That's Amaury News and Commentary – Sports Radio Service

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: From My Baseball Notebook– The Era of Big Contracts could be History

Published on December 18, 2025 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

A’s Spanish broadcaster Amaury Pi Gonzalez (left) meets with New York Yankees pitcher Jim Catfish Hunter (right) before a 1975 game with the then Oakland A’s (photo from the author Amaury Pi Gonzalez)

MLB: The Era of Big Contracts could be History.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Starting pitcher Jim “Catfish” Hunter was the first modern baseball player to sign a multi-million dollar contract. The former Oakland A’s pitcher signed a landmark five-year, $3.05 million contract with the New York Yankees on December 31, 1974.

Hunter was the first actual free agent due to a contract dispute, making way for today’s huge salaries. A’s owner, Charlie O. Finley, breached the contract by failing to pay the required deferred compensation into an annuity, according to an arbitrator, which opened the door for George Steinbrenner of the Yankees to roll out which at the time was an incredible amount of money $3 million plus.. In 1974, the median price of a home in the US was around $30,000.

Jim “Catfish” Hunter just came off the 1974 season with the Oakland A’s as the American League Cy Young Award winner. I remember when ex-catcher and later radio and television commentator Ray Fosse told me, “Catfish control was for the ages.”

The Hall of Famer who pitched for 15 years was a dominant pitcher on the best team in baseball at the time, the three time World Champion Oakland A’s,1972-73-74. From 1971 to 1974, the right-hander won 20 or more games each season.

During Caffish Hunter’s first visit to Oakland in 1975 with his Yankee uniform, he seemed relaxed and told me, “I never thought I would be pitching for any other team but the A’s. These are great fans here in Oakland, but what happened was beyond my control. Now I’m a Yankee.”

In a previous article, I wrote that the 2026 season could be historic. The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) expires in December 2026, and all roads lead to an owner-imposed lockout thereafter. I believe the baseball owners have the upper hand this time, as they are seeking a hard salary cap like the other sports (every other major professional sports league), thus, the years of hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts for the best players will be officially over.

Why Catfish? Jim “Catfish” Hunter got his famous nickname from Kansas City Athletics owner Charles O. Finley, who gave it to him in 1965 to create a flashier persona, inventing a story about young Hunter catching catfish to make it stick, though Hunter never really liked it.

Finley owned the Kansas City club and then the Oakland A’s for 20 years, from 1960 to 1980, when he sold the team to Walter A.Haas (Levi Strauss) for $12.7 million, I met Charlie O. Finley, yes, he was controversial, but he had a lot of good ideas, and in Oakland, he was a winner, and also,he was a shrewd businessman.

Thank you for reading My Baseball Notebook. I wish you a Very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Felíz Año Nuevo. See you in 2026!

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.

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That’s Amaury News and Commentary: NBA Expansion to Las Vegas

Published on December 17, 2025December 17, 2025 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is considering expansion teams to Las Vegas and Seattle that will be up for discussion sometime in 2026 (CNN photo)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: NBA Expansion to Las Vegas:

NBA Expansion to Las Vegas

That’s Amaury News Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

A decision on expansion (potentially to 32 teams) is anticipated sometime in 2026. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver praised Las Vegas support for basketball. The Commissioner notes support in Las Vegas for the WNBA Aces, the Summer League, and the NBA Cup. Seattle is also another city that the NBA is showing interest.

The Seattle SuperSonics played in Seattle for 41 seasons, from their inaugural 1967-1968 season until relocating to become the Oklahoma City Thunder after the 2007-2008 season. They were Seattle’s first major sports franchise and won one NBA championship in 1979 under legendary coach Lenny Wilkens.

I remember as I covered the Warriors visiting Seattle with the team and witnessed the support of the Supersonics fans, the arena where they played was right, where the World’s Fair was held in 1962, today known as Seattle Center, next to the Space Needle and the Monorail. It was made even more famous in 1963 with Elvis as the star in the movie “It Happened At The World’s Fair”.

