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Memories of 40 years in Oakland: 1989 World Series and Earthquake

Of all the people today on the air with the Oakland Athletics, radio and television, the only one that was still there from the 1989 World Series is Ray Fosse, who was then starting his long tenure as A’S television analyst. This was one of the great memories of covering the Athletics, as I was their Spanish play-by-play announcer during those years and during the three consecutive seasons 1988, 1989, 1990 the team made it to the Fall Classic.I remember when the Bay Area baseball world went amok, Giants and Athletics in the World Series? It could not get any better for Bay Area baseball fans. This was nirvana for all of us covering the baseball scene in Northern California.

July 22nd, 2008

Right off the Bat with Marty Lurie

Segment one - Marty opens the show
Segment two - : Interview: Chicago Trib sportswriter Phil Rogers & Cubs voice Pat Hughes remember Hall of Famer Jerome Holtzman
Segment three - 40th Anniversary of Oakland A's Baseball with Alan Trammell
Segment four - Interviews with Author John Rosengren
Segment five - Memories: Derrel Thomas
Segment six - Rattle the Lumber with Ken Korach

Inside Baseball Saturday Night & Right Off the Bat - July 19th, 2008

Inside Baseball Saturday Night with Marty Lurie -

Segment one - Marty opens the show with Barry Bloom (from MLB.com)
Segment two - An Interview with Bob Schaefer (LA Angels Bench coach)
Segment three - Marty & Vince Cotroneo
Segment four - MLB news

Right off the Bat with Marty Lurie

Segment one - Marty opens the show
Segment two - Interview: Bob Knighengale (sports writer for USAtoday.com)
Segment three - 40th Anniversary of Oakland A's Baseball with Ray Fosse
Segment four - Interview - TJ Simers
Segment five - Memories: Mel Stottlemyre
Segment six - Rattle the Lumber with Ken Korach

A's Undergoing Complete Makeover

Batter Up July 20th, 2008

The A’s rebuilding plan took another step forward this week with the trade of righthanded pitcher Joe Blanton to the Phillies for three minor league prospects.

Many teams sit by and don’t pull the trigger on trades hoping that the retained players some day will turn into winners.

Not the A’s.

The A’s felt that Dan Haren, Rich Harden, Mark Kotsay, Dan Johnson, Joe Blanton, Nick Swisher, and Marco Scutaro would not bring another division championship to Oakland.

Pitchers Justin Duchscherer, relievers Huston Street and Alan Embree are good candidates to follow the others out of town.

Shortstop Bobby Crosby and second base partner Mark Ellis are more than likely headed out of town at some point too.

Click below for more!

Right on Track: A�S rebuilding, Giants losing close to 100

The Athletics: Before this season began, I wrote about the Oakland Athletics rebuilding for the future. Here, at the start of the second half of the season, they begin without Rich Harden, Joe Blanton and Chad Gaudin, three pitchers that began the season with the team. The trade deadline is the 31st of this month of July and the A’s are probably not done “Rebuilding”.

Inside Baseball Saturday Night & Right Off the Bat - July 12th, 2008

Inside Baseball Saturday Night with Marty Lurie -

Segment one - Marty opens the show with Vince Cotroneo
Segment two - An Interview with Terry Smith (LA Angels Broadcaster)
Segment three - Marty & Rob Neyer (Author of Big Book of Baseball legends)
Segment four - Marty & Joel Monson

Right off the Bat with Marty Lurie

Segment one - Marty opens the show
Segment two - Interview: Susan Slusser
Segment three - 40th Anniversary of Oakland A's Baseball with Don Baylor
Segment four - Marty sets up Memories
Segment five - Memories:Ken Berry
Segment six - Rattle the Lumber with Ken Korach

A great new book about baseball

Hi, Marty and fellow fans of our National Pasttime--
I want to let you know about my new book, "The Pitch is on the Way: Poems About Baseball and Life." With a Foreword by Peter Magowan, SF Giants President, and a recommendation by Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, this book offers 50 poems in vivid, understandable language that explore baseball from all perspectives, and are packed with baseball knowledge from a lifelong fan. Also included are 21 terrific pen-and-ink illustrations by a professional artist. These are poems that tell stories about what baseball means to kids and adult fans, and describe what it's like to play each position and to hit, as well as to fill all of the supporting roles without which the game couldn't be played, like umpire, manager, coach, and even batboy and groundskeeper. Marty, you read some of these poems during the time I was writing the book, and as I recall you got quite a kick out of them. I hope you'll help me spread the word. For more info and to purchase copies, which make great gifts and have been enjoyed by children and adults alike, please visit my website, which you can reach by entering PitchPoems.com or Liberthson.com. Thanks!

Warmly, Dan Liberthson (email: liberthson@comcast.net)

Preseason Predictions Not Half Bad

Batter Up July 13th 2008

As baseball heads in to the all-star break many questions still surround the teams leading their respective divisions.

Before the season began I posed a number of questions as I tried to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the clubs before the 162-game season got underway.

Here are those questions, my answers, and a mid season update for each plus a few new queries.

How good are the Rockies? Anyone remember that the Rockies played Boston in the 2007 World Series? Colorado needs big seasons from pitchers Jeff Francis and Aaron Cook. Remaining rotation is very suspect. The team won 21 of their last 22 games to make the series last fall. Won’t happen this year.

Update: Jeff Francis went on the DL as of June 29th after posting a 3-7 mark. Aaron Cook is an all-star. Nothing much has gone right for the Rockies who are 39-55 and seriously considering trades involving Matt Holliday, Brad Hawpe, and Garrett Atkins.

Click below for the rest of the article!

July 8th, 2008

Right off the Bat with Marty Lurie

Segment one - Marty opens the show with Rich Harden
Segment two - : Interview: Ray Fosse
Segment three - Interviews with Dave Sims & Matt Murton
Segment four - Interviews with Ray Ratto & Huston Street
Segment five - Memories: Derrel Thomas
Segment six - Rattle the Lumber with Ken Korach

July 6th, 2008

Right off the Bat with Marty Lurie

Segment one - Marty opens the show
Segment two - : Interview: Pat Hughes
Segment three - 40th Anniversary of Oakland A's Baseball Interview with Dave Perron
Segment four - Marty sets up memories
Segment five - Memories: Luis Aparicio
Segment six - Rattle the Lumber with Ken Korach