Tag: Sports radio

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Jackie Robinson Legacy is International

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Jackie Robinson who broke the color line in Major League Baseball in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers takes a swing at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn (jackierobinson.com file photo)

Jackie Robinson Legacy is International

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

Amaury Pi-González

April 15,2020 marks the 73rd Anniversary of Jackie Robinson as the first African-American player in MLB,with the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. His legacy and career was honored and his uniform number 42 retired by Major League Baseball by Commissioner Bud Selig 33 years ago on April 15,1997.

Robinson’s #42 was the first and only number retired by all MLB 30 teams. Generally people focus on African Americans who followed Robinson into baseball,but the great pioneer also opened the door for Black Latino players.

Jackie Robinson’s legacy goes beyond US borders.  Because of Robinson, Latino players of dark skin were also able to come and play in the big leagues with their American brothers.

Today almost 33 percent of all players in MLB are born in Latin America(higher percentage in the minor leagues)and after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier,some great Latino black players,like Cuban-born Orestes(Minnie) Miñoso who signed as a rookie in 1949 with the Cleveland Indians, before becoming the last player in baseball history to play for five (50 years) different decades.

Minnie played from 1949 until 1980. The Cuban-born Miñoso was the first unquestionable black Latin American in the major leagues, although some others with some black ancestry had played in MLB. By early 1950’s other Latino’s of black skin included, Luis Márquez(Puerto Rico)signed by the Boston Braves and Cuban catcher Rafael(Ray)Noble with the New York Giants as well as Ozzie Virgil Sr.from the Dominican Republic.

According to SABR (Society for American Baseball Research) in 1947; 98.3 perfect of players were white,0.9 percent African-American, 0.7 percent Latinos and 0.0 percent Asian. Decades later, especially in the mid 1950’s the great Roberto Clemente (Puerto Rico) and 1960’s many more came from Latin America, like Juan Marichal, Orlando Cepeda, Manny Mota, Felipe, Jesús and Mateo Alou, Tony Oliva, Luis Tiant, Leonardo(Leo) Cárdenas, Tony González, Francisco(Panchón)Herrera, José Cardenal, Dagoberto(Campy)Campaneris and more not mentioned.

Some of these Latino players are remembered with statues in the cities where they played,the one and only Roberto Clemente not only with a Statue at PNC Park but with the Roberto Clemente Bridge in downtown Pittsburgh over the Allegheny River.

Today all baseball fans around the world honor the great #42 Jackie Robinson,because he is also a historic figure in countries like Cuba, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Panamá, Puerto Rico, México,Nicaragua,Venezuela, Jamaica and all countries where baseball is a major sport, not to mention in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

“I never cared about acceptance as much as I cared about respect” -Jackie Robinson.

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

Tony Renteria for That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Best hitters in baseball missing out on making big numbers; Can MLB make it back by June?; plus more

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wikipedia file photo: New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge just one of many big league players missing out on improving their numbers this season as the shut down continues

Tony Renteria filled in for Amaury Pi Gonzalez:

#1 Taking a look at some of baseball’s big  boppers how badly are they missing this season names like New York Yankees Aaron Judge and the Philadelphia Phillies Bryce Harper.

#2 From the Oakland A’s Matt Chapman who had such a fine hitting season last year .249, 145 hits, 36 home runs, and 91 RBIs, he’s another player missing the opportunity to tee off this season.

#3 How possible could it be for MLB to start the season in June, play in two different states, hold fan interest, and hope that curve has been flatten in order to play this season?

#4 This was going to be the season that MLB was going to have a shot at increasing it’s attendance, getting a younger demographic and looking forward to improved TV ratings could that all be for not with an abbreviated season and most fans not having access to their local team?

#5 The A’s got criticized for not signing on with their former flagship radio station KTRB 860 and decided to stream all of it’s games home and away on itunes.com. Then came the shutdown for Covid 19. In hindsight considering all the advertising and business that has dried up and the A’s wanted to save money from buying air time it could very well be a good move and it might be a trailblazer move for other MLB teams.

