Tag: Rob Manfred

MLB The Show podcast with Stephen Ruderman: Can Judge help Yanks back in the race?; Halos Ohtani leaves for second game in a row with cramps; plus more

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The New York Yankees Aaron Judge returned to the line up on Fri Jul 29, 2023 at Camden Yards in Baltimore against the Baltimore Orioles. Judge had been out with a toe injury since Jun 3, 2023. (AP News photo)

On the MLB The Show podcast with Stephen:

#1 Stephen, with the New York Yankees Aaron Judge who walked three times Friday after returning to the line up. Judge after suffering from a toe injury Jun 3, will he be able to help the Yankees get back on track as their nine games off the pace at the start of Saturday morning.

#2 Friday night the Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani was removed because he was suffering from cramps in both calves in a game in Toronto. Ohtani was also removed for the same issue on Thursday in the second game of a doubleheader in Detroit.

#3 After losing 100 games last season the Cincinnati Reds have had a great turnaround so far as of Saturday morning the Reds have a 57-48 record and are a half game out of first place in the NL Central. The Reds on Friday awarded manager David Bell with a three year contract extension that will keep Bell in Cincinnati until 2026.

#4 The Los Angeles Dodgers shored up their pitching acquiring starting Lance Lynn and reliever Joe Kelly from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for outfielder Trayce Thompson who was drafted by the White Sox in 2009.

#5 This week MLB owners re-elected Commissioner Rob Manfred for his third term the vote was overwhelmingly in favor for re-election taking this result in consideration do you see the same overwhelmingly results when the owners take a vote on the Oakland A’s relocation something Manfred is pushing hard. The relocation vote is expected sometime after the A’s release the renderings around Thanksgiving.

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

MLB The Show podcast with Stephen Ruderman: Manfred predicted slam dunk for re-election; ex-A’s Fujinami had improved before trade; plus much more

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MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is pleased with the 2024 All Star Game logo which will be held in Texas next season. Manfred was in Arlington on Thu Jul 20, 2023 for the unveiling. Things have been going well for Manfred and he is expected to be re-elected that will take him as Commissioner through 2030. (AP News photo)

On the MLB podcast with Stephen:

#1 MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is no doubt going to be elected according to a dependable source said. Manfred needs 16 of 30 votes by MLB teams to be reelected and the source it won’t even be that close he’s a slam dunk to be re-elected. Once re-elected his new term will run five years or ending in 2030.

#2 Manfred has received criticism from the media and fans alike over his handling of the Oakland A’s relocation and if there was any doubt that the owners are split on the A’s relocation Manfred’s predicted slam dunk re-election might be an indication that the owners are together and will vote to relocate the A’s to Las Vegas.

#3 Former Oakland A’s pitcher Shintaro Fujinami said that Japanese players are rarely traded in Japan but Fujinami was prepared for anything when he signed wit the A’s for two years at $3.25 million. Yet and still Fujinami was dealt to the Baltimore Orioles last Wednesday.

#4 Fujinami’s value had improved over the last 12 appearances and his ERA had gone down the Orioles who are in the thick of the hunt saw that and got a deal with the A’s sending double A pitcher Easton Lucas in exchange for Fujinami.

#5 Will the Los Angeles Angels deal two way player Shohei Ohtani? The Angels had said they want to keep Ohtani and Ohtani said he was open to stay in Anaheim but both sides are also listening to offers. The Angels said they would absolutely not deal Ohtani to the Los Angeles Dodgers but money and talented players talk. Amongst some of the top teams named in the Ohtani sweepstakes, the Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres.

Stephen Ruderman does MLB podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: A Relocation Update

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Major League Commissioner Rob Manfred addresses the news media on Thu Jun 15, 2023 at MLB Headquarters in New York. The owners will be taking a vote on the relocation of the Oakland A’s that date has not yet been determined (AP News photo)

By Amaury Pi Gonzalez

Why are the Major League Baseball owners yet to approve the A’s relocation from Oakland, California to Las Vegas, Nevada? Very simple, the A’s are late in this endeavor, and they (A’s) just begun the process to apply for relocation. Almost a month already had passed since Nevada’s Governor Joe Lombardo signed the Senate Bill into law. The owners are waiting for the A’s relocation plan, which would explain why the A’s are leaving one city to move to another. The other 29 owners need to know why they are leaving Oakland to Las Vegas. Have they tried and exhausted all their options in Oakland? Is Las Vegas a brand new untapped market that would benefit Major League Baseball?

