Can a small budget give you a World Series?
So, we are days away from Christmas ’02
and the A’S and Giants Santa Claus are
working on some “gifts”for their
respective clubs. But the big question
is: Can a small budget give you a
World Series ?
By Amaury Pi-GonzálezLike Marty Lurie wrote is all about
money…money…money…or for you
bilingual people…dinero…dinero..
dinero.
The A’S could not keep Durham so
the Giants snatched him and also
Giants got some “insurance”in
the outifeld with Marquis Grisson.
The A’s said Adios to Billy Koch
and they’re banking on that in
a year or two Joe Valentine could
be the best young reliever in
the American League
(Valentine was Reliever of the
Year in the Minors) and also
that Keith Foulke could return
to his 2001 form when he saved
42 games for the Red Sox.
The Giants (who obviously have
many more holes than the A’S)
are still shopping for people like
Fernando Viña,José Vidro and
yes…Vladimir Guerrero could
be with Giants for the right
price in a blockbuster type of
trade.
The Giants budget is around $80
million while the Oakland A’S
is more like around $50 million ?
And both teams have come
very close, the Giants were
9 outs away from winning the
World Series and the A’S have
come very close to making it to
the World Series the past three
seasons or so.
Although in the same area, the
A’S are considered a “small market”
team while the Giants a “medium
market”team. This has a lot to do
with Pac Bell Park and attendance
there compared to the Oakland
Mausoleum, a difference of over
1 million more per season for
the Giants. Yet, the Giants have
chosen to go the arbitration route
with Jeff Kent (a very interesting
decision). With Durham the Giants
need for a leadoff hitter is not
as big, so Viña or Vidro might
not be coming West.
José Vidro is one of the best
secondbaseman in all of baseball
and he usually hits second. However,
the Giants should try to pursue
Vladimir Guerrero a Superstar
that needs a change of scenery
badly. Unless you are in the
business of baseball or live in
Montreal you don’t know how
good this guy is and the scary
thing is that Guerrero is going
to get better the next 5 years.
With a contender, Guerrero is
an ‘MVP waiting to happen”.
The Giants would be wise to go
after Guerrero but more than
likely might get a José Cruz Jr
or Carlos Delgado type of
player. 1-They still need another
regular outfielder, since Shinjo,
Reggie Sanders,Tom Goodwin
are gone. José Cruz Jr, who still
has not reached his potential
and have his best years ahead
could be a good pick for the
team. And 2-J.T. Snow value went
up some by his good performance
in the Postseason, so the Giants
could maybe trade J.T. and get
a Carlos Delgado at first base.
These will cost the Giants some
pitching and more than likely
Russ Ortiz and Liván Hernández
can be gone soon between now
and the end of January.
The Oakland Athletics have much
more of a “budget problem”than
the Giants. This will be the last
season under contract for
the American League MVP
Dominican shortstop Miguel
Tejada, and they have to be
geting ready to either pay him
or loose him. Shortstops like
Miguel are “only”in surplus
in the American League. I have
heard that the Dodgers
are ready to open their
pocketbook for Tejada’s
services, if the A’S decide to do
“ala Jason Giambi”.
With no solid closer in sight.
The A’S are banking on Foulkes
control and his return to his
2000 season form with the
White Sox. Needless to say
the A’S strengh is in their
starting pitching(Cory Lidle-less)
and they have to keep their
fingers cross that the big
three are healthy and can
pitch 200 innings or more.
Zito-Hudson-Mulder are the
formidable trio in which the
Oakland A’S have built this
team. Yes, Chávez and Tejada
are the power, but what makes
the A’S a good team is those
three young starters.
So at the end, the Giants will
keep trying to win with veteran
players. Ray Durham and Marquis
Grissom are not in the 24-28
year old crowd and unless they
bring a Viña, Vidro or Guerrero
the Giants are not going to get
any younger and thus will
continue to be(behind Arizona)
one of the oldest teams in
players age in the National
League. I think Kurt Ainsworth
has a good lively arm and he
will have a shot at the starting
spot -he thought he had this
past season-. By Spring Training
the Giants are going to need
another starter. Ortiz or Liván
are going to be pitching for
somebody else come
April and that other starter
should be Ainsworth.
Both local teams are limited
in the Free Agent market. I
would not be surprised that
in 2003 Ricardo Rincón takes
over as the A’S closer if
Keith Foulke has a slow or
bad start. And with the Giants
and Brian Saben at the helm
as G.M. If tomorrow the Giants
get Vladimir Guerrero from
the Expos in a blockbuster
trade, it will also not be
any surprise. We do have
two of the best General
Managers here in any
sport betwen Beane and
Sabean and with those
two we better be awake
because anything is
posible !
FELIZ NAVIDAD EVERYBODY !
———————————–
Amaury Pi-González completed
his 8 season as Spanish Play
by Play Voice of the S.F. Giants,
previoulsy for 17 seasons was
Spanish Play by Play for the
Oakland Athletics, under
the Walter Haas ownership.
He called the Postseason
including the World Series
for local radio and ESPN Spanish.
Amaury is working during this
month as Sports Anchor on
the 6PM and 11PM Newscasts
of Telemundo KSTS CH 48 everyday
between December 16 and 27 out
of San José and for the Bay Area.
He will call the action for the
third time for Fox Sports(English)
of the Caribbean World Series
to be hedl from February 2 to 7
in San Juan, Puerto Rico, were
championshiop teams from:
Puerto Rico,Mexico,Dom.Republic
and Venezuela will play for the
title.
Amaury is also V.P of the Hispanic
Heritage Baseball Museum. A non
profit organization here in the
Bay Area. His biography will be
on the New 2003 Marquis Who’s
Who in America book. The most
prestigious biographical publication
in America with over 100 years and
going.
His columns are also featured on
winterbaseball.com
latinobaseball.com
0 comments
Bien articulo, Amaury. The Giants got a good pick up in Durham. I wish he stayed with the A’s. But his asking price was too high. Plus, he doesn’t want to play the outfield. Giants fans need to realize that. I’m sure Sabean and the Giants organization are planning on letting Kent go. They’re not planning on resigning him. That’s why they wanted to and were able to get Durham. They could afford it and insured him what the A’s couldn’t: playing time at 2nd.
-Mike
If the Giants are a “medium market” team why do they cry about dinero (for biiingual people like us), anyway. The A’s can cry because we are at bottom of MLB’s food chain.
All Hail Bleacher Dave or Viva Bleacher Dave!
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