Tag: Roberto Clemente

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Giants to host Mexican team Sultanes de Monterrey for two games in March 2026

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Willy Adames of the San Francisco Giants will be celebrated by Gigantes Fiesta sponsored the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Hall of Fame Museum (AP News photo)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

The San Francisco Giants, the Houston Astros, the Pittsburgh Pirates, five or six teams that are friendly towards Hispanic players. The Hispanic Heritage Hall of Fame Museum is exhibited here in San Francisco and over at the Oakland Coliseum when the A’s used to play there and the A’s always had a great connection with the Giants.

It’s great day to celebrate the Hispanic players. Celebrating guys like Roberto Clemente more than 33% of the players are Hispanic players and it’s a great day to be at the ballpark. The Museum ended up picking last year’s Hispanic player of the Year. The Giants Willy Adames has had a great season hitting .231, 28 homers, and 67 RBIs.

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.

While in the Bay Area, great food and great prices. 998cuba.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Does season ticket sell outs signal success in Sacramento for A’s or just a honeymoon?; AI says Clemente most popular Hispanic player of all time; plus more news

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Lawrence Butler of the Athletics conducts an interview at the Sawyer Hotel in downtown Sacramento on Mon Jan 6, 2025 regarding the A’s upcoming 2025 season in Sacramento (still from ABC 10 KXTV Sacramento)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 The Athletics selling out season tickets at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento does that signal that this relocation by the A’s was a successful idea or this is just a honeymoon in Sacramento and the A’s will eventually struggle in the standing like they had in past seasons?

#2 According to AI the most popular MLB Hispanic player of all time is former Pittsburgh Pirate Roberto Clemente who began his career in 1955 and in his second year in 1956 hit .311. After 1956 he hit above .300 in seven different seasons. He was defined as a pure hitter who drove in runs as well as being able to scores runs as well.

#3 According insiders three MLB teams were taken off Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki’s desired list the New York Yankees and Mets and the Texas Rangers. Sources are saying that Sasaki is down to three clubs the Toronto Blue Jays, the Los Angeles Dodgers, or the San Diego Padres. The San Francisco Giants have backed out of pursuing Sasaki. Sasaki is under 25 years old and is classified as a amateur and his salary will be limited from $5.1 million to $7.5 million per year. He will be regarded as a rookie phenom and could conger up endorsements that could add more to his finances depending how he performs in his MLB debut.

#4 Sasaki is another big signing possibility that has passed up the Giants. The Giants over the last two seasons missed signing in 2024 the likes of Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge, and Shohei Ohtani. For 2025 the Giants so far have missed out on the following free agent signings Juan Soto, Ha Seong Kim, and Corbin Burnes. They managed to sign Willy Adames and Justin Verlander. The Giants last Thursday avoided going to arbitration with LaMonte Wade Jr, and relivers Camilo Doval and Tyler Rogers. Are there a number of big name free agents avoiding San Francisco for specific reasons based on how the team has been a revolving door for managers, general managers, and team president changes and how CEO Larry Baer and team managing partner Greg Johnson who have final say have not been able to sign high profile players?

#5 The Seattle Mariners agreed to a one year deal with infielder Donovan Solano for $3.5 million. Also Solano could earn up to $1 million for plate appearances that ramp up to $200,00 for at bats totaling 300, 350, 400, 450, and 500. Solano hit .286, eight home runs, and 35 RBIs in 96 games with the San Diego Padres.

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

Webb throws gem, but Giants fall 3-2 to Rockies

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Photo credit: si.com

By: Mary Anne

The San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies played the second game of the four-game series on Friday. The Giants dropped a 3-2 decision to the Rockies at Coors Field. San Francisco fell to 75-72, while Colorado improved to 54-92. Camilo Doval (6-5, 2.98 ERA) took the loss for the Giants.

The Giants’ lineup featured Mike Yastrzemski, Thairo Estrada, J.D. Davis, Michael Conforto, LaMonte Wade Jr., Mitch Haniger, Patrick Bailey, Brandon Crawford, Luis Matos, and Logan Webb. Webb pitched for eight innings and gave up four hits, one earned run, and six strikeouts.

After a scoreless first inning, San Francisco got on the board in the top of the second inning. Patrick Bailey grounded into a force out to Chase Anderson and Ezequiel Tovar. Michael Conforto scored for a 1-0 Giants lead. LaMonte Wade Jr. was out at second base, while Bailey went to first base with two outs.

