Sacramento A’s starter Luis Severino delivers a pitch at Sutter Health Park. Severino pitched against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx Sun Jun 29, 2025 (AP News file photo)
A’s Luis Severino not a happy Camper
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
By Amaury Pi-González
Luis Severino, in his first season with the A’s is the #1 starting pitcher on the team’s rotation. Severino received the largest contract in Oakland A’s history. A three-year deal worth $67 million, including a $10 million signing bonus. With this contract, the Dominican right-hander surpassed the previous record for an A’s player (any position), which was in Oakland, a six-year, $66 million contract extension for third baseman Eric Chávez in 2004.
The Severino deal was finalized in December 2024. The highest-paid A’s player is also the most outspoken. He explicitly stated that Sutter Park in West Sacramento feels like a Spring Training game, indicating the lack of intensity and atmosphere of a regular Major League Baseball Game.
That is very understandable. Remember, Severino came from pitching all his career (10 years) in New York. In the Big Apple, there is never a lack of intensity or atmosphere. He mentioned that the clubhouse in Sacramento, being in left field, is an inconvenience. And then during day games, pitchers are subjected to the sun, which adds to the discomfort, and added, “I was not trying to hurt anyone’s feelings by saying that.”
Leaving New York for Sacramento for Severino must feel like leaving a real metropolis to play in a ranch. For the record, he did not say that; I did. I lived in New York City for a few years. Luis Severino’s problems extend not only to Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, but also on the road.
This Sunday at Yankee Stadium, he pitched 3.2/3 innings, gave up five hits, of which two were home runs, and lost. His record today, a week away from the All-Star Break, is 2-9 with a 5.18 earned run average in 19 games as a starter.
For their #1 starter, that is not what the A’s envisioned this season. He is having a bad season, and from his comments, it’s very clear that he’s not having fun. Severino’s best season was in 2018 with the New York Yankees, 19-8 with a 3.39 ERA. Quote: “Pitching is the art of instilling fear” -Sandy Koufax.
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
Three of the most famous players in San Francisco Giants history from left to right Willie Mays, Juan Marichal and Willie McCovey. Marichal is the most famous player to come out of the Dominican Republic and is known as the Dominican Dandy. (AP file photo)
Dominican Republic is solid #1 in Talent
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
By Amaury Pi-González
When it comes to talent from Latin America, our friends in the Dominican Republic are leading the way. According to all available data, the country of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, had 100 players on opening day rosters for the 2025 season.
Since Major League began collecting this data in 1995, the Dominicanos have led the way. From Juan Marichal and Pedro Martínez to Albert Pujols, David Ortíz, Vladimir Guerrero, and Adrián Beltré, Dominicans are on top.
Some of today’s biggest stars, are Dominican stars, and names (if you follow the game) that you recognize right away; Ronald Acuña, Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr, Julio Rodríguez, José Ramírez, Rafael Devers, Wander Franco, Oneil Cruz, Elly De La Cruz, Luis Castillo, Eury Pérez, Emmanuel Clase, Framber Valder and more. Internationally, the Dominicans remain a constant in the game.
The Leones del Escogido (Dominican Republic) were this year’s champions of the Caribbean Series, beating the Charros de Jalisco (México), for their fifth title of the Caribbean Series. When the Caribbean Series first began in 1949, Cuba was the dominant force.
The Caribbean Series was an annual event that ran from 1949 to 1960. During this period, Cuba won the title seven times, including five consecutive championships from 1956 to 1960. Not a coincidence that things changed in Cuba regarding baseball.
Why? Notable: Cuba’s dominance stopped in 1960 when Fidel Castro declared Cuba a communist country. Since then, some of the best talent from the largest island in the Caribbean defected from the island to play in the best league in the World, the Major Leagues.
But that talent has dried up now for decades; the Cuban government has destroyed just about everything that was a tradition in Cuba, like baseball. As a Cuban-born person who loved baseball since I could walk, it is sad what happened to baseball in Cuba.
Cuba was a pioneer for baseball in Latin America. Baseball arrived in Cuba in the 1860s, brought by students returning from the United States and American sailors. But today the Dominicans rule. Not only in the Major League, they lead the Caribbean Series with 22 championships (you can say they are similar to the NY Yankees), in MLB with 27 titles, and World Series Championships.
