Tag: Sutter Health Park

A’s Edge Orioles5-4 for Second Straight Win Behind Early Offense and Clutch Relief

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Denzel Clarke made an incredible catch in deep left center field as he crashed into the wall on Friday night. (Photo: Athletics on X)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Athletics were back in action on Friday night after snapping their nine-game losing streak the Thursday against the Twins. Looking to build a streak, the A’s defeated the Baltimore Orioles 5-4 in the first of a three-game series at Sutter Health Park.

JP Sears started the game for the A’s and pitched well. He didn’t have his dominant stuff on Friday, but that didn’t stop him from turning in a solid outing. Sears went five innings, allowing four runs on four hits while striking out three Baltimore hitters. He was a bit off with his command, walking three.

In relief, Grant Holman came in and pitched a scoreless sixth inning while striking out two. T.J. McFarland followed Holman and delivered a clean seventh as the A’s held onto a 5-4 lead. In the eighth, Tyler Ferguson took over and was only able to record one out, giving up a hit and two walks. Mark Kotsay had seen enough and went to his flamethrower, Mason Miller, to finish off the eighth inning. Miller came in and struck out the final two batters with the bases loaded to keep the A’s lead intact heading to the ninth. In the ninth, Mason Miller was as advertised. Miller picked up where he left off by striking out one and pitching a clean inning other than a walk. The A’s defeated the Orioles 5-4. 

The A’s offense came early in the game as they scored four runs in the third inning and added a fifth run in the fifth. Lawrence Butler had an RBI double, Jacob Wilson an RBI single, and Tyler Soderstrom an RBI groundout in the A’s four-run third. In the fifth, the A’s run came thanks to a Brent Rooker RBI single.

With the win, the A’s improved to 25-40 on the season and have won two in a row for the first time in a month.

The A’s will take on the Orioles and look for a series win on Saturday at 7:05 PM PST at Sutter Health Park. The A’s will send Luis Severino to the hill (1-5, 4.54 ERA), countered by Baltimore’s Charlie Morton (2-7, 6.20 ERA).

Note of the day: I know I talk about A’s shortstop Jacob Wilson a lot in my columns. However, whatever praise and attention I bring to him isn’t nearly enough for what he deserves. Jacob is on an absolute terror. After Friday, Wilson is now hitting .369 on the season with eight home runs. He has also had 11 three-hit games this season— the most in MLB. Wilson is proving day in and day out that he is the best big league shortstop in the game, and it’s only his rookie season.

Sacramento A’s podcast Shooty Babitt Tue May 27, 2025: The talk is getting louder that MLB playing minor league parks isn’t working

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Los Angeles Angels pitcher Hunter Strickland throws a pitch to the Sacramento A’s hitter Miguel Andujar in the bottom of the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park on Tue May 20, 2025. There have been a number of publications questioning the quality of the Major League Baseball being payed in minor league parks. (AP News photo)

Sacramento A’s podcast Shooty Babitt:

#1 Shooty, there have been a number of publications discussing the Sacramento A’s playing in a minor league park isn’t the best idea after all. The A’s have the worst home record in baseball at 9-19. The A’s have have been involved in lopsided games and at just recently completed an 11 game losing streak.

#2 The A’s completed a seven game homestand running from May 19-25 and lost six of those seven games all at home before winning Sun May 25 which turned out to be the game that ended their 11 game losing streak.

#3 The ballplayers have been restrained about criticizing playing at Sutter Health Park the minor league home of the Sacramento River Cats a San Francisco Giants triple A affiliate. Just small hints of the players not so excitable feelings have been dropped one by A’s pitcher Luis Severino who said Sutter Health was a minor league park and A’s manager Mark Kotsay saying the site lines when a ball is hit down the left field line you can’t see it from where he’s standing in the dugout.

