Tag: Thats Amaury's News and Commentary

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: The passing of Al Attles 87; Basketball in his Veins-As I remember

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Former Golden State Warriors head coach Al Attles from 1970-1983 passed away Wed Aug 20, 2024 at age 87 (USA Today photo)

Al Attles -Basketball in his Veins -As I Remember

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

I had the privilege of knowing Al Attles during the Golden State Warriors years when he was a team advisor-executive and would travel most of the time with the W’s during the 1990s. Then, I was employed by the team as their Spanish play-by-play announcer.

For the record, the “only one they ever had in their history” to date. At their time, only four or five teams were broadcasting NBA in Spanish; I believe the Warriors were after the Spurs, Rockets, and Lakers, maybe we were the fourth in the country to do Spanish on KIQI 1010AM San Francisco.

But first, here is a little history about a great man and a great gentleman, Al Attles, who left us today after 87 years on this earth. He was born in Newark, New Jersey; the “Jersey Jet” was a player for the Philadelphia Warriors from 1960-1962 and then with the San Francisco Warriors until 1971.

The first professional sporting event I ever covered in the Bay Area was a Warriors game in the 1970s. The Warriors played temporarily at the Cow Palace, Daly City, while the Oakland Arena was under construction. I remember Mr. Hal Childs, the first Media Relations person I had to deal with for my credentials; he was then with the Warriors.

Al Attles played on that historic day when Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points. Attles was humble and would not tell you that his 17 points during that same game resulted from making every throw he made: eight field goals and one free throw. He made them all but was always humble as a player or coach.

I once joked with him that when Wilt Chamberlain scored the record 100 points in that game, he must have had a bunch of assists. He joked about how he passed to Chamberlain, but in the end, he admitted he had six assists. By the way, in that game, the Warriors won 169-134 over the Knicks. It was on March 2, 1962.

Al would usually be first on the team bus after every game when traveling with the Warriors on the road. I would be a few minutes later since my post-game show, as I did a solo broadcast on all games home and road, would be handled in 5 minutes, and then I would send it back to our main studios in San Francisco. I would ‘pick his head’ after a game, specially if we lost that game, during those years the W’s had good teams but no titles.

One day, I remember the team losing by a large margin and blowing out 20 points. As I walked onto the bus, he said, “Did you put this team together?” On other occasions, he would tell me, “Can you push the ball?” And it continued, but I always listened to his wisdom and learned a lot from this humble and generous man.

After playing, Attles’s career was dedicated to coaching. He always liked to talk and teach basketball and coached the San Francisco Warriors and then the Golden State Warriors from 1968 to 1975. He won the NBA title in that great 1974-75 season as a coach.

Although I cannot remember the exact date, I did cover the Victory Rally at San Francisco Union Square after they beat the Washington team in the 1974-75 season NBA finals. I had my SONY small recorder in hand.

I remember as I walked to the Warriors celebratory rally, running into the “one and only Bill King” (best basketball play-by-play announcer I ever heard), who was sporting Jesus sandals and purple socks. He was there to speak at the rally, Al Attles, and then owner Franklin Meuli, wearing his inseparable Sherlock Holmes hat, also talked to a friendly crowd celebrating the moment.

The whole Bay Area is mourning today.

Rest in Peace Al Attles, I will forever remember you your wisdom and your profound voice.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez was a former play by play announcer on the Golden State Warriors Spanish radio network and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: No Major League team for Oakland on the horizon

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The city of Oakland and the Oakland Coliseum will not be seeing MLB baseball expansion anytime soon (NBC Bay Area photo)

No Major League team for Oakland on the horizon

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Below are considered the cities vying for an expansion team in Major League Baseball—Total city and area population.

Montreal: 4.38 million. Charlotte: 2.76 million. San Antonio: 2.66 million. Portland: 2.51 million. Sacramento: 2.42 million (A’s are expected to play from 2025 to 2027-maybe 2028) Nashville: 2.05 million. Salt Lake City: 1.27 million Conspicuously, and for obvious reasons, Oakland is not on this list, and it might not be for many years to come.

