Tag: That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: MLB Final Score – Both sides Lost; Opener set for July 24th

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Statement from the Players Association saying their prepared to get back to work July 24th. The players will be getting their full prorated pay. The season will last for two months and a week prior to the post season starting in October (MLB Players Association image)

MLB: Final Score – Both sides Lost; Opener set for July 24

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi Gonzalez

There will be baseball. An abbreviated regular-season starting by the end of July and ending by the end of September. The only hurdle left is the unpredictability of this Covid-19 virus. Because of the history of the two protagonists, you could have predicted the final result. And there is no winner here. If you believe there was a winner then you are a great candidate to buy beach front property in Tennessee.

Anybody that loves this game, now feels like when you wake-up the morning after with a terrible hangover after a party, that was not really what you where hoping for. Unlike other sports, a game that ends in a tie is not part of the game of baseball (for now anyway) and after three months of negotiations just regurgitated all the distrust between both sides, we are going to play for about two months and a few days, plus playoffs.

In a season of this kind, teams like the Seattle Mariners, who have never won a World Series since their franchise was born in 1977, have the best chance. Ironically the Mariners last year had a 13-2 start; something very rare in baseball history, they were the 17th team since 1900 to win at least 13 of their first 15 games. If they repeat such start during a season of some 60 games, they might just do it.

Hopefully the two month and a week season will go without a hitch, since the navigation would be a virus that is still without a vaccine.

Nobody won. At the end, there was an even bigger loser than the owners, players, and the fans.

Stay well and stay tuned.

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

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Cepeda’s daughter in law says former Giant slugger no longer competent; Cepeda says he can make his own decisions

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Former San Francisco Giants centerfielder Willie Mays (left) and first baseman Orlando Cepeda (right) from their playing days. Cepeda is the center of a family legal battle over his financial affairs with his daughter in law Camille who is seeking conservatorship of Cepeda and Cepeda says he does not have dementia (San Francisco Chronicle file photo)

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

#1 Recently former San Francisco Giant first baseman and Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda has been marred in a legal battle with his daughter in law Camille Cepeda who says she should be the authorized conservator of Cepeda’s financial and medical affairs.

#2 Camille who is married to Cepeda’s son Ali and Ali’s brother support Camille’s attempt to win conservatorship because they claim that Cepeda no longer can care for himself, a petition says Cepeda has dementia. Ali’s two other brothers stand with Cepeda.

#3 The petition goes onto to say that Cepeda no longer is able to provide for his personal needs and needs help with food, clothing, shelter, physical health and is at risk to be influenced.

#4 Cepeda’s attorney responded to Camille’s petition saying he was able to make his own decisions medically, physically. That his lawyer continued saying that Cepeda had a recent psychiatric evaluation twice the last one May 21st and that it was concluded that the former Giant-Cardinal slugger can make medical choices and financial decisions on his own.

#5 The timing of Camille’s request for conservatorship is under suspicion according to Cepeda and that Cepeda says there are “numerous shocking, unauthorized charges” made by Camille on Cepeda’s financial accounts, including luxury items from Louis Vutton, Nordstrom, wine club memberships and car rental payments all totaling $15,000 just for the month of December.

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

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: MLB Two Month Season or No Season

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MLB logo image from wamc.com

MLB Two Month Season or No Season

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

The clock has ran out.

Today MLBPA voted against the 60-game season proposed by the owners, by a vote of 33-5. Now the Final, REAL FINAL decision rest in Commissioner’s Manfred’s next announcement. By fiat he can set the schedule for a season, which will be around 50 games, basically two months of baseball. Or he can opt on cancelling this Soap Opera and saying, No season, for reasons he will then explain. There are owners that are fine with no season at all, it is a minority, but now that the players rejected the last pitch by the owners, others might join in the cry to cancel 2020.