Expasion history: Last time the NBA expanded was in 2004 when the Charlotte Bobcats (now Hornets) joined as the league’s 30th team. While there’s been talk of expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle, no new teams have joined since the Bobcats’ debut.

More Hoops: Below made the rounds here in the Bay Area and in the national news of one Golden State Warriors Fan complaining to owner Joe Lacob about the struggles of the team recenlty even as Stephen Curry scoring in big numbers but still no victories.

(via Justdutari/Reddit, Alex Simon/SFGate)

A Warrior fan wrote Lacob: “Dear Joe, Please do something about this team. What Steph need to do every night to win? Drop 50 points? Team is need a real second option. Jimmy tool are being underutilized because he is playing as a power forward due to the small position players. We have no true center.”

Lacob replied: “You can’t be as frustrated as me. I’am working on it. It’s complicated. Style of play. Coaches desires regarding players. League trends. Jimmy is not the problem.”

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That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Does Garcia impact the Phils outfield plans and Castellanos?; Will D-Backs trade Marte?; plus more MLB news

Published on December 16, 2025 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Texas Rangers’ Adolis García hits an RBI single during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the W. Sacramento Athletics, Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Sara Nevis)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 How will Adolis García’s reported one-year, $10 million deal with the Phillies impact Philadelphia’s outfield plans and Nick Castellanos’ future with the team?

#2 With the Diamondbacks signing Merrill Kelly and Michael Soroka, are they still willing to trade outfielder Ketel Marte this offseason?

#3 What were the most notable selections and potential impacts from the 2025 Rule 5 Draft?

#4 Which prospects headline the Athletics’ top 10 2026 MLB prospect list, and how might they influence the franchise’s future?

#5 What standout moments from the 2025 season (like Freddie Freeman’s 18th-inning walk-off) are shaping narratives as the offseason continues?

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That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Big Win for Women’s Sports Title IX

Published on December 16, 2025 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Former San Jose State University Spartans Volleyball player Blaire Fleming (3) was the center of controversy in 2024 when she played for the team (SJSU Athletics file photo)

Big Win for Women’s Sports Title IX

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Remember this last year? The San Jose State (SJSU) volleyball controversy which erupted in 2024 when a teammate Brooke Slusser, revealed her transgender teammate (later identified as Blaire Flemming) was born male, sparking debate and legal action over trans women playing in women’s sports, with opponents citing fairness/safety concerns (biological advantages in strength/jump) and leading to opponent forfeits, while supporters and the player highlight inclusion and adherence to NCAA/Mountain West rules, with a judge temporarily rejecting injunctions to remove the player.

However, the case continued in federal court, but it was just settled. Monday, the final decision by the highest court in the land came in. On December 15, 2025. The Supreme Court of the United States struck down the Biden-Harris administration’s Title IX rewrite by a 5-4 vote, which would have allowed men to compete in women’s sports and to use women’s bathrooms, locker rooms, and dorms.

And compelled speech. Common Sense prevailed in the Supreme Court. Most U.S. polls show a majority of Americans favor policies keeping transgender women out of biological women’s sports, believing they should play on teams matching their birth sex, with significant support for bans in youth and competitive athletics.

NBC News Poll (May 2025) showed that 75% of American adults say transgender women should not be permitted to participate in female sports. Agree or disagree, studies have shown that males generally become significantly stronger than females after puberty due to testosterone’s effects on muscle mass, bone density, and hemoglobin, creating a 10-30% performance gap in strength/power sports, which raises complex questions about fair competition when transgender women (who went through male puberty) compete in women’s sports, as testosterone suppression may not eliminate these enduring advantages, I did not interpreted this Supreme Court decision as discrimination against trans athletes.