Tony Renteria filled in for Amaury Pi Gonzalez who does News and Commentary podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Yankees owner Hank Steinbrenner passes at 63; Some of the greatest Cuban players I worked with; plus more

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New York Yankees owner and son of George Steinbrenner III, Hank Steinbrenner passed away Tuesday for undisclosed reasons of death, he was 63. (file photo from twitter.com)

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast:

#1 New York Yankees owner Hank Steinbrenner passed away on Tuesday morning at age 63. Steinbrenner kept many of the business and traditional ideas of running the Yankees like his father George did.

#2 MLB.com raised a good question what would have happened if the Boston Red Sox had traded Babe Ruth to the Chicago White Sox. Amaury says baseball history would be different today had White Sox picked him up and who knows he might have been a manager something that Ruth wanted to do after he retired after his playing days.

#3 Amaury talks about some of the best Cuban players in MLB Leo Cardenas, Tony Olivia, Tony Perez, Jose Canseco and Minnie Minoso  and his experiences working with them.

Catch Amaury each Tuesday for That’s Amaury’s New and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

He Was A Giant? Feature on former Giant Bob Schroder

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1965 Topps Rookie card of former San Francisco Giant Bob Schroder (right) who autographed the card is Tony The Tiger’s featured player in today’s article “He was a Giant?” (photo from baseball.almanac.com)

He Was A Giant?

By Tony The Tiger Hayes

Bob Schroder – IF – 1964-68 – # 10, 15

As odd as it seems to label someone who played in four straight seasons with San Francisco as an “unknown” – Schroder would qualify to be that guy.

A left-handed hitting utility infielder, Schroder batted .217, 0, 12 in 138 games between 1964-68 for the Orange & Black – failing to make any obvious impact other than providing a warm body with steady glove in blowouts and late inning situations.

In fact Schroder’s only claim to fame as a big leaguer was replacing a future Hall of Famer in the lineup after said high-kicking legend conked a Dodger over the head with a Louisville Slugger in the most infamous brawls in MLB history.

Why Was He A Giant?

Giants scouts found Schroder enjoying a dish of gumbo and char broiled oysters while starring at shortstop at New Orleans’ Loyola University in 1964.

A year later, after breezing through three low rung Giants minor league clubs, Schroder would make his big league debut in an other great restaurant town, pinch running for Tom Haller at Candlestick Park in a 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh (4/20/65).

Before & After

Born in New Jersey, Schroder didn’t exactly scream future star in his first season of pro ball when he batted a combined .273, 9, 46, at two levels of minor league ball.

Yet he made the big club out of spring training in ‘65 at age 20 and amazingly would spend the entire campaign with the big club, leading some to speculate that the kid had compromising photos of portly manager Herman Franks in a tutu or was an invaluable golf caddy for Willie Mays.

As a rookie Schroder appeared in just 31 games while amassing a paltry nine at-bats. He appeared in 10 more contests in 1966 with the big club – spending most of the year at Triple-A.

But Schroder was back for a full season in the City by the Bay in 1967 – seeing his most action in the bigs (.230, 0, 7) in a career high 65 games as the Giants primary backup infielder. In 1968 he split the season between SF and the minors.

After that, Schroder would spend all of 1969-70 with the Giants Triple-A Phoenix team and one final season of pro ball in 1971 in the Brewers system.

He was out of pro ball at age of 26.

He Never Got His Own Bobblehead. But…

Schroder enjoyed just eight multiple hit games as a Giant. In one rare starting assignment (9/7/67) he led the club in hits with three and scored the winning run in a 3-2 home edging of Houston. The catch is, it took 15 innings to accomplish the feat.

With two outs in the bottom of the 15th, Schroder sliced a line drive single to left field off Astros reliever Dave Eilers. The pitcher then plunked Ken Henderson with a pitch to move Schroder into scoring position. Jesus Alou then pounced on the next offering stinging a single into center as Schroder raced home to beat Jimmy Wynn’s throw.

Giant Footprint

The already testy Giants-Dodgers rivalry turned violent and bloody in the summer of 1965 when SF’s Juan Marichal swung and connected his bat; not at a Sandy Koufax pitch, but at Los Angeles catcher John Roseboro’s head.

Marichal alleged the LA receiver had intentionally grazed his ear with a particularly close return throw to the mound.

Thankfully Roseboro’s injury was not life threatening injury – but Marichal did open a sizable scalp wound on Roseboro head requiring more than a dozen stitches.

After the chaos dyed down 14 minutes later, Schroder was called upon to pinch-hit for the now disqualified Giants ace.

