San Francisco Giants third baseman Buddy Kennedy is hitting .091 but has started the last three games (photo from Field Level Media)
That’s Amaury News and Commentary:
#1 The SF Giants are bascially using a triple A line up and even have a third baseman Buddy Kennedy who hitting .038 starting in the line up.
#2 The Giants had used Matt Chapman and Casey Schmitt as starting third basemen and both are on the IL around the time of the trade deadline and had to look to Kennedy for third base help.
#3 The Sacramento A’s are also having injury problems most recently Tyler Soderstrom suffered a hip inpingement and went on the 10 day IL, how much of an impact is it having Soderstrom out of the line up?
#4 Reggie Jackson recently said that at one time he attempted to purchase the Oakland A’s when former A’s owner Ken Hoffman and Steve Schott owned the team but Reggie said he was denied by MLB Commissioner at the time Bud Selig. The purchase as the team was sold to Lew Wolf. Reggie felt that was his best opportunity to own the A’s but was denied because Selig helped his fellow sority brother Wolf.
#5 The A’s have recently fell into last place in the AL West after being in first place earlier in the season. During the period when they were a first place team there was optimism and even some hope that they can hold on and get to the post season.
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.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Caitlin Clark guard (22) of the Indiana Fever drives on the Chicago Sky forward Isabelle Harrison (20) at the United Center on Jun 23, 2024. Clark is looked at as the savior of the WNBA who struggled before she joined the league (AP News photo)
Caitlin Clark: The Savior of the WNBA
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
By Amaury Pi-González
Historically, the WNBA was an obscure basketball league; it received little media coverage, few people attended its games, and even the Poker championship on ESPN had higher TV ratings; in other words, nobody followed the WNBA. Compared to the NBA, the WNBA was like an “afterthought”. By the way, Australia and China also have similar leagues of lesser caliber; nonetheless, they are professional women’s leagues.
If you are of age, you can remember Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali), who brought boxing back from the dark days of obscurity, making professional boxing a huge mainstream sport with multi-million-dollar fights/contracts and television like never before. I am not comparing Caitlin Clark to Muhammad Ali, who became a world figure, an iconic cultural figure who, during his boxing years, was much more recognized worldwide than U.S. presidents. Ali definitely changed boxing; he was the main promoter. The “Thrilla in Manila” Ali vs Frazier fight in 1975 had a global audience estimated at up to 1 billion.
Before Caitlin Clark played in the WNBA, the average player salary was around $60,000; today, it’s around $600,000. A’.Ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces earns $1,400,000, and she is not alone; other players have similar contracts in a league that was once barely mentioned, -if at all- in sports newsrooms across the country. I know because I was there.
Some WNBA teams are owned by high-profile owners, like the Golden State Valkyries, owned by Joe Lacob and Peter Guber (co-owners of the NBA Golden State Warriors), and the Las Vegas Aces, owned by Mark Davis, owner of the NFL Las Vegas Raiders, and partial owner Tom Brady. The Aces won the championship last season.
Players’ unions do not build statues for their players; that is left to team management to do for their biggest stars, who are their employees, but a case could be made that a statue would someday be built for Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever because she made this league what it is today.
I know the “Savior” label isn’t popular with existing players, because some veterans feel they aren’t recognized for the work and talent they also brought to the league, and let’s face it, jealousy exists. But considering where the WNBA was when they were founded in 1996 and where it is today, in my opinion, Caitlin Clark saved this league because it is true, like it or not.
Quote: “Go after things people say you can’t do because more times than not, you can.” -Caitlin Clark
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Amaury Pi Gonzalez calling the play by play on KBRG 105.3 FM in 1977 at the Oakland Coliseum radio booth (photo from the author Amaury Pi Gonzalez)
From My Notebook: First Spanish Radio Broadcast of Major League Baseball in the Bay Area —
By Amaury Pi-González
In 1978, the first Spanish radio broadcasts of Major League Baseball in the Bay Area were on KBRG 105.3 FM, Radio San Francisco (with studios in the Merchandise Mart). My booth for broadcasting was at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, home of the Oakland A’s.