The wild card continues to be Covid-19. Is it going to comeback in the fall or not? There are many opinions on that, depends who you listen to, but even the “experts” in science who study this stuff for decades have already contradicted themselves. This is no secret and is for everybody to see. But, in this subject both sides agree. There is a possibility the season begins and then has to be stopped because the cases of Covid would continue to rise and players will have contracted the virus.

If Manfred announces the shortened season, he must guarantee the security and well-being of the players. If he makes the decision to play this year, then the Players Union have the right to file grievance, mostly alleging that the owners did not negotiated in good faith.

I am sure there will be re-runs of this very sad exercise between owners and players, from the time MLB stopped Spring Training to the day and time Mr. Manfred makes his final decision. It would be documented and recorded in history as not one of the great moments for the National Pastime.

Season or no season, baseball has hurt themselves like never before. The old saying “timing is everything” could have not been more accurate in 2020 as MLB and MLPBA battle for two months and will come down to one of two very sad decisions.

Stay well and stay tuned.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president of the Major League Baseball Heritage Museum located at the Oakland Coliseum and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: MLB Union to Vote No on 60 games

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cleveland.com file photo: MLB Player Rep Tony Clark (left) said the players wanted a ten game bump up from 60 games to 70 games. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred (right) rejected the union’s latest proposal saying he told Clark not to increase the amount of games from 60 in last week’s one on one meeting

MLB: Union to Vote No on 60 games

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

Around and around it goes, where it stops, nobody knows! Today the MLPA is expected to vote NO to the 60 games season proposed by MLB/Owners. This means, Commissioner Rob Manfred will probably order a 50-game season (as the March 26 agreement stipulates) and plus that will give the players union the option to file legal documents against Major League Baseball/Owners. For negotiating in ‘bad faith’, for a starters.If you are or know an attorney, they might explain this fiasco with much clarity.

The package rejected was the 60 games proposed by the owners by the Commissioner that would have began the season July 19-20 and ended September 29th. The season still very much at risk with the rise of Covid-19 cases, with the Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays reporting players and staff also contracted the virus, and teams closing their practicing facilities.

This script follows to a “T”the movie “Groundhog Day”

Stay well and stay tuned.

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

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: MLB Saturday is the 100th Day without Baseball

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photo from millcreeksports.com:

MLB Saturday is the 100th Day without Baseball.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

If this saying is accurate, we have nothing but losers so far during this negotiations between owners and players. “In any negotiation, the one who first gives a number is the loser”. Both sides have been throwing number(s) for amount of games they wish to play.

“You must never try to make all the money that’s in a deal. Let the other fellow make some money too, because if you have a reputation for always making all the money, you won’t have many deals.” – J. Paul Getty

He was once one of the richest men in the world, American-born oil billionaire who was very frugal. So much, that he once negotiated with some low life characters who were the kidnappers of his own grandson.

The current negotiations between these two sides trying to resolve this impasse in baseball have a turbulent history. It is almost like a couple that has lived together for decades, marrying and divorcing and re-marrying and divorcing. Kind of a crazy relationship, but it is what it is.

Yesterday the players union proposed a 70 game season, just a few hours later it was rejected by the owners, represented by Commissioner Rob Manfred..

We are left this weekend in sort of a limbo waiting for some news. The Commissioner still have by decree the nuclear option, that to order a 50 game season, to start at a specific day.

If and when a deal is finally reached and both sides have it totally approved, the person that will make the announcement will be Rob Manfred. That is his job and history will judge him for his leadership or lack off during this wild 2020.

In the meantime, stay well and stay tuned.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the vice president of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Museum located at the Oakland Coliseum and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsadioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: MLB 60 Game Proposal Looking Good

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yahoo.sports.com file photo: MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred (left) and MLB Players Association Rep Tony Clark (right) met for a one on one discussion to bring baseball back on Wednesday

MLB; 60 game Proposal looks Promising

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

After Commissioner Fred Mandfred for the owners and Tony Clark,representing the players Union met in Arizona on Tuesday.

