Tag: That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Omar Vizquel Managing in Mexico faces Charges

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Omar Vizquel is facing some serious accusations from wife Blanca regarding domestic violence. MLB is investigating the allegations. (USA Today photo)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Just a few days ago, ex-major league shortstop and candidate for the Hall of Fame Omar Vizquel was named manager for the Toros de Tijuana (LMB) Mexican Baseball League. A man who has dedicated most of his adult life to the game of baseball is now facing one of his biggest challenges, outside the baseball world.

Blanca Vizquel, 36 said her husband physically abused her in 2011. This was before they were married in 2014, but also describes other occasions of abuse and after a heated argument this past August she decided to file for divorce.

Omar Vizquel said: “I have never hit or been violent towards my wife, Blanca. Any accusation to the contrary is false” and added, “I never expected this divorce proceeding to play out in public, but I will continue to defend myself and my name against these false accusations. Our divorce should be settled in a court of law, not in the court of public opinion.” Information published by The Athletic.

Vizquel, a shortstop played in the major leagues for 24 seasons, won 11 Gold Gloves (only Ozzie Smith at shortstop won more, 13) and was one of the best fielding players in history at any position. During the most recent voting for the Hall of Fame, Omar Vizquel received 52.6 percent of the vote (short of the 75% needed for election).

Nevertheless a serious potential member of the exclusive class at Cooperstown. As a broadcaster, the best double-play combination I ever saw was the Cleveland Indians, Roberto Alomar at second-base and Omar Vizquel at shortstop.

Although it is not the most famous in history, it is hard to find any two guys playing like magicians at those positions. A TV producer could easily do a 30 minute program just showing their wizardry making double-plays. Roberto Alomar was elected to the Hall of Fame and I can only hope same for Omar Vizquel in the future.

But these kinds of stories are not exactly what the people at Cooperstown want to see. Omar Vizquel was always a great interview, playing or as a coach in the major leagues. As recent as 2018, he managed the Winston-Salem Dash of the Carolina League, an affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. He guided the club to an 84-54 record.

One of the best interviews I did with Vizquel was when he was playing with the Giants. As I remember I told him he could chose a career between broadcasting, since he is extremely well versed in baseball and very articulate and the other was a Manager.

He didn’t hesitate to tell me, “Yo quisiera ser manager algún día” trans- “I would like to manage someday”. On another occasion he was at the Giants Fanfest at the Park; when he came over to The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum and Hall of Fame table/exhibit and took his time to talk to many of his adoring fans.

He has always been a very popular player. No matter whom he played for. This sad news of the domestic dispute is the typical “He said, she said” or (if you will) “She said, he said” story. A player of the caliber of Omar Vizquel, worthy of election to the Hall of Fame (in my humble opinion) cannot afford these days to be involved in these types of disputes.

Nobody really knows what goes on behind closed doors. I wish him as well as Blanca, the best possible outcome. We are all human. As the man whose birthday we are celebrating on Dec. 25th said: “whoever is free of sin, let him cast the first stone”.

Feliz Navidad – Merry Christmas

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

 

 

 

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: MLB Now Recognizes Negro Leagues as Major League

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Negro Leagues Baseball Museum sign in Kansas City. The Museum is excited about Negro League stats being part of the Major League Baseball records as announced Wed Dec 16, 2020 by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred (AP News photo)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

A decision that should have been made many years ago, but obviously is a welcomed decision by Major League Baseball. When The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum and Hall of Fame was founded in San Francisco in 1998 the museum instantly classified the Negro Leagues as a Mayor League.

Black players born in Latin America or in the United States played in leagues in the Caribbean. Central and South America for decades, it was not considered an “accomplishment” because the abnormal thing to do is not to allow a player to play because of his skin color.

The United States was the only place in the world that black players could not play in the Major Leagues. Many players had to play in the Negro Leagues and many had at least the talent (if not more than enough) to be in the Major Leagues.