It was on June 15, Rob Manfred, Commissioner of Baseball said the following:

“It has always been baseball’s policy and preference to stay put,”  “I think that always colors any conversation about relocation. Having said that, I think the owners as a whole understand that there has been a multiyear, pushing-a-decade effort where for the vast majority of the time, the sole focus was Oakland.

-After the owners get the A’s relocation plan, owners have to review, and then send it to another owners committee for approval. Seventy-five percent of owners have to approve the relocation petition by the A’s. Nobody knows how the owners will vote. Most are probably are anxious to end this long running issue of the A’s new park, others (probably the big markets) might not be very happy with shelling money to A’s and other small market teams via revenue sharing. Ironically the A’s in Las Vegas would be in the smallest baseball media market in the US. For years I have refused  to accept that the A’s in Oakland were a “small market” team, in my opinion, just ridiculous, we have almost 7 million people living in the 9-county Bay Area, around San José, San Francisco and Oakland. However, it is believed, that if the A’s present a coherent petition at least 22 owners would vote Yes to the relocation.

The owners want to get the Oakland A’s situation resolved, as well as the Tampa Bay Rays, so they can move together under the Commissioner on expansion of two more teams. There will be no expansion until Oakland and Tampa are settled. And who knows, Oakland might even get an expansion team after losing the A’s or even a larger bay area city, like San José who already threw their hat in the ring and asked the Commissioner to “free them” from the Giants owning their territory, the same territory the A’s gave the Giants in 1990, as San Francisco was in danger or losing the team to Florida. By the way, I believe San José has an excellent chance to get an expansion team. They presented their request to the Commissioner who did not say No, but, said that MLB is working on the Athletics relocation. Again, there will be no expansion until Oakland and Tampa Bay resolve their stadiums situations.

To be resolved:

-The over $1 Billion to build the proposed new ballpark.  The A’s most prove they can come up with the remaining $1.1 billion in private financing to fund the rest of the $1.5 billion ballpark project. They already got $380 million from the State of Nevada and the city of Las Vegas and then signed by the Nevada governor, at the time, which was believed to be the biggest hurdle.

-There is also another issue at the Nevada Legislation, which was previously on the table.. The A’s agreed in principle to sign a 30-year no-relocation agreement with Las Vegas to another city. This is mostly a “done deal”, since both sides agreed during the Nevada Legislation special sessions, regarding the A’s Bill, but now the A’s owner would have to sign it to make it official.

-The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and the Athletics new planned baseball park in Las Vegas. A’s will have to abide by the laws of federal aviation. That seems also to be a done deal. This is more diplomatic than anything else.

There could be more curve balls thrown at this, but this is the ‘bread and butter’ of the relocation of the Oakland A’s, as we approach the 2023 All Star Break. The Oakland A’s already announced they will play the 2024 season at the Oakland Coliseum. After that, nobody seems to know, and if they do know, they have not said a word. The A’s AAA affiliate Las Vegas Aviators to date have 11 sellouts and lead the Pacific Coast League in attendance, even with temperatures consistently over 100 degrees (no dome), as reported by the Independent in Las Vegas. This park could be the leading contender to host the A’s for a few years (after 2024) until they inaugurate their new MLB park in 2028. The players union will have a say on this also; of course, there is no hidden agenda here. Like they say in Vegas “all cards are on the table”.

Is the relocation to Las Vegas a sure thing?  On the words of the great Benjamin Franklin after signing the US Constitution (quote) “Nothing can be said is certain, except Death and Taxes.

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

MLB The Show podcast with Auggie Musenburg: MLB Commissioner declines San Jose Mayors request to drop Giants territorial rights; Could litigation be next?

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 Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. during a press conference at the 2023 London Series Workout Day in London Stadium on Friday, June 23, 2023 in London, England. Manfred declined a letter from the Mayor of San Jose Matt Mahan and four former San Jose Mayors to drop the San Francisco Giants territorial rights to San Jose on Tue Jun 28, 2023 (Getty Images photo)

On the MLB The Show with Auggie Musenburg:

#1 Auggie, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred declined the request by San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and five other mayors to drop the San Francisco Giants territorial rights so that San Jose could get an expansion team.

#2 Do you think the real reason behind the Commissioner protecting the Giants territorial rights is that the goal is for San Francisco to have the entire Northern California region Sacramento, Oakland and San Jose to themselves.

