Tag: That's Amaury News and Commentary

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Orlando Cepeda Day in Puerto Rico  (Exclusive to Sports Radio Service)

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Orlando Cepeda Day in Puerto Rico on Fri Dec 6, 2024 was an opportunity for the people of Puerto Rico to pay tribute to the former St Louis Cardinal and San Francisco Giant who passed away on Jun 28, 2024 (photo image by Multinacional de Seguros)

Orlando Cepeda Day in Puerto Rico  (Exclusive to Sports Radio Service)

Amaury Pi-González

December 6, 2025 —Orlando Cepeda Day

Hiram Bithorn Stadium San Juan, Puerto Rico

Orlando’s family and friends, and thousands of fans will gather to honor one of the greatest players to ever play in the Major Leagues. Orlando “Peruchín”Cepeda

Orlando Cepeda   “Success is not given to you, it is earned, you have to work very hard to achieve it”.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Jim”Catfish” Hunter led the Way

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The author Amaury Pi Gonzalez (left) and New York Yankees pitcher Jim Catfish Hunter (right) in 1975 at the Oakland Coliseum (photo from Amaury Pi Gonzalez)

Jim”Catfish” Hunter led the Way

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi Gonzalez

Today, rumors that New York Yankee superstar Juan Soto is getting offers of a $600 million contract continue to swirl around the baseball world. Soto’s agent, Scott Boras, recently said in Los Angeles that they are in the process of selecting which team Soto will sign with.

The favorite teams for Juan Soto are the Dodgers, Mets, Blue Jays, and Red Sox. The first multi-million dollar contract in baseball was signed by pitcher Jim “Catfish” Hunter with the New York Yankees. It was for $3.25 million over five years, plus he received a $1 million bonus, a $150,000 per year salary, and deferred compensation.

This control specialist was one of the players responsible for opening the door to other free agents to follow and one of the first who helped usher the Free Agency as we know it today. Hunter began his career with the Kansas City Athletics in 1968 and pitched until 1975 with the New York Yankees.

He won five World Series championships, three with the Oakland A’s during their 70’s dynasty and two with the New York Yankees. He made Oakland history by hurling the first perfect game in A’s history in 1968, and, the first then since 1922.

Won the American League Cy Young Award with the A’s in 1974. Selected eight times to the All-Star Game.From 1971 to 1975, no pitcher in baseball had his type of control (almost a la Greg Maddux). A’s catcher Ray Fosse told me there was nobody even close to Catfish of all the pitchers he worked with.

His signature season was 1974, when he helped the Oakland A’s win the World Series in five games against the LA Dodgers. That season, he ended with a record of 25-12 with a league-leading 2.49 ERA, started 41 games, and completed 23.

If Juan Soto has already signed that monstrous contract, which would be only second to Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million with the Dodgers, by the time you are reading this, the baseball world could look to Jim “Catfish” Hunter as one of the key players who paved the way for Free Agency. Back then, it was a scandalous $3.25 million contract; today, it is an obscene $600 to $700 million.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Higashioka signs 2 year $13.5 million deal with Rangers; Cubs sign Boyd for two years, $29 million; plus more news

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FILE – Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, right, collides with San Diego Padres catcher Kyle Higashioka as he scores on a single by Teoscar Hernández during the fourth inning in Game 1 of baseball’s NL Division Series, on Oct. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. Higashioka Mark J. Terrill – staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amaury how big is it that the Texas Rangers signed catcher Kyle Higashioka for two years at $13.5 million with a mutual option for the 2027 season. Higashioka played for the San Diego Padres in 2024 hit .220, with 54 hits, 17 home runs and 45 RBIs.

#2 The Chicago Cubs signed pitcher Matthew Boyd. Boyd will join the Cubs starting rotation. This was the Cubs first big deal in the off season. Boyd who came back from Tommy John surgery was 2-2 with a 2.72 ERA last season. Boyd signs with the Cubs for two years at $29 million. Boyd 33, could earn up to $1 million in performance bonuses.

#3 In a letter to the Tampa Bay Rays from Pinellas County (Fla.) the cost to build a new ballpark would run $1.3 billion in a letter from the county. The Rays presidents Brian Auld and Matt Silverman said in a letter to the county that they would not agree to a deal for the new stadium. The Rays said they have spent more than $50 million on the new stadium but the county had suspended work on the entire project. The park was scheduled to be completed by 2028. The Rays are without a ballpark after Hurricane Milton destroyed the roof of the Tropicana and will play their regular season games at George Steinbrenner Field in Tampa Bay.