Now, Major League Baseball officially classifying 1920 to 1948 teams of the Negro League as Mayor League. Major League Baseball basically is making a right from something that was a “wrong” for decades and that is to be commended. Nobody can change history, but in cases like this, it is good to correct it and bring it in-line with current society. “All of us who love baseball have long known that the Negro Leagues produced many of our game’s best players, innovations, and triumphs against a backdrop of injustice,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement provided by the league. “We are now grateful to count the players of the Negro Leagues where they belong: as major leaguers within the official historical record.”

Note: Jackie Robinson played one season in the Negro Leagues before he was brought into the Major Leagues by Brooklyn Dodger’s Branch Rickey. 1947 Kansas City Monarchs he played in 47 games, 163 at bats, .387 average, 14 doubles, 4 triples, 5 home runs and 13 stolen bases. Although I do not always agree with Commissioner Manfred in his changes to the game, this is one time I give him the highest praise.

Stay tuned and stay well.

Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish lead radio play by play announcer for Oakland A’s baseball on 1010 KIQI Le Grande San Francisco and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Santa Cruz home to three basketball teams; Raiders host Chargers for Thursday Night Football after four days rest; plus more

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CSUN and the Stanford Cardinal battled at Cal State Northridge on Tues Dec 15, 2020. The Cardinal will be sharing the Kaiser Permanente Arena in Santa Cruz with San Jose State, Santa Clara, and the Santa Cruz Warriors for home games until the Santa Clara County shutdown expires (gomatadors.com photo)

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

#1 Three colleges from Santa Clara County one location Santa Cruz. The Santa Cruz Warriors the main tenant at Kaiser Permanente Arena will share their building with three college basketball teams Santa Clara, Stanford, and San Jose State University. This move takes a lot of pressure off the schools who had no place to play until Santa Cruz stepped up as all sports in Santa Clara is under Covid 19 lockdown.

#2 Amaury the Las Vegas Raiders started the season with strong but they are fading quickly losing three of the last four games and the game that they won they barely beat a winless New York Jets team on Dec 6th.

#3 Recently it was announced that former Edmonton Oilers superstar Wayne Gretkey’s 1979 O Pee Chee hockey rookie card was worth over $1 million. Two theives who were arrested didn’t get their hands on the card but they did break into Gretzkey’s father’s house and took $500,000 worth of game used pucks, jerseys, sticks, skates, shoulder pads, pants, that the Great One used in NHL games. Brantford Police in Ontario arrested a 58 year old man and a 58 year old woman in the theft and all the property had been returned to Gretzey’s father.

#4 Amaury, how much influence will the Philadelphia Phillies Bryce Harper have on pushing the Phils to sign catcher JT Realmuto? Realmuto hit .266, 46 hits, 11 home runs and 32 RBIs for the 2020 season. There is a chance that Realmuto could wind up playing somewhere else according to reports.

#5 Two updates at the A’s Amaury, A’s team vice president Billy Beane who was rumored to take a partnership at the Boston Red Sox with team owner John Henry in non baseball related issues. At the time of the rumors it was reported that Henry and Beane would working on public traded business where it’s MLB policy that no teams are allowed to do business that’s publicly traded since then no word on Beane leaving for Bean Town.

#6 A’s general manager Billy Owen who looked like he would go to work for the Los Angeles Angels until the Halos ended up hiring Perry Minasian. Now that former A’s team president Sandy Alderson is the Mets team president there are strong rumors that Owens will be pursued for the Met’s GM job.

Join Amaury for News and Commentary podcasts on Tuesday mornings at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Cleveland Indians to Change Name – Who cares?

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The University of Richmond’s logo the Spiders. One of the very few teams in college or pro sports to use the name. (photo richmond.com)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Sometimes professional sports loses focus and gets silly in many ways. The NBA looks the other way about China, because that represents a huge money market for them, yet they speak about justice. Last year China’s Tech-Giant Tencent reached a deal of $1.5 billion to remain the league’s exclusive digital partner and the US largest partnership outside the US.

A market of one-and-a-half billion people, they buy many more Lebron jerseys than the rest of the world combined. But Communist China to this date is one of the world’s leading countries when it comes to human rights violations. Amnesty International, a worldwide (non-political organization) whose mission is about human rights, says about one million Muslims ethnic groups Uyghur’s, Kazakhs and others are still missing.