#4 The long and short of it Shooty should the A’s put an end to this three year interim agreement with the Rivercats owner Vivek Ranadive and open up discussions with Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee to return to the Coliseum and play their final two years after this season in Oakland before moving to Las Vegas in 2028? The Coliseum isn’t perfect but it’s a big league stadium and it would be a good temporary place until the Vegas park is built?

#5 The A’s had the day off on Monday and open a two game series in Houston on Tuesday night at Daikin Field in Houston. The A’s will be going with starter LHP JP Sears (4-4 ERA 4.00) Astros RHP Hunter Brown (6-3 ERA 2.04) will start to open the brief series first pitch is 5:10pm PDT.

Shooty Babitt is a former 1981 second baseman for the Oakland A’s, Shooty worked as an NBC Sports Bay Area A’s analyst and is currently a scout for the A’s and filled in for Tony Renteria who does the A’s podcasts each Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Ready for Professional Cricket?

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Francisco Unicorns Hassan Khan takes a swing in cricket action back on Jul 25, 2024 (photo by ESPN)

Ready for Professional Cricket?

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Are we Saturated with professional Sports teams in the Bay Area?

Yes, No? Prepare for Professional Cricket, which is coming to the Oakland Coliseum. World-class cricket is coming to the Oakland Coliseum. The San Francisco Unicorns were announced as one of the six teams participating in the league’s inaugural season in 2025. Games will be held on June 12, 14, and 15 at the Oakland Coliseum, and tickets will start at $30.

–The Golden State Valkyries: A new WNBA team owned by Golden State Warriors Joe Lacob and Peter Guber. They are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco’s Chase Center. The Valkyries compete in the Women’s National Basketball Association as a member of the Western Conference. They recently began play in the 2025 season. Fact: The Valkyries already had more attendance in their inaugural game, 18,064, a sellout, than the Oakland A’s, playing in exile in Sacramento, who have yet to sell out one (1) game this season at Sutter Health Park.

–The Town FC is an American professional soccer team in Moraga, California. It is the San Jose Earthquakes reserve team and participates in MLS Next Pro, a minor league.

The Oakland Roots Sports Club is an American professional soccer club based in Oakland, California. It is a member of the Western Conference and competes in the USL Championship.

–The Bay Football Club, an American professional soccer team based in the San Francisco Bay Area that competes in the National Women’s Soccer League. The team began play in the NWSL as an expansion team in the 2024 season.

Not satisfied with enough Soccer yet? …There is more!

Golden City Football Club (GCFC) co-founders have announced plans to bring professional soccer to the Bay Area—the Golden City Football Club. San Francisco’s iconic Kezar Stadium is getting a major facelift thanks to a new $10 million public-private investment partnership. Mayor Daniel Lurie and (Soccer in Spanish=Fútbol in Portuguese=Futebol) Bay Area franchises in other Sports. –The San Francisco Giants, the San José Giants, and the Oakland Ballers are professional baseball teams in the Major and Minor Leagues.

–The Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association were recently eliminated (minus Curry) during the playoffs.

–The NFL San Francisco 49ers, who play in Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, just signed quarterback Brock Purdy to a five-year, $265 million extension. Purdy is looking for his first Super Bowl ring. Legendary Hall of Fame QB Joe Montana led the 49ers to four (4) Super Bowl titles. Joe Montana, as the 49ers Quarterback, earned an estimated $25 million during his professional football career.

–San José Earthquakes of the MLS (Major League Soccer)USA.

–The NHL San José Sharks just signed a lease to stay at SAP Center until 2050, and the mayor of San José promised many arena improvements.

Q: Are there enough fans and money to support all these sports teams in the Bay Area?

A: Think of this: Most of the wealthiest Californians reside in the Bay Area and amassed their fortunes thanks to the tech industry. With 342,400 millionaires and 756 people worth more than $100 million, the region ranked as the second wealthiest region in the world, just behind New York City. Apr 16, 2025 Adiós Atléticos. It’s too bad for the Oakland Athletics, who left this wonderful, rich area loaded with sports action for Sacramento and are still seeking additional funds for their Las Vegas stadium project. They aim to raise to $550 million from investors. The new stadium, valued at $1.75 billion, is financed through private investment, public funding, and bank loans.