A case can be made that another Bay Area city (the one with the largest population), San José, could even have a better shot than Oakland for an expansion, with the most significant obstacle being the San Francisco Giants, who own the San José territory which ironically was given to the Giants for free by A’s owner Walter Haas in 1990, as a way to keep the Giants in the Bay Area and not relocate to Florida.

The Media Markets for these cities are below. None come close to Oakland, which is designated as the number six market area in the United States and, according to Nielsen, as of 2004, is part of the Bay Area together with San Francisco and San Jose; at the time, Santa Clara County (including San José) was considered neutral territory by the two teams.

Today, San José has the largest population in the Bay Area, with over 1 million, including the world-famous Silicon Valley, where the average salary of a worker is $190,000 annually.

Nielsen Media Rankings (2024) Sacramento (20th in U.S.) Charlotte (21st in U.S.) Portland (23rd in U.S.) Nashville (26th in U.S.) Salt Lake City (27th in U.S.) San Antonio (31st in U.S.) Las Vegas (40th in U.S.) —

This is where the A’s have decided as their final destination. Major League Baseball expansion is coming—it’s just a matter of when and where. While the timeline for MLB’s expansion to 32 teams remains. Commissioner Rob Manfred said he hopes to have a process “in place” before he retires in 2029.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play voice on the Oakland A’s Spanish radio network at 1010 KIQI San Francisco and 990 KATD Pittsburgh and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: The Asian Connection MLB Open 2024 Season in South Korea

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San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee is bringing a lot of excitement to the Giants for the 2024 season at Oracle Park in San Francisco (AP News photo)

The Asian Connection -MLB Open 2024 Season in South Korea

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

Amaury Pi-González

For the first time, Major League Baseball’s regular season will open its 2024 season in Seoul, South Korea, as the Los Angeles Dodgers will face during a two-game series on March 20 and 21, where each team will play once as the home team. “There are a lot of baseball fans in Seoul, and it’s a beautiful city, so the MLB proposed that it would like to hold the opening games here, and of course, we agreed,” Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, 63, said in an interview with Bloomberg TV.

The series will be played at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, the home of the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO. It was also the host site of first-round games in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. The domed stadium was built in 2015 and has a capacity of 16,744

Although only 4% of all Major League players are Asian, fans in Seoul, South Korea, are hoping to see Dodgers players like Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, both from Japan as well as San Diego Padres Yu Darvish, from Japan and also a nice homecoming for South Korean Ha-Seong Kim.

Chan Ho Park, the pitcher, was the first South Korean former professional baseball player to play in the major leagues and was the first South Korean player to be named an MLB All-Star. But there is little doubt that the most significant baseball star that fans want to see, Shohei Ohtani, has become the most well-known international figure of American Major League Baseball; Ohtani has excellent global traction.

Talking about this two-game season opener in South Korea, Commissioner Rob Manfred, “We’re going to get off quick. We’re opening in Korea, and it’ll be Ohtani’s first game (with the Dodgers),” he said, before adding with a smile, “every once in a while, you get lucky in terms of the way things shake out.”

Baseball is the most popular professional sport in South Korea, with around 6.4 million spectators during the KBO (Korean Baseball Organization) in 2022.

American missionaries introduced baseball to Korea in the 19th century. South Korea played baseball under Japanese colonial rule under the Joseon name. Lee Young-min hit South Korea’s first-ever home run in 1921.

Local interest: Are there any South Korean players in the Bay Area? Last December, the San Francisco Giants signed signed 25 year old South Korean star outfielder Jung Hoo Lee.

ESPN will carry the Dodgers-Padres two-game opener of the 2024 MLB season from South Korea. “Why do people sing Take Me Out to The Ballgame when they’re already there? -Alex Rodríguez.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: California Politicians and Shohei Ohtani Taxes

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Shohei Ohtani designated hitter for the Los Angeles Dodgers is all smiles while he greets fans at the Dodger FanFest at Dodger Stadium on Sat Feb 3, 2024 (AP News photo)

California Politicians and Shohei Ohtani Taxes

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi Gonzalez

Shohei Ohtani, today the biggest baseball star in the world, signed a 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers for 700 million dollars. The State of California Controller, Malia M.Cohen, who was born and raised in San Francisco, wants Congress to change the tax code to cap deferred payments. If this happens, Ohtani would owe more taxes to the State of California.