Amnesty International has interviewed more than 100 people outside of China whose relatives in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR) are still missing, as well as individuals who said they were tortured while in detention camps there.

There are forced-labor concentration camps in China. They have interviewed these people who are family of those missing and have knowledge of what’s going on. To be fair to the NBA, they are in the business of selling basketball, lawmakers in Washington make policy; but anybody can see that money is over principal many times over Back in July, ESPN investigation finds coaches at NBA China academies complained of player abuse and lack of schooling.

The NBA has a “complicated” relationship with China, and unfortunately that might continue. This covid-19 came from China, but the vaccine was Made in the USA, so there, we definitely look much better. Here in America we feel good when the Cleveland Indians say they are going to change their name.

Nobody should oppose to the Cleveland Baseball Club changing their name. They are a private business and they can do that, just like anybody else who owns a business. They want to look good in the eyes of the public.

The Atlanta Braves (who are still named Braves) had Chief Noc-A-Homa, a fan for two decades who retired before the 1986 season. This was a fan of the Braves, who paid for his admittance to every game, but chose to dress like an Indian Chief and the team basically adopted him, he was not an employee of the team.

Maybe the Cleveland Indians can change to the Cleveland Baseball Club, just like the NFL Washington Redskins a year ago, or the Cleveland Rockers, for the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame in that city. But with all our problems during this 2020 and everything that is going on in this world, does anybody really cares about changing the name of a team?

Who knows what the sports landscape might look 20, 30, 40 or more years from today? Pacifist could eventually revel against team’s names like: Raiders, Pirates, Chiefs, Vikings, Buccaneers and such.

Atheists and Agnostics will do the same against teams that are named: Padres, Angels and Saints. Maybe the National Audubon Society will get upset about the: Cardinals, Orioles, Ravens and Blue Jays or the ACLU about the exploitation of ‘man by man’ with teams names like Athletics, Giants, Twins, Royals and Patriots. I think Houston and NASA will always be happy with the Astros and New York with the Yankees, so they are…Safe!!

Felíz Hanukkah and Felíz Navidad !

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

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast with Barbara Mason: Florida’s Johnson in medicated induced coma; Spiders leading name for Cleveland Baseball Team; plus more

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Florida Gators forward Keyontae Johnson who is currently in an induced medical coma after collapsing on Saturday at Florida State. Johnson’s grandfather Larry DeJarnett said he’s under ICU medical care. (AP News file photo)

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

#1 Barbara talk about Florida basketball player Keyontae Johnson whose been in a medically induced coma after collapsing in a game at Florida State on Saturday. Nothing has been said as to what caused Johnson to collapse his grandfather Larry DeJarnett said that “He may have had activity in the brain, so they induced the coma,”

#2 Cleveland is taking a look at some new names to replace the Indians name. The first name that came up was Spiders a name that the Cleveland franchise had back in the late 19th century. The name Spiders is very seldom used in sports the University of Richmond used the name and the defunct San Francisco Spiders of the International Hockey League used the name for one season (1995) before folding. From the sound of it Cleveland might be going with the Spiders name because of the civic connection and it’s been pretty popular with fans.

#3 ESPN is making all sorts of concessions in terms of how their schedule televising MLB games which would include the post season first round of the playoffs if that sounds like the Wild Card that might go the best three out of five. ESPN is considering televising 30-40 games down from 90 when Fox and TBS’ contract expires.

#4 The Brooklyn Nets Kyrie Irving who had not spoken to the media since joining the Nets said his boycott against the media is over. Irving had been fined $25,000 for issuing statement through Instagram regarding the media. After getting fined he also called the media “pawns” the boycott is supposedly over but know one really knows how long he’ll talk to the media before putting the brakes again.

#5 St Louis pitcher Adam Wainwright who won the MLB Roberto Clemente Award one week ago. Wainwright pooled with 150 other big league players, including Garth Brooks Teammates for kids and Home Plate Project involving Texas Ranger pitcher Kyle Gibson. What does it mean for someone to win the Roberto Clemente Award?