#4 Should the Tampa Bay Rays move out of Tampa Bay since the county and the owners can’t come to an agreement and where could they move to Nashville, Montreal, Charlotte, San Antonio, Vancouver or Mexico City?

#5 This coming Thu Dec 5th is the big Las Vegas Stadium Authority meeting regarding the financing for the A’s share of the construction costs for the ballpark at the Tropicana. The A’s said they would present four documents that would outline how the financing would proceed. Dec 5th is the drop dead date to come up with the financing for the Vegas A’s park as the A’s took one year to try and get their financing together. A’s owner John Fisher was reportedly getting financing together from his family to pay the $1.5 billion joined with the State of Nevada’s in put from SB1 at $380 million. Can the A’s make it happen on Thursday?

Amaury Pi Gonzalez does That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Gambling is Baseball’s Mortal Sin

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Former Cincinnati Red Pete Rose seen here playing against the Atlanta Braves Aug 2, 1978 at Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta. Rose who died this year 2024 has a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball for gambling on baseball. (AP file photo)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

It was in September 1919 that several Chicago White Sox players agreed to receive a $100,000 payment from Arnold Rothstein to underachieve during that year’s World Series. This allowed professional gamblers of that time to make tremendous profits by favoring the underdog Cincinnati Reds.

Movies have depicted this moment in baseball; one of the most famous American movies was Godfather II, where actor Lee Strasberg played Hyman Roth, the fictional character for Arnold Rothstein, but that was just a scene in that movie, unlike the 1988 film Eight Men Out, where the whole film deals with baseball’s biggest scandal.

When Major League Baseball banned Pete Rose in 1989, that story became the most famous in baseball history, as far as gambling, especially for those of us who have seen Mister Charlie Hustle play the game. Ironically, the Cincinnati Reds, the team Rose managed, was involved in the scandal, the same franchise as in the 1919 World Series and one of the oldest franchises in the game.

Going back to 1919, during the “Black Sox Scandal,” the owner of the Chicago team was considered a cheapskate and was involved in bribes with players and all kinds of corruption regarding salaries and money issues.

In today’s game, players and managers gambling on games is very unlikely, and one main reason was 1953. That year, the Major League Baseball Players Association was established, and the MLBPA became a labor union with Marvin Miller as the executive director. Unlike the days of Mr.Comiskey, when the owners controlled the game and players; today it’s a ‘players’ game.

In 2024 the minimum salary for a Major League Baseball player (rookie) is $740,000, increasing to $760,000 next season and $780,000 in 2026.

In 1976, Free agency in Major League Baseball became a reality, and today, baseball players are among the wealthiest athletes in the world.

Before the 2024 season, Japanese mega-star Shohei Ohtani signed a 10-year $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and today, Juan Soto of the New York Yankees could soon sign a contract just as rich as Ohtani’s or maybe “just” $100 million short of that.

Note: On June 4, 2024, Shohei’s Ohtani interpreter pleaded guilty to two counts related to the transfer of nearly $17 million from the Dodgers star to cover Mizuhara’s gambling debts. Shohei Ohtani is considered a victim in this case,

Note: 2012 Draft Kings, the company was initially launched, competing principally with the New York-based FanDuel. In May 2018, amid the widening legalization of sports betting in the United States, DraftKings expanded into online and retail sportsbooks to leverage its brand awareness and customer base. Many fans love participating as gamblers, and Major League Baseball even promotes it. Hypocrisy? of course, but in the end, everybody loves money.

Gambling is an addiction, just like drugs and alcohol, and they all could leadto serious consequences. The American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) defines gambling disorder as a behavioral addiction: A persistent pattern of gambling that causes significant distress or impairment A behavior that leads to problems for the individual, families, and society A behavior that involves an increasing tolerance, requiring more gambling to feel satisfied A behavior that can cause withdrawal and irritability when someone tries to quit.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez does News and Commentary podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary–In 2025 Ohtani will Not visit Sacramento

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Los Angeles Dodgers Dodgers two way star Shohei Ohtani nor the Los Angeles Dodgers will not be appearing at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento against the Sacramento A’s during the 2025 season (USA Today file photo)

In 2025 Ohtani will Not visit Sacramento

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Baseball’s biggest star and Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player, Shohei Ohtani, will not visit the A’s in Sacramento in 2025. The three-time MVP and World Champion is on pace to return to the mound and pitch next season.