“The owners are 100% committed to getting baseball back on the field,’’ Manfred says.

Says Clark: “The players want to play.’’

The new proposal is from the MLB/owners going to the MLPA/players, is to play a 60-game season in 70 days with prorated salary to the players and an extended playoff. The season would begin,(if this is approved) around July 19.

So far, looks like booth sides are in agreement (at least)to formally submitting this for an approval or rejection.

So if you are exhausted about this, that is normal, but this story, even if they play, would not end, because we have an unpredictable Pandemic going on, and at the end, that might be the “wild card” with cases currently spiking all around the country.

Stay well and stay tuned.

Amaury is the Spanish radio voice for the Oakland A’s on 1010 KIQI San Francisco and does News and Commentary weekly at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Manfred puts doubt on baseball’s return; The latest on the season shortened or put off

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MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred now says that baseball might not return at all after the owners have offered a 50 game season to the players which was rejected (yardbarker.com file photo)

On That’s Amaury’s podcast:

#1 How huge is it that baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred would say that he’s not sure if there will even be a baseball season in 2020?

#2 Supposing baseball is canceled for the 2o20 season will the damage be as bad as it was like the strike shorten 1994 season?

#3 Owners want to limit the salaries they pay and the players are looking for a full prorated pay, if this negotiating to get the ball rolling by mid July is a sampling of whats to come in next season’s collective bargaining you could be assured the game is in danger.

#4 Rob Manfred is known as a Commissioner who likes a challenge and taking on the players union head on in a situation like this will get the idea across and is known for his attack dog style.

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

 

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: 1971 Pirates First All Black and Latino lineup

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blogspot.com file photo: 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates who defeated the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS to advance to the World Series and the Bucs defeated the Baltimore Orioles for the Championship

1971 Pirates First All Black and Latino lineup

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi Gonzalez

On September 1, 1971 the Pittsburgh Pirates fielded the first all-black and Latino line-up.

Rennie Stennett (second base) Panamá, Gene Clines (center field)USA (Bay Area native), Roberto Clemente (right field), Puerto Rico Willie Stargell (left field) USA, Manny Sanguillen (catcher) Panamá, Dave Cash (third base) USA, Al Oliver (first base) USA, Jackie Hernandez (shortstop) Cuba, 2019 Opening day rosters included players from the United States, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico México, Canada, Japan, Curacao, South Korea, Brasil, Colombia, Panamá, Aruba, Germany.

Honduras, Australia, Honk Kong, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan. Five teams have the most players born outside the US: Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico and México.

Today about 7. 7% of all Major League Baseball players are African-American and close to 29% are Latinos/Hispanics. In the country (total population) As of July 2019 Hispanics/Latinos made 18.3 percent of the total population, Black/African-Americans 13.4 percent. When it comes to African-American participation in the big three professional leagues in the US, baseball still way behind the NBA and the NFL. In the NBA 75% while in the NFL 68% are African-Americans.

Arizona Diamondbacks all-star outfielder Adam Jones fills in on his belief in this detachment between blacks and baseball. “The decisions made in baseball are white made decisions. The league has experimented with various rule changes to speed up pace of play and reach younger fans, but the racial politics of baseball are the most in need of an update,” claims Jones. Simply put, Jones feels the league can do a better job connecting with African-American social issues as the other sports have made a priority.

The MLB (RBI) Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities is sponsored by Major League Baseball and it is designated to promote the game to teenage boys and girls in disadvantaged areas. The RBI Program is in partnership with the Boys & Girls of America.

Note: This year (in progress) the 2020 US Census started in April 1 and will conclude in December.

Stay well and stay tuned.

Amaury is the vice president of the Major League Baseball Heritage Hispanic Museum located at the Oakland Coliseum and Catch That’s Amaury’s podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: MLB Players Reject Proposal – It’s Manfred’s Time!