Saddled with a 1-1 count, Schroder quickly whiffed vs. Koufax and joined Marichal in the home clubhouse.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: No Season? Who will miss it more A’s or Giants

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image from rollinghills.com: Which team will miss the 2020 season more the Oakland A’s or San Francisco Giants? Amaury has that answer below on That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary.

No Season?.Who will miss it more A’s or Giants

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

Amaury Pi-González

We have seen all the plans now for a start of the 2020 season. The latest; an abbreviated season in Arizona and Florida with no fans in the stands from Spring Training stadiums. A re-alignment of divisions with 15 teams playing in Florida and 15 in Arizona. But what if the season is cancelled?

Nobody really knows about this Covid-19virus,the medical experts first said we could have 100,000 to 200,000 dead in the country but then they said because we are practicing distancing,washing hands and other precautions,those figures will be much much lower. And that is good news.The medical experts on pandemics and epidemics talk about models like projections and predictions,like we like to do in baseball a lot of things are taken into consideration. But just like baseball is not a perfect science,these infectious viruses which are studied for years by scientist are also very unpredictable,you may say,they have a mind of their own.USA Today recently published a story that said, “no sports until there is a vaccine”.That is hard to image.

We can make a case that certain teams like Detroit and Baltimore might just be fine skipping this 2020 season. After all the Tigers finished 47-114 in last place 53 1/2 games from the Twins.The same case can be make about the Orioles 54-108 season and 49 games behind the Yankees. The word “re-structuring” doesn’t apply to those teams,they are like cars that have been totaled during an accident,you need a brand new car. We are privileged to have two teams in the Bay Area, so let’s take a look at who will miss the season more.

Athletics. They seem to be poised to win the division in 2020,after chasing the Astros the last few seasons,they are a very strong young ball-club,a solid all-around group of players with some experience very hungry for success and a potential run deep into the Postseason.

While the Astros were the biggest negative story in baseball after last year with the sign-stealing scandal still smoldering. Ironically for them (Astros) if this season is cancelled,it might be a plus for them. Many physiologists say there is much truth about that old saying “time heals all wounds”. So for the Astros if they have to wait until 2021 it might not be as bad, as for the Athletics who are ready loaded and eager to win this year. A’s will miss it.

Giants: The Giants are not picked by anybody to win in 2020. The gang is very similar,with veterans Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford, Buster Posey, Johnny Cueto and even Hunter Pence making his return to the team he loves.

Their best pitcher Madison Bumgarner is now with the Arizona Diamonbacks, a team that acquired more talent and could be contending. They have a new Manager in Gabe Kapler, taking the job left by retiring future Hall of Fame manager Bruce Bochy.

Kapler seems to be very optimistic about his first year with the Giants.Oracle Park changes.The wall that runs from left-center field to Triples Alley was moved in four-to-six feet and the wall lowered by one foot. This to help the team who finished last season 28th in all of baseball, with an anemic team offense of .239 with 167 home runs. Conclusion: Giants will not miss it.

Who suffers the most? Obviously the physique of the country. Baseball is the most historic team sport, for six months in the summer there is a game every day.The fans who will have to wait until Spring Training 2021. Teams in the 30 MLB cities, revenues, employees at the stadiums and taxes for the cities. Overall the media, radio, television, print, advertising revenue.

Players also miss a whole season in a sport where practice and repetition plays a big part,also some players will become free agents and might never return to their teams. But,at the end nobody really wins.

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” -Winston Churchill.

Amaury PI Gonzalez does News and Commentary each week and listen for Amaury’s podcast each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Morris Phillips: Cal announces no spectators will attend athletic events; fans can exchange tickets for refund

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Cal vice chancellor of administration Marc Fisher announced that no spectators will be allowed to attend Cal athletic events. Only team personnel and the media would be allowed to attend. (UC Berkeley file photo)

On Headline Sports with Morris podcast:

#1 Cal vice chancellor of administration Marc Fisher announced that there will be no spectators attending intercollegiate events. Before the announcement it was understood that as opposed to on line studying and no in person classes athletics at Cal would go forward with spectators at events but the quickly scratched after Fisher taking in consideration that a carrier could set that spread of Covid 19.

#2 Somewhere between the mention that Cal athletics would allow fans and students to attend athletics it was brought to Fisher’s attention that people could get sick and that Fisher put out the statement games would not be played in front of fans until further notice.