Barbara Mason filled in for Amaury Pi Gonzalez heard Tuesdays for News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: 2020 Worse News for Baseball? –No Minor Leagues–

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Reno Aces ballpark the Triple A team in Reno NV announced they will return for the 2021 season in a press release Dec 9th, 2020. The Aces are an affiliate for the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Aces are a survivor of many of the minor league teams who are being cut in MLB (sierrasun.com file photo)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Major League Baseball, after all, came out “very well”, during an abbreviated 60-game season, compared to other sports, playing during a worldwide Pandemic. But (in case some forgot) there was no Minor League Baseball in 2020.

As of 2018 there were 14 ML-affiliated Minor League teams. A total of 160 teams in large, medium and small markets across the country and also in Canada, plus a total 80 teams in three ML-affiliated rookie leagues in Arizona, Florida and the Dominican Republic.

It was on June 30, 2020 that it was announced there was not going to be Minor League Baseball this year. The announcement explained that the season had been shelved because Major League Baseball will not provide players. It was the first time the Minor League season was cancelled since the Minor Leagues were founded in 1901.

However, it was actually in (pre-covid) 2019 that Major League Baseball were planning to eliminate 42 Minor League teams, most in the lowest levels, with more than half of those 42 either at the Rookie League level or Short-Season, Class A. MiLB (Minor League Baseball) also is a revenue-generating business. Most minor league teams are not owned by major league clubs, but they have contracts as affiliates.

Generally teams in organized minor league baseball are generally owned and operated independently but most are directly affiliated with a major league team. Very important Milb, because they have contracts with MLB teams for player development. Because of what happened in 2020, MLB teams lost hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue and therefore had furlough employees, some were told their services terminate at the end of this year.

In the Minor League with zero games played, and even with some payroll protection loans issued early, more jobs were lost. If MLB suffered by playing 60-games in 2020, you can imagine how much the Minor Leagues suffered with no season at all, not one game played. It is very important for baseball to keep their minor league structure for the future.

The game of baseball needs a lot of practice, repetition, seasoning “if you will” of their young talent. All players in the Minor League system have one goal. To be promoted to the Big Leagues, as simple as that. When I was playing as a kid in Cuba with my brother, or just playing catch with my father and on teams in the area.

I always dreamed of playing for a Major League team, I do not recall as a kid I ever dreamed of playing for the Cuban Sugar Kings of the Triple-A, International League, although that was a popular league as well as the Winter Leagues, kids dreams always relate to their Major League teams and stars, heroes.

Baseball has been always like that, and hopefully it will continue. We must remember than the overwhelming majority of the Major League stars began their professional careers and ascent to the Big Show in…yes, the Minor Leagues.

You cannot over emphasize the importance of the Minor Leagues. I can only hope 2021 will be played normally, and that there is a Minor League with younger players ready to come-up to the big team.

We all talk about how terrible 2020 has been, but we also must be positive and realize that we are ending this year with sort of a miracle. The development and approval of covid-19 vaccines, which took around 9 month from beginning to completion.

What Warp Speed Operation accomplished was unprecedented in the history of vaccines, we should be grateful that because of these vaccines (in days made available) millions of lives will be saved in the US and around the world, and this is exactly the news Baseball wanted to hear prior to 2021 Spring Training in Arizona and Florida, which is just two months and a couple of weeks away.

The Minority: These are some well known Major League Players, (some in the Hall of Fame at Cooperstown) who never played in the Minor Leagues. They came directly from High School or College to the Big Show: Al Kaline, Sandy Koufax, Bob Feller, Harmon Killebrew, George Sisler, Frankie Frisch, Joe Nuxall, Dick Groat, Dave Winfield, Mike McCormick, Mel Ott, Jim “Catfish” Hunter, Herb Washington.