The two-way star contract with the LA Dodgers contains $680 million in deferred payments due from 2034 to 2043. California wants to tax Ohtani much more; however, if he is not living in California when he receives the deferred money, the State of California would not be legally allowed to tax Ohtani the 13.3% income tax plus 1.1% payroll tax in this State.

According to a calculation by the California Center for Jobs and the Economy, Ohtani can save $9.8 million per year in California taxes and $98 million throughout the contract with the deferred agreement in place. It was Ohtani and his financial team the ones who pitched the idea of the current contract structure.

This should not surprise anybody. California has one of the highest taxes in the nation, and California continue to lose residents, specially high earners who have moved to States with lower taxes, as well as corporate businesses who also relocated from the Golden State across the nation.

Not to mention the middle-class (or whatever is left of it) as they leave California for Nevada, Arizona, Florida and Texas. Funny with so many other problems in California, including a $68 Billion deficit, as a result of revenue decline in 2022-23 they are pointing at Ohtani’s contract.

William McBride VP of Federal Tax Policy at the Tax Foundation said this about the Ohtani and California tax debacle: “If Congress enacted restrictions on deferred income, it would put the state in a worse position in term of its ability to collect revenue from this high earners and star athletes, because they wouldn’t be here.”

By the way, Shohei Ohtani revenues extend beyond playing on the field, he also has other income from endorsements, commercial contracts and everything else for this international superstar, here and in Japan.

Let’s face it. Shotime is a worldwide star,and I for one, cannot blame him to look for his own interest, after all this is still America. Looks like Ohtani’s financial team outsmarted California politicians, and some in government are resentful.

Quote: Winning depends on where you put your priorities. It’s usually best to put them over the fence.” – Jason Giambi

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Hall of Fame Museum and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Gurriel Jr signs 3 yr $42 million deal with Diamondbacks; Ohtani and Acuna win the Hank Aaron Award; plus more news

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Arizona Diamondbacks Lourdes Gurriel Jr joins the Arizona Diamondbacks agreeing to a three year $42 million deal on Sun Dec 17, 2023 (USA Today photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary:

#1 Lourdes Gurriel Jr will be returning to the Arizona Diamondbacks on a $42 million three year deal. Gurriel gets a fourth year option on his three contract. The deal also includes an opt out on the second year of the contract. Gurriel hit .261, with 144 hits and 24 home runs. How much of a good deal is this for Gurriel and the Diamondbacks.

#2 Shohei Ohtani and Ronald Acuna are both racking up trophies. This time they both win the Hank Aaron Award for most offensive performer. Ohtani hit .304, 151 hits, and 44 home runs. Ohtani will not pitch but be the Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter for the 2024 season. Acuna hit .337, 217 hits and had 106 RBIs.

#3 Texas Rangers pitcher Max Scherzer who had off season back surgery will not be expected to be back until June or July. Scherzer was suffering back pain and was removed from last season’s World Series. His pain didn’t stop when he got home to Florida and was later diagnosed with a herniated disc.

#4 Over the weekend Amaury, the San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox threw their ball caps into the Yoshinobu Yamamoto sweepstakes joining the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers. Yamamoto has met with the Mets twice. These clubs have each put in a starting bid of $300 million for Yamamoto. The pressure is mounting Amaury which team will it be?

#5 It didn’t take long after being acquired by the Atlanta Braves from the San Diego Padres Matt Carpenter was released after one week. The Braves will lose around $4 million on the deal in 2022 Carpenter hit .305, with 15 home runs and 37 RBIs. Carpenter played for the Yankees from May 26 to Aug 8th. Carpenter he broke his foot on a foul ball and got back into post season on going 1 for 12 with nine strikeouts.

Join Amaury for News and Commentary podcasts Tuesdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Oakland A’s Nevada Assembly vote could be razor close

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From left to right Jeremy Aguero, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Hill, and A’s President David Kaval, at the 35th Special Session of the Legislature regarding SB1 the $380 million in public funds for the Tropicana Ballpark in Las Vegas on Jun 7, 2023. The second special session reconvenes on Mon Jun 12, 2023 (Nevada Independent photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 The Nevada State Assembly are suppose to meet and vote today on SB1 the Tropicana ballpark initiative that will send the bill to the senate for another vote. Sources say that the votes are close the legislation were suppose to vote last Thursday but that vote was adjourned and now it’s supposed to be today.

#2 This is a second special session do you think the reason for the hold up on the vote is because some in the assembly are under pressure to get this bill through while other assembly people are holding out because they don’t want to vote for a $385 million bill that helps pay for a ballpark with public money?

#3 One of the other questions that has been weighing heavy was if the A’s were to get the Las Vegas ballpark they need to meet selling out every game plus concerts or shows at the Tropicana venue to meet the annual payments to pay for the ballpark. How big of an ask is to say that every game and every concert at the A’s Las Vegas ballpark needs to be sold out to meet the economic need?

#4 The issue of government involvement from Congresswoman Barbara Lee who represents Oakland and Alameda County the 12th Congressional District wrote a letter saying that she and many of her constituents are frustrated that MLB and the Oakland A’s failed to deal in good faith and that they had a deal with Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao that was almost ten percent complete.

#5 The A’s walked away saying they had a binding deal in Las Vegas fast forward they have moved again from the Wild Wild West location to the Tropicana location. Could congress make a move saying the A’s and MLB failed to let the process of the Howard Terminal deal works its way through but dropped the deal and took the offer in Vegas.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Oakland A’s lead announcer on the A’s Spanish radio network at 1010 KIQI San Francisco and 1010 KATD Pittsburg and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Giants Webb says beware of Dodgers; A’s hope things will get better in Baltimore

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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb (62) throws a pitch during the first inning at Sun Trust Field in Miami against the Miami Marlins, Saturday, June 4, 2022. (File AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amaury just wanted to start off asking you about the Dodgers-Giants series that got started on Monday. The Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb said that the Dodgers are a juggernaut that no one should be fooled by the Dodgers before the series started with a three game losing streak and a .500 record.

#2 The Giants catcher Roberto Perez had been placed on the 60 day injured list with a rotator cuff strain and it got Austin Wynns the opportunity to start Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Royals however the next day Monday Wynns was moved off the 40 man roster. Blake Sabol has been doing his share of catching.

#3 The big news is that Giants catcher Joey Bart was reinstated after suffering a back strain, Bart rehabbed over the weekend with triple A affiliate Sacramento and started against the Dodgers on Monday night.

#4 Amaury, How bad do things have to get for he Oakland A’s (2-8) dropping the home opening series against the Los Angeles Angels two out of three and dropping two out of three to the Cleveland Guardian and getting swept by the Tampa Bay Rays.

#5 The Rays went yard on the A’s losing twice by scores of 11-0 on Saturday and Sunday. The The A’s opened a three game series against the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night at Camden Yards. The Rays went yard on the A’s losing twice by scores of 11-0 on Saturday and Sunday. The A’s had a lot expectations from starter Shintaro Fujinami but for the second consecutive game Fujinami got lit up.

Join Amaury Pi Gonzalez for all the play by play of Oakland A’s on the Spanish radio network 1010 KIQI San Francisco and 990 KATD Pittsburg and for News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Who is buying the Los Angeles Angels?

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Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob is exploring the possibility of buying the Los Angeles Angels. (USA Today News photo)

Who is buying the Los Angeles Angels?

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Arturo (Arte) Moreno bought the LA Angels in 2003 for $184 million. It is now worth about $2 billion. Moreno’s is the first Hispanic-American ever to own an MLB franchise, and now they are for sale. Among the people looking to buy the Angels is Joe Lacob, owner of the Golden State Warriors, who has previously expressed interest in buying an MLB team.

