Tag: Sacramento A’s

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Sounds unusual and strange as A’s no longer use Oakland moniker for first time since 1968

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Sacramento A’s catcher Shea Langeliers sporting a Rickey Henderson T shirt at Surprise Stadium in Surprise AZ before their game against the Kansas City Royals on Mon Feb 24, 2025 (Sacramento A’s X photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amaury the Sacramento A’s open this first week at spring training in Mesa for the first time since 1968 without the Oakland moniker while it was expected it still sounds and feels very strange to those are following the A’s in Oakland and those who are following the club in Sacramento.

#2 Amaury, talk about the talk in spring training that baseball is moving down the list as a sport that no longer one of the most popular sports in America. That it’s viewership and interest has fallen and it might fall even worse now that MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and ESPN are no longer working together.

#3 Amaury, matter of fact when you go to ESPN’s headline banner on the main page of their website MLB no longer appears as one of the major sports in the banner. It now just shows NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAAM, and More Sports you have to now hunt for MLB on the banner. MLB is buried on the main page banner and ESPN barley mentions MLB in it’s news reports through it’s programming.

#4 How much responsibility does Manfred hold since he has two MLB teams playing in minor league parks for the 2025 regular season, the Tampa Bay Rays are going up for sale and they might move to Orlando, the A’s will not play any post season games in their interim park in Sacramento but at a neutral site if they make to the playoffs, the players are not happy that Manfred is using the robo umpire and they prefer the human umpire, and baseball could move to a salary cap after the 2026 season something the players oppose and could trigger a players strike.

#5 Just how confident are the San Francisco Giants in starting a 42 year old Justin Verlander and how successful will Verlander be in helping the Giants contend. There are those who say Verlander who suffered neck and shoulder pain last season at best could be a ten game winner. Some other critics say that Verlander is washed up.

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame

Sacramento A’s relocation podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Strange feeling watching A’s of Sacramento in first pre season game

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Fans watch the Sacramento A’s take on the San Diego Padres in Peoria Arizona during the first A’s game that was played since 1968 that was not by an Oakland team on Sat Feb 22, 2025 (photo LV Sports Biz)

Sacramento A’s podcast with Jerry podcast:

#1 Peoria Arizona the first game for the former Oakland Athletics now better known now as the Sacramento Athletics playing their first pre season game since leaving Oakland against the San Diego Padres it may not have sunk in yet but you can best bet there are fans who are not too happy even though it’s done deal.

#2 The A’s who are constructing a $1.75 billion, which they aim to play in in 2028 at the old Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Vegas. The A’s who play their first game of the regular season in Sacramento on Mon Mar 31st it’s gotta feel strange but A’s fans have to get used to it this is going to go on up until 2028.

#3 A’s owner John Fisher is still working out how to get some of that nearly $2 billion worth of cash for his share of the construction costs. The A’s president Sandy Dean said that the funds will come through from the Fisher family pooling their efforts together and from loans coming from Goldman Sachs and US Bank. When is the question will it happen?

#4 The grounds rules for the Las Vegas ballpark are public will own the park and the property of the park that will be transferred by the A’s to the Las Vegas Stadium Authority including $100 million in development costs before the SB1 funds are released. The public will hold $50 million until the final work on the park is completed.

#5 The A’s are heavily depending on sellouts they will depend heavily on tourists to fill the bill as they need to sell out every event at the Tropicana for the next 30 years to pay for the park. The A’s had projected that 70% of the fans coming to the park will be locals but previously said they depended on tourism.

Jerry Feitelberg filled in for Daniel Dullum who does the Sacramento A’s podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento A’s relocation podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Strange feeling watching A’s of Sacramento in first pre season game

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Fans watch the Sacramento A’s take on the San Diego Padres in Peoria Arizona during the first A’s game that was played since 1968 that was not by an Oakland team on Sat Feb 22, 2025 (photo LV Sports Biz)

Sacramento A’s podcast with Jerry podcast:

#1 Peoria Arizona the first game for the former Oakland Athletics now better known now as the Sacramento Athletics playing their first pre season game since leaving Oakland against the San Diego Padres it may not have sunk in yet but you can best bet there are fans who are not too happy even though it’s done deal.

#2 The A’s who are constructing a $1.75 billion, which they aim to play in in 2028 at the old Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Vegas. The A’s who play their first game of the regular season in Sacramento on Mon Mar 31st it’s gotta feel strange but A’s fans have to get used to it this is going to go on up until 2028.

#3 A’s owner John Fisher is still working out how to get some of that nearly $2 billion worth of cash for his share of the construction costs. The A’s president Sandy Dean said that the funds will come through from the Fisher family pooling their efforts together and from loans coming from Goldman Sachs and US Bank. When is the question will it happen?

