Sports

Bruce Bochy takes his final bow at Oracle Park

Published

5 years ago

September 29, 2019

San Francisco – In front of a sellout crowd, Bruce Bochy tipped his cap for the last time. Bochy announced his retirement at the start of the season, so the Giants prepared a send-off that was more than the Skipper could handle.

“This was a tough a day as I’ve ever had,” Bochy said. “I had no idea that this send-off would be like it was today.”

Despite San Francisco being shutout 9-0 by the Los Angeles Dodgers. The final game of the season was more about the thirty-sixth manager of the organization than the loss. Throughout the game there were video tributes on Bochy’s astounding forty-four years in the Majors. But what brought the tissues out during an emotional ceremony was who showed up to say their final farewells.

The Giants had a few surprises up there sleeves and I have to be quite honest. It blew me away as well. After the game, Bochy’s retirement ceremony began with the “Forever” Giants in attendance, Willie Mays, Orlando Cepeda, Felipe Old and Juan Marichal to name a few.

Former players, including Dodgers manager Dave Roberts jogged onto the field to greet his former teammates. Barry Bonds took his cap and tossed it on the field. The crowd roared with laughter and excitement. After Roberts (who played for Bochy in 2007) embraced Bochy with a hug and handshake he headed back to the dugout.

“His hat should’ve been thrown,” said Bochy with a smile.

“I wish we would’ve played better for him the entire year,” Brandon Belt said.

Dereck Rodriguez didn’t have the start he would’ve liked on Bochy’s final game. Rodriguez loaded the bases after giving up a walk to Chris Taylor and two back-to-back singles to A.J. Pollock and Cory Bellinger.

Cory Seager knocked a single down the right field line and cleared the bases with a three-run double. Will Smith followed with a two-run homer to center field to make it a 5-0 game in the first frame. After Rodriguez put two on in the second, Bochy decided his time on the mound was done.

Sam Selman replaced Rodriguez who walked Bellinger to load the bases again. Selman forced Seager to ground out to end the threat. Rodriguez tossed 1.2 innings, allowed five hits, five runs, one home run, struck out two and walked two. While San Francisco’s defense kept the Dