Tag: That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Marte seeing the ball well since joining A’s; Sweet revenge for Pujols homered against old team Halos

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He can do it all hit, field, and run the bases the Oakland A’s outfielder Starling Marte steals second base under the Texas Rangers glove of second baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the first inning of Sun Aug 8, 2021 at the Oakland Coliseum (AP News photo)

On That’s Amaury’s podcast:

#1 Starling Marte went 4 for 5 on Sunday in the Oakland A’s efforts to complete a four game sweep over the visiting Texas Rangers 6-3 at the Oakland Coliseum.

#2 In Marte’s nine games since joining the A’s on July 28th from Florida Marte has gone 17 for 40 (.425) and have won seven of those nine games.

#3 Teammate and A’s pitcher James Kaprielan said of Marte that he wouldn’t want to pitch to him and that Marte is an underrated player.

#4 How big was it for Los Angeles Dodger pinch hitter Albert Pujols to hit a two run homer against his old teammates the Los Angeles Angels last Sunday at Dodgers Stadium. Pujols threw away the bat and admired the shot before circling the bases.

#5 For Pujols who left the Angels under not the best of circumstances. The Angels said they were going to use Shohei Ohtani at designated hitter and Jered Walsh as their first baseman and Pujols would have an opportunity to play when the Angels needed to rest Ohtani or Walsh. That didn’t sit with Pujols too well who was rumored to have had a loud argument with Angels team president John Carpino and general manager Perry Manasian just before the trade. The home run for Pujols had to have some sweet revenge to it.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Oakland A’s Spanish play by play announcer on flagship station 1010 KIQI LeGrande San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Texas Rangers-Oakland A’s preview: A’s can’t afford to take Rangers lightly; Texas always up for A’s series

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Oakland A’s starter Chris Bassitt will get the call on Fri Aug 6, 2021 at the Oakland Coliseum for the first of four games against the Texas Rangers (AP file photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND–This weekend, the Oakland A’s have an off-day on Thursday before their three-game series with the pesky Texas Rangers. The Rangers are 39-69 for the season and are in last place in the AL West. They are 4-6 in their last ten games and are 13-40 on the road.

The Rangers sent their best pitcher, Kyle Gibson, and their closer Ian Kennedy to the Philadelphia Phillies at the July 30th trade deadline. They traded one of their best players, right fielder Joey Gallo, to the New York Yankees. There is no doubt that the Rangers are in rebuild mode.

The A’s cannot afford to take Texas lightly. So far this season., the teams have split the ten games played. The Rangers would love nothing better than upsetting the A’s applecart. The players can be loose. The young guys on the Texas team will be playing hard, hoping to make sure that they will be in the Rangers’ plans for next year.

The A’s, on the other hand, are fighting for a playoff berth. Oakland is 61-48 and owns the second AL Wild Card. They would love to win the AL West crown. They trail the Houston Astros by four and 1/2 games. They have six games left with Houston in September.

The A’s know that they have to keep winning to maintain the second Wild Card spot. They lead the revitalized Yankees by two games. The Yanks are 16-8 and are moving up in the AL East division. The additions of Gallo and Anthony Rizzo have helped the Yankees surge. The Toronto Blue Jays are also playing better ball since the trade deadline. Toronto, as well as the Seattle Mariners, trail Oakland by three games. 

The Rangers will not have two players available to play against the A’s this weekend. This year, versatile Eli White, who has given the A’s fits, is on the 10-day IL. Outfielder Willie Calhoun is on the 60-day IL with a left ulnar bone fracture.

Players to keep an eye on are catchers Jose Trevino and Jonah Heim. Heim, who went to Texas in the trade for Elvis Andrus, would love nothing more than find a way to beat his old mates. Ranger center fielder Adolis Garcia is hitting .251 and has 23 homers and 64 RBIs. Without Joey Gallo hitting behind Garcia, the A’s pitchers will be able to pitch around him. 

On Friday night, the A’s will send Chriss Bassitt to the mound to face the Rangers. Bassitt is 11-3, and his ERA is 3.28. Mike Foltynewicz is 2-10 for the year. For some reason, Folty had had success against the A’s in his career. He beat them when he was with the Atlanta Braves, and he beat the A’s earlier in the season. With three new players, Starling Marte, Yan Gomes, and Josh Harrison, the A’s want to send Folty to an early shower.