Mr. Lacob once offered to buy the Oakland A’s and said he believes the team belongs in Oakland. According to an interview with John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle, Lacob told Shea his offer to buy the A’s was for $180 million in 2005. How much are the A’s worth today? Most MLB teams are worth a minimum of $1 billion.

Warriors owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber could have some competition from other interested parties like LA Rams owner Stan Kroenke, LA Lakers part owner Dr.Patrick Soon-Shiong, a Japanese consortium, and even a minority group of LA Dodgers owners, maybe in the picture. Or somebody else could also be out there with a potential offer.

It makes all the sense for Moreno to sell (if the price is right) to the owners of the Golden State Warriors, the most successful sports franchise in the past 10 years in the NBA and in the Bay Area, bringing the Warriors to an elite level of teams in the NBA with multiple championships and a great fan base.

The Warriors always had a good fan base. I covered them when they first won an NBA Championship in Oakland 1974-75 under coach Al Attles and the ownership of the great Franklin Mieuli. In the 1990s during the Chris Mullin era under owner Jim Fitzgerald, and as their play-by-play (Español) for all their games, I remember all the excitement that they brought to Oakland and Bay Area fans.

Those were very exciting teams, and although they never won an NBA championship, their front office was very much involved with the community, The Oakland Arena was sold out most of the time during those years. David McGahey an innovator in Marketing and Broadcasting in the Bay Area for various media outfits, who passed in 2002, was a great VP of Broadcasting.

At that time the Warriors were one of the first NBA teams to broadcast all their games, home and away on the radio in Spanish language, only the Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, LA Lakers, and Chicago Bulls at the time had Spanish radio.

Arturo Moreno greatly improved his team since he bought them in 2003. One of his first moves was to sign Vladimir Guerrero (now in the Hall of Fame) and later other superstars like Mike Trout and Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani. Moreno bought the team from Disney one year after they won the World Series against the San Francisco Giants in 2002, but the Angels have not been able to win again.

Lots of frustrations for a team whose lineup seems to be always very formidable but their consistent lack of pitching has been their Achilles heel drowning their hopes for the big trophy in October. In baseball, many things change, like stadiums, salaries, and rules changes, and even Mr. Moreno changed his team’s name from Anaheim to Los Angeles, but there is one thing that has never changed “without pitching, you cannot win”.

It’s too bad Arturo Moreno’s LA Angels could not win a World Series. Now, sooner or rather, the new owner(s) will be taking over the franchise in Orange County. In any sport winning is the key. Like the great NY Yankees owner, the ever-present George Steinbrenner used to say; “Winning is the most important thing in my life, after breathing”.

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

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Ice Wars International a new Sport…Really?

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Ice Wars International a new Sport…Really?

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Ice Wars International is an attempt to create a new combat sport with the components of Ice-hockey fights and boxing. “It’s a play on something that has been part of hockey lore and tradition… but it’s not hockey”. -A.J. Galante, President, and Founder of Ice Wars.

One of my favorite stand-up comedians was Rodney “I Get No Respect” Dangerfield who used to say; “I went to a fight the other night, and a hockey game broke out.” We all know that is a very common saying in the US and Canada, the two countries where the NHL plays, the best professional ice hockey league in the world.

But Ice Wars is different, Mr.Galante who is in charge of this new “sport” is currently a boxing manager and a promoter in Danbury, Connecticut. And for you, hardcore ice-hockey fans, if that name ‘rings a bell’… he was the teenage president of the Danbury Thrashers, a UHL, United Hockey League team from 2004 to 2006.

It was featured on a Netflix documentary titled Untold: Crime and Penalties. The team was backed by Galante’s father James Galante, a former mafia-connected businessman in the trash/garbage hauling industry among other criminal activities, a convicted felon, and an associate of the Genovese crime family.

The NHL did a study a couple of years ago and released a report citing much of a decline in fights inside the games, mostly attributed to the league having access to more fast and skilled players. They do not rely on intimidation. Ice Hockey as well as baseball is a sport of great skill and coordination, and fights during a hockey game, do not really bring much to a game.