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.

@Central Park Fremont – Fremont CA

 OPENS MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

goaquaadventure.com

Sacramento A’s Relocation podcast Daniel Dullum Sun Apr 27, 2025: Fan support in Sacramento has been on the fence; Did not taking the Sacramento name turn some fans off?

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Sutter Health Field in Sacramento as it looked on opening day April 2, 2025 with the Chicago Cubs and Sacramento Athletics this game was the closest the A’s came to selling out. The A’s have no sell outs so far this season. ( photo by Joe McNamara 93.1 KFBK facebook)

Sacramento A’s Relocation podcast Daniel Dullum:

#1 The issue of the Sacramento A’s selling tickets is a question that’s been raised so far the A’s have not sold out one home game since opening day this month. The A’s have the highest priced ticket in baseball and they are not carrying the Sacramento name although the press call them Sacramento anyway is this part of the stigma?

# 2 The fans in Sacramento want the A’s to stay and fans in Sacramento basically need to sell the park out and basically show support of what the A’s front office is doing. Short of that it’s not likely anyway the A’s will not be staying in Sacramento.

#3 In Las Vegas reports were that Clark County had all the commercial grading permits were all in order and the A’s were prepped for stadium construction. The problem once again is the A’s share of the construction costs which run at $1.75 billion but could go even higher the longer they wait. The A’s and the Las Vegas Stadium Authority said that they were confident that shovels would be in the ground in June.

#4 The A’s are not paying rent to Sacramento River Cats and Sutter Health Park owner Vivek Ranadive the trade off for Ranadive is that outside chance that Vegas falls through and the A’s get to stay in Sacramento.

#5 Daniel from what we’ve heard in covering this story the players are not happy playing in a minor league facility but are not publicly saying anything. Their desire is to play in a Major League facility. The players and the players union if it gets to the point where this whole minor league park idea is not working could file a grievance through the union and say that playing in a minor league park is not acceptable and want to move to a MLB park for the remaining two interim years.

Daniel Dullum does the Sacramento A’s podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento A’s Relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum: A’s fail to sell out opening home series; Vegas officials approve land permits for A’s ballpark

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Rendering of the A’s Las Vegas ballpark as shown during Mar 6, 2025 at the Las Vegas Stadium Authority meeting (image by negativ)

Sacramento A’s Relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum:

#1 The first three games at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento the Athletics didn’t sell out. The A’s were near the 14,014 capacity on Monday night’s opener with 12,119 but the were far from it on Tuesday with 10,000 plus and for a Wednesday day game when only 9,000 plus showed up.

#2 Some A’s fans that traveled from the Bay Area came up only to check out the new digs and stayed a few innings on Wednesday and left to go back to the Bay.

#3 The issue during the A’s opening home series against the Chicago Cubs was brought up as to whose to blame for the A’s relocation. Was it owner John Fisher’s fault as former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao said at the time the city of Oakland and the A’s were so close to a deal at Howard Terminal and they just backed out saying they had a binding deal with the Rio in Las Vegas?

#4 Was it the fault of Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred who some say wanted the A’s out of Oakland and wanted the Bay Area to be a one team market rather than a two team market and could he have been influenced to move the team by the San Francisco Giants who would have the market all to themselves?

#5 On Wednesday the Clark County Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the land permits for the A’s Las Vegas ballpark as the A’s move a step closer to beginning construction for their $1.75 billion ballpark. The A’s are hoping to have the park ready in Vegas by 2028.