Felíz Hanukkah and Felíz Navidad

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

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Buffalo offense just too much for SF; Colts take winning record into Vegas to face Raiders; plus more

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Buffalo Bills wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie (19) scores a touchdown as San Francisco 49ers defensive back Tarvarius Moore (33) defends during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 7, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. Ross D. Franklin/AP

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

#1 The San Francisco 49ers were coming off a big win against the Los Angeles Rams from week 12 and last night they played host in Glendale at State Farm Stadium against the Buffalo Bills. One thing about the switch from Santa Clara to Glendale is the 49ers will be not be doing much traveling in three of four games.

#2 The Las Vegas Raiders narrowly beat the winless New York Jets last Sunday on a Hail Mary pass from quarterback Derek Carr to receiver Henry Ruggs for a 46 yard game winning touchdown and as a consequence that last play was Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams who was fired right after the game.

#3 The MLB winter meetings started on Monday and for the Oakland A’s they are expected to keep things on the down low due to the pandemic the A’s have taken a financial loss which included refusing to pay rent at the Oakland Coliseum just before the beginning of last season’s brief 60 game schedule.

#4 Like the Philadelphia Phillies who are also feeling the pinch and had a hard time trying to sign TJ Realmuto which they didn’t the report is out that Philadelphia lost $ 2 billion because of overall loses. The Oakland A’s may not have lost that much but they are behind the financial eight ball during these winter meetings.

#5 Also talk is that the A’s most likely will not offer A’s infielder Marcus Semien a deal because it will be relatively much lower than what other clubs are expected to offer him which has been in the neighborhood of $100 million. Who have you heard that is interested in obtaining Semien, Cubs, Cardinals, Reds, Yankees, Astros, Dodgers or maybe others?

Join Amaury for News and Commentary podcasts each Tuesday morning at http://www.sportsrasdioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Two Warriors Players test Positive; Training Camp Delayed–

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Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Meyers made the announcement on Tuesday that two players have tested positive for Coronavirus and that the team training camp has been put on hold. (sportsnet.com file photo)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

Bob Meyers, Golden State Warriors General Manager made the announcement that two Warriors players tested positive for covid-19 and therefore the Training Camp has been delayed.

The Warriors first exhibition game was schedule for December 12 and the team’s opener of the regular season is scheduled for either the 22nd or 23rd of December. This stuff is day-to-day, and decisions have to be made quickly, but it is not an easy Lay-up.

Last week the NBA stated in a health-and-safety protocol guide that was distributed to teams that any player who tests positive, must wait 10 days and then be monitored in individual workouts for two more days.

For the player to return to work (even if they were asymptomatic when tested positive) and to return to work the players must go 10 days or more after the first positive test or onset of symptoms or test negative at least 24 hours apart via PCR testing.

Just like all sports leagues, the NBA is at the mercy of what happens with this novel virus. The virus does not have or cares about any schedule. People here in California are in a state of awareness and have all the information they need, but still people will test positive.

It is disheartening when officials like Governors, Mayors and other elected officials have such contempt to “say one thing and do another” for the people that are actually paying their collective salaries. This surely doesn’t help.

A lot of people say, well if they do not care, why should I care? Many at the beginning of this Pandemic predicted vaccine would take years, are startled that it has taken less than 1 (one) year to develop (under the government operation Warp Speed) by bio-pharmaceutical companies, like Pfzier Moderna and AstraZeneca, and others on the way, are waiting for approval from the FDA.

Interestingly enough, The United Kingdom already approved the Pfizer vaccine to give to its population. Bureaucrats here in the US usually take their time, the red-tape is always the obstacle, but we can only hope these vaccines will get the green light soon to help the people of the United States and other countries that are for sure ready to acquired and use. Talking about our Bureaucrats, isn’t ironic that the United Kingdom has approved the US vaccine before our own FDA?

Stay tuned and stay well.

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

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Blue Jays want new stadium but can’t play in the one they have; Despite missing key players Giants almost made playoffs; plus more

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A look from outside of the Rogers Centre in Toronto. The Toronto Blue Jays would like to tear down Rogers Centre and build a new ball park (photo from onsitenews.com)

On That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary:

#1 The Toronto Blue Jays have new stadium plans on the drawing board and are considering tearing down their current baseball home Rogers Centre. The argument in Toronto is why not spend millions instead of billions on getting some super star players instead of a new stadium. Also the Jays didn’t even play in Rogers Centre last season as they were relegated to play in Buffalo due to Coronavirus protocol restrictions in Canada.