It is common sense that hockey is a fast pace sport and players play rough, there is a lot of contact and fights are going to take place, it is only normal. In the NHL the game already shows a lot of excitement and fights but does not bring much to the sport.

Boxing on-the-other hand is probably the purest of competitions/sports since it features a confrontation of one man against another, it is the ultimate pure physical competition, but also requires great training, concentration, and dedication, it is one of the oldest sports on record, although the oldest combat sport is considered to be wrestling.

Will Ice Wars make it as a business and, most important, as a sport.? I doubt if it will ever become something big across the country. They will need television to get real exposure, and that is not cheap. But it is coming.

“Ice Wars” first event is scheduled for May 2023, at the River Creek Resort & Casino in Edmonton, Canada, featuring an eight-man heavyweight “King of The Rink” tournament. Each fight will consist of two rounds and will be judged should a knockout not occur.

(Following is in one of their advertisements) “Experience the non-stop action with each fight as each professional and semi-professional fighter is at the top of their game. The fighters will drop their actual hockey gloves to start the fight” join us for the most extreme combat sport ever invented. See a fascinating new world where only those rough enough, tough enough, and skilled enough will come out on top.

Comprised professional and semi-professional fighters at the top of their game in top fighting condition We begin this 4 series event in the Spring of 2023All fights consist of two 1-minute rounds on the ice Next fight, March 4, 2023, at Events Center, Cheyenne, Wyoming Wishing everybody a Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

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

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: MLB Veterans Committee Fred McGriff voted to the Hall of Fame

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Former Atlanta Brave Fred McGriff is all smiles after being informed that he has been voted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown (AP News file photo)

MLB Veterans Committee: Fred McGriff voted to the Hall of Fame

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Fred McGriff is 59 years old and played for six different teams during a 19-year career that ended in 2004. With 493 homers he ties with another Hall of Famer, Lou Gehrig as the only two with less than 500 home runs in Cooperstown.

McGriff could not get over the hump in ten appearances on the BBWAA ballot mostly in part of a backlog of controversial (steroids era) candidates and never got out of 69 votes (39.8), but on Sunday December 4, he was elected with 16 votes on the 16 member committee, unanimously. 100%. A player needs a minimum of 75% to get elected to the Hall of Fame.

“What an honor,” McGriff said in a Zoom call with the media from his home in Florida. “It’s a beautiful night in Tampa. I did it. I got in there. I feel as if I’ve been totally blessed my whole life and I continue to be blessed. It’s an honor to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.”

Because of a backlog of controversial candidates from the steroid era, McGriff could not get over the hump in ten appearances on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot, topping out at 69 votes (39.8%). A player needs a minimum of 75% for election to Cooperstown.

Fred McGriff hit 30 or more homers during a season for five different teams; Toronto, San Diego, Atlanta, Tampa Bay and Chicago Cubs. He was a member of the 1995 World Champion Atlanta Braves and now joins four (4) other Hall of Fame players of that great Braves team; Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, Larry “Chipper” Jones and Tom Glavine.

Not surprised Fred McGriff was elected or that Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Rafeal Palmeiro were not for obvious reasons, also not a surprise that Curt Schilling received 43% of the vote, as controversial as he was, it was because of comments he made on twitter on political issues, which everybody is entitled as we all have the rights to free speech. Schilling was never involved or was suspect of using steroids. It will be no sooner than 3 years from today that they would be considered again for election. Here is the final vote:

Fred McGriff 16 votes, (100%) Don Mattingly 8 votes, (50%) Curt Schilling 7 votes (43.8%) Dale Murphy 6 votes (37.5%) Albert Belle Less than 4 votes Barry Bonds Less than 4 votes Roger Clemens Less than 4 votes Rafael Palmeiro Less than 4 votes

The Winter Meetings began today in San Diego. Expect this week some news regarding signing of free agents and trades. The Braves, Cardinals, Indians and others have been talking to the Oakland A’s in trying to reach a deal to acquired catcher Sean Murphy, he is one of the most sought after players this off season and the A’s are expected to trade him for a bunch of prospects.

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