At the end, this decision is a big win for biological women. I believe that in sports, men should play men and women should play women, as simple as that. If that is controversial, so be it. But it makes all the sense in the world.

Reports from November 2025 indicate that it is moving toward a blanket ban on transgender women competing in the female category at the Olympics. This decision is expected to be finalized and implemented before the Los Angeles 2028 Games, but likely not in time for the Winter Olympics in Italy.

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That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Baseball headed to a Category 5 Labor Storm

Published on December 12, 2025December 13, 2025 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

New York Mets Pete Alfonso hits a two run home run against the Colorado Rockies in the bottom of the first inning Thu Aug 8, 2025 at Coors Field in Denver. (AP News photo)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

Baseball headed to a Category 5 Labor Storm

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

The 2026 season will begin as scheduled. The 2027 season is a totally different story, as the current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires at 11:59 ET on December 1, 2016. An owner’s lockout after the 2026 season is almost inevitable. What do the owners want?

A hard salary cap, which the Players Association (MLBPA) says “no way, José. If negotiations fail, we could have a work stoppage similar to 2021. The last time we experienced an MLB labor dispute was a players’ work stoppage in August 1994, a lengthy one which led to the cancellation of the rest of the 1994 season, including the World Series.

Serious stuff, especially when you canceled the baseball showcase, the World Series. The owners demanded a salary cap and changes to free agency. It wasn’t until April 1995 that the court forced both sides back to the table to work under the old rules.

The Category 5 Storm: After the 2026 season, the owners are ready to act. However, there could be a ‘civil war’ among the ‘Haves and the Have-Nots’. Teams like the A’s, Marlins, Rays, Pirates, Reds, and Rockies are considered “poor” and want a salary cap and oppose a high salary floor (basement) unless it comes with a cap.

These teams cannot afford to sign players for hundreds of millions of dollars. The Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, Phillies, and the other “regular suspects” have no problem spending mucho dinero.. The Phillies recently signed Kyle Schwarber to a five-year, $150 million contract to stay in Philadelphia.

Toronto signed free-agent pitcher Dylan Cease to a 7-year, $210 million contract. The Orioles (trying to survive in the tough AL East) signed Mets slugger Pete Alonso for five years and $155 million, while the World Champion Dodgers got a bargain as they stole star closer of the Mets Edwin Díaz and signed him for 3 years for a total of $69 million (a new record for a reliever) but this is”lunch money” for the Dodgers.

In conclusion, last time there was a work stoppage, it was by the players; the next one will be by the owners, and I believe the owners have the upper hand this time. MLB is the only league without a salary cap. The NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, and even the WNBA all have salary caps.

I believe the owners are willing to risk disruption to achieve a hard salary cap, despite concerns from some executives that it could damage the game. However, all can be assured, we are not soon to see another Juan Soto-type contract.

The Dominican right fielder, who signed a 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets in late 2024. This is what Juan Soto said after signing that contract. “Los Mets no fueron los que ofrecieron más dinero; hubo otros que ofrecieron más” (Trans) “The Mets weren’t the ones who offered the most money; there were other teams that offered more.

Which means that at least one other team offered Juan a better deal than $765 million. In the words of the great NY broadcaster Mel Allen, “How about that!” And how about this? Always go to other people’s funerals; otherwise, they won’t come to yours -Yogi Berra.

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That’s Amaury News and Commentary: National Baseball Broadcaster Joe Buck was awarded the Ford C. Frick Award

Published on December 10, 2025 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The former St Louis Cardinals play by play voice Jack Buck (left) and Fox Sports play by play voice Joe Buck sit in the St Louis Cardinals broadcast booth on Fathers Day June 18, 1995 (AP News file photo)

National Baseball Broadcaster Joe Buck was awarded the Ford C. Frick Award

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

The Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in baseball broadcasting was won today by Joe Buck, of ESPN Sports, who calls Major League games for the sports network. He joins his father, Jack Buck, who won the award in 1987and who was the beloved “Voice of the St. Louis Cardinals” for nearly 50 years.