The Rockies finally got on the board in the bottom of the eighth inning. Ezequiel Tovar singled on a line drive to Austin Slater. Ryan McMahon scored to tie the ballgame 1-1. Tovar went to second base.

The Giants regained the lead in the top of the ninth inning. Wilmer Flores walked. J.D. Davis scored for a 2-1 lead. LaMonte Wade Jr. went to third base, while Patrick Bailey went to second base.

The Giants’ lead was short-lived as the Rockies took the lead in the bottom of the ninth inning. Elehuris Montero singled on a ground ball to Mike Yastrzemski. Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Jones scored for a 3-2 lead. Montero went to second base. Yastrzemski committed a throwing error. Moreover, San Francisco challenged the play for a home-plate collision, and the call on the field was upheld.

Notes
The Giants optioned Kyle Harrison and Casey Schmitt to Triple-A Sacramento. Ross Stripling returned to San Francisco from rehab and was reinstated from the 15-day injured list.

The Giants recognized and celebrated the cultures, achievements, and celebrations of their Hispanic players, employees, and community members for Hispanic Heritage Month.

The Giants celebrated Roberto Clemente, a Latin American hero and one of the greatest baseball players of all time, on Roberto Clemente Day.

Up Next
The Giants and Rockies will meet again on Saturday at 5:10 p.m. Pacific. Keaton Winn (1-2, 3.55 ERA) will start for the Giants, but the Rockies haven’t named a starting pitcher yet.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: 49 years without El Cometa de Puerto Rico

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Former Pittsburgh Pirate Roberto Clemente a proud ball player wanted to be called Roberto and not Bobby and was very charitable losing his life trying to charter a flight to Nicaragua following a disastrous earthquake New Year’s eve 1971 (photo from history.com)

49 Years without El Cometa de Puerto Ri

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

This December 31, 2021, marks the 49th anniversary of the great Roberto Clemente plane crash on board a mercy mission flight he chartered to Nicaragua.

Roberto Clemente was the 11th player, among a total of 32 (to date) in major league baseball history to reach the magic 3,000 hit plateau. His 3,000 hit on September 31, 1972, was his last. Not by design but by fate. Just three months after that 3,000 hit (a double to left field at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh against New York Mets lefty Jon Matlack, who was the NL Rookie of the Year that same season ) Roberto Clemente died, when the plane he chartered with friends on a mercy mission crashed soon after take-off from Puerto Rico.

The plane was loaded with aid to the people of Managua, Nicaragua, which suffered a terrible earthquake of 6.3 magnitudes that killed and injured dozens of thousands, just a week earlier to Clemente’s plane crash.

Roberto’s best friend in baseball was his teammate with the Pittsburgh Pirates and catcher Manny Sanguíllen, who told me during an exclusive telephone interview (published in Sports Radio Service last year) he could have easily joined Roberto on that fateful flight, but for reasons he could not control, never did.

During his rookie season (1955) with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Roberto wore No.13, but when center fielder Earl Smith parted ways with the Pirates, Clemente took No.21 which was used by Smith. Today that number 21 is one of the most famous numbers ever used by a player during a stellar Hall of Fame career. Just like all players (especially black players) love to wear No.42 during Jackie Robinson Day, over 30% of Hispanic players in MLB are very proud to wear #21 on Roberto Clemente Day.

Although he played for 18 years, was selected to 15 All-Star Games, won four Batting Titles, 12 Gold Glove Awards, won the National League MVP Award, and the World Series Award, the Press never gave him the credit he deserved.

Had 3,000 hits at the time of his death and a .317 combined batting average, but he was black and Puerto Rican so the racist media had “two strikes” on him, since his debut in the Major Leagues. Some in the media called him Bobby, but he hated that, he always said “my name is Roberto and that is how I want to be called”; he was a very proud man.

During his last season in1972 (in a visit to San Francisco to play the Giants at Candlestick Park) I witnessed a Pittsburgh writer shout in the press box after Clemente struck out, the following: “send him back in a banana boat!” Imagine all the verbal abuse this man had to withstand, to play baseball, one if not, the most difficult game. Baseball is one (if not the most) difficult team sport to master.

Most baseball fans love to see a guy hit a ball 450 feet over the fence. I am proud to say that I saw Roberto Clemente play, and hit and drive in runs, and play defense like nobody else. His instinct was acute and seldom did he have to dive for a ball in the outfield, he knew how to play the outfield.