Saturday’s game will feature lefty Cole Irvin going for Oakland. Irvin lost a 1-0 heartbreaker to the Angels last weekend. The Rangers have not announced their starter yet. On Sunday, the A’s are hoping James Kaprielian will be ready to pitch. Kaprielian has been on the 10-day IL.

If he can’t go, the A’s will use Daulton Jefferies. Jefferies recorded his first Major League victory against the Angels last Sunday. The Rangers have penciled in Jordan Lyles to start against the A’s.

After the three-game series against the Rangers, the A’s have a ten-game road trip. They play three against Cleveland, three more with the Rangers, and four with the Chicago White Sox. 

Player signing: The A’s announced they have signed slugger Khris Davis to a Minor League Contract. Davis hit forty or more home runs in four consecutive seasons with Oakland. He slumped in 2019 due to an injury when he ran into a wall attempting to catch a foul ball.

He had a poor 2020 season, and the A’s sent him to Texas in exchange for Andrus. Davis was released on June 13th. He was hitting. 157 and had two home runs in 22 games. “Given an opportunity, we’d love to have him back in the organization,” manager Bob Melvin said on Wednesday. “

It’s giving an opportunity for him to get back to where he was in the past, and he hasn’t had the opportunity here recently, so we’ll see what happens in Triple-A. “Obviously, we wish him the best. We hope he gets off to a good start and plays his way here.”

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Is there any proof that Kane bet on hockey?

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Evander Kane (left) against his legal council’s advice released a statement on Monday saying the accusations by his wife Anna (right) that he gambled on hockey is false and no doubt will be looking for the proof he bet on hockey (photo from heavy.com)

On That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amaury the recent allegation of San Jose Shark Evander Kane 30 of betting on hockey has already drawn comparisons to former Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Rose who later confessed to betting on baseball. How concerning is this for the game of hockey and Kane’s career.

#2 Kane in November 2019 was sued by the Cosmopolitan hotel in Las Vegas for $500,000 in gambling debts which he paid back during a trip with the Sharks while playing against the Las Vegas Golden Knights.

#3 Oakland A’s are battling for a wild card spot with the Boston Red Sox also they are behind the first place Houston Astros by 4.5 games they could battle to the end of the season to try and get a playoff spot.

#4 The New York Mets say they regret they have to pass on signing Vanderbilt star Kumar Rocker 21, Rocker didn’t pass the physical and the issue of concern was Rocker’s arm. Rocker’s agent Scott Boras said that numerous Orthopedic surgeons, Rocker had MRIs on his shoulder and elbow. Boras said that Rocker is in better shape this year than he was in 2018.

#5 Olympic baseball had four out of seven relievers on the US team gave up five runs to help give Team Japan a ten inning victory 7-6. The US had a three run lead and couldn’t hold the lead as the bullpen melted down and Japan came back and edged the US.

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’s News and Commentary: Ohtani-A man for a Century

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The Los Angeles Angels Shohei Ohtani takes the Colorado Rockies deep for a two run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning at Angels Stadium in Anaheim on Tue Jul 27, 2021 for his 36th home run (AP News photo)

Othtani – A Man for a Century

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Shohei Ohtani will probably win the Most Valuable Player of the American League. And if there was an MVP for all of baseball he will also win it. Even if his team, the LA Angels do not make it to the playoffs. What he is doing has mesmerized baseball fans and the media all over the country and baseball world.

Recently while playing at Target Field, he hit his 35th home run and during his next turn at bat he was walked intentionally, the people at Minneapolis Target Field who root for their home team, the Twins, were booing their Manager’s decision Rocco Baldelli on the intentional walk.” Joe Maddon the Angels manager said after the game “I was booing, too”.

Everyplace the Angels play, Shohei aka Shotime is what the fans want to see. A two-way player, something that nobody has seen since Babe Ruth. Joe Maddon, his manager with the LA Angels “He should be the Most Valuable Player, it’s not even close”. Tuesday night at Angel Stadium in Anaheim he hit his No. 36 a majestic blast to the right center-field seats, as a pitcher Shotime has struck out over 100 hitters this year.

Toronto Blue Jays Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is having his best season of his young career, and MVP-type season, but unlike Shohei Ohtani he doesn’t pitch and that is the main difference why Ohtani will win the MVP this season and not Guerrero Jr. Many scouts believe Ohtani has the stuff to be a No.1 starter, others say “at least a No.2 at this time”. What makes him such a good pitcher?

He throws a four-seam fastball that clocks sometimes over 100 miles per hours, also a very effective splitter plus a slider as his best three pitches, but he also shows a cutter once in a while to keep hitters honest. His splitter in 2018 was his killer pitch when hitters went two for 55 against it, while striking out 35, is back this season. Ohtani splitter is the most unhittable pitch in the game.