I have listened to Joe Buck on ESPN baseball but never met him. I did know his father, Jack. In 1999, during a special ceremony at Candlestick Park, last year the Giants played there. Yours truly and Lon Simmons were co-masters of ceremonies for the No. 30 uniform retirement of Giants great Orlando Cepeda.

Mr. Jack Buck also addressed the crowd during the ceremony. He was a St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster; the Cardinals were in town, and Orlando Cepeda also played for St. Louis. Mr. Buck asked me if he should address the crowd in English or Spanish; he spoke conversational Spanish, but he chose to do it in English.

Mr. Buck, the father, was a much more seasoned broadcaster than his son, Joe, and, in my opinion, a better play-by-play man. Congratulations go out today to his son, Joe Buck for winning this prestigious award.

Joe Buck, son of Jack Buck, today became the first father-son duo of baseball announcers to win the Ford C. Frick Award. National broadcasters are heard across the country and therefore carry more weight when it comes to voting for this award.

For example, Jon Miller, who won this award in 2010, was not only known and heard locally as the Voice of the San Francisco Giants, but was paired with Joe Morgan on ESPN nationwide telecasts in games across the country.

I was rooting for my good friend and pioneer René Cardenas, the first to broadcast for an MLB club in Spanish in 1958 with the Dodgers, before Jaime Jarrin (who won in 1998), to win it this season. I spoke via telephone with Rene today, he told me he understands, but told me he feels he is “totally forgotten”. Cardenas is 95 years young.

Congratulations to Duane Kuiper of the Giants, who was also nominated for this award, which yours truly was proud to be nominated for in 2004.

ESPN pays Major League Baseball over half a billion dollars annually under a deal covering the 2026-2028 season, which includes the MLB TV streaming service.

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That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Reasons remain the same why Bonds and Clemens weren’t elected; Kent hit production gets him elected

Published on December 9, 2025December 9, 2025 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Roger Clemens (left) and former Miami Marlins coach Barry Bonds (right) were once again denied entry to the Hall of Fame this time by the Players Committee. (Getty file photo)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amaury just wanted to ask you if you not surprised that former San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds was not elected to Cooperstown.

#2 Considering the reasons why Bonds was not elected this year were they the same reasons as before his connection with admitting during grand jury testimony that he unknowingly took steroids and his bad relationship with the media?

#3 Fernando Valenzuela also missed election. Valenzuela was a well respected figure in the game was his denial to making it to the Hall due his overall career where some writers felt his overall career didn’t meet the typical Hall-of-Fame bar for pitchers in terms of longevity and sustained excellence.

#4 For former New York Yankee and Boston Red Sox pitcher Roger Clemens the most given reason for Clemens rejection to being elected to the Hall of Fame was the chair of the Hall acknowledged that the committee’s decision likely mirrored many of the same “Steroid Era” concerns that affected the writers’ votes.

#5 Talk about former San Francisco Giant second baseman Jeff Kent and his election to the Hall of Fame. Some writers state that he has the most home runs for a second baseman in MLB history with 377 in his 17 year career, high run production, and hit consistently hit for average at .290. Was Jeff Kent the best candidate out of those other players for this year’s Hall of Fame candidates?

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That’s Amaury News and Commentary: MLB Steroids Era Committee?

Published on December 9, 2025December 9, 2025 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Cover of the book Juice: Wild Times, Raging Hormones, and the Untold Story of Steroids in Baseball. In 2004 by author Jose Canseco

MLB Steroids Era Committee?

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

The original committee that began voting for the Hall of Fame alongside the Baseball Writers Association of America was the Veterans Committee, established in the late 1930s and later evolving into the current system of Era Committees.

Over the years, various committees have formed. Writers don’t vote across these committees; they vote for the standard ballot, while the designated Era Committees handle the older or post-BBWAA-eligibility players, with the Contemporary Player ballot (voted by a special committee, not all writers) being the primary path for recently retired stars.

