Tag: Salt Lake City Smith’s Stadium

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Were Giants trying to pinch pennies in not keeping PA announcer Renel?; Ohtani is preparing to play the field; plus more news

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Former San Francisco Giants PA Announcer Renel Brooks Moon parted ways with the Giants after the two sides could not agree to terms on a new contract that expired in Dec 2023.This photo shows Renel in the Oracle Park PA booth in 2002. Renel will work as a volunteer community representative for the Giants. (AP News photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 San Francisco Giants first black female PA announcer Renel Brooks Moon who was the PA announcer at Oracle Park for 24 seasons could not reach a contract agreement with the Giants. According to reports Renel and the Giants had extensive discussions about a new deal but couldn’t arrive at an agreement. Renel’s contract expired in December. Renel will now be a volunteer for the Giants as a community activist and mentor. Was this a money saving deal for the Giants or was Renel asking too much from the Giants and didn’t get her contract renewed?

#2 He could do it all, pitch, hit and now play the field. Los Angeles Dodgers two way player and could be a three way player by converting his services to the field. Although as manager Dave Roberts reiterated Ohtani will not pitch this season but will begin throwing drills once the Dodgers come back from Korea. Roberts said that Ohtani will mostly be a designated hitter.

#3 Amaury get your thoughts on the big signing of former San Diego Padre and now San Francisco Giants pitcher Blake Snell who signed with the Giants on Monday for a two year contract worth $62 million. Snell was 14-9 with a 2.25 ERA for San Diego in 2023. How will he be an impact to the Giants rotation.

#4 Nothing worse than getting an injury in spring training to put off your regular season and that’s the case for Cincinnati Reds centerfielder TJ Friedl who on Saturday was attempting to make a diving catch fractured his right wrist. Friedl will be reevaluated in three to four weeks. Fridel had such a great season in 2023 that the Reds were looking forward to making him their everyday centerfielder.

#5 Former Reds first baseman Joey Votto hit one out in his first at bat for the Toronto Blue Jays. Votto rather than retire sought to join another big league team and the Jays wanted to take a look at what he could do. Votto pounded a 392 foot home run off the Philadelphia Phillies frontline pitcher Zack Wheeler in the first inning at Clearlake Florida on Sunday.

#6 Salt Lake City has been in talks to possibly host a pre season game or two for the Oakland A’s at Smith’s Ballpark in Salt Lake City. The A’s had been in talks with Sacramento over use of Sutter Health Park. Salt Lake City is in serious MLB mode to get a big league team. They want to have the A’s move to Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City would finance the ballpark and land and finance a ballpark village. How realistic for that to happen starts with if the A’s can’t get to Las Vegas?

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

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Co-owner Billy Beane encouraging Fisher to continue talks with Coliseum Joint Authority for lease extension; plus more A’s news

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Oakland A’s senior advisor to the managing partner Billy Beane (left) and A’s general manager David Forst (right) are seen here standing in the A’s dugout on Aug 28, 2020 at the Oakland Coliseum. Beane has recently advised according to reports owner John Fisher that the Oakland Coliseum would be the best place for the A’s interim years 2025-27 before moving to Las Vegas (AP file photo)

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg:

#1 Oakland A’s minority owner Billy Beane reportedly from Front Office Sports is encouraging owner John Fisher to continue talks with the Oakland Coliseum Joint Authority for a lease extension. Beane is also a senior advisor to Fisher.

#2 There had been talks that the A’s had the home of the Sacramento Rivercats and the San Francisco Giants minor league triple A team’s ballpark Sutter Health in West Sacramento that would house the A’s home games but some sources within the A’s organization said they didn’t know where those rumors came from and that Sacramento was not named by the A’s as the first choice for an interim site after the 2024 season.

#3 The Las Vegas Review Journal reported also that the A’s are trying to stay at the Oakland Coliseum as an interim site. A’s president David Kaval said this week that the A’s have narrowed their choices to three sites Sacramento, Salt Lake City and Oakland. Kaval is at the A’s spring training site in Mesa AZ. Talk has it that Oakland is the most logical choice because of the TV money they would get from NBC Sports California at some $70 million a year something they would not get in Salt Lake City or Sacramento.

#4 Kaval said that there is already a broadcast distribution now with the Sacramento Kings, San Jose Sharks, and A’s with NBC Sports California and that make Sacramento in the running. Still the players union would still have to sign off on playing in a minor league facility and three years at a minor league park might be an issue with the union.

#5 Kaval said he wants to be thoughtful and work with the league and that talks last Thursday went well and he had a positive feel. Kaval said the A’s are keeping their options open until they identify where they’ll play in the interim. It’s the hope of most fans and employees of the A’s that they would choose the Oakland Coliseum in the interim before moving to Las Vegas.

Jerry Feitelberg does the Oakland A’s podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com