#2 After the San Francisco Giants last season nearly made the playoffs without Madison Bumgarner who signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks and catcher Buster Posey who opted out because he didn’t want to chance getting Covid and spreading to his newborn child how much credit do you give to team general manager Farhan Zaidi and Giants manager Gabe Kapler.

#3 The Miami Marlins general manager Kim Ng made her first deal as the Marlins acquired pitcher right hander Adam Cimber from Cleveland Cimber had a 4.30 ERA and this deal will be part of history as Ng is MLB’s first woman general manger and this is her first deal.

#4 In Pro Football: A lot of game cancelations and Covid-19 spreading the Denver Broncos weren’t too shocked about their results after losing to the New Orleans Saints 31-3. The Broncos lost all their quarterbacks to positive Covid-19 tests and Kendall Hinton who was on the practice squad as a receiver was put into service as the starting quarterback for Denver and had a rough time of it throwing for only 13 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions.

#5 In an article you wrote about Santa Clara County which has a strict stay at home order and Coronavirus protocols that ban all sports from not just the fans but no players or games. The San Francisco 49ers will be playing weeks 13 and 14 in Arizona as they will not be allowed to play at Levis Stadium until after Dec 21st.

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

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Diego Armando Maradona “El Pibe de Oro” dead at 60

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Former soccer great Diego Maradona who died at 60 on Wednesday will be remembered as one of the game’s greatest all time players (AP News Photo)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

The legendary Argentinian-born soccer player, Diego Armando Maradona is dead at 60 years of age. Maradona was recently rehabbing from a recent surgery for a brain hematoma, a blood clot to the brain. He died of a heart attack after his release from the rehab-center.

He had an addiction to alcohol and drugs for years, often going in and out of rehab facilities.. An icon in Argentina as well as one of the most famous names in sports all over the world. Maradona was so good he made his professional debut at the age of 15 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with the team Argentinos Juniors.

Maradona as well as the legendary Brazilian player Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé are ranked among the best soccer players ever. I had the privilege of interviewing both of them when some of the matches for World Cup ’94 were held in the Bay Area (San José) to be exact, while I was covering sports for Telemundo Bay Area.

The FIFA 1994 World Cup was the only time the United States hosted what it is considered the greatest sporting event in the world. They both came as FIFA Ambassadors.

Maradona who also came to the Bay Area to play a friendly game with the Italian Club Juventus, had a turbulent relationship with the press in his native Argentina as well as around the world, he was not an easy interview. A great international player, he was also a manager and occasionally a soccer commentator. He had great passion for the game, born in a country were Fútbol/Soccer is more than a sport, but like a religion.

Maradona will always be remember for the game against England during World Cup ’86 in Mexico City, a quarterfinals match, were he scored two goals against England. The first called (although protested by the English team) as the goal “Mano de Dios”(God’s Hand) because he used his hands, something that is illegal in this sport.

Maradona himself said after the game “it was part with my head and part with the Hand of God”. Since then the international soccer press baptized the goal as “Mano de Dios”. The second goal was not controversial but was named “Gol del Siglo” (Goal of the Century) as his team Argentina beat England 2-1.

Maradona, at 25-years of age was the captain of that team, who later beat Germany 3-2 in the finals, to win the World Cup. That was the second FIFA World Cup title for Argentina and last one.

Maradona played 490 official club games during his 21-year professional career. Scoring 259 goals. For Argentina he played total of 91 games and scored 34 goals.

An Internet poll conducted by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association named Maradona the top player of the 20th century.

Note: The last FIFA World Cup was held in Moscow, Russia in 2018 and France won the title. The next FIFA World Cup will take place in 2022 in the country of Qatar, first time an Arabic country will host the worldwide event.

Happy and Safe Thanksgiving.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez did Soccer coverage on Telemundo TV and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com