power to make something happen, you should not worry since you can’t control it anyway.

So what is the point of torturing yourself unless you are a masochist (enjoy experiments that give you pain)

Negotiations: The A’s and the City of Oakland are at an impasse. They have yet to agree to a lease extension beyond this 2024 season, during which they will play at the Oakland Coliseum.

This means that, as of today, it is still possible that this 2024 season will be the last time the Oakland A’s play at the Oakland Coliseum, which make 2024 a very historical year. But I will not let it worry me because I, just like you, cannot control the situation.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play voice on the Oakland A’s Spanish radio network at 1010 KIQI San Francisco and 990 KATD Pittsburg and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Is the Halo Stadium rendering better than the Sydney Opera House rendering?

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Who did have the better rendering the A’s “Halo” model or the “Sydney Opera House” model? Either way the A’s seemed determined more than ever to get started on the project. (renderings from the Oakland A’s)

On the A’s podcast with Jerry F:

#1 How surprised were you when you first saw the A’s renderings for their Tropicana ballpark in Las Vegas?

#2 Some have said the first rendering makes more sense than the second rendering a look a like to the Sydney Opera House.

#3 Still whatever design the A’s decide on the question is still being asked how John Fisher A’s owner is going to pay for his share of the construction costs.

#4 The Tropicana is going to implode the towers at the hotel and casino next month as they will stop taking reservations in early April. If this Fisher continues to struggle finding the money to pay for his half of the construction costs and work had already begun on the Tropicana what will the Tropicana do and will Fisher have no choice but to go back to Oakland?

#5 Jerry, with the new renderings out how much momentum does this give Schools over Stadiums in terms of their argument to stop public funding for the ballpark due to Nevada is 48th in the country on getting state funds for education, Nevada has the largest class size in the nation, the highest rate of educator vacancy in the USA.

Join Jerry for the A’s podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: A’s unveil Tropicana Park renderings; They look like Sydney Opera House

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Oakland A’s ballpark rendering at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino. The rendering some say reminds them of the Sydney Opera or Canada Place in Vancouver as presented by A’s president David Kaval in Las Vegas (renderings from the Oakland A’s web page)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amaury, Oakland A’s team president David Kaval said the A’s will be unveiling the new renderings for the Tropicana Park before this Friday’s game at Las Vegas Ballpark.

#2 If these are just artist renderings this doesn’t solve the questions about how the park’s dimensions look like. What the public wants to look at are the actual blue prints done by an architect.

#3 Amaury, are these going to be the renderings that should have been presented in the first place? Will they be blueprints done by an architect that will answer a lot of questions that the public had been looking for? If they are just artists renderings the A’s will still be at square one.

#4 The other question is the funding and it was talked about once again. Will A’s owner John Fisher come up with his share of the funding at $1.5 billion. If he can’t get a loan say from a Goldman Sachs and can’t find minority partners would he have no other choice but to come back to Oakland?

#5 Amaury, talk about the significance of the A’s hosting the two spring training games at Las Vegas Ballpark this Friday and Saturday and what message this says to both the fans in Oakland and in Las Vegas in hosting these games.

Amuary Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play voice on the Oakland Athleticos Spanish radio network at 1010 KIQI San Francisco and 990 KATD Pittsburg and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Oakland A’s – Baseball Boycott Capital

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The book Beisbol on the Air by Jose Iber and Anthony R Salazar

Oakland A’s – Baseball Boycott Capital

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

If you have never heard of a fan base boycotting their team’s Opening Day, it is because it is not common in Major League Baseball history in Oakland or any other city. But such is the state of affairs on the A’s franchise today. Last Dive Bar and The A’s 68’s have joined forces for a full boycott of Opening Day, March 28 when the A’s host the Cleveland Guardians.

During the 2023 A’s season, there were reverse boycotts, and in the end, the Oakland A’s attendance at the Oakland Coliseum was the lowest among all 30 in major league baseball. Not all of this can be attributed to the boycotts, but A’s hardcore and casual fans have shown disinterest in the team since the team announced their move to Las Vegas.

The relationship between A’s fans and A’s ownership is very similar to part of the Christian marriage vows I, take you to be my favorite team, to have and to hold from this day forward for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer”. Unfortunately, it has resulted in a very nasty divorce, what attorneys call “irreconcilable differences.”

On March 28 at 7:07 PM the Oakland A’s inaugurate their 2024 season when they will play the Cleveland Guardians at the Oakland Coliseum.

Fans plan to boycott the A’s opener by showing up at the Coliseum parking lot but not inside. Instead of going inside the Coliseum to watch the game, fans will show their displeasure with owner John Fisher, who is trying to relocate the team to Las Vegas. The Oakland A’s are offering a BOGO deal for that Opening Night against the Guardians, buy one tixket get another ticket for free.

New book: “Béisbol on the Air” by Jorge Iber and Anthony R. Salazar. Essays of Major League Spanish-Language Broadcast is now available.