#3 Senator Barbara Lee (D) California and Representative Alex Padilla (D) California had sent letters to Major League Baseball and Manfred informing them that moving the A’s out of Oakland will have a huge economic impact on the East Bay but the Commissioner never addressed the letter and is still full speed ahead on the A’s moving out of Oakland once the owners take a vote to move the team.

#4 The Commissioner said once the A’s have moved into their new park in Las Vegas then he said he would be open to ideas of expansion cities but not before then.

#5 Turning to the Giants they have won eight out their last ten games and got a 3-0 shutout against the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night. Alex Wood the second pitcher for San Francisco threw five innings, five hits and gave up seven strikeouts in his contribution towards the shutout.

#6 The Giants Thairo Estrada slugged a two run double and and scored a run which contributed towards the run production getting three runs. Auggie talk about Estrada and how he’s contributed to the Giants offense?

Auggie Musenburg is a reporter for KWAI 1080 Honolulu and covers the Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants and podcasts on http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s day off report: Medina gets the call to open series in Cleveland on Tuesday; Ruiz leads off and has MLB stolen base lead

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Oakland A’s Esteury Ruiz slides home safely after scoring on a Ramon Laureano single against the Seattle Mariners Tue May 23, 2023 in first inning action at T Mobile Field in Seattle (AP file photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s finished an up-and-down week, ending the seven-game homestand with two wins and five losses. The A’s had won seven games in a row before they lost two to the Tampa Bay Rays and three to the Philadelphia Phillies.

The A’s seven-game win streak saw them win two against the Pittsburgh Pirates and a three-game sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers. The Pirates and Brewers are in a dogfight for first place in the NL Central. The A’s won the first two games of the four-game set with the Rays.

It was no easy task as the Rays own the best record in baseball. The team had almost 28,000 people in the seats on Tuesday, June 13th. Organizers of a reverse boycott hoped to show A’s owner John Fisher and baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred the fans would support the team in Oakland.

Fisher, as usual, said nothing. Manfred dismissed the effort as meaningless as he said their effort was no better than the average attendance at a game in Major League baseball. Manford also said the city of Oakland needed to do more.

Oakland needed a program in place to build the stadium. Manfred is tone-deaf. Oakland had raised over 400 million dollars in grants for infrastructure needs. The City Council was two days away from a vote. The A’s ownership had turned the fans off by trading away their best players and leaving the fans with a team with the worst record in all of baseball.

Winning brings people into the seats. Then, to make matters worse, the Nevada legislature voted to approve $380 million to give to the A’s to help build a stadium in Las Vegas. The Nevada governor signed the bill.

The only hope the A’s fans have is that the owners of the other 29 teams will reject the move. Manfred has said baseball will waive the $300 million relocation fee. The owners share those fees. Many of them say they want Las Vegas to get an expansion team. The fees for an expansion team are around two billion. That’s a lot more money to share.

None of the drama on the relocation situation should affect what’s happening on the field. The A’s still have to go out and play the game. A’s manager Mark Kotsay has to be pleased with his team’s performance in the last 12 games.

They went 7-5. During the winning streak, the A’s starters and relievers pitched well. The A’s offense came to life, and the team showed improvement. They split four games with the Rays. They lost three games to the Phillies. Two of the losses were by one run. The Phillies are the hottest team in baseball. They have won fourteen of the last 16. The Phillies were in the World Series last year.

The A’s start a six-game road trip in Cleveland Tuesday night. The A’s will play three against the Guardians and then finish the road trip with three against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Guardians are in second place in the AL Central with a record of 33-38.

They are two and 1/2 games behind the Minnesota Twins. Manager Terry Francona is in his 11th year as the skipper of the Guardians.

The A’s will send Luis Medina (1-6, 7.55) to the hill Tuesday night. Cleveland will counter with Aaron Civale(2-2, 2.67). Righty Paul Blackburn (0-0, 3.49) goes for the A’s on Wednesday. The Guardians have not announced a starter. Lefty JP Sears(1-4, 4.24) will be on the mound on Thursday. Logan Allen (3-2, 3.95) goes for Cleveland.

The key players for the Guardians are first baseman Josh Naylor, third baseman Jose Ramirez, and outfielders Stephen Kwan and Will Brennan. Their catcher is Josh Naylor’s younger brother Bo Naylor. Closer Emmanuel Clase leads the Guardians bullpen. Clase is 1-4 but has recorded 20 saves this year.