The Athletics will only play the Dodgers one time in 2025, at Dodger Stadium on May 13,14 and 15, and that is the only opportunity that an Athletics fan will have to see their team vs. Ohtani.

However, the Dodgers and Giants will play six (6) games next season, three at Dodger Stadium on June 13,14,15 and three more in San Francisco’s Oracle Park on July 11,12,13. If you are “into Ohtani stuff” and live in Northern California, you could visit San Francisco to watch the spectacle and do not need to spend the money and time to visit LA at a Stadium where it is not easy to find a ticket for a game, at Dodger Stadium where their home attendance is average 50,000 per game.

The world’s #1 baseball star is usually followed by a cadre of reporters wherever the Dodgers travel, from international and domestic writers, newspapers, and social media to radio and television. During the Major League season, it doesn’t matter if the Dodgers are at home or on the road; Japan is fascinated with ‘everything Ohtani,’ and in 2025, there will be even much more coverage of the superstar as he is scheduled to be a part of his team’s starting rotation.

The much-anticipated return to the mound of this baseball mega-star should be one of the biggest stories next season. Ohtani had his first Tommy John surgery in 2018 and a second Tommy John surgery in 2023.

Note: This is the way the 2025 schedule is set for the Athletics and the Dodgers; it is not like Ohtani said, “I do not want to visit Sacramento” サクラメントには行きたくない

Amaury Pi Gonzalez does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Former Brave Rico Carty dead at 85; Orioles to move in fences for 25 season; plus more news

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The Atlanta Braves honored Rico Carty with a tribute and photo. Carty played in the big leagues from 1963-1979 (image from the Atlanta Braves)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Former Atlanta Braves great Rico Carty has passed away at the age of 85. Carty played in the majors in 1963 the year he broke in with the Milwaukee Braves before retiring in 1979 with the Toronto Blue Jays. In 1970 Carty led the National League in hitting with a .366. The Dominican paper Listin Diario said Carty’s friend informed the paper of Carty’s death at 85 years old.

#2 Camden Yards and the Baltimore Orioles have announced that they have moved in the fences 20 feet in for the 2025 season. In 2022 the Orioles moved the fences back something that made the pitching staff appreciate. Prior to the 2022 season the hitters loved to tee off at Camden and in 2025 they can love that opportunity again.

#3 The San Francisco Giants have signed outfielder Mike Yastrzemski to a one year deal for the 2025 season at $9.25 million. The Giants also tendered contracts for first baseman LeMonte Wade, closer Camilo Doval, and releiver Tyler Rogers. How important is it for the Giants to secure those players.

#4 Sacramento A’s manager Mark Kotsay said that free agent and former Los Angeles Dodger Walker Buehler declined to sign with the A’s citing that he didn’t not want to play in Sacramento a triple A minor league park. After playing in the number 2 TV market in baseball Buehler wanted to stay clear of Sacramento which he considers a minor league park.

#5 Also MLB players have indicated that they do not like the idea of playing in Sacramento because of it’s small space, that Sacramento is just a temporary home for the A’s, the clubhouses for the A’s and visiting teams are being built as a two story facility, there is no tunnel from the dugouts to the clubhouse for the players like other big league parks. The only consolation the players got out of going to Sacramento they will play on natural turf as opposed to artificial turf.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez for That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Podcast and AM Radio today

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KNBR 680 talk show hosts Tom Tolbert (left) and John Lund (right) both have been laid off this week. Tolbert had been with the station since 1996. (photos by KNBR)

Podcast and AM Radio today

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

According to Nielsen, AM and FM radio reach 78 million Americans every month. However, this audience represents a decades-long decline. Now, more than ever, the Podcast has come of age, and some of the biggest shows with the biggest audiences are on Podcasts, not on AM/FM radio. Podcasts are ‘eating up ‘ regularly over-the-air radio and the audiences generated by podcast are undisputable.

KNBR 680AM San Francisco, a Cumulus Media station, recently laid off popular sports stalk host Tom Tolbert and John Lund amid company layoffs. The world of radio (specifically AM radio) is shrinking, and a lot of it has to do with Podcasts of all sorts, including sports.