Both the U.S. population and Major League Baseball rosters have seen dramatic demographic changes over the past 50 years. The nation and the sport are becoming multilingual, with Spanish as the unofficial second language.

Today, 21 of 30 MLB teams broadcast at least some games in Spanish Filling a gap in the literature of baseball, this collection of new essays examines the history of the game in Spanish, from the earliest locutores who called the plays for Latin American audiences to the League’s expansion into cities with large Latino populations–Los Angeles, Houston and Miami to name a few–that made talented sportscasters for the fanaticos a business necessity.

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Manfred is certain Vegas deal for A’s is a sure thing

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Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred addresses the news media at spring training Tampa Bay Fl Thu Feb 15, 2024 at the Grapefruit League (AP News photo)

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg:

#1 Major League Commissioner Rob Manfred said that if there was any doubt about the Oakland A’s going to Las Vegas Manfred wanted to assure everybody that the move is “solid” in spite of A’s owner John Fisher who has not come up with his share of the construction costs for his share of the Las Vegas ballpark.

#2 Manfred also wants the A’s to decide where there going to play in the interim for 2025-27. Manfred would like the A’s to decide to play in one location and not move say from Portland to Salt Lake City or even Oracle Park in San Francisco for example.

#3 As you may recall A’s president David Kaval said talks with the Oakland Coliseum will continue as it was reported their first meeting two weeks ago went well. Manfred who doesn’t have the best relationship with Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao might have to come back and have talks with Thao and work out something to get the A’s some place to play for the next three seasons after 2024.

#4 The Las Vegas stadium idea has run into it’s share of problems, there are no renderings, there is no funding plan from Fisher, Schools over Stadiums is appealing language for their petition drive in the Nevada Court of Appeals once up and running they need over 100,000 signatures to place an initiative on the November ballot to block the A’s public funding for the ballpark and the Nevada State Education Association has filed a $380 million lawsuit against the State of Nevada to block public funding of the park.

#5 After Fisher got a luke warm reception when he was introduced to a paid crowd in Las Vegas sponsored by the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce and Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman said that the A’s would be better off in Oakland with a waterfront ballpark. Manfred said Las Vegas is solid and that Goodman was the first person to talk Manfred about getting a baseball team in Vegas.

Join Jerry for the Oakland A’s podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Fans Fest at Jack London Square: Strong support from fans hoping for an A’s to stay in Oakland miracle

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Former Oakland A’s pitcher Grant Balfour is thumbs up on the Fans Fest celebrating Oakland Sports and hosted by the Oakland 68’s and the Last Dive Bar at Jack London Square in downtown Oakland on Sat Feb 24, 2024 (photo by Bay Area News Group)

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–Saturday’s midday Fansfest next to the Jack London Amtrak station billed itself as an affirmation of civic pride Oakland’s sports heritage. It specifically stated that it was not a protest of the current ownership of the currently Oakland Athletics.

It certainly was an outpouring of Oaktown pride and love for its local sports teams. The Fansfest also clearly was an implicit rebuke to the Fisher-Manfred-Las Vegas axis. Even the weather cooperated.

The experience in downtown Oakland was diametrically opposed to that of a typical day at the once imposing pleasure dome on the banks of the River Nimitz, a venue that Peter Gammons once called the best in baseball and which was highly praised by Allan Temko, the architecture critic of the once mighty San Francisco Chronicle. The sky was clear; the temperature, sweltering. And the place was jam packed with A’s fans, many of whom took advantage of the free indoor parking.

Both outdoors and in the enclosed Block 15, also teeming with the faces you used to see at the Coliseum, the mood was festive and co-operative. Ex-A’s Grant Balfour, Coco Crisp, Khris Davis, Ben Grieve, Mike Norris, Bill North, and Trevor May, as well as retired Giant and current Oakland Ballers coach, JT Snow were scheduled to be available for autographs.

I was only able to exchange a few words with the first two. My colleague, Stephen Ruderman, had better luck and managed to conduct a podcast interview, which he reported in his own dispatch.

Block 15’s attractions included a wall of vendors offering bobble heads, statues, drawings, enough to make your head spin. While I was there, Vida Blue’s children were describing what it was like to grow up in the Coliseum, but I could hardly hear their presentation.

The list of sponsors, corporate and individual, was impressive, in spite of the last minute withdrawal of Drake’s Brewery, a withdrawal that the Athletics’ front office vigorously denies having influenced. Whatever the reasons behind that decision, the brewery’s absence wasn’t particularly notable; plenty of suds were on sale to thirsty attendees.

Stands offered an incredible variety of baseball merchandise, from socks to caps, and a wide assortment of baseball arts, crafts, and memorabilia. Cal Athletics, the Oakland Roots, the Oakland Ballers also had booths.

Let Las Vegas match that.

Lewis Rubman is a MLB beat writer for sportsradioservice.com