#3 The statement from Fisher also said that only student athletes, coaches, sports medicine staff, game officials, credentialed media, operational and administrative staff would be allowed in the events

#4 Fans who are season ticket holders at Cal are advised that they could exchange tickets, they could request a refund or donate to a non profit charity of their choice.

#5 Cal basketball had just ended when shelter in place was introduced as state policy so the football and basketball programs just got their seasons in before March Madness was suspended.

Morris Phillips is a Cal Bears beat writer and podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Daniel Dullum: NHL & MLB looking to play neutral site games; Player deaths rough weekend; plus more

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The Edmonton Oilers Colby Cave was one of three NHL players who passed away over this weekend. Cave was 25 years old. (photo from turn23.com)

On Headline Sports with Daniel:

1 NHL reportedly indentifying neutral site rinks for possible return, NBA might look for neutral site courts

2 MLB: Proposal for shortened season to played in Florida and Arizona

3 NBA: Teams are urging the league to postopone draft until August 1 or later

4 RIP hockey’s Pat Stapleton, Colby Cave, Tom Webster

5 NFL: Tom Brady busy with trademarks, RIP Eagles great Pete Retzlaff

Daniel hosts Headline Sports each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports podcast with Matt Harrington: NHL says neutral site hockey is not a first choice but on the table

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nhl.com file photo: NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said while neutral site games are a consideration it’s not the league’s first choice

On Headline Sports podcast with Matt:

#1 NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly was discussing neutral site games when the NHL season resumes Daly did add that it would not be the preferred choice.

#2 Daly said that the NHL should and would be prepared as much as they possibly can but said that it’s premature to set that course at this juncture.

#3 The NHL has directed the players to self quarantine through April 15th and Daly said he would not be surprised if that date is extended

#4 While the window to finish the regular season and Stanley Cup post season remains open neutral site hockey might be a strong option considering local laws for shelter in place and social distancing still being in effect.

#5 Daly also had to take into consideration the new season isn’t that far behind a neutral site scenario. September is the supposed start of the exhibition season followed by the regular season in October.

Matt Harrington does Headline Sports each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O: Two leagues, six divisions, two different states in MLB idea for regular seaon

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photo file from City of Scottsdale: Scottsdale Stadium in Arizona will remain empty one way or the other as fans will not be allowed to watch exhibition and regular season games from inside the park if baseball season is ever to resume

Headline Sports podcast with Charlie O:

#1 MLB is considering realigning MLB teams and canceling out the National League and American League traditional schedule where teams like the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees could be rivals.

#2 The alignment would be changing six divisions. The two different leagues would be called the Cactus League in Arizona and the other league the Grapefruit League in Florida with three divisions in each league.

#3 The idea is to play regular games in two different states with no fans in attendance in an abbreviated season how will that work for TV revenue and most importantly for radio.

#4 How will an idea like this be received by the fans? They’ll miss baseball but some might just tune out if they can’t get to the ball park or if they feel like their team is away and it doesn’t have the local feeling to it.

#5 The other benefit to it is they will all be one hour drive from each other and if they going to compact so many games in in a short amount of time this might be the best way to do it.

Charlie O does Headline Sports every other Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Headline Sports podcast with London Marq: Brady shared some revelations on the Howard Stern Show

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Tom Brady at home with his wife Gesele Bundchen with children talked about his marriage and family life among many other topics with Sirius talk show host Howard Stern (Instagram)

On Headline Sports with London:

#1 The Howard Stern Show on Sirius XM interviewed Tampa Bay Bucs quarterback Tom Brady who said it was time for a change for his reason for leaving New England.

#2 Brady addressed that there were misconceptions about his working relationship with former head coach Bill Belichick saying there was never ever any rift between them.

#3 Brady who appeared in nine Super Bowls a six time Super Bowl champion, 13 AFC Championships said he didn’t care for the legacy label and that label was not what he was seeking in football.

#4 Brady talked with Stern about his marriage with super model Gisele Bundchen who told Brady he needed to spend more time at home. Brady admitted he was working too much on football and was away way too much.

#5 London we know you followed the Pats very closely and what are some of the things the Patriots will miss not having Brady under center for them anymore.

London Marq does Headline podcasting each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com