One of the most popular podcasts nationwide is Stephen A. Smith’s Podcast show ” iHeart Radio; it is sports-oriented, but also, in today’s world of social media, Mr.Smith does political interviews with all kinds of celebrities who are not necessarily involved in sports.

His style is provocative, and his commentary makes lots of news, like in 2021, when he said that Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese mega-star of the World Champion LA Dodgers, shouldn’t be the face of baseball because he uses an interpreter.

The Asian American community criticized his comments. Later, Smith apologized for causing angst with his remarks. Nevertheless, these shows have a rather large audience compared to local sports talk shows in our cities nationwide.

Like a podcast hosted by Charles Barkley and Ernie Johnson, many other podcasts cover topics beyond basketball. Other popular sports podcasts across the country are The Bill Simmons Podcast, Pardon My Take, The Dan LeBatard with Stugotz, and Fantasy Footballers, to mention a few.

However, perhaps the behemoth of the podcast is the Joe Rogan Podcast, which has around 15 million viewers per show on Spotify and 18 million on YouTube. Joe Rogan covers everything and all celebrities, including sports and politics.

Many of the most prominent personalities have appeared in the Joe Rogan Experience, including Mike Tyson, Kanye West, Quentin Tarantino, Elon Musk, and most recently, Donald Trump, who was running for President and appeared on Mr.Rogan’s show for over three hours unedited live interview drawing an audience on the dozens of millions of listeners.

Vice President Kamla Harris, the Democratic nominee, was also invited onto his show but her campaign confirmed that she would not be interviewed on the show before election day. Harris’s handlers wanted to know if they did “edit” on the show, but the Rogan producers told him, they do not edit, everything is aired live. So Harris missed a massive audience by not appearing on The Rogan show, which is listened to by people from 30-to-45 years of age.

The Joe Rogan Experience podcast is the most listened-to podcast in the United States. Most recently, Chris Wallace, who worked for CNN, resigned from his job as a political reporter and plans to have his own Podcast. Chris Wallace is the son of the late famous CBS (of 60 Minutes fame) Journalist Mike Wallace.

In some markets, many radio stations, AM or FM, carry syndicated program on a barter basis. They receive the program in exchange for agreeing to run some of the producer’s commercials, and then the radio can sell the remaining commercial time to other advertisers.

Some may even give you air time for goods or services other than cash—anything to survive. These include Major League Baseball Broadcast, among other sports-oriented programming. This is done in many languages across the country.

I remember working for an independent local radio station many years ago that paid some of its talent with trades like food, sports tickets, travel, hotels, etc. In some markets, this (which is legal) is still going on.

Individual producers find time available on radio stations and agree to pay for the time, as they can then sell and run their sponsors on the show(s). Television’s advantage over radio when it comes to programming is that in the case of English/Spanish, many television carry shows and offer SAP in Spanish, which is very popular for sports broadcasts.

Everything on TV has an SAP advantage over radio. Especially in the United States, where English and Spanish are the two most spoken languages.

Podcast is a “new thing”in the world of communications, but there is no doubt is here to stay and it is getting bigger an more popular by the minute. We live in the fast moving world of communications. With AI already here, only God knows what’s next. Note: In 2004. Adam Curry and Dave Winer are credited with the invention of podcasting. Who exactly did what is up for dispute, but in the end these are the two guys who got it rolling.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez does News and Commentary podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: A’s trade Allen to Braves; Marlins hire Dodgers first base coach McCullough; plus more news

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Former Athletics shortstop Nick Allen was traded to the Atlanta Braves for minor league pitcher Jared Johnson on Mon Nov 11, 2024 (AP file photo)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Athletics infielder Nick Allen was traded from the A’s to the Atlanta Braves minor league pitcher Jared Johnson. Allen in the 2024 season hit .175, with one home run, four RBIs, and 16 stolen bases in 81 games with the A’s triple A affiliate Las Vegas Aviators.

#2 The Miami Marlins have hired Los Angles Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough as their new manager on Monday. McCullough was first base coach for the Marlins for the last four years and McCullough’s last year was this past World Series where the Dodgers won it in five games.