As a hitter the Japanese phenom is leading all of baseball in home runs with 36. He is the fastest American League hitter to hit 35 or more home runs in a season during his team first 98 games, since Chris Davis in 2013. Leads the league in extra-base hits also in slugging, and home runs per at bats, he hits a home run every 9.5 at bats.

Plus he is among the top hitters is most other categories. Oh yes, he is good stealing bases. Ohtani got a paycheck of $150,000 for taking part of the Home Run Derby during the All Star Game. He distributed all the money to around 30 staffers, including trainers, clubhouse workers and media relations employees with the LA Angels, a source told the OC Register.

If you are wondering if any player has won an MVP on a losing team? You do not have to go too far, Ohtani’s teammate Mike Trout, considered the best player in the game, and who should be back soon in the lineup, has won three AL MVP Awards and in two of those, 2016 and 2019 the Angels had losing records. We are in the middle of the Olympics and the word Athlete is the main word when it comes to the Olympic Games.

Shohei Ohtani is an Athlete that can do just about anything on a baseball field. He is a six-tool player. Some quotes about Ohtani: Shohei Ohtani’s manager, Joe Maddon: “I would really refrain from advising him on a whole lot of stuff. He knows what he wants to do and he knows how he wants to do it. He’s got that kind of a baseball mind, so you really want to stay out of there.”

Mike Scioscia was Ohtani’s first manager in the major leagues. In 2018 Scioscia said towards the end of the season about Ohtani “He should be the Rookie of the Year”. Alex Cora, Boston Red Sox Manager said on Twitter: About Ohtani for MVP, ‘We should make a new award for him.

This is something MLB hasn’t seen since Babe Ruth. … He’s not the best hitter. He’s not the best pitcher. But he’s the best player”. Washington National’s Max Scherzer started for the National League the 2021 All Star Game at Coors Field in Denver, opposite Shohei Ohtani who started for the American League.

Future Hall of Famer Scherzer said: “It would be awesome if I could hit. Right now, I’m 0-for-the-first-half.” Vladimir Guerrero Jr: “Ohtani deserves the American League MVP Award, nothing that I am doing right now, tops his pitching and hitting ability.”

Finally: Could it possibly be a tie for MVP between Guerrero Jr. and Ohtani? Not likely and for obvious reasons, the novelty and the success of something we have not seen for a century. Shohei Ohtani is the Most Valuable Player. Only tie for MVP: 1979 in the National League, Keith Hernández (Cardinals) and Willie Stargell (Pirates) received an equal number of points.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play announcer for the Oakland A’s Spanish flagship station 1010 KIQI LeGrande San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: From Indians to Guardians

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Illustrations of the Cleveland Guardians new home and away caps, uniforms and socks (image from spectrumnews1.com)

From Indians to Guardians

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

The 2021 Cleveland Indians might not make it to the postseason this year. With 68 games remaining the Indians are in second place in the Central Division, today nine games back from the Chicago White Sox. Starting 2022 they will be officially the Cleveland Guardians.

Maybe as Cleveland Guardians they will be able to do what they have not been able to do in 70 years in the American League win a World Series (currently the longest span among all teams in major league baseball without a World Series title). For many years (some of us) we remember when Cleveland was the city for jokes.

The old park next to Lake Erie was “The Mistake on the Lake”. Comedians used Cleveland all the time as the city they would relate their jokes to. Ironically one of the most famous and successful comedians, Bob Hope was the owner of the Cleveland Indians in the 1950’s.

As a founding member of the American League in 1901, the Cleveland Indians franchise has a rich history in baseball and the American sporting landscape. The Cleveland Indians have won six AL Pennant and two World Series, 1920 and most “recently” 1948.

Just a few months after Jackie Robinson made his major league debut, the Cleveland Indians under owner Bill Veeck signed Larry Doby, the first African-American player in the American League. Already the first AL team to sign an African-American player, Cleveland made history again when it named Frank Robinson as the majors’ first black manager in 1975.

A player-manager, Robinson wore this jersey on that historic Opening Day when he smashed a homer to help defeat the Yankees, 5-3. Like the late NY Yankees great announcer Mel Allen used to say “How About That!” These Cleveland Indians have been inducted in the National Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, New York. Nap Lajoie, Tris Speaker, Cy Young, Jessie Burkett, Bob Feller, Elmer Flick, Stan Covaleski, Lou Boudreau, Early Wynn, Earl Averill, Bob Lemon, Joe Sewell, Addie Jones, Larry Doby, and Jim Thome.

