Tag: Vida Blue

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Great Coliseum Memories, Star players and World Series years

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1972 World Champion Oakland A’s cover on Sports Illustrated part of the memories of the A’s years at the Oakland Coliseum as the club leaves for Sacramento after the 2024 season (Sports Illustrated cover file photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amuary, just two months and two weeks left before the Oakland A’s move to Sacramento for the next four years. Their last game in Oakland will be on September 26th against Bruce Bochy and the Texas Rangers. After playing at the Oakland Coliseum since 1968 it all comes to an end that day.

#2 Just wanted to jog your memory of some of the happier and great years at the Coliseum when the A’s had that remarkable run in 1972 through 1974 winning three straight World Series.

#3 We can go through some of the great names of the players who were a part of those World’s Championship teams. The A’s just had an All Star team and they could slug for the fence with Joe Rudi, Gene Tenace, Ray Fosse, Reggie Jackson, Mike Epstein, Dick Green, Sal Bando, Billy North and George Hendrick to name a few.

#4 The A’s really had a ace starting staff during those days with Catfish Hunter, Vida Blue, Ken Holtzman, and Blue Moon Odom. Manager Dick Williams of the 1972 and 1973 teams had the confidence to go in with this pitching staff and win ball games.

#5 Amaury talk about A’s lead off hitter Bert Campaneris who played shortstop on all three championship teams and should go down in history as the best shortstop in Oakland A’s history?

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

Fans Fest at Jack London Square: Strong support from fans hoping for an A’s to stay in Oakland miracle

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Former Oakland A’s pitcher Grant Balfour is thumbs up on the Fans Fest celebrating Oakland Sports and hosted by the Oakland 68’s and the Last Dive Bar at Jack London Square in downtown Oakland on Sat Feb 24, 2024 (photo by Bay Area News Group)

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–Saturday’s midday Fansfest next to the Jack London Amtrak station billed itself as an affirmation of civic pride Oakland’s sports heritage. It specifically stated that it was not a protest of the current ownership of the currently Oakland Athletics.

It certainly was an outpouring of Oaktown pride and love for its local sports teams. The Fansfest also clearly was an implicit rebuke to the Fisher-Manfred-Las Vegas axis. Even the weather cooperated.

The experience in downtown Oakland was diametrically opposed to that of a typical day at the once imposing pleasure dome on the banks of the River Nimitz, a venue that Peter Gammons once called the best in baseball and which was highly praised by Allan Temko, the architecture critic of the once mighty San Francisco Chronicle. The sky was clear; the temperature, sweltering. And the place was jam packed with A’s fans, many of whom took advantage of the free indoor parking.

Both outdoors and in the enclosed Block 15, also teeming with the faces you used to see at the Coliseum, the mood was festive and co-operative. Ex-A’s Grant Balfour, Coco Crisp, Khris Davis, Ben Grieve, Mike Norris, Bill North, and Trevor May, as well as retired Giant and current Oakland Ballers coach, JT Snow were scheduled to be available for autographs.

I was only able to exchange a few words with the first two. My colleague, Stephen Ruderman, had better luck and managed to conduct a podcast interview, which he reported in his own dispatch.

Block 15’s attractions included a wall of vendors offering bobble heads, statues, drawings, enough to make your head spin. While I was there, Vida Blue’s children were describing what it was like to grow up in the Coliseum, but I could hardly hear their presentation.

The list of sponsors, corporate and individual, was impressive, in spite of the last minute withdrawal of Drake’s Brewery, a withdrawal that the Athletics’ front office vigorously denies having influenced. Whatever the reasons behind that decision, the brewery’s absence wasn’t particularly notable; plenty of suds were on sale to thirsty attendees.

Stands offered an incredible variety of baseball merchandise, from socks to caps, and a wide assortment of baseball arts, crafts, and memorabilia. Cal Athletics, the Oakland Roots, the Oakland Ballers also had booths.

Let Las Vegas match that.

Lewis Rubman is a MLB beat writer for sportsradioservice.com

A’s Hold on to Beat the Rockies 8-5

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By: Mary Anne

The Oakland Athletics kicked off the weekend by visiting the Colorado Rockies Friday. The A’s held on to beat the Rockies 8-5 in their series opener at Coors Field. Oakland improved to 29-76, while Colorado fell to 40-63.

The A’s starting lineup featured Tony Kemp, Zack Gelof, Brent Rooker, Jordan Diaz, Ramón Laureano, JJ Bleday, Aledmys Díaz, Shea Langaliers, Nick Allen, and JP Sears. Sears (2-7, 4.09 ERA) got the win after pitching five innings and giving up four hits, one earned run, one walk, five strikeouts, and one home run.