#4 The grounds rules for the Las Vegas ballpark are public will own the park and the property of the park that will be transferred by the A’s to the Las Vegas Stadium Authority including $100 million in development costs before the SB1 funds are released. The public will hold $50 million until the final work on the park is completed.

#5 The A’s are heavily depending on sellouts they will depend heavily on tourists to fill the bill as they need to sell out every event at the Tropicana for the next 30 years to pay for the park. The A’s had projected that 70% of the fans coming to the park will be locals but previously said they depended on tourism.

Jerry Feitelberg filled in for Daniel Dullum who does the Sacramento A’s podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Jessica Kwong: MLB ready to start testing robo umpires; Salary cap could trigger baseball strike after 2026; plus more news

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A radar device, replay screen, is set up behind home plate at the Atlantic League’s PeoplesBank Park minor ballpark on Jul 10, 2019 in York PA. 13 Spring Training parks will use the robo umpire that will host 19 teams in Major League Baseball Cactus and Grapefruit League games (AP file photo)

Headline Sports podcast with Jessica Kwong:

#1 Major League Baseball announced that they will give a demonstration on how the auto balls and strikes challenge system will work. As baseball is moving towards using the Robo-umpires. In the minor leagues the robo umpire was used. The players have voiced their objections to the idea of using robo umpires, “It’s just not a video game” said San Francisco Giants pitcher Kyle Harrison.

#2 One of the sticking points of a negotiating a new Collective Bargaining Agreement between MLB and the MLBPA is the salary cap and Commissioner Rob Manfred realizes that’s a touchy point with the players and if a cap were to be instituted it could trigger a players strike after the 2026 season. As the owner complain that the Los Angeles Dodgers have a monopoly of high priced talent Manfred is backpedaling on any idea of a salary cap saying he would not commit to a salary cap.

#3 It’s a real competition and New York Mets owner Steve Cohen is not hesitating on coming up to par with the Dodgers. Cohen so far has a payroll of $325 million for the 2025 season that includes a 15 year $765 million contract with Juan Soto. Jessica there is no doubt that Cohen wants to build a winner.

#4 The Tampa Bay Rays have outspent the Chicago Cubs for the 2025 season in free agency money and that’s considering that the Rays will be playing in the New York Yankees spring training facility for the regular season in a park that seats 11,000 fans. That had third baseman Alex Bregman looking for greener pastures leaving the Cubs for the Boston Red Sox and leaving Cubs owner Tom Ricketts with very little answers on how the Cubs will be competitive this sesason?

#5 The Rays are not the only big league club that will be playing in a minor league park for the 2025 season. The Sacramento A’s will be using the San Francisco Giants minor league park Sutter Health Field in West Sacramento for their regular season games. The Sacramento park seats 14,014 and is nearly sold out for it’s games. The A’s will play any post season games at a neutral site location to be named later.

Join Jessica Kwong for Headline Sports podcasts every other Wednesday night at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: How Farhan Zaidi will work out as special advisor for Dodgers; What A-Rod’s role will be as co-owner for Timberwolves

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Farhan Zaidi returns to the Los Angeles Dodgers as a special assistant for the 2025 season after serving as the San Francisco Giants team president (USA Today file photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 The Los Angeles Dodgers noted for know what they are doing and they have the resume to back it up have brought back former general manager Farhan Zaidi. Zaidi was team president for the San Francisco Giants and was fired after last season. Zaidi now returns to the Dodgers as special advisor.

#2 Alex Rodriquez and Marc Lore are on deck to take ownership of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Arbitrators have ruled in favor of the transfer of ownership from Timberwolves current owner Glen Taylor. Lore and A-Rod will also be on the NBA board of governors once the ownership transfer is approved. Amaury what’s it got to be like for someone like A-Rod to be a former MLB player to now owning an NBA team?

#3 Former Cincinnati Reds great Pete Rose’s No.14 will be on the sleeves on Reds uniforms for the 2025 season. While Rose has a lifetime ban the Reds said “14 on our side all season” Rose is the MLB all time hits leader with 4,256 hits.

#4 Ippei Mizuhara the former Los Angeles Dodgers interpreter for Shohei Ohtani was sentenced for 57 months for stealing close to $17 million from Ohtani. The sentence starts on March 24th and Mizuhara will serve three years of supervision once released. Mizuhara has been ordered by the court to pay Ohtani the $17 million in restitution.

#5 Some of the big questions that are being asked about the A’s who will open their 2025 interim season at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento. How will the A’s adjust to playing in a minor league park and will that work to their advantage when visiting clubs come? Also how will A’s history work into the A’s short stint in Sacramento?