Daniel Dullum does the A’s relocation podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: 2025 A’s Sharing the Park with Replacement Grass

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Fans pack Sutter Health Park during an exhibition game between the San Francisco Giants and the Sacramento River Cats on Sunday, March 23, 2025, in West Sacramento. Photo by JOSÉ LUIS VILLEGAS Sacramento Bee

2025 A’s Sharing the Park with Replacement Grass

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury PI-González

Fifty-six years ago, the Oakland A’s were the talk of the Bay Area as a recently arrived Major League franchise from Kansas City, roughly ten years after the Giants relocated from New York to San Francisco.  And just like that, the Bay Area started the rivalry of the A’s vs San Francisco Giants, the very cool Bay Bridge Series, and the very historic 1989 World Series, which was interrupted by an earthquake and was won 11 days later by the Oakland As in a sweep. Something that has been engraved in my brain forever. But Sacramento ended that story.

Fifty-six years ago (1969), the last time a Major League team played an entire season in a minor league ballpark, the Seattle Pilots and Montreal Expos, respectively. Sicks Stadium is in Seattle, and Jarry Park is in Montreal. Years later, the Seattle Mariners became the Expos, and the Expos became the Washington Nationals.

The ATH (also known as the Athletics) will play at Sutter Health Park close to the Sacramento River, within walking distance of the park, with the Sacramento River patch on the sleeves of A’s players. The A’s will have to share this park with the Rivercats, the AAA team of the San Francisco Giants.

The groundskeepers will have the most challenging job, and they will have replacement grass on standby. Sacramento gets an average of 18 inches of rain annually, with April being the last month with the possibility of precipitation. After that, and during summer, it is as dry as any place in California, with temperatures averaging between 80-100 Fahrenheit.

The A’s story has many angles, turns, and everything that fascinates some people and irates others. The Rivercats and the A’s will have to share the same field this season, and probably the rest of the A’s temporary stay in Sacramento, for three years total. The biggest challenge of two baseball teams sharing a field for an entire season would be the potential for scheduling conflicts, logistical issues, and the strain on the field itself, leading to potential damage and uneven playing conditions.

Beginning this season, the City of Sacramento listed a population of approximately 530,000, which is last among all cities hosting Major League Baseball. This is less than the current population of Milwaukee, which, with 562,000, is now the next-to-last.

The A’s opened their season today in Seattle.

What is the national media saying about the A’s?

New York Post sports journalist Jeff Passan, which is a national baseball writer, recently said on the A’s,  “The Oakland A’s were “killed by greed”  John Fisher, the owner, did not have to move the team, it was a choice, not a necessity”   Something that has been said by many during this whole ordeal of relocation, especially here in the Bay Area.

Did you know?  In1953, four cities in the United States had two major league teams. Chicago, (Cubs and White Sox), Boston (Red Sox and Braves), Philadelphia, (Phillies and Athletics), and St Louis (Cardinals and Browns)

Hasta la Vista Baby!’

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’s Major League Moment Has Arrived

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Newly renovated Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento shines in the late March Sun as the Giants took on the River Cats (Photo: Jeremiah Salmonson/SRS)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

WEST SACRAMENTO — Baseball in Sacramento is nothing new. Yet, having a team at the sports pinnacle of competition call the city home is uncharted territory.

The Sacramento River Cats have been playing in the West Sacramento ballpark since the year 2000. Sutter Health Park, formerly known as Raley Field, sits across the Sacramento River from downtown and the capitol building of the state of California. On hot summer nights, the delta breeze rolls in to cool the ballpark down, making it one of the best minor league baseball experiences in the country.

Yet, it was nowhere near Major League Baseball standards.

With the A’s departure from Oakland this past fall after decades of uncertainty surrounding a stadium, the Athletics Baseball Club finds itself in the cozy confines of Sutter Health Park for the 2025 season and beyond. The current plan is for the A’s to be in Sacramento through 2028, but who knows how that timeline will hold up. Nevertheless, the ballpark needed significant upgrades for the A’s to call it their home, albeit temporarily.

Who was responsible for improving the stadium?