His arm and accuracy on his throws were legendary. Many superstars of that era like Willie Mays, Stan Musial (just to mention a couple) have statues erected in the cities/ballparks where they played, but Roberto Clemente is in a class by himself, he has a statue at PNC Park in Pittsburgh and a bridge named after him, The Roberto Clemente Bridge, also known as the Sixth Street Bridge, over the Allegheny River in the Steel City, as well as Statues in the South Bronx, New York, a city with the largest population of Puerto Ricans, as well as a Statue at the entrance of Ciudad Deportiva Stadium in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the city where he was born.

We at the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum are very proud to have Roberto Clemente among our greats enshrined forever, he was a great man. Among our numerous exhibits and displays for over two decades, Roberto is still the most popular Latino player and fans are always inquisitive about Roberto Clemente’s history and especially the way he left us, helping people that he didn’t know in a country that was not his own. I like to end with a baseball quote as we remember the Cometa de Puerto Rico.

There are many, many baseball quotes about Roberto Clemente, but my favorite is by a gentleman, in my humble opinion, the best play by play baseball broadcaster who ever lived, who said: “Roberto Clemente could field the ball in New York and throw out a guy in Pennsylvania.” -Vin Scully Brooklyn Dodgers and Los Angeles Dodgers Play by Play.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Felíz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Hispanic Heritage Month Roberto Clemente was a Patriot

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In 1958 Roberto Clemente tried on a different kind of uniform the uniform of the United State Marine Corp, Clemente got an early release in 1959 and played on the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1960 (file photo mlbforlife.com)

Hispanic Heritage Month: Roberto Clemente was a Patriot

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

This month is designated as Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States. September 30, will mark the 49th anniversary of Roberto Clemente last at bat in 1972, and with his final at bat with the defending World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates he doubled to left-center field at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, off Mets lefty Jon Matlack, marking this double his 3,000 hit of his stellar career.

Three months later (almost to the day) he chartered a DC-7 plane (from San Juan, Puerto Rico) an airplane filled with help to the people suffering in Managua, Nicaragua of a devastating earthquake. Traveling to another country, to help people he didn’t know and for that he gave his life. The ultimate humanitarian.

Aside from a true gentleman and member of the MLB Hall of Fame, many might ignore that Roberto Clemente was also a Patriot. During the 1958 and 1959 off-season Clemente enlisted in the United States Marines Corps and served during the off-seasons until 1964.

He was also exalted into the US Marines Corps Sports Hall of Fame, posthumously (this Hall of Fame was established in 2001). Born In Carolina, Puerto Rico, Roberto Clemente was a man of great discipline and dedication to whatever endeavor he chose to take part.

One of the great baseball awards, one that all players unanimously agree is a great honor, has nothing to do with baseball statistics or on-the-field performance, but of community and human nature. The Roberto Clemente Humanitarian Award exemplifies sportsmanship, community involvement and the player individual contribution to his team, voted by baseball fans and members of the media.

Each of the 30 teams nominates a player, here in the Bay Area, the Oakland Athletics nominated Tony Kemp and the San Francisco Giants Brandon Crawford. Later a panel of baseball dignitaries selects one winner. The winner is announced at the World Series in front of a national television audience.

During an interview in 2020 that I conducted with Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Manny Sanguillen, who knew Clemente and played with him, about the story that he was going to Managua, Nicaragua, with Roberto Clemente on that DC-7 chartered plane he said that was not true.

But he did talk to Roberto before he left from San Juan, Puerto Rico, but Sanguillen tells me he was not planning to go, Clemente had a lot of friends with him, he was always surrounded by people. He learned about the plane crash from Luis Mayoral, a veteran sports journalist and broadcaster born in Puerto Rico.

Manny Sanguillen (quote) “Clemente told me once, if we make it to a World Series, I will take care of everything”. He did, in 1971 Clemente hit .411 won the World Series MVP like Bill Blass, who pitched a complete game seven to clinch it for the Pirates said after the game about Roberto: “Clemente did it all”.

Roberto Clemente had to work very hard to become the player he was; at the time when he played there was still much racism in the game. Clemente was a Latino of dark skin and that was enough for many (not all) to never give the man the credit he deserved.

As I was covering a game at Candlestick Park in 1972, for El Mundo Newspaper of Oakland and during his last season, I remember inside the press box after Clemente struck out, a loud voice was heard saying “send him back in a banana boat”. It happened, I heard it, but that was part of those years in baseball, not to mention many more much difficult years in the late 1950’s when he first broke into the game.