In 1954 the Cleveland Indians won 111 games and the American League pennant, and were swept by the New York Giants (4-0) in that year’s World Series. More wins during a regular season: Chicago Cubs in 1906, 116 wins and the Seattle Mariners in 2001 also 116 wins.

Cleveland Indians current owner Paul Dolan: “We are excited to usher in the next era of the deep history of baseball in Cleveland,” Dolan said in a statement. “Cleveland has and always will be the most important part of our identity. Therefore, we wanted a name that strongly represents the pride, resiliency and loyalty of Clevelanders.”

The name of Guardians is a Cleveland favorite. The Guardians of Traffic are large art-deco statues that adorn the Hope Memorial Bridge which connects Cleveland west side with the east side. The name Guardians has nothing to do with the very popular movie of 2017 Guardians of the Universe from the popular fictional DC Comic books and characters like: Nebula, Groot, Rocket and others.

Other superheroes of notable fame: Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, Iron-Man, Captain America, Thor, The Flash, The Hulk, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman. If you are wondering about the Atlanta Braves, the Braves logo has remained the same since 1990.

Their imagery of Native American stereotypes was removed. They added a tomahawk, originally a Native American tool, which symbolizes throwing accuracy and force. Often these name changes in our professional sports teams are not originated by the people that are allegedly “offended.”

A good example was a poll conducted a few years ago about the Redskins name for the Washington football team. A poll reveled that nine in ten Native Americans were not offended by the Washington Redskins name. Nevertheless, today that team Washington Football Team will keep the name through 2021 and will unveil new identity in 2022.

With new names, comes new logos, new uniform styles and of course, more sales. As fans love all that stuff, perhaps the ownership of the Cleveland Guardians could donate all the money they are going to generate with these new marketing campaigns, to Native American organizations that are more concerned about their communities and improving their lives, than with the simple politically correct name change of a team.

Starting 2022 the Cleveland Indians will be the Cleveland Guardians. But, who knows, maybe 20 years from today when, billionaires, Branson, Bezos and Musk had colonized a few planets the trend will be space names and then the only team that would be “in vogue” will be the Houston Astros and they will probably “offend” somebody.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is 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’s News and Commentary: Why the Athletics should trade for Nelson Cruz

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The Minnesota Twins Miguel Sano (center without cap) hugs and congratulates teammate Nelson Cruz (with batting helmet on) after Cruz hit a two run home run against New York Yankee pitcher Aroldis Chapman in the bottom of the ninth inning on Thu Jun 10, 2021 at Target Field in Minneapolis can the Oakland A’s swing a deal before the trade deadline to bring Cruz to Oakland? (AP file photo)

Why the Athletics should trade for Nelson Cruz

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

The Minnesota Twins are one of the biggest underachievers this season, on their way to one of their worse seasons in recent memory. They will be sellers for sure and DH Nelson Cruz could be a very good strategic pick-up for the A’s. The Minnesota Twins last season had an identical record to the Oakland A’S 36-24. The Twins won the Central Division and the Athletics won the West.

After beating the Angels 6-0 Monday, the Athletics are enjoying a couple of days off before they re-start their engines Thursday at T Mobile Field in Seattle for the first of four-games in Rain City and the beginning of a long 10-game road-trip. Their next game at home is a couple of weeks away, on August 3 against the San Diego Padres.

Their offense has not been clicking in all cylinders and they could use Cruz’s potent bat, for the last two months and weeks. The DH spot this season for the A’s has a combined .226 average and not the power the A’s envisioned this season. Only Texas and Detroit among all American League teams have less productivity from the designated hitter slot in the lineup.

There might still be a chance that Nelson Cruz ends the season with the Twins, but that seems to be a very slim possibility. Cruz and the glove have not been acquainted much in the last few years. He is the quintessential veteran DH with that power that if inserted in the middle of this Athletics lineup could be a serious power injection to their offense.

Nelson Cruz is hitting .295 with 19 home runs and 49 runs batted-in during his first 84 games with the Minnesota Twins. Those numbers (if he came to Oakland) will make him second in home runs and runs batted only to Matt Olson. Cruz can still hit, is healthy and towards the end of his great career and seems to have something left in the tank.

