Inside Baseball with Marty Lurie & Bruce Magowan – American League: Winning the Interleague battle, Albert Pujols: 70 HRs?, Ozzie: Out of Control?, Smoltz: headed to the Tigers?
Segment one : Marty & Bruce.
Segment two : Marty & Bruce.
Segment three: Marty, Bruce & Robert Buan.
Segment four : Marty, Bruce & Robert Buan.
Segment five : Marty, Bruce & Robert Buan.

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With the season quickly approaching the mid point of the 2006 season, it’s time to see which teams are at the head of the class in major league baseball.

In New York, the Mets have stolen the front, back, and middle pages of the tabloids from the vaunted Yankees. The Amazins’ can rake with the best. This season’s NL MVP is coming from New York. Pick Carlos Beltran, David Wright, or Jose Reyes, you can’t go wrong. For me, Wright has been the most consistent even though Reyes may be the most exciting player in the game today.

Even with the boring and offensive Ozzie Guillen running amok, the White Sox still are the top team in the American League. The Sox throw the best pitchers at the opposition day after day. Jim Thome is the AL MVP, you can give him the trophy today.

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Rick Kaplan
Staff Writer

OAKLAND (June 22) – “A.J. Pierzynski is such a jerk.” “Ozzie Guillen is one of the ‘class acts’ in baseball.” “Barry Bonds is a low-life.” “Tori Hunter is really cool.”

Sounds right.

How do you know?

Why is one player a “good guy” and another a “bad guy?”

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Jun 21, 2006

CLOSING OFF the upper deck has had one desired effect for the A’s: Season ticket sales have increased about 11 per cent, according to club president Mike Crowley.

That was one goal for the A’s. The other was to give fans an incentive to buy individual game tickets in advance, to even out the crowds. In recent seasons, there had been relatively few tickets sold in advance, which led to huge walkups for some games. That made it difficult for the A’s to know how many ticket sellers and concession workers to have for individual games.

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I was never in favor of replacing the pitcher for
a designated hitter. I want to say this ‘right off
the bat’ excuse me Marty. But the fact is that
the whole world that plays baseball uses the
designated hitter today. Except…

By Amaury Pi-González [Read more →]

Rick Kaplan
Staff Writer

OAKLAND (June 19) – It seems to be the current fashion to say that the DH (designated hitter) gives the American League an advantage in interleague play.

Does it? Well, the AL doesn’t need any more advantages than it already has. Take the Designated Hitter away. We’ll all be better off without it.

While you’re at it, give the NL aluminum bats and greenies. And four outs.

Ten of the fourteen interleague series completed yesterday were played in National League parks.

Tell me what you think of Rick’s analysis, agree or disagree?…Marty [Read more →]

RIGHT OFF THE BAT
with Marty Lurie

Segment one : Marty & Vince Cotroneo
Segment two : Russell Martin Interview
Segment three: Marty
Segment four : Memories of the Game – Gil Eisenberg
Segment five : Rattle the Lumber with Ken Korach
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Batter Up June 18th, 2006

When the Yankees bring in new players they immediately become more effective major leaguers.

How come?

Is it the aura of playing the game where Babe Ruth, Joe Dimaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Lou Gehrig graced the diamond? Or is it the tradition of playing for a franchise that has dominated baseball for the past 90 years?

Whatever the answer most players who come to the Yanks become championship caliber players over night.

Is the same thing happening in Oakland?

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Inside Baseball with Marty Lurie & Bruce Magowan – Week in Review: Are the A’s a Top Ten team?, Interleague play: Dodgers in town, Jeff Kent: Hall of Fame Bound?, Mr. C’s Favorite Players

Segment one : Marty, Bruce & Mr C from Heaven.
Segment two : Marty, Bruce & Mr C from Heaven.
Segment three: Marty & Bruce.
Segment four : Marty & Bruce

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Rick Kaplan
Staff Writer

OAKLAND (June 16) – Going to a big league game used to be a lot like watching a magic show.

We saw wondrous tricks – web gems, big flys, 97 MPH heaters, two-out hits – for nine innings and often felt entertained, and even awed, win or lose.

But we didn’t know what happened behind the scenes.

We didn’t know who used the juice. Or who was going on the DL. Or who was leaving us to become a free agent, or when the team was moving.

Comment below and let Rick know what you think…
Marty [Read more →]