That same season, when Oakland A’s owner Charlie Finley failed to secure a commercial radio contract, I was doing weekend games in Spanish from Box 19. To my left (not in the photo) was Larry Baer, today President and CEO of the San Francisco Giants.. Larry was a student volunteer from KALX, the campus station at UC Berkeley, who broadcast the first 16 games of the season to do play-by-play on that very limited-coverage radio station.
Because the UC Berkeley campus radio had very low wattage to cover the Bay Area, Mr. Carl Finley, trusted right-hand man of Charlie. Finley, and cousin to the owner of the A’s, told me to mention the score after the end of each inning in English, because their English station did not have enough coverage in the Bay Area, and so I did.
I broadcast all the action in Spanish, but after each half-inning I would give the score in English. Later on, after the 1979 season, when Rigoberto Tito Fuentes retired with the Detroit Tigers, I asked him to join me in doing color commentary. Our main studios for KBRG were located at the San Francisco Merchandise Mart (later known as the San Francisco Mart, 1355 Market Street, San Francisco. That same location housed Twitter/X and was vacated in 2024 by tenant Elon Musk, who sold Twitter and rebranded it as X. A historic building in many ways. In later years, the broadcast in Spanish moved to KOFY 1050AM Radio Burlingame.
The Oakland A’s changed owners a few years later, in 1980. Walter A. Haas Jr., the former president and CEO of Levi Strauss & Co., bought the Oakland A’s from Charles O. Finley on August 23, 1980, for roughly $12.7 million, with the formal acquisition completed later that year.
Yours truly, sales executive and very good friend Al Dougherty, with René DeLaRosa, owner of KIQI 1010AM La Grande 1010 in San Francisco, made a deal to move the games to that new station as we increased Spanish-language coverage in the Bay Area. Walter Haas Jr, Roy Eisenhart, and Andy Dolich, all great executives with the Oakland A’s, made these broadcasts, as well as the team, very successful with the Hispanic Community. Not to mention on the field, which culminated in a World Series title against the SF Giants in 1989.
I am very proud to have been part of this historic time in Bay Area Radio, as I worked very hard and faced many challenges to make these games in Spanish a reality. I remember writing to then-influential political figures at the local and state levels, who responded positively to the plans to extend this coverage for the largest minority in the Bay Area, the Hispanic community. This included the Mayor of San Francisco, the Honorable Dianne Feinstein, who later presented me with the City of San Francisco Award of Merit for my efforts to bring baseball in Spanish to the Bay Area.
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.
While in the Bay Area, great food and great prices. 998cuba.com
Former Golden State Warriors head coach Don Nelson (left) and Baron Davis (right) hug during the NBA Western Conference Finals first round in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at the Oakland Arena on May 3, 2007 (AP News photo)
That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:
#1 Former Golden State Warriors head coach and NBA three time Coach of the Year who passed this past week at 86 years was the second winninest head coach in NBA history.
#2 Nelson’s NBA playing career with the Boston Celtics played 11 years out of 14 and won five NBA championship.
#3 After Nelson’s playing career Nelson had a long coaching career from 1976-1987 with the Milwaukee Bucks, 1988-1995 and 2006-2010 with the Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks 1995-96, and Dallas Mavericks 1997-2005.
#4 Dallas Mavericks Governor Patrick Dumont talked about Nelson building the Mavericks into a franchise that was “a winning culture to Dallas.
#5 Amaury you were the Warriors Spanish play by play voice during Don Nelson’s coaching days what was that like to be able to work with Nelson and also you had a funny story about Nelson while flying with him on the plane.
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.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Don Nelson former Golden State Warriors head coach who was the second winningest coach and won five titles as a Boston Celtics player (AP file photo)
Don Nelson passed today at 86 – A good man, may he rest in Peace
By. Amaury Pi-González
Don Nelson coached the Golden State Warriors while their home base was in Oakland from 1988 to 1995 and then again from 2006 to 2010. I had the good fortune of meeting Coach Nelson while I was working for the Warriors as their first and only Spanish radio play-by-play voice in Bay Area history and covering all their games during the seasons.