During a 17 year career in the major leagues, Dominican slugger Nelson Cruz is hitting a combined .279 with 436 home runs and 1,201 runs-batted-in. The A’s are in a good position to either win the division again or advance as a wild card, the trade deadline is 10 days away. The A’s always can pull the trigger at this time in the season when they have a chance and they do. Do not be surprised Nelson Cruz wears the Green and Gold very soon.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play announcer for the Oakland A’s Spanish flagship station 1010 KIQI LeGrande San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Tokyo Olympic Village infected will games continue?; A’s looking to add before trade deadline; plus more

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2021 Tokyo Olympics/NBC Sports logo (image from pinterest.com)

On That’s Amaury’s podcast:

#1 2021 Tokyo Olympics has 14 athletes who have tested for Coronavirus and one South African TV analyst. The captain of the Japanese soccer team Maya Yoshida behind closed doors has said the Olympic Committee should reconsider this is too dangerous. The IOC and the Japanese prime minister Yoshihide Suga are status quo on the getting the Olympics games played as schedule as there is too much investment in the games to turn back now.

#2 In the last three weeks the A’s have hit a snag they have lost five of their last six series, have slipped from first place to second place now 3.5 games behind Houston. The trade deadline is approaching will A’s general manager David Forst add to the roster and who do you the A’s shopping?

#3 The A’s had a great start at the beginning of the season finishing the first half 12 games over .500, they had consistent starting pitching, a good bullpen now shaky, a line up that produced runs to beat and hold off the opposition in May and June. But now Forst is looking to fill the gaps since the team has slipped and wants to get some players to help out with a recovery.

#4 How relieved are the San Francisco Giants to be getting catcher Buster Posey back and available the team is in need for some hitting and hope that Posey can help out. Back up catcher Chadwick Tromp was handling some of the catching duties in Posey’s absence.

#5 Black female group African American Sports Entertainment Group is behind the big push to get a WNBA team in unoccupied Oracle Arena in Oakland. The group is behind many efforts and hope to be a part of the Coliseum proper and in the event the A’s move they want to see if they can buy and bring the NFL back to the Coliseum.

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’s News and Commentary: Ban a Fan for life?

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After getting hit in the back by a baseball Boston Red Sox left fielder Alex Verdugo exchanges words with fans. Red Sox first base coach Tom Goodwin left talks things over with Verdugo during the sixth inning incident from Sat Jul 17, 2021 game at Yankee Stadium in New York (AP News photo)

Baseball: Ban a Fan for Life?

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

This Saturday, at Yankee Stadium in New York, in the bottom of the sixth inning, a fan in the left field stands threw a baseball at Boston Red Sox left-fielder Alex Verdugo.

The ball hit the player, but he was not hurt. According to Verdugo he threw the ball to a young Red Sox fan (players do this regularly, the kid wants a ball…) but somebody, a Yankee fan, intercepted the ball and threw it back intentionally at Alex Verdugo. The fan was removed from the stadium, but not arrested. The game was called during that same inning due to heavy rain and the Yankees won 3 to 1.

The Yankees will not allow that fan to ever enter Yankee Stadium again in his lifetime, and that is the correct action by the team. But how can baseball enforced a ban for such a person for all parks in major league baseball? That is not easy to do. All parks have cameras installed in different places.

They would have to scan every face that comes into the gates and then compare it to a data computer, which will match that face with the person that was banned. Some parks might need more cameras to be installed, more money, and more security. Still many people in the past have found the way to sneak back into a park after they were thrown out.

This is done in gaming establishments, in Las Vegas and other places, for different reasons, well know cheaters who are regularly banned from these gambling places. But inside a stadium during an event where there might be 40,000 people or more?

More than likely this man attending the game at Yankee Stadium will be hiring an attorney, to protect his rights, as guilty as he looks to be (and they are plenty of people that were seated around him who witnessed his reckless act) still, everybody in this country has rights and you are ‘innocent until you are proven guilty’. The incident was caught on cameras televising the game, not to mention in probably many phone cameras that were held by fans in that area.

Overall, I agree a fan who intentionally tries to hurt a player during a game; by throwing an object (a ball in this case) should be removed banned from that park and other baseball parks, but a lifetime ban, that’s another story. That is not an easy task. Should MLB/teams fine the fan for thousands of dollars for an intentionally violent act? Let’s face it, what this man did was an unprovoked assault. Why wasn’t he arrested or a police report filed?