Their setup guy is Trevor Stephan. The Guardians do not have a left-handed pitcher in the bullpen. The A’s will see relievers Sam Hentges, Enyel De Los Santos, Elijah Morgan, Nick Sandlin, Xzavion Curry, and two recently recalled from Triple-A, Daniel Norris and Tim Herrin. The A’s will not see the Guardians’ ace Shane Bieber in the series.

The A’s want to get some wins on this road trip. They will need better pitching and timely hitting. They know they can win on the road. They are looking for players such as Esteury Ruiz, Ryan Noda, Brent Rooker, Seth Brown, JJ Blesday, Ramon Laureano, Roberto Perez, and Shea Langeliers to get back on the hit parade. Blackburn has pitched well since coming off the IL.

Also of note A’s leadoff hitter Ruiz leads the majors in stolen bases with 36 for the season and could get some good coverage on the base paths that could help Oakland get a leg up for this upcoming road trip.

Medina has improved, and Kotsay wants him to give the A’s a quality start on Tuesday night. JP Sears, acquired in the trade that sent Frankie Montas to the New York Yankees, has to find a way to stop serving up gopher balls. Sears has allowed 17 dingers in his starts this year.

The A’s still are the worst team in baseball. Kotsay continues to have a positive outlook. He has seen some improvement in the last two weeks. The A’s would love nothing better than winning each series against the Guardians and The Blue Jays.

MLB The Show podcast with Charlie O: Deion understands the chances of losing left foot; Ohtani on pace to hit 51 homers; plus more

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Former Atlanta Braves star and current Colorado Buffaloes football head coach Deion Sanders says he understands about having his left foot amputated and wants to get ready for the football season for 2023.(AP News file photo)

On the MLB The Show podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Former Atlanta Brave star and current University of Colorado football head coach Neon Deion Sanders may lose his left foot due to circulation issues. Sanders had two toes amputated and can’t feel his left foot. Sanders said he knows the risks and has eight toes left and said he pretty much understands.

#2 The Los Angeles Angels Shohei Ohtani is on his way to setting records the two way hitter and pitcher is on a pace to hit 51 home runs and is on a 14 game hit streak belting out his 23rd home run on Saturday at Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City.

#3 The Tampa Bay Rays when they set sail for this current road trip they probably had lot of confidence they could handle the Oakland A’s who split a four game series with them then the Rays went to San Diego and faced Padres pitcher Blake Snell who struck out 12 batters in a 2-0 shutout at Petco Park.

#4 On Pride night at Dodgers Stadium the main gate was blocked by protesters when Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence were uninvited by the Dodgers because they received complaints from the Catholic Church that the sisters dressing up like nuns were sac religious and were invited back because of the protests. The Dodgers later received complaints from former vice president Mike Pence and Senator Marco Rubio for reinviting the sisters.

#5 We didn’t get a chance to ask you about MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and his remarks from last Thursday regarding the Oakland A’s saying the A’s had their Tuesday reverse boycott and got a crowd of 27,000 plus that was over their average attendance and that the City of Oakland never really had a plan to keep the A’s in Oakland.

Join Charlie O Sundays for the MLB The Show podcast at http://www.sportsadioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: MLB Commissioner’s sarcasm doesn’t ring well in light of Oakland losing team

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Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred speaks to members of the media following an owners’ meeting, Thursday, June 15, 2023, at MLB headquarters in New York. (AP News photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary:

OAKLAND–I’m a little disappointed in MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred who was asked about last Tuesday’s reverse boycott at the Oakland Coliseum, he said “I mean it was great, it is great to see what is this year almost an average Major League Baseball crowd in the facility for one night. That’s a great thing.”

I respect everybody and the Commissioner shouldn’t say stuff. I like the golden rule I l treat people like I want to be treated. Manfred is in a big position. Former MLB Commissioner Peter Ueberroth and some commissioners were thinking about going into politics after being Commissioner.

Baseball is an institution in the United States of America and Manfred should not have laughed at the customers (the fans) and you don’t do that in any business. I’m really disappointed at Manfred I really am and I’m not criticizing just for the sake of it just for the sake of it he sends a lot of mixed messages and in some cases you can say he’s lied to the A’s fans so I understand the grief by the A’s fans.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Museum and You can join Amaury for News and Commentary podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

MLB The Show podcast with Stephen Ruderman: A’s move could end up in courts; Rep Lee and Sen Padilla might look into baseball’s anti exemption over issue

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Rep Barbara Lee (D) Calif speaks at a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2022. Lee has said that she and Sen Alex Padilla (D) Calif might look into baseball’s anti trust exemption and how MLB and A’s owner John Fisher moved the team to Las Vegas and how it impacts California financially (AP file photo)

MLB The Show podcast with Stephen Ruderman:

#1 This week MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said the City of Oakland was not prepared with an offer to the A’s. Many a talk show host and reporter said that was not true that Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao said they were close to a deal.