The Warriors broadcast team also included. Jim Barnett, Greg Papa, Tim Roye, Bob Fitzgerald, and Steve Albert. Don Nelson always had a smile, a great attitude, and disposition. I worked those years when Don Nelson and other coaches like Rick Adelman and PJ Carlesimo also had a chance to lead the Warriors. Nelson coached for 4 NBA teams and won 5 championships as a player with the Boston Celtics.
Don Nelson took these teams to the Playoffs: Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, and New York Knicks.
The legendary player and then coach, Don Nelson, was a 3-times NBA Coach of the Year. Inducted into the NBA Naismith Hall of Fame in 2012.
The coach had a great personality and was a big man at 6’7″. He passed today in Frisco, Texas. Nelson was 86.
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.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Houston Astros Jordan Alvarez (right) slugs a two run double in front of Texas Rangers catch Austin Wynns (left) at Minute Maid Field in Houston on Sun Aug 2, 2026 (AP News photo)
The Triple Crown – The Forgotten Award
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
By Amaury Pi-González
The last American League player to win the batting Triple Crown was Venezuelan Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers in 2022. This season, Jordan Álvarez of the Houston Astros could become the first to win a Triple Crown since Cabrera. When Jordan Álvarez visited Oakland for the last time, he was fresh off signing a six-year, $115 million contract extension with the Houston Astros; it was in June of 2022.
I spoke with Alvarez in the Astros clubhouse before the game; he was quiet but happy when I congratulated him for his new contract. His home run power is well documented, but he doesn’t want to be called a slugger because he believes he is a hitter. Yes, and he is a great hitter with power, lots of power; there is no stadium in MLB that can hold him when he lifts the ball. As of Sun Aug 9 Alvarez is hitting .320, with 35 home runs, 86 RBIs, and 137 hits.
Although no Cuban-born player in Major League Baseball has won a Triple Crown, there is a Cuban-born player by the name of Martín Dihigo, who was a pitcher registered in official Major League history. I remember how revered Dihigo was in Cuba. His name in Cuba was El Inmortal” “El Maestro”. He won the Triple Crown in 1938 playing in the Mexican League, also in the Negro Leagues, which includes various stellar achievements. However, no Cuban-born player has won the Triple Crown in the American or National League.
Not easy to win a Triple Crown; you need to win the batting title, the home run title, and the RBI title, which has only been done by a handful of players, and they are all in the Hall of Fame
American League
1967: Carl Yastrzemski
1966: Frank Robinson (Baltimore Orioles)
1956: Mickey Mantle
1947 & 1942: Ted Williams
1934: Lou Gehrig
1933: Jimmie Foxx (Philadelphia Athletics)
1909: Ty Cobb
1901: Nap Lajoie
]
National League
1937: Joe Medwick (St. Louis Cardinals) – .374 BA, 31 HR, 154 RBI
Quote: “Never swing at a ball you’re fooled on or have trouble hitting.” — Ted Williams, two-time batting Triple Crown winner (1942, 1947)
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.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
The New York Yankees are expecting big things from top prospect George Lombard Jr in the next few years. Lombard started at shortstop and batted eighth on Tue Aug 4, 2026 .(facebook.com photo)
That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:
#1 How will the New York Yankees use top prospect George Lombard Jr. after promoting him to the majors and optioning Anthony Volpe to Triple-A?
#2 What impact will the blockbuster trade deadline deals—such as the Red Sox acquiring Adley Rutschman and the Dodgers adding Tarik Skubal—have on the postseason race?
#3 How did Alec Burleson’s three-home-run performance help the Cardinals defeat the Yankees 13–7, and what does the loss mean for New York’s playoff outlook?
#4 What were the biggest winners and losers from Monday’s MLB trade deadline, and which teams improved their chances of reaching the playoffs?
#5 Which players and teams are expected to make the biggest headlines during Tuesday night’s MLB schedule following the flurry of trade deadline moves?