To date, the Caribbean series has seen the Dominican Republic win 22 championships, followed by Puerto Rico with 16, Mexico with 9, Cuba with 8, Venezuela with 8, Panama with 2, and Colombia with 1.
Quote: In the 1980’s when Billy Martin arrived from New York to Oakland to manage the A’s I spoke with Billy, many times prior and sometimes after games, one thing he told me always stuck with me, when I asked him why he likes Latino players so much, he told me: “Because Latinos play with the same passion I had for the game as a player” As volatile he was as a manager, I loved his aggressive style and his drive to win each game home or away. Billy Martin was one of my favorite managers. Good thing he did not live to see the instant replay system–we have today- or he would have killed an umpire.
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
The Sacramento A’s have not sold out a game yet in the 2025 season since their home opener on Mon Mar 31, 2025. Sutter Health Park’s capacity is 14,014 the A’s highest season attendance is 12,119 at the home opener. (tripvisor.com photo)
Does Anybody Care about the A’s in Sacramento?
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
By Amaury Pi-González
Let’s say you have your eyes on that brand new car you dream of, and you are “almost sure” you are going to buy it in 2028 because you just put your other car (Soccer Team)for sale, but in the meantime, you need another vehicle.
For the A’s owner, West Sacramento Sutter Health Park, it’s like leasing an Avis car for a couple of years, hoping to buy a brand-new car in a few years in Las Vegas. You do not care much for maintaining the Avis lease; you are only interested in being practical, since you are not going to buy it anyway.
Sacramento’s 15 minutes of Major League fame have been cut to 5 minutes, all the hype a month before the season was more “sizzle than steak:”, in the stadium, they call it “all foam no beer” and in the cattle areas of California, “All hat no cattle”.
The A’s announced in January that Opening Day tickets were sold out, despite offering $25 lawn seats the night of the game. The team announced a sold-out crowd of 12,119 fans at the home opener. However, team officials said Sutter Health Park’s total capacity is 13,416.
The Oakland A’s fans in Sacramento (the number is unknown) are disappointed by the team’s temporary move to Sutter Health Park, expressing feelings of betrayal and a sense of disconnection from the team in its new temporary home.
They miss the Oakland atmosphere and feel the team is not embracing Sacramento. Some Sacramento fans, however, are excited to have a Major League team in their city, even if it’s just for a temporary period, but the team also couldn’t care less about Sacramento.
To the best of my knowledge, the A’s are not even recognized by the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce, the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, or the Sacramento Asian Chamber of Commerce. Neither did the A’s approach them.
However, if you’re interested, you can still follow the A’s games in Sacramento on sportsradioservice.com, which covers all the team’s day-to-day activities with reporters in the Sacramento 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.
Chicago Cubs Ian Happ (right) hits a walk off single against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the bottom of the tenth inning at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Sun Jun 15, 2025. The Cubs are one of the toughest teams in baseball. But the New York Yankees and Mets have the toughest fans in baseball. (AP News photo)
That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:
Toughest Fans in Baseball
By Amaury Pi-González
Although it is very subjective, analyzing fans in all 30 cities and parks across baseball shows us that there is no doubt certain places are consistently more of a ‘pressure cooker ‘ for players, and yes, for fans, than others. Baseball was rooted on the East Coast.
The whole history of the game is in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. In 1908, the Mills Commission issued its final report, which stated that “the first scheme for playing baseball” was devised by Abner Doubleday at Cooperstown, NY, in 1839.
There are other influential pioneers, such as Abner Doubleday and Alexander Cartwright. There is no doubt that passion among baseball fans for their teams runs deeper on the East Coast. Tradition is a significant part of this passion for their respective teams, namely the Yankees, Red Sox, and Phillies, especially when they come to mind.
While in the Midwest, there is no doubt that Chicago Cubs fans are at the top of the passion meter, followed closely by the currently suffering Chicago White Sox fans, with their number one fan being Pope Leo. While here on the West Coast, the attitudes are quite different, and I might say a little less passionate.
There is one series among two teams that draws the most passion, the Dodgers vs. the Giants. This rivalry, which originated in New York, is particularly intense among fans. However, I have witnessed that this rivalry is much more passionate in San Francisco than in Los Angeles.