#3 Former Cincinnati Red Pete Rose who passed away at 83 years old on Sep 30th was honored last Sunday at Great American Ballpark by the Reds with a 14 hour visitation at the ballpark. It was a rainy day honoring Rose the all time hits leader. With the cooperation of Rose’s daughter’s Fawn and Kara who exchanged stories, hugs, and tears. “We wanted to do something like this” said Reds executive director Rick Wells, “You could see from the turnout, it means a lot to the people here. It’s a moving experience.”

#4 New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone will be meeting with Juan Soto with owner Hal Steinbrenner as they will fly to California to try and convince Soto to join the Yankees for the 2025 season. Soto is scheduled to meet with New York Mets group that includes owner Steve Cohen.

#5 Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco allegedly was in a fight over a woman that involved guns drawn in San Juan de la Maguana in the Dominican Republic that police said was an altercation in a parking lot. The woman was being held for questioning by police it was not reported if there were any injuries. Franco has had previous legal problems which include him being accused of having a sexual relationship with a 14 year old girl.

Amuary Pi Gonzalez does News and Commentary podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary–The Improved Sacramento Park for the Athletics 

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Sutter Health Park Sacramento from behind outfield grass view. The future interim home of the Athletics for 2025-2027. (photo by the Sacramento Rivercats)

The Improved Sacramento Park for the Athletics

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

1-Although it was said Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento was originally planned to have artificial turf, that didn’t happen because the players and agents raised concerns about the heat and potential for injury. It will be natural grass.

2-A new clubhouse. It will be a two-story clubhouse located beyond the left field wall. There will be a dressing room, gym, training room, dining room.kitchen and, of course, Batting cages.

3-For Fans. The Gilt-Edge Club, an open-air lounge located in the right field, a private bar with complimentary beer and wine, hot dog, and nacho stations.

4-Premium seating. The Tower View tables and Diamond View Dugout offer VIP entrance, complimentary welcome drinks, and in-seat service

5-Television. Camera capabilities were improved to provide major league quality broadcasts.

6-Regular media, baseball writers, radio AND television reporters. TBD.

7-Schedule. Because of the heat in Sacramento, the A’s are expected to play most of their games at night.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez does News and Commentary podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Mayor of Oakland also leaving “a recall”

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Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao will be recalled by the voters of Oakland. Thao has served two years as Oakland Mayor. Voters have complained of high crime, homelessness is out of control, and her losing the Oakland A’s. Here she is addressing A’s fans at a City Hall meeting in her attempt to get a ballpark built at Howard Terminal at the time. Thao lost the A’s after raising the lease at the Oakland Coliseum when they wanted to play there until 2028 before moving to Las Vegas. The A’s turned down her offer and are playing in Sacramento in 2025.

Mayor of Oakland also leaving “a recall”

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao inherited a good situation when Mayor Libby Schaff left her term, and Thao started hers in 2023. At the time, the Oakland A’s were in a good position with the possibility of the A’s ownership building the new $1.5 billion ballpark in Oakland.

Back then, even Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred spoke positively about Mayor Schaff. Thao did not handle the negotiations with the A’s very well, and things deteriorated quickly. The citizens of the City of Oakland started a campaign to recall the mayor.

Early in June of this year, a big unexpected problem occurred when FBI agents conducted an early-morning raid on the home of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, looking for documents with a warrant under a corruption investigation.

This was news from coast to coast carried by most networks, and it was not a good look for Oakland’s leadership. It was a ‘punch in the gut’ for the reputation of Oakland. Even comedians were making fun of Oakland.

On November 5, election day, the recall measure was voted with 65% in favor. Mayor Thao will be leaving Oakland, just like the Athletics, not for Sacramento, but she is losing her job as the top executive in the city.

Sheng Thao is not leaving just because of the A’s departure but because of the high percentage of crime in her town that she could not correct. Many businesses have been vandalized multiple times, and some of them, like the famous burger chain “In N Out,” closed their restaurant on Hegenberger Road.

It was the first time the popular fast-food chain closed one of its franchises anyplace in the country because of crime. That is what “In N Out” corporate office released to the media after they took action.

Budget problems are under her leadership and missing a grant deadline did not help, and the high crime and negative press across the country were too much for her to survive (“In-N-Out currently has locations throughout California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Colorado and Idaho)

According to the latest reports, as of Wednesday afternoon, Mayor Thao was trailing in the recall, 65% to 35%, and there is a likely outcome for her removal. It would be the first time this happened in Oakland in 100 years.