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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, a role he continues to this day (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

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Mark Kotsay — The Perfect Manager for the A’s

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Athletics manager Mark Kotsay looks forward to managing in Sacramento and is considered the perfect manager for the job. A steady hand, works well with the players, and the players respond to his managing style. (AP News file photo)

Mark Kotsay — The Perfect Manager for the A’s

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

The first time I met and interviewed the A’s Manager,Mark Kotsay, this is the way he described his managing style: “I really see myself as someone who comes across as transparent. I want the players to know that I care about them. That comes with the relationships I’ve developed inside this organization”. Kotsay creates a positive team culture, excellent communicator, and a great knowledge of the game, especially the game’s situation on the field.

Mark Kotsay is a leader, and he is excited about these off-season moves, like signing pitcher Luis Severino to a three-year $67 million contract, the largest in A’s history. He wants to be with the A’s long term and see the organization succeed, and even though the team will have a new home in Sacramento in 2025 and until 2027, he believes the team’s tenure in Oakland should be honored appropriately. And why not?

The A’s played in Oakland for 56 seasons under various owners and left a rich tradition of winning four World Series titles while playing at the now-historic Oakland Coliseum. They also won four World Series when they were the Oakland A’s.

As a player with the Padres, Marlins, Athletics, Braves, Red Sox, White Sox, and Brewers, Kotsay played 1,914 games. He also coached the Padres and Athletics before becoming the A’s manager for the 2022 season.

Mark Kotsay was a legend at Cal State Fullerton as an outfielder who guided the Titans to a 149-41 record in his three seasons. His .404 batting average still a record for the school. He was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2007.

As a young manager at 49, Kotsay will soon prepare his team for this Spring Training in Arizona. Kotsay played for the A’s from 2004–2007. He also coached for the A’s for six years, serving as bench coach, quality control coach, and third base coach.

During the three years that Kotsay managed the A’s the team(s) record; 2022 (60-102) 2023 (50-112), 2024(69-93) There was evident improvement during the last season at Oakland with 69 wins, and with the changes this off-season Kotsay hopes his Athletics(soon to be playing in Sacramento) can reach the .500 mark this season.
Managers are evaluated in wins and loses. Kotsay has done a great job developing the young players, even with the team’s low budget investments in players in recent past. I wish nothing but the best to a very good man during this upcoming season. Sacramento will welcome a baseball man with the talent and integrity of Mark Kotsay in my humble opinion the perfect manager for the A’s.

-Mark Kotsay is one of only three people to have played for and managed the A’s, along with Tony LaRussa and Jeff Newman. There is a lot of excitement in Sacramento with the arrival of the Athletics. This is understandable, for the first time, they will have a major league team that also will host teams like the Yankees, Dodgers, Giants, plus other American and National League teams, making the State Capital a Major League City.

A fan recently asked me how the A’s players feel about playing in Sutter Health Park, West Sacramento, some have played there while they were playing at the Triple A level. Most players are happy to be on a team they believe are building up for the future, there is optimism.

Let’s face it, these are professional baseball player, they do not chose where they are going to play, but for what I have been my contacts there, what they told me, the vibes are good going to Sacramento.

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, a role he continues to this day (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.

Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O: Chiefs Kelce fined for unsportsmanshiplike conduct; If Chiefs win no parade in downtown KC; plus more news

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(left) Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Jordan Phillips (97) headbutts Kansas City Chiefs Travis Kelce (87) after Kelce got in the face of the Bills Damar Hamlin (right) (photo stills from You Tube)

Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Kansas City Chiefs Travis Kelce was fined $11,255 during the AFC Championship game against the Buffalo Bills for unsportsmanshiplike conduct in their win against the Buffalo Bills. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes who scored on a one yard touchdown in the second quarter. Kelce got in Bills safety Damar Hamlin’s grill after Hamlin tackled Mahomes in the end zone. Kelce was responding to Hamlin’s end zone tackle and Bills defensive tackle Jordan Phillips ended up head butting Kelce. Phillips was fined 6,722 for the headbutt.

#2 Kansas City has announced that if the Chiefs win the Super Bowl there will be no parade celebration. If the Chiefs win they will gather their players, family members, friends, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas. The parade will be televised along the parade route. The parade was called off due to a shooting at Union Station near a garage that injured 22 and killed Lisa Lopez Galvan.

#3 Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker is facing more allegations of sexually inappropriate behavior with three massage therapists who have accused him of misconduct. There a total of nine massage therapists that have accused Tucker of inappropriate behavior. The timeline of these accusations were from 2012-2016.