The Steroids era in baseball spans from the late 1980s to the early 1990s and through the late 2000s. We all (covering baseball at the time) witnessed a surge in home runs and offensive stats. Steroids were banned in 1991.

The US Federal Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, and then later, when Commissioner Fay Vincent’s 1991 memo to teams added steroids to the banned list. However, enforcement and testing in MLB came in the late 2000s. Not only the 2004 Senate hearings but José Canseco’s book in 2005 brought widespread awareness, as it was well publicized and many bought it, titled Juice: Wild Times, Raging Hormones, and the Untold Story of Steroids in Baseball. In 2004,

Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Jason Giambi, and Rafael Palmeiro faced questions and testified before the Senate Commerce Committee regarding the use of steroids, with emphasis on the BALCO scandal. Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO) had its headquarters and operations primarily in Burlingame, California.

During the hearings, among players who testified before the Senate Commerce Committee regarding steroid use, Rafael Palmeiro tested positive shortly after his denial, and Bobby Bonds later faced perjury charges. This was the “highlight” of the Steroids Era.

Many people in the business of Major League Baseball have suggested including an “asterisk” when somebody from this steroids era is officially inducted into the Hall of Fame of Baseball, and there is doubt about whether they used steroids or not.

To make it easier, I suggest they create another committee that can include a new slate of players who are not currently in the Hall of Fame but are suspected; they would not need an asterisk, because being on that list would be self-explanatory.

That new committee will be named: “Steroids Era Committee.”

Quote: “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives” -Jackie Robinson, MLB Hall of Fame (1962)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: 2026 FIFA World Cup is a Win Win for the United States

Published on December 7, 2025December 7, 2025 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during the match schedule for the 2026 World Cup in Washington DC on Sat Dec 6, 2025 (AP News photo)

2026 FIFA World Cup is a Win Win for the United States

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

For the second time in history, the FIFA World Cup will be held in the United States. The first time was 1994. As a Sports Anchor/Reporter for Telemundo 48 San José, it was a privilege to cover the 1994 US World Cup, a truly spectacular event unique in the world, in the final match, in which Brazil beat Italy 3-2 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena in a penalty shootout to win it all.

The 1994 World Cup was the most financially successful in history and set attendance records that have yet to be broken, but will be broken this next year, and again here in the US. I will explain further in this article. It was an unforgettable event.

At that time, the 1994 US World Cup (Fútbol, Soccer) was not very popular in the US. At Telemundo 48 in San José, I used to get lots of calls from people in the Bay Area asking me to give scores on the air of many regular Fútbol games in Latin American Pro-Fútbol leagues, which came from México to Argentina, to Europe, and other countries.

Most of the people who called us at Telemundo 48 in San José were not Hispanics, but they were real Fútbol fans. Stations here in the Bay Area, affiliates of ABC, CBS, and NBC (non-Spanish speaking stations), did not report on any soccer games in the US or around the world.

In 1994, Soccer in the US didn’t rank high as a sport. But 30 years later, this international sport has grown in popularity in the United States.. During that USA ’94 World Cup, my good friend Tony López, who was Sport Anchor for Univisión CH 14 San Francisco, and yours truly at Telemundo 48, were able to interview the greatest and most famous Fútbol player ever, the great Pelé, is full name; Edson Arantes de Nascimento, a Brazilian national treasure, and basically the Babe Ruth of Fútbol.

He was traveling with Brazil as a World Ambassador of the sport. Although our stations were competitors, Tony and I have been good friends to this day, 31 years after that great event. It was an excellent experience for me to cover that World Cup.

The Bay Area (San Francisco/Palo Alto) hosted six games at Stanford Stadium during the 1994 World Cup, including group matches for Brazil, Sweden, Cameroon, Russia, Colombia, Romania, and the USA. I have a great picture with Pelé here at home that I am still trying to find and download to my computer, and I hope I can find it before the next World Cup to write about this extraordinary man, Pelé.