#2 Mayor Thao said Howard Terminal had the finishing touches ready to go and was 10% of the way there.

#3 Do you believe that A’s owner John Fisher and Manfred wanted Las Vegas all along even though the Howard Terminal deal looked like it was close to being completed and they made the “binding agreement” in Las Vegas announcement ahead of any deal with the City of Oakland?

#4 Historically how will baseball history look back on Commissioner Manfred and owner Fisher. Will it be favorably because they brought baseball to Las Vegas or negatively because they didn’t bargain in good faith with the City of Oakland because they were close to a deal.

#5 The hopes of any change for the A’s to stay in Oakland rests with the MLB owners who have a vote that could be coming as soon as next week. Will they vote no because the A’s are not paying any relocation fees which would be a $30 million share for each team or no team in the future would have to pay a relocation fee in the future.

#6 Should playing in the #40 media market matter? Las Vegas is the smallest in MLB with the smallest park in MLB.

Join Steve Ruderman for MLB podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: MLB owners can prevent A’s move to Las Vegas

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Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred speaks to members of the media following an owners’ meeting, Thursday, June 15, 2023, at MLB headquarters in New York. (AP News photo)

#1 Jeremiah, after the Nevada State Legislation passed the bill to pay $380 million in public tax credits for a new A’s ballpark in Vegas it’s now up to the MLB owners to vote on any last chance to keep the A’s in Oakland do you see any chance of the owners voting no on an A’s relocation move?

#2 It was reported that the Oakland City Council wanted to meet on making Howard Terminal a reality and save the A’s in some way or some form. How much is that effort just a day late and a few billion dollars short?

#3 How ironic is it that on the very same day last Tuesday the Nevada State Legislature voted yes for the Vegas ballpark and the A’s ended their losing streak at seven games?

#4 How disingenuous did MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred appear after saying he felt sorry for the Oakland A’s fans but shepherded the move from Oakland to Vegas with team owner John Fisher.

#5 Going back to the owners there has been speculation that a few teams and maybe not enough could vote no on the A’s relocation to Vegas.

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

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: A’s might sell source; A’s have deal with contractors to build Vegas park ; Kings Fox hopes to be in game 5 line up

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Oakland A’s owner John Fisher could be considering selling the A’s according to a source, the A’s despite low attendance are making money this season and could sell to an owner who could keep the team in Oakland (file photo SF Gate)

On That’s Amaury podcast:

#1 Amaury, Oakland A’s owner John Fisher amongst all the negative publicity of moving the team to Las Vegas and having crowds of 3,000 to 6,000 fans on average per game is actually making money is considering selling the team according to news reports on KRON 4 and Scott Ostler at the San Francisco Chronicle.

#2 Ostler who did not name any of the groups who are interested in buying the A’s said that he heard from a source that is reliable that Fisher would consider selling the team as the cost and value of the team continues to increase. Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob expressed interest in buying the team and that’s a standing offer.

#3 On Monday MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred apologized to Oakland fans saying he’s really sorry for any hurt the A’s fans are feeling but it’s not Fisher’s fault. The city of Oakland couldn’t get a deal done in a timely fashion. In the same breath Manfred said that Vegas will present a real revenue enhancing opportunity.

#4 Turning to the NBA the Sacramento Kings De’Aaron Fox has fractured his finger on his shooting hand. Fox lead all scorers in game four during Sunday afternoon’s game against the Golden State Warriors with 38 points and has been a crucial player in the Kings line up. Fox injured the tip of his left index finger. It’s got to be an impact when you lose your leading scorer.

#5 With Fox the Kings have not ruled him out of the line up for game five on Wednesday and cold wear protective covering over his index finger. If Fox suffers more pain the next two highest scorers Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray will need to step up. Fox is one of the guys who got the Kings this far it’s been quite a ride for Sacramento but without Fox it’s a sure test for the Kings.

#6 The Green Bay Packers have dealt quarterback Aaron Rogers to the New York Jets. Rogers quarterbacked for the Green Bay Packers for 18 seasons and will wear No. 8 instead of No.12 which was formerly worn by Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namith who gave his consent for Rogers to wear the number. Rogers declined and will wear the No.8 which he wore when he quarterback at Cal.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play announcer 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