Marty Lurie Talks San Francisco Giants Baseball
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Posts from — December 2006

Inside Baseball The Winter Version Returns on Janaury 3rd, 2007

by marty

January 3rd, 2007 will mark the return of Inside Baseball the winter version to the airwaves. The first show will begin at 5:30 PM Pacific on 1550 AM KYCY heard throughout Northern California. Starting the following week the show will air each Thursday for 70 minutes, beginning immediately prior to the start of each Cal Men’s basketball pre game show. Glenn Dickey will join me on Janaury 3rd with other baseball guests as well. If all goes well Raf will also post the show here on the site immediately after its conclusion. Other guests during the winter will include baseball writers, broadcasters Ken Korach and Vince Cotroneo, players, coaches, and managers. The show will run through Feb 22nd. I’ll let you know the various locations I’ll be broadcasting from in the Bay Area. The first show is coming live from Arizona.Have a safe Happy New Year and I look forward to 2007 very much as we celebrate the 10th consecutive year of Right Off The Bat, the longest running pre game baseball show in Bay Area radio history. Thanks for all your enthusiastic support,Marty Lurie

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December 30, 2006   No Comments

Barry Zito a late Christmas present

by marty

It was not until Thursday the 28th day of December 2006 that Santa Claus made a late stop at Giants fans with a huge 7-year $126 million contract and Barry Zito will not have not move from his residence in San Francisco, he will pitch just a few minutes away at ATT Park in 2007. [Read more →]

December 29, 2006   No Comments

Hispanic Baseball Museum to induct 101 year old player

by marty

The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum is set to induct this December 29, 2006 Don Emilio"Millito"Navarro first Puerto Rican to play baseball in the Negro Leagues. Navarro is the oldest living professionaL baseball player in the world.

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December 21, 2006   No Comments

Mariners become more Hispanic

by marty

The Seattle Mariners are going to need a Jose-Meter in 2007 with their recent additions. But Bill Bavasi knows that time is running out for his regime and he better try all he can to make this team leave the cellar this next season. It will not be easy, but they are trying. [Read more →]

December 16, 2006   No Comments

SABERMETRICIANS AND MONEYBALLERS MORE OF A THREAT TO THE GAME THAN STEROIDS

by marty

Rick Kaplan
Staff Writer
OAKLAND (December 11) – Baseball is immortal, isn’t it?
The intrinsic beauty and balance of the game–a 90 ft, 9 inning, 9 man, 27 out perfect world–has always sustained it in tough times.
Seemingly impervious to the ills of the world, including the constant waves of gambling and booze and performance enhancers that the diamond has witnessed since the origin of Organized Baseball in the nineteenth century, the game has steadfastly continued marching ahead. In spite of its many ups and downs, it has provided us with unbroken memories and endless comparisons of its greats from era to era. And it was able to do so by speaking to us in a universal language of W-L (won-lost), HRs (home runs), RBIs (runs batted in), BA (batting average), and ERA (earned run average).
It was always about what was happening between first and third. We didn’t really care about anything else.

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December 12, 2006   No Comments

Fans Dictate Decision on Bonds

by marty

If you shell out $50-100 bucks every time you buy a ticket to a Giants game you want to see Barry Bonds play in San Francisco.

It’s very easy for the media to criticize the decision to bring Bonds back to the Giants in ’07. Most of us in the media don’t have time for Bonds and his negative aura. He is the most difficult person to work with in baseball today.

Is he any different with the press than Joe Dimaggio was or Willie Mays or Ted Williams? Probably worse but not by much.

In reality the fans who buy the tickets to the game want to see Bonds play.

If you go to a Giants game there is still the buzz when Bonds comes up. He puts fans in the seats and will do so in 2007 and that’s the reason he is back with the Giants.

Moises Alou was a nice player. Hurt quite a bit, but a productive player. Does anyone give a hoot that he is long gone and with the Mets next season?

Absolutely not. The fans could care less and that’s why the Giants hardly blinked whern he left. His departure will have absolutley no impact on ticket sales.

If Bonds left town you can bet that there would be plenty of empty seats at the park.

Money talks and the fans money is what brought Bonds back pure and simple.

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December 9, 2006   No Comments

Why McGwire Should Not be in the Hall of Fame

by marty

This reporter followed Mark McGwire’s career from 1986 until 1997 with the Oakland Athletics. As a matter of fact I covered the Pre Olympic game at Candlestick Park years before he became a professional and was playing third base for the USA Olympic team when they played the Japanese Olympic squad.