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MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and the owners 72 game proposal was rejected by the players as the odds of a 50 game season is the most likely scenario (AP photo)

MLB: Players Reject Proposal – It’s Manfred’s Time!

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Major League Players Union rejected the latest proposal by the MLB owners from yesterday this afternoon which called for a 72-game season at 70 percent pay with a chance to get is as high as 83 percent of their pay if postseason is concluded.

Players told MLB/Commissioner Rob Manfred today to set-up the schedule. This more than likely would mean the 48 to 50 games “season”that I have written about recently on this site. When Manfred said recently he guaranteed 100 percent a season, he was talking about this last resort of around 50 games.

When people don’t talk to each other, things do not work out the way they should through these “negotiations” both sides owners and players have just shot down each others proposals. With such quick response from the players it is obvious that each side mistrusts each of other rules the day. As expected the MLPA rejected it.

There are reports they even have shut down their Zoom accounts. Zoom is a video-audio-conferee chat (not in person) platform where it allows people to communicate from different locations.

As mentioned before, Commissioner Rob Manfred, who recently guaranteed there will be a season, can set a schedule and by decree the power to start the season. Not only the economic, health and security of the players are at risk but the whole 2020 season.

The Commissioner is very close to doing a”Pontius Pilate” washing his hands from this mess and ordering a 48 to 50 games season, that’s very possible scenario (the last one left) then the MLPA can file grievance. Players might not even show up in that case, the cloud of health and security for them is paramount since after all we still are inside a Pandemic.

Remember the owners do not take the field and are not under the same danger of contracting Covid-19 as the players. So we have to be fair here, in this cold war called baseball.

If Manfred orders 48-50 games: There are at least six owners that prefer not to play at all this year. That has a lot to do with the Commissioner selecting the last option of 50 games,the smallest amount, so players get paid less.The players feel betrayed and see the owners trying to pay them less and therefore not abiding by the March 26 agreement.

The Commissioner is chosen by a vote of the owners of the teams. Rob Manfred assumed office on January 25, 2015. This by far has been the biggest challenge for Mr.Manfred who is the CEO of baseball and rules over all the important things in the game.

Like any Commissioner he would like to leave a good legacy someday and I am sure the year 2020 was not what he had envisioned. Not to mention there is a collective bargaining agreement expiring after the 2021 season. But to be fair to the Commissioner had anybody alive in this world could have predicted this 2020 so far?? I do not think so, unless Nostradamus just resuscitated and was back in business.

Stay well and stay tuned.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the play by play talent for Oakland A’s radio at 1010 KIQI San Francisco and does News and Commentary on http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Harry Caray’s one year as Oakland A’s broadcaster in 1970

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Harry Caray in his broadcast days as Chicago Cubs announcer in the bleachers in Wrigley Field calling the play by play on WGN Radio Chicago well after his one year with the Oakland A’s in 1970 (Chicago Tribune file photo)

On That’s Amaury’s podcast:

#1 Harry Caray is a legendary Hall of Fame broadcaster known for his broadcast days with the Chicago Cubs and being imitated by famous Saturday Night Live comedian Will Farrell. But what many either don’t know or remember Caray was an Oakland A’s broadcaster during the 1970 season his one and only year.

#2 If you remember Harry doing those broadcasts he was quiet the entertainer with his “Holy Cow” calls and his brand of hyping up the club something at the time that A’s owner Charlie O Finley wanted out of Caray.

#3 Caray before coming to Oakland had already illustrious career with the St Louis Cardinals before he got a pink slip from the Cards as Harry put it.

#4 That 1970 season was just one season away before the Oakland A’s had those great years of post season play and picking up post season play from 1971 to 1975 and Caray could have been part of that Oakland A’s history.

#5 It was also well noted that Caray didn’t get along with A’s broadcaster Monte Moore and Caray stated he felt he had the knife in his back everyday that 1970 season but not from owner Finley but from Monte Moore. So he left Oakland and took on work from his next team at the Chicago White Sox.

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