When the Dodgers visit San Francisco, the Giants fans bring the “beat the Dodgers” chants and all the heat. However, when the Giants visit Los Angeles, the passion is significantly lower; for most Dodger fans, it’s just a matter of bringing their suntan lotion, and the Giants are just another team.
In my opinion, it’s a “one-sided” rivalry, hotter when they play by the bay than when they play by Hollywood. Talking about fans’ passion? For Oakland A’s fans, (I say Oakland A’s fans) because there are no Sacramento or Las Vegas fans.
For these fans, it’s as if they had to survive a horrid divorce between the city, the owner, and the team, all of which are intertwined. This divorce has hurt everybody, beginning with the fans. Most of the hate directed by fans is aimed at Athletics owner John Fisher, as evidenced by scores of fans in the Bay Area, following the team’s move to Sacramento for three years with a final destination to Las Vegas by 2028.
That “ugly divorce” weighs very heavily on real A’s fans from Oakland and the Bay Area. The national and local media also have no love lost for Mr. Fisher. The national media has taken the A’s ownership to task, and the local media has cooled off.
I have a very good friend who was a season ticket holder for the Oakland A’s. He threw a party last year to burn his tickets in front of a group of his close friends. He is a good man, a good fan who enjoys the game, but as he told me, “This owner betrayed me: why should I sponsor him buying tickets for his team”?
Quote: Baseball is not necessarily an obsessive-compulsive disorder, like washing your hands 100 times a day, but it’s beginning to seem that way. We’re reaching the point where you can be a truly dedicated, state-of-the-art fan, or you can have a life. Take your pick. –Thomas Boswell.
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.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani is seen throwing live batting practice as pitching coach Mark Prior second from left watches before the game against the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Sat May 31, 2025 (AP News photo)
That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:
#1 Amaury, it was a huge night for Los Angeles Dodgers starter Shohei Ohtani returning to the mound for the first time he faced the San Diego Padres on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. Ohtani had not pitched in a game since September 2023.
#2 Former Red Sox Rafael Devers two hours before he learned he was being traded to the San Francisco Giants was asked what did it mean for the Sox to sweep the visiting New York and how it defined the earlier part of the 2025 season? Dever’s reply was nonchalant “That has passed” Also Devers was asked if he would play first base and he refused saying “I know I’m a ballplayer, but at the same time, they can’t expect me to play every single position out there.”
#3 Amaury a shocker the Colorado Rockies have put together two wins in a row with a win over the Washington Nationals. The Rockies got a two run win over the Nats on Monday night 6-4. The previous wins for the Rockies on Sunday against the Atlanta Braves 10-1 at Truist Field in Cobb County. The Rockies have been the worst team in the majors all season talk about these last two wins was this a matter improved confidence just to get these two in a row.
#4 Recent polls amongst 78% MLB players are concerned about betting on the game. As you may recall Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr’s children got death threats over a lost bet someone overseas made. The person who made the threat apologized but players are concerned that betters could take their lost wagers a bit too far.
#5 More Ohtani news: On the night that Ohtani returned to the mound his former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara reported to federal prison in Pennsylvania to start his 57 month sentence. Mizuhara, 40 was charged for bank fraud, tax fraud, and faced 33 years in prison. Prosecutors ask for a 57 month sentence and the defense asked for 18 months.
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
San Francisco Giant Matt Chapman (26) comes up injured after diving into first base as he’s checked on by manager Bob Melvin (black hoodie), team trainer Anthony Reyes, first base coach Mark Hallberg (91), and Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson (28) on Sun Jun 8, 2025 at Oracle Park in San Francisco (AP News photo)
#1 Amaury, San Francisco Giant third baseman Matt Chapman has gone on the ten day IL due to a hand injury after diving hard into first base at Oracle Park against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday. Chapman said he was hopeful that he could return before the All Star break. Chapman was hitting .243, 12 home runs, 30 RBIs, in 65 games.
#2 San Francisco Giants have named Camilo Doval as their closer after Doval had been replaced by Ryan Walker as the closer. Doval has a respectable record of 3-1 ERA 1.50 with 30 strikeouts to his credit. Doval had struggled in closing some games but has shown his confidence has returned.
#3 The Sacramento A’s have developed some good young talent who are in their line up the A’s centerfielder Denzel Clarke who made a spectacular back handed catch landing on top of the fence and the landing feet first in front on the track and showing some excited emotion last Monday night in Anaheim.