Mark McGwire set a rookie record with 49 home runs in 1987, that year he also drove 118 runs and was part of the best "one two" punch in baseball with fellow bashers José Canseco. McGwire was second Rookie of The Year for A’S 1987 following José who won it in 1986. Then came shortstop Walt Weiss who won it in 1988. The last time A’S had 3 Rookies of The Year in a row. Those where the days. Three consecutive trips to the World Series(88-89-90) the A’S were the envy of the baseball world. A team loaded with talent and impact players like Canseco and McGwire, people came in early to the Oakland Coliseum just to watch them in batting practice. There is something about sluggers that people are drawn to.

Big Mac was greatly responsible together with Sammy Sosa in 1998 for reviving baseball and he and Sosa are crediting by many for "saving" the game after the nasty work stoppage in 1994-95. McGwire retired before baseball began testing for illegal performance enhancing drugs, better know as steroids. There is no doubt McGwire deserves to be in this most recent Hall of Fame ballot together with Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. However the contrast here is immense. Gwynn and Ripken will be elected without any controversy, Gwynn was a pure hitter who won eight batting titles and Ripken broke Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games streak and was one of the most popular players ever. Big Mac is number seven in the all-time home run list with 583, his 70 home runs in 1998 was an incredible feat until Barry Bonds hit 73 in 2001. A lot has happened since 1998 and today almost nine years later the names of Canseco, Sosa, Bonds, Palmeiro and yes, McGwire all have a huge dark cloud over them.

McGwire testified in March 2005 in front of Congress during the hearings on steroids. He was there with his "buddy" José Canseco Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro. McGwire’s showing at those hearings was ‘to say the least’ disappointing. Canseco accused everybody, Palmeiro pulled a Clinton with his finger, Sosa had more interpreters that he really needed and McGwire in my opinion was the worse, he didn’t say much. He sat there like an idiot, half pregnant, neither confirming or denying the accusations. I covered all these guys during their playing days, talked with them, interviewed them on may occasions and of all those players I mentioned that have retired since, McGwire was always the most difficult.

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December 6, 2006   No Comments

Wednesday Is The Day Things Happen at The Winter Meetings

by marty

History tells us that things at the winter meetings usually heat up on the next to last day.

Forget big trades, they are a thing of the past. The winter meetings are now solely the time for the agents and their clients to corner the baseball world in a small space such as the lobby or bar of the hotel housing the meetings and make their deals.

Wednesday should see Mike Piazza become an Athletic. Can’t see Piazza going from LA to NY and then to Texas to end his career. Oakland and the Bay Area area are better fit. Piazza isn’t the hitter Frank Thomas is so the A’s should beware of a two year deal.

At the trade deadline last year I suggested the A’s trade Joe Blanton and Mark Ellis for Lastings Milledge, Mike Pelfrey, and Aaron Heilman.

Mets fans screamed "Absurd".

Now it looks like some part of that deal might happen with pitcher John Maine possibly replacing Heilman since the Mets are desperate for middle relief.

I like the potential move because Nick Swisher should stay at 1B and not be moved back to the outfield. Milledge and Milton Bradley would make things pretty lively in the clubhouse.

Click below for more! [Read more →]

December 6, 2006   No Comments

Report from Arizona from Marty

by marty

I was down in Arizona for a good part of November and saw some Arizona Fall League Baseball. So with Raf’s help I sent in a report from Arizona which you can click on and hear. I also give some other baseball thoughts.
Let me know what you think of this format I’m considering doing a weekly audio update on the site until our winter baseball shows begin on Jan. 3rd, 2007 on 1550 AM KYOU radio here in the Bay Area. Then we’ll have the weekly radio show every Thursday before Cal Basketball on 1550 AM right up to the start of the spring training games.
We are still looking for a qualified web person to help with web design issues. Contact me at luriem@earthlink.net if you have any suggestions.
Thanks,
Marty [Read more →]

December 5, 2006   No Comments

Do You See What I see?

by marty

After reading this article, I hope Beane is just posturing when he says: "Most of our team is already in place." And "Whether or not we participate in the free-agent market or trade market, we’re not looking to reinvent the wheel." Well, Mr. Beane, do you remember that bargain, Frank Thomas? You know: the $500,000 man who put your team on his shoulders and pushed them into postseason relevance last year? Well, he’s gone. Not to mention that scrappy, left fielder with some occasional thunder, Jay Payton? Yeah, that one: He’s probably gone, too. And, last but not least, that tall, durable, lefthander with the filthy curveball, Barry Zito? Yeah, he won’t be playing his guitar in your clubhouse next year, either. Sorry, Billy, but this current roster doesn’t make me want to Loaiza on Highway 880, and snatch some World Series’ tickets just yet. But that can change next week. I remain, Professor [Read more →]

December 4, 2006   3 Comments

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