I am sure we will learn more about this particular incident. The passion between the biggest rivalry in baseball and one of the tops in all sports, Yankees vs. Red Sox, should still continue. The vast majority of fans behave at a park, but in the violent world we are living today, we cannot dismiss such action.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead Spanish play by play announcer for Oakland A’s flagship station 1010 KIQI LeGrande San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Cuban Players in Support of People of Cuba

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The Texas Rangers Adolis Garcia is one of many Major League players from Cuba supporting the protest for regime change in Cuba (file photo from the Dallas Morning News)

Cuban Players in Support of the People of Cuba

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

Amaury Pi-González

Nobody knows better about the Cuban system of government that many of the Cuban-born players that have defected through the years. Many who escaped on home-made crafts across the treacherous Florida straits heading north looking for freedom and opportunity risking their lives and in many instances their relatives that escaped with them.

New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman as well as the young sensation of the Texas Rangers Adolis García wore hats with the message “SOS Cuba” and “Patria y Vida” (translated) “Homeland and Life” during recent game between the Yankees and the Rangers. “It’s the first time that I know of in my 33 years,” Chapman said to ‘Our Esquina’ during batting practice before the All-Star Game. “It’s good that this has happened for the people to rise up. The courage to go out to the streets that has never happened. That is good.”

Others that have spoken and showed their support for the people of Cuba during this uprising in the streets: The Gurriel brothers, Yuliesky of the Houston Astros and Lourdes Jr of the Toronto Blue Jays have taken to Twitter and Instagram to post their support for the suffering people of Cuba, a communist dictatorship for over 60 years.

All-Star Yasiel Puig who first played in the major leagues with the LA Dodgers and is now playing in the Mexican professional league shared a video in Spanish to more than his 800,000 followers “We are all one,” said Puig, who tried to defect from Cuba several times before successfully escaping the island in 2012.

Cincinnati Red pitcher Cionel Pérez posted on Instagram “I want to send a greeting and a hug to my Cuban brothers who are fighting for their freedom”. Many other Cuban players have spoken about their solidarity with the Cuban people. Amnesty International, a non-profit, non-bias organization who specializes in following human right violations, continues to list Cuba as one of the biggest human rights violators in the world.

Thousands in the island have taken to the streets to chant “Libertad” – “Freedom”. Also “We want Freedom” “We want vaccines”. Some 24 Cuban players are playing today in the major leagues, they understand the situation because they lived it when they were playing in Cuba.

Although there is a US embargo on Cuba, the largest Caribbean island trades with Canada, France, Spain, México and other countries. But the Cuban government is typical of communist systems, where they totally control the people; say one thing but do the opposite.

There is no doubt the communist leaders of Cuba live very well, have been vaccinated and protected, while the Cuban population continues to suffer from all kinds of shortages. But the biggest “shortage” in Cuba is Freedom. The President of the United States Joe Biden said on Thursday, when asked about his views on Cuba’s communism, “Communism is a failed system — a universally failed system. And I don’t see socialism as a very useful substitute. But that’s another story.”

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio play by play announcer for the Oakland A’s and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Ex-49er Sherman facing domestic violence charges; Oakland City Council to take vote on A’s ballpark plan Tuesday

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Former San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawk cornerback Richard Sherman seen in photo during Super Bowl 54 vs. the Kansas City Chiefs on Feb 2, 2020 at Miami Gardens Fl (AP file photo) 

On That’s Amaury’s podcast:

#1 Former San Francisco 49er cornerback Richard Sherman said he was prepared to fight police after Sherman’s wife called them after he drank two bottles of hard liquor Wednesday morning. Sherman said he was going to kill himself. Sherman tried to leave the house but his wife tried to stop him from leaving.

#2 Sherman left his house and crashed his vehicle and attempted to break into his in laws house and fought police who later used a police dog to arrest Sherman. This is very unusual behavior by Sherman who has never been in any kind of trouble like this before.

#3 Talking about the Oakland A’s situation MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said the A’s are near the end of being rooted in Oakland as the Oakland City Council votes on Tues Jul 20th. A’s president David Kaval is prepared to fly to Las Vegas after the vote to look for a location for the A’s new stadium.

#4 Shouldn’t Manfred had done what past Commissioners have done and give a buyer a chance to purchase the A’s and keep the team in Oakland before allowing the to move. Owner John Fisher said the team is not for sale but there should be some constitution in the baseball by laws that says the team must be put up for sale before being allowed to move.

#5 If the A’s move out of Oakland they’ll be taking a very rich history with them. Two that come to mind the A’s three straight World Series wins from 1972-74 and the A’s three straight World Series appearances 1988-1990.

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