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