#4 Charlie, talk about Tom Brady’s role in the Las Vegas Raiders hiring of head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek. Raiders owner Mark Davis depended on Brady’s knowledge and experience in making these choices.

#5 Luka Doncic traded to the Los Angeles Lakers from the Dallas Mavericks was this because of Doncic’s challenges with weight and were there internal problems in Dallas?

#5 On Saturday the Sacramento Athletics held a celebration of life for the late Rickey Henderson who died five days before his 66th birthday on Dec 20, 2024. The a star studded dais included former MLB stars, Shooty Babbitt, Dave Stewart, Dave Winfield, Bip Roberts, Frank Big Hurt Thomas, Dennis Eckersley, Ken Griffey Jr, Carney Lansford, Jose Canseco, Tony LaRussa, NBA star Gary Payton, (MC) Renel, best friend of Rickey Fred Atkins, former A’s exec Sandy Alderson, and MC Hammer.

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

Athletics Relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum: Remodeling at Sutter Health Ballpark continues

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Sutter Health Park the future home of the Sacramento A’s being worked on and expected to be ready by late March 2025 (photo from MSN)

On the Athletics Relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum:

#1 Daniel, the make over at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento is well underway the exterior of the ballpark is nearly finished.

#2 The finishing touches on Sutter Health are some three months away as spring training starts in February and it’s off to Sutter Health in late March for the 2025 season.

#3 The Athletics and the visiting teams will get new clubhouses which will be located in left field. It won’t be such a long walk for the pitchers who will be sitting in the bullpens.

#4 There will be very hot summers so the A’s are constructing a beer garden called the Legacy Club a place where fans can get a cold drink to cool off.

#5 No word where the TV and radio broadcasters will sit and how much room there will be for the working media. Word has it that an extra ten to 15 seats are being added to the main pressbox but even still room will be tight for reporters and fans likewise in the small space of the 14,000 capacity ballpark.

Join Daniel Dullum podcasts the Athletics Relocation podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary–Athletics Loading-Up and Spending money in Sacramento

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Sacramento A’s two way player Shotaro Morii (gold A’s jersey) is introduced at press conference in Sacramento. Morii signed a minor league contract for $1,520,500. (photo from the New York Post)

Athletics Loading-Up and Spending money in Sacramento

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

When a team relocates, it brings a lot of new challenges, aside from the city they’re moving to, marketing strategy, new players, who is gone and who is returning plus changing the team’s identity. For the Oakland A’s, who made Oakland their home from 1968 to 2024 are now starting a new phase of their history in Sacramento, California. Aside from the new players, more on that later.

For this first season in Sacramento, 2025, the Athletics have added a new sleeve patch to their uniform that features the Tower Bridge and the word Sacramento. No, it is not as famous as the Bay Bridge or the Golden Gate Bridge, nevertheless is an emblem of Sacramento.

For this first year in Sacramento, the team also signed Dominican-born right-handed pitcher Luis Severino in December 2024. Severino (a veteran with the Yankees and Mets) got the largest contract in the history of the Athletics, a three-year, $67 million contract. Previously, Eric Chavez hsd signed the largest contract in athletics history twenty years ago, a six-year contract extension of $66 million in 2004.

The A’s went to Asia to find young talent. They recently signed 18-year-old Shotaro Morii, who made the rare decision to bypass Japanese professional baseball entirely and agreed to a minor league contract with the Athletics, including a signing bonus of $1,520,500.

Morii is trying to become another two-way player from his country after the great Shohei Ohtani with the World Champions Los Angeles Dodgers. The minor league contract is the largest ever for a Japanese amateur outside of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB)

The spending spree came after the team extended slugger Brent Rooker’s contract to five years and $60 million. The A’s DH was their MVP in 2024, with a .293 batting average, 39 home runs and 112 runs batted in. Since last season, many teams where interested in Rooker, but the A’s did well in retaining him.

The A’s signed a one-year contract with Dominican-born right-hander José Leclerc for 1 year and $10 million. The team expects José’s acquisition will bolster the back end of the bullpen, with their #1 star sensational closer Mason Miller, on his third season with the A’s.

The team also signed experienced third baseman Gio Urshela to a 1 year contract worth $2.15 million with up to $400,000 in incentives. Urshela, a native of Cartagena, Colombia, signed with Cleveland in July 2008 at age 16. He made his MLB debut for the Indians on June 9, 2015, and played two-plus seasons in Cleveland before being traded to the Blue Jays in May 2018. The team was looking for a guy with this experience to be part of their infield this year. Saludos and Adiós, for now.

Amaury Pi-González was inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame in 2010 for his work as a Spanish-language Major League Baseball. Amaury is the vice president of the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Hall of Fame Museum catch Amaury’s podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.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