Well…

The River Cats and the stadium are now owned by the chairman and owner of the Sacramento Kings, Vivek Ranadive. Vivek purchased the club and the stadium in an August 2022 deal that some saw as a first step in bringing MLB to Sacramento. “I’ve been in touch with the commissioner, I’ve gotten to know him, Rob Manfred, and they will be creating a new team,” Vivek said in Spring 2024. “They want it to be on the West coast, they would love it to be in California, and I think this is a great showcase for us. We can prove that there’s a market here and we can make the team successful. I think we are in full position to get the new franchise… We are investing in making this an MLB-level stadium, and our hope is that it leads to a permanent MLB team.” Clearly, for Vivek, this is about more than a temporary stay for the Athletics.

With Vivek’s vision for the city in mind, the team got busy on improvements to the stadium this past offseason. On Sunday, I had the opportunity to attend the first baseball game at the new and improved venue, a matinee affair.

The stadium and playing surface underwent significant improvements that include a new 75’ x 32’ scoreboard in right-center field, a new network along with improved audio systems, a renovated visiting clubhouse, a new multi-level home clubhouse that includes a weight room and hitting tunnels, a new grass and dirt playing surface specially designed to handle the heat and heavy use this summer, and an additional rooftop seating area on top of the home clubhouse.

The improvements are impressive, and they surely elevate the grounds to MLB standards. Kings president of business operations John Rinehart, who oversaw the renovations, and owner Vivek Ranadive can be proud of the new-look ballpark.

Giants starter Landen Roupp discussed what he thought about the upgrades after his five innings of one-run ball on Sunday: “It’s beautiful, a lot better than it was. It felt good to play here again and see the upgrades. It was really nice.”

Giants scheduled opening-day starter and Rocklin (a 20-minute drive from Sacramento) native Logan Webb also had good things to say when asked about his initial impressions of the stadium: “I noticed the scoreboard, and the batter’s eye. The grass is nice… it looks good!”

The Athletics will officially christen the new digs in the first MLB regular-season game on March 31st at 7:05 P.M. PST. The A’s will take on the visiting Chicago Cubs in the much-anticipated three-game series at Sutter Health Park.

So, while baseball in Sacramento is not new, MLB baseball in the capital city certainly is. It’s an exciting time for local baseball fans, as a year of anticipation finally becomes reality. The stage is set for the city to show what it can offer MLB, and don’t be fooled—the league and commissioner Rob Manfred will be watching closely.

Jeremiah Salmonson is a Sacramento A’s beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

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

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

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

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

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 Athletics relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum: Sutter Health still a work in progress expected to be ready by Mar 31 opener

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Sutter Health Park Sacramento the 2025 home of the Athletics. The park is still under renovation but is expected to be ready by Mar 31, 2025 opening day (photo by ABC 10 Sacramento)

On Sacramento A’s relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum:

#1 There a lot of questions being asked as spring training started on Wednesday for the Sacramento A’s in Mesa Arizona. One them is how are the A’s going to play in a packed 14,014 seat minor league park sharing it with the Giants triple A team for 132 dates (Triple A is over at the end of August) trying to fit fans, media, front office people, scouts, employees in a tight space.

#2 Taking a look at the developments of Sutter Health Park in Sacramento the A’s 2025-27 ballpark the field is still dug up the entire field is dirt and they are designing the infield and will plant grass there shortly.

#3 Construction is ongoing for the clubhouses which will be located outside of the outfield wall, It is expected to be ready by opening day March 31st.

#4 How much of a beating will that field get with 132 games being played there everyday with the A’s and River Cats taking turns.

#5 The A’s will play their post season games if they make post season in a number of places but it will outside of Sacramento. Options include neutral sites Oracle Park in San Francisco, Oakland Coliseum which is not too far off the mark because Oakland has a interim mayor Kevin Jenkins who might give them a much better deal for post season than former Mayor Sheng Thao who offered the A’s a $91 million three year deal which the A’s walked away from.

Join Daniel Dullum for the A’s relocation podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com