#4 The A’s are getting great hitting out of young Jacob Wilson. Wilson has been key in two of the A’s wins against the Baltimore Orioles last weekend in Sacramento and is hitting .366, eight home runs and 38 RBIs. Wilson is currently out of the A’s line up missing games on Monday and Tuesday nights due to hamstring tightness.
#5 For the first time since 2013 the Detroit Tigers are 20 games over .500 thanks to Spencer Torkelson who hit a two run home run to put the Tigers over the Baltimore Orioles 5-3 on Tuesday night. The Tigers are now 44-24. The Tigers in former manager Jim Leyland’s final year as manager finished the 2013 season at 93-69.
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 Spanish announcers Miami Marlins Felo Ramirez (left) worked until he passed away at age 94 and Los Angeles Dodgers Jaime Jarrin retired at 87 both Ramirez and Jarrin are in the Baseball Hall of Fame and are in the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Hall of Fame Museum (photo from the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame)
Baseball: Why Retire if you are having Fun?
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
By Amaury Pi-González
Most studies that did not account for individuals’ prior health status and demographic factors found that on-time retirement was associated with a higher risk of mortality compared to those who continued working beyond the retirement age.
In our American culture, it seems that when a person reaches a certain age, they are supposed to retire. You get free calls from your health provider trying to lure you in for another vaccine, because if your age is XX, something must be wrong with your health.
Remember that it is a business also. And some people get the same question, “Why are you not retired”?, which in my opinion is in the category of ‘that is not your business’ type of question. But what happens if you are past your retirement age and you have a job that you enjoy that brings you the pleasure some people cannot buy, even when they retire with a nice financial nest?
A recent report published by Investment News reveals that the “magic number” for retirement savings today is around $1.5 million, which is certainly enough to turn heads. Still, some advisors argue that such numbers are misleading at best.
—Vin Scully. There are specific jobs that, regardless of finances, could extend your life. Baseball broadcasting is a good sample; some of the best baseball announcers in history did not wait until 65 to retire. After all, they are not Airline pilots, who are required to retire at 65. In broadcasting, as long as you can talk, read, and entertain an audience, you can work longer than most people. Some of the best examples are people like Vin Scully, who broadcast the Dodgers for 67 years from coast to coast, from Brooklyn, New York, to Los Angeles, California. The most extraordinary baseball announcer who ever lived passed at the age of 95.
Scully’s last season behind the mike at Dodger Stadium was 2016. I was privileged to meet and speak with Mr. Scully, including during his last season on the air, when I was working play-by-play for LA Fox Sports Spanish TV for the Los Angeles Angels. His booth at Angel Stadium was next to mine when he came in with the Dodgers, and he never disappointed. If he was the best ever baseball announcer, he was also one of the best human beings you could meet. He truly enjoyed his work, and his dedication and honesty were exemplary.
—Bob Uecker. He was the voice for the Milwaukee Brewers for 54 seasons and passed in 2024. Funny, this man who was an ex-player and, like he said about his playing career,”Sporting goods companies would pay me not to endorse their products” And “I always tried to stay around .190, with three or four RBIs” Plus also highlighting his experience catching knuckleballs and noted that his slumps sometimes lasted into the winter.
He was naturally funny, pleasant, and knowledgeable. He was the key character in the Mr.Belvedere television series. Mr. Uecker’s appearance on the most Johnny Carson shows in history. Bob Uecker appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson more than 100 times, the record.
Johnny Carson, for those of us who remember, was the best on television during that time slot and, in my humble opinion, the best. The Late-Night hosts today are not even close to Mr. Carson. The guys today often get into politics, which can be embarrassing, and also feature scripted and predictable participants as guests promoting their movies and series.
These individuals lack the spontaneity of Carson, who was genuinely clever and witty. Even the old-time great Groucho Marx said he liked Johnny Carson, and Groucho was famous for always speaking his mind.
–Rafael “Felo”Ramirez. Last but not least, Rafael “Felo” Ramírez, whom I proudly call my mentor. In 1998, I was selected to work with him during the NL Championship Series between the Braves and the Padres for the LBC Network, which broadcast to US and Latin American radio stations.