This 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the greatest, not only because it is one of the most significant sporting events in the world, but also because it is the only other sporting event that brings this much international interest, besides the Olympics.

It will be hosted by 16 cities, 16 in North America, 11 in the US, 3 in México, and 2 in Canada. Of all the countries in the world, the US is the one with the largest population, is diverse and rich, and is uniquely qualified for this event.

Estimates by FIFA and the United States suggest over $30 billion in economic output, creating thousands of jobs, especially from international visitors, plus the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the first with 48 teams/countries.

The last 2022 FIFA World Cup had close to 5 billion fans who watched in some form or another. Only the Olympics come close to that global viewership. These are the favorites to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup; Spain, England, France and Brazil.

The US is not considered a serious contender, with odds of 80 to 1,after the recent draw which translates to a 2% chance. Fútbol/Soccer originated in England. The first official rules were drafted in 1863 by Ebenezer Cobb Morley, who is credited as the “father of soccer” when he formed the English Football Association (FA) FIFA means: Fédération Internationale de Football (French) Federación Internacional de Fútbol Asociado (Spanish) International Federation of Association Football (English) US Host Cities for the FIFA 2026 World Cup. Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Seattle, San Francisco/Bay Area

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That’s Amaury News and Commentary: San Diego Padres might have a New Owner, with a Bay Area connection

Published on December 3, 2025 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob had been shopping to buy the Oakland A’s before they moved to Sacramento but the A’s weren’t for sale. He might be interested in the San Diego Padres who are up for sale. (Joe Lacob photo)

San Diego Padres might have a New Owner, with a Bay Area connection

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

The San Diego Padres are up for sale, and with Joe Lacob’s history of interest in MLB teams, he could be a potential buyer. Lacob’s previous attempts to purchase baseball franchises, including the Oakland A’s and the Los Angeles Angels. Lacob currently owns the NBA Golden State Warriors and the WNBA Golden State Valkyries. Could Lacob be expanding his sports empire?

Joe Lacob offered to buy the Oakland A’s in 2005 when Lewis Wolff and John Fisher were the owners. As a matter of fact, in an interview with John Shea, then with the San Francisco Chronicle, now with the San Francisco Standard, Lacob went into detail about when he offered to buy the A’s in 2005 for $180 million.

It is well known that Lacob had a “standing offer” to purchase the Oakland A’s from John Fisher for years, and always maintained that the team belongs in Oakland. As recently as 2023, Lacob and Fisher reported interactions regarding a potential purchase, but Lacob did not actively pursue it when Fisher seemed committed to his team.

Ownership history of the San Diego Padres: C.Arnholt Smith, followed by John Kroc and Joan Kroc of Mc Donalds’s fame, next Tom Wernes, John Moores, and the group led by Ron Fowler. The most recent/current owners were Peter Seidler and John Seidler, who became the principal owner in 2023 following Peter’s death.

The San Diego Padres franchise began in 1936 in the PCL, playing in San Diego until 1968. In 1969, they became an expansion team in the Major Leagues, playing in the National League. The First Manager of the San Diego Padres was Cuban-born Preston Gómez in 1969.

The first Latino Major League managers in history also born in Cuba: Miguel “Mike” González, who served as the interim manager of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1938.

Padres are one of five teams who never won a World Series; Padres, Mariners, Brewers, Rockies, Tampa Bay Too bad for Oakland and A’s fans that Lacob couldn’t buy the A’s; he is a winner, unlike the man who owns the team today.

Quote about baseball owners – Stewardship and fan accountability “It’s a stewardship. We have an obligation. We are accountable to the fans and to the city. If you don’t approach it that way, you shouldn’t be an owner in my opinion,” said Phillies owner John Middleton.

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