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.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Shea Langeliers (23) of the Sacramento A’s and currently on the IL and out for the rest of the season gave it his all in 2026 and was voted the starting catcher for the American League during last month’s All Star Game in Philadelphia. Langeliers if he had not got injured might be playing for another team before the MLB trade deadline. (AP photo)
The Trade Frenzy is over, and the A’s Front Office was on Vacation
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
Amaury Pi-González
True, nobody was expecting the A’s to acquire pitcher Tarik Skubal from the Tigers, but they were as quiet as anybody that I can remember when it comes to an important trade deadline. (Tarik Skubal was born in Hayward) considered the most talented pitcher in the game, was acquired by the Los Angeles Dodgers. I think Rob Manfred, the Commissioner, should give the World Series Trophy to the Dodgers by the end of this month; why wait?
The A’s are still a developing team. Catchers were in high demand. A’s All-Star catcher Shea Langeliers underwent a successful medial meniscectomy and PRP injection in Los Angeles on July 28, which is expected to end his 2026 season. I consider him the best all-around A’s player, one of the best catchers in baseball. Shea is having his best season, hitting .263 with 23 homeruns and 51 runs batted in. Defensively, his metrics are among the best for catchers.
As far as catchers go. I was very surprised that the Baltimore Orioles traded their great catcher, Adley Rutschman, to the Boston Red Sox. The Orioles made the postseason in 2024, and less than two years later, Rutschman became the best catcher traded this weekend.
Not long ago, Rutschman was considered the face of the Orioles franchise. Good catchers are usually not traded because once a catcher changes teams, he will have to learn how to receive and work with pitchers that he has never worked with. Although some great catchers were traded. Perhaps the best example was Gary Carter, a Hall of Fame catcher.
Carter was traded from the Montreal Expos to the New York Mets, but it was not during a trade deadline but months after the season ended, on December 10, 1984. I have followed the Orioles since I was a kid and was their ball boy and sometimes bat boy during the Orioles Spring Training in Miami, back in the day. In other words, since my teen years, the Orioles have been my first love in baseball and the team deep in my heart.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum has been open for 87 years, established and dedicated in June 1939, and there are twenty (20) catchers inducted in Cooperstown.
Catching is the one position that takes a load mentally as well as physically, and then you have to guide your pitcher to execute the pitch you want; a catcher is like having another manager, but on the field.
The phrase “tools of ignorance” is most frequently credited to a major league catcher; according to some historical and baseball sources, it is attributed to fellow catcher Bill Dickey. But it was said because of all the gear that a catcher has to wear, it doesn’t take anything away from intelligence. And execution, directing the pitcher on every pitch he receives.
True that the A’s did not make any news in this trading cycle, but nobody really expected them to do much, maybe anything. They have other priorities; after all, this is a franchise in the middle of transition, not only players, but stadiums, cities, billionaires like Mark Cuban investing in the franchise; who knows, Cuban could own the A’s sooner than you think.
We get it: the A’s are not only a team not contending, 22 games under. 500 while owning penultimate place, but a team that still feels like they cannot keep up with the herd. The A’s have a very good young and aggressive lineup, but they forgot one very important side of the game: pitching, unless you are planning to win most games 15 to14.
Quote: The catcher is in the middle of everything. He sees it best. -Johnny Bench
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.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
The Oakland Coliseum may no longer be home of the Oakland Roots as the lease between the Coliseum and the Roots looks to be over after 2026 (photo by the Oakland Roots)
Oakland about to lose another Sports team?
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
By Amaury Pi-González
OAKLAND–In the 1970s, the City of Oakland had the moniker City of Champions; remember a big banner in front of Oakland City Hall that read “Oakland City of Champions, however, things have changed since then.
The Oakland Roots are facing a serious financial dispute of $1.4 million in overdue rent plus game-day expenses owed to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority. The team says it has paid upcoming fees in advance so they can keep playing. Team President Lindsay Barenz confirmed that the fees for the upcoming Saturday (August 1st) home match against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds have been paid in advance, ensuring the game will go on.