I used to listen to Felo when I was a little 12-year-old boy in Cuba; he called the Cuban Winter League games. Before the game, I asked him if it would be fine with him to mention what I have always told him in private, “I listened to you when I was a boy in Cuba”.
He said, of course, and during the broadcast, towards the end, I mentioned over the air. For me, that was one of the highlights of this business. The Legendary Spanish voice of the Marlins, while traveling with the team on April 26, 2017, fell off the team’s bus in Philadelphia, hit his head, and was hospitalized for two months before his passing in Miami, Florida, at the age of 94.
He was broadcasting until the very end, but that accident ended his historic career. Felo was like my second father. He loved his career broadcasting baseball; he called the landmark Roberto Clemente 3,000 hit in Pittsburgh. I have the 33 rpm record album with his call, and then President Richard Nixon calling Clemente to congratulate the great Puerto Rican player. About that recording, last time I visited Cooperstown it was there for every fan to listen to.
These three broadcasters are proof that specific jobs exist. If you enjoy what you do, you can outlive many people. Granted, these three were extraordinary people, but they were in their mid-90s and still working. How many other jobs aside from broadcasting can you do that? Maybe as a Senator in Washington?
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.
Monty Stratton shows his throwing pose (photo from the Society for American Baseball Research)
That’s Amaury News and Commentary:
A Forgotten but Great Baseball Movie
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
By Amaury Pi-González
Dozens of baseball movies have been made in Hollywood. One of the most amazing but true stories is “The Stratton Story.”1949) This fact-based sports drama chronicles the life of famous pitcher Monty Stratton.
Stratton (James Stewart), a star athlete, loses his leg when his hunting rifle misfires during a wilderness outing. Initially, Stratton’s career is derailed, and he wallows in the depths of depression; however, with the encouragement of his loving spouse, Ethel (June Allyson), he decides to get back in the game.
Equipped with a prosthetic leg, Stratton eventually works his way back to pitching in the minor leagues. Sportswriter James Isaminger wrote about the affable 6-foot-6 pitcher. “He is the nearest thing to Grover Cleveland Alexander,” said Cubs manager Charlie Grimm, “The same control, the same ‘dip’ on every pitch, the same smooth, confident motion.”
But then came a dark November day in 1938 that would change the course of Stratton’s life. Stratton pitched in the Major Leagues for five years and spent eight years after the accident in the minor leagues. Some in the game told him, after the hunting accident required his right leg to be amputated, that even with one leg, but at a 6’6″ frame, he could still intimidate hitters.
During his final two seasons in the Major Leagues in 1937, he compiled a 15-5 record with a 2.40 ERA and was selected to play in the All-Star Game. He also had a 15-9 record in 1938. If you are a baseball aficionado or simply a lover of history, there is only one channel on your television nowadays where you can watch this type of historical movie, and that is TCM.
It is a paid channel; however, it may be included in your provider’s bundle with other channels. According to data available, these are consistently ranked among the most popular and beloved baseball movies. One is about a true story, and the other one is a great story, but a baseball fan’s “dream” (1991), A League of Their Own, and (1989), Field of Dreams.
Although these two have become classics, many others deserve recognition. The movie “The Perfect Game” tells the story of the 1957 Monterrey, Mexico Little League team that won the Little League World Series.
The film is a fictionalized account of the real-life team’s journey to victory. Cheech Marin plays a priest who is instrumental in the team’s success. In 2009, Cheech Marin, one of the stars of “The Perfect Game”, came to San Francisco as an invitee of the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum and Hall of Fame.
Before the movie was shown in a San Francisco theater, I had the pleasure of introducing Mr. Marin as a special guest of the Museum, together with our President, Gabriel (Tito) Avila Jr, and other museum and San Francisco city officials.
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
Women’s softball league under the umbrella of Major League Baseball the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (logo from Athletes Unlimited)
MLB Looking for Partnership with Women’s Professional Softball
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
By Amaury Pi-González
You could say that Caitlin Clark started the popularity and impact, especially economic impact, of women’s professional basketball. Super talented, she increased the interest, exposure, and support for women’s sports in the country.
After her college years at the University of Iowa, she moved to the WNBA, where she played for the Indiana Fever as the team’s first-round draft pick in 2024, helping to revive the WNBA.