The A’s got on the board first in the top of the first inning. Ramón Laureano singled on a ground ball to Randal Grichuk. Brent Rooker scored for a 1-0 lead. Jordan Diaz went to second base.

The A’s scored thrice in the top of the second inning. Shea Langaliers tripled on a fly ball to Brenton Doyle. Aledsmy Díaz scored for a 2-0 lead. Tony Kemp hit a sacrifice bunt. Langaliers scored for a 3-0 lead. Nick Allen went to second base, while Kemp went to first base on a Kyle Freeland committed a throwing error. Jordan Diaz reached on a ground ball to Alex Trejo, a call that stood after an official scorer’s ruling. Nick Allen scored for a 4-0 lead. Kemp went to third base, while Brent Rooker went to second base.

The A’s scored once in the top of the third inning. Nick Allen tripled on a sharp line drive to Jurickson Profar. Shea Langaliers scored for a 5-0 lead.

The Rockies finally got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning. Randal Grichuk homered on a fly ball to left-center field to reduce the A’s lead to 5-1.

The A’s extended their lead in the top of the fifth inning. Zack Gelof homered on a fly ball to left-center field for a 7-1 lead.

The Rockies scored once in the bottom of the seventh inning. Colorado began the inning by challenging a play at first base, but their call was overturned after further review. Ryan McMahon grounded into a forceout, while Nick Allen went to Zack Gelof. Jurickson Profar, a former Oakland Athletic, scored to reduce the A’s lead to 7-2. Ezequiel Tovar was out at second base, while McMahon went to first base.

The Rockies made it a two-run game in the bottom of the eighth inning, but they didn’t inch closer to the A’s to take the lead or at least tie the ballgame. Michael Toglia singled on a ground ball to JJ Bleday. Elehuris Montero scored to reduce the A’s lead to 7-3. Nolan Jones went to third base. Jurickson Profar doubled on a sharp line drive to Bleday. Jones and Toglia scored to cut the A’s lead to 7-5.

The A’s expanded their lead in the top of the ninth inning. Ramón Laureano homered on a line drive to center field for a 8-5 lead.

Notes
The late A’s pitcher Vida Blue would’ve turned 74 today.

The A’s will honor the five members — Carney Lansford, Gene Tenace, Bob Johnson, Roy Steele, and Jason Giambi — of the 2023 Class of the Athletics Hall of Fame during the annual Bay Bridge series on August 6, 2023.

Up Next
The A’s and the Rockies will continue their series on Saturday at 5:10 pm Pacific. Paul Blackburn (1-2, 5.06 ERA) will start for the A’s, while Chris Flexen (0-4, 7.71 ERA) will start for the Rockies.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Royals Yarbrough out on 15 day IL for facial fractures; Yankees clobber A’s to open 3 game series; plus more

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Kansas City Royals Ryan Yarbrough gets assistance from Royals trainer after taking a line drive in the face off the bat of Oakland A’s Ryan Noda at Kaufman Stadium on Sun May 7, 2023 (photo by USA Today)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amaury, Kansas City Royals pitcher Ryan Yarbrough who took that shot off Oakland A’s hitter Ryan Noda’s comebacker during Sunday’s game at Kaufman Stadium. The shot hit Yarbrough in the face and laid him out. The Royals on Monday said that Yarbrough has been placed on the 15 day IL for facial fractures.

#2 The Oakland A’s opened up their three game road trip in New York with a 7-2 loss at Yankee Stadium on Monday night. The A’s pitching got clobbered in the middle innings with New York runs with two in the fifth, three in the sixth, and two more to close out the scoring in the seventh.

#3 Amaury, You knew Vida Blue for decades when he first broke into the Major Leagues and when he was a three time World Series Champion in 1972-74, an All Star, and Hall of Fame pitcher who passed on Sun May 7th at 73. Talk about Vida the pitcher but most important the person.

#4 Amaury, We didn’t get a chance to speak to you about the indefinite suspension of Oakland A’s TV play by play announcer Glen Kuiper. Kuiper suspended for using a racial slur on live TV Friday night before the A’s and Kansas City Royals game. You knew Glen since he started doing A’s TV in 1992.

#5 Turning to NBA basketball playoffs the Los Angeles Lakers go up 3-1 in game 4 defeating the Golden State Warriors for the second straight game 104-101. Stephen Curry led Golden State in scoring with 31 but it wasn’t enough. The Lakers defense shutdown the Warriors key scorers to get away with a three point win. Game 5 is at Chase Center in San Francisco on Wednesday a 7:00pm tip off.

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