Unfortunately, these days the City of Oakland is well-known in sports because it cannot keep its professional sports teams in town. The Warriors left for San Francisco in 2019; they were followed by the Raiders in 2020, who packed and moved to Las Vegas, and then the Athletics in 2024, now temporarily playing in Sacramento with a final stop and new home in Las Vegas in 2028. This is unprecedented for an American city in recent history.
The Oakland Alameda-County Coliseum is a huge sports facility that seats 50,000 to 60,000 depending on what sport is played. The average home attendance for the Oakland Roots Soccer Club this 2026 USL Championship season is between 5,000 to 6,000 spectators.
Recently, Marketing Guru Andy Dolich, who was in charge of the Marketing for the Oakland A’s, said that the Roots need to play in a smaller venue, and I totally agree with Andy. This is what he said: “They should be playing in a smaller venue. They should find the right venue in which they know, early on, that they’ll sell out”
Is Oakland about to lose this Fútbol/Soccer team the same year that the FIFA World Cup took place in the United States, which was a great success financially and culturally? I hope not, but time will tell.
On the Oakland positive: The Oakland Ballers Baseball team of the Pioneer League started play in 2024, and they play their home games in Raimondi Park, Oakland. Our friend Lewis Rubman has been covering the B’s for this site since they first started play.
Bears moving? The Chicago Bears of the NFL have officially announced they have plans to build a new stadium in Hammond, Indiana, which is located in Northwest Indiana, just across the state line from Chicago. The Chicago Bears have played at Soldier Field in Chicago for 55 years. The move is expected to happen, but they have not yet determined the site for the new stadium and what year they will have their first kickoff in Indiana.
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.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Detroit Tigers Tarik Skubal tips his cap to the crowd after striking out his 1000th career batter against the Baltimore Orioles at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wed Jul 29, 2026 (AP News photo)
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
According to history, the first baseball trade took place on August 29, 1885, when the Louisville Colonels of the American Association traded John Connor and $750 to the minor leagues for pitcher Toad Ramsey of the Chattanooga Lookouts.
The most famous deal: owner of the Boston Red Sox Harry Frazee sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees for $100,000 plus a $300,000 loan because Frazee needed money to finance a Broadway musical called My Lady Friends. This created the “Curse of the Bambino” keeping the Red Sox from winning the World Series for 86 years, and the start of the New York Yankees dynasty.
With about 60 games left this 2026 season, buyers and sellers are poised to begin dealing as soon as August 3 at 6 pm ET.
For the Giants: They are legitimate sellers. Their biggest and most impactful trade in their history took place in November 1996, bringing Jeff Kent, along with José Vizcaino, Julián Tavarez, and José Roa, to San Francisco from the Cleveland Indians; in return, the Giants sent one of their fan-favorite players, Matt Williams, to Cleveland.
But the most recent deal for the Giants that made big baseball news was when they acquired Boston Red Sox Rafael Devers, taking on the remainder of his very nice (for Devers) 10-year, $313 million contract. This deal took place June 15, 2025, just over a year ago. In return, the Giants sent left-handed pitcher Kyle Harrison, right-handed pitcher Jordan Hicks, outfield prospect James Tibbs III, and minor-league right-hander José Bello.
Many players will change uniforms over the next few days/weeks, but the most coveted player is Tarik Skubal, currently pitching (maybe for the last time with the Detroit Tigers. Tarik Skubal was born in Hayward, California, a Bay Area kid, but the Giants will not trade for Skubal.
Quote on trades: Joe Garagiola,Baseball Broadcaster “Is like your 100th birthday. not ideal, but it beats the alternative”
For the young readers: Garagiola lived to be 90 years young, broadcasted for 58 years. I met him in 1986 during the World Series for NBC Sports. while Juan Vené and yours truly called the 1986 World Series betwen the Mets and the Red Sox on the old CBS Hispanic Radio Network, under great producer Armando Talavera.
Saludos to Cooperstown! Congratulations to the Baseball Hall of Fame: Great inductiong ceremony forJeff Kent, Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones.
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.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Sports Radio Service 