It is not as though the WNBA was not popular before Caitlin Clark’s arrival, but there is no doubt that since her arrival, the WNBA has become much more popular. Currently, the Indiana Fever’s star is sidelined with an injury and expected to miss a couple of weeks, maybe more.
The newest WNBA team is the Golden State Valkyries, which debuted this 2025 season. The Valkyries are the first new WNBA franchise since the Atlanta Dream joined in 2008. They’re based in San Francisco and play at the Chase Center. The NBA owns 42% of the WNBA and provides a significant annual endowment to help cover operational costs.
There is a sort of renaissance in professional women’s sports in the United States, and Major League Baseball (MLB) is investing in the new Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) to replicate the success of establishing a professional softball league.
MLB is making a long-term investment, which includes media coverage on the popular MLB Network and marketing on Major League Baseball’s digital platforms. This is the first time Major League Baseball has invested in a women’s professional league.
Aiming to emulate the WNBA’s success by establishing a stable and sustainable professional softball league, MLB’s investment is a multi-year financial commitment that includes media coverage on MLB Network and marketing on MLB’s digital platforms.
This investment for MLB is a first-of-its-kind collaboration with a women’s professional sports league. This is very significant, after all, MLB is the oldest professional sports league in the United States, founded in 1876, with the National League and the American League joining later in 1901.
In 2000, the two leagues merged to form a single organization; before that, they were known as the National League and the American League. Some of us with extensive experience in baseball media recall when the NL published the Green Media book and the AL published the Red Media Guide.
For the record, there are other two women’s professional league that pay their players, aside from the WNBA. They are the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), both of which play here in the United States.
I am a strong supporter of women’s sports, and I have five ladies in my family who share my passion for sports. Congratulations to Major League Baseball, and I wish them the best of luck in this new endeavor.
“Every woman’s success should be an inspiration to another. We’re strongest when we cheer each other on.” -Serena Williams.
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
Minnie Minoso painting by Graig Kreindler. This is a painting of Minoso getting ready for a game with the Chicago White Sox in 1951 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx (Graig Kreindler X photo)
MLB: Latino Narrative Dominating
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
By Amaury Pi-González
When I first began covering Major League Baseball in the mid-1970s, Latino players made up between 10 and 13% of all players; today, the number is at least 30% and growing. Although the most famous player today, Shohei Ohtani, was born in Japan, Latin culture is ever-present in the game of baseball. Demographics have changed dramatically since the 1970s, and today the total Hispanic population in the U.S. is estimated to be 65.2 million, according to Pew Research Center.
Of all the countries in the world with the most significant number of Spanish-speaking people, the United States of America ranks second, with Mexico having 132 million. One of my long-time friends is Octavio “Cookie” Rojas, who played 16 seasons in the major leagues. Octavio has done it all. Octavio “Cookie” Rojas Rivas (born March 6, 1939) is a Cuban-American former professional baseball player, coach, manager, scout, and radio and television commentator.
He went to La Luz School in Havana (although a few years before me).I also attended that same school. He became a professional player in the old Cuban Winter League with the Leones del Habana. I remember him playing second base, and I recall a television show about baseball on Cuban television that he hosted.
It was Octavio, when he was a scout, that sat with me during a broadcast back in the 80’s, that told me, “En 30 años seremos cerca de la mitad Latinos jugando aqui” trans- “In 30 years, half of all the players playing here, will be Latinos”. He wasn’t far from predicting the truth.
In 2011, the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame inducted Octavio”Cookie” Rojas into their Hall of Fame. The museum has been a traveling museum for 26 years, founded as a non-profit in San Francisco, California.
Rojas also played in Venezuela, after Cuba, and of course made his name in the major leagues. We at the HHBM are very proud to have him among other Latino Legends who led the way for us today and made baseball one of the most popular Latino sports in the United States.
Note: I recall when Orestes “Minnie” Miñoso was playing in Cuba with the Mariano Tigers. He became the first Cuban-born player to earn a salary of $25,000 in the major leagues with the Chicago White Sox. In the 1950s, that was a substantial amount of money in baseball.
Recently Dominican-born Juan Soto signed a 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets in December 2024. This contract makes it the largest in the history of professional sports. It also includes a $75 million signing bonus and an average annual salary of $51 million. The most significant contract ever in baseball went to a Latino player.
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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