Today the Roberto Clemente Humanitarian Award is one of the most coveted awards given to a player in Major League Baseball. The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame always informs during exhibits and inductions all over the country at baseball parks, libraries or community events and the name of Roberto Clemente still at the top of one of the most remember players by baseball fans alike all over the world.

Note: The US Marines Corps Sports Hall of Fame is located in Quantico, Virginia. There are various baseball players in their Hall of Fame, including Ted Williams, Gil Hodges, Jerry Coleman as well as Roberto Clemente. Also many in a variety of other sports, like Ken Norton (Boxing) and Lee Trevino (Golf).

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

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: MLB Time to Retire 21

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The late great Pittsburgh Pirate Roberto Clemente (21) doffs his cap after hitting a double for his 3,000 career hit at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh against the New York Mets pitcher Jon Matlack on the last day of the season September 30, 1972 which would be his last career hit he would die three months later in a plane crash. (pinterest file photo)

MLB: Time to Retire No.21

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

In 1997 Major League Baseball retired Jackie Robinson No.42, it was the first uniform retired in history. Robinson recognized as a historical figure in American sports as the first African-American to play in the major leagues. There are “Retire #21” banners at PNC Park seen in Pittsburgh today, that is regarding the wishes of Pirates fans to have Roberto Clemente’s number retired by Major League Baseball

In 1973, the Pirates retired “El Cometa de Carolina” number 21. One year after Clemente disappeared with the DC-3 chartered plane he was taking to Nicaragua to help the victims of that country’s earthquake. In 1998 the Pirates sold the naming rights to locally based PNC Financial Services, PNC Park.

However, public sentiment in Pittsburgh remained to name the new baseball park after Roberto Clemente, but that was not possible. In 1998 the 6th street bridge, which crosses the Allegheny River in downtown Pittsburgh was renamed the Roberto Clemente Bridge.

To my knowledge, Roberto Clemente is the only player in history to have a bridge dedicated to his name. Makes sense in Pittsburgh a city with three rivers, the Allegheny, Monongahela and the Ohio River. There is little doubt that in Pittsburgh Roberto Clemente was always respected and to date he is one of the city’s heroes.

Although the first Hispanic/Latino ballplayer to play in professional baseball in the US was Esteban Bellán (Cuba) in 1871 with the Troy Haymakers of the old National Association, today the National League. Orestes (Minnie) Miñoso (Cuba) was the first Black Latino player in 1949 with the Cleveland Indians.

But it was Roberto Clemente the very first impact player from Latin America, a Hall of Fame player, who played his whole career of 18 years with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1955-1972). Roberto Clemente was the first Hispanic/Latino baseball player inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, NY.

The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum and Hall of Fame (hhbmhof.com) was founded in 1999 and Roberto Clemente was posthumously inducted in a ceremony where his widow Vera Clemente accepted the induction plaque.

There is a very good case to be made that Major League Baseball should retire No.21. Clemente’s exemplary life, which he gave in helping people from another country during a terrible natural disaster lives forever in the memory of baseball fans everywhere in the world, but especially in Puerto Rico and all of Latin America.

Hispanic/Latino player participation in the major leagues today is around 30 percent of all the players, in the United States. A country where Hispanics represent the largest minority between 18-20% of the population, approximately 60 million people. Spanish is the second most spoken language in the United States other than English.

Roberto Clemente as a player was often misquoted, many times made fun of his accent, when he said, quote: “Baseball has been very, very good to me” he said it because he was an honest and humble man, traits that politicians do not understand and rarely can relate to. During the years Clemente played, comedian Bill Dana had a routine that became famous and sort of a catchphrase, when he said in mangled English; “My name is….José….Jiménez”

The words equality, diversity are nice words but they ring hollow if there is no action, MLB retiring Roberto Clemente’s #21 is bound to happen, when? is the question. But there is little doubt that Roberto Clemente is a historic figure in baseball that represents the best of all of us. Time to retire No.21.

Note: The first number retired in history, by a major league team, was by the New York Yankees, No.4, Lou Gehrig on July 4, 1939, the day he made his famous; “Today I Consider Myself”….speech. Players numbers among all major league teams have been retired since then. There is a difference. Teams can retire the number of their players and they cannot be used by other players. But only Major League Baseball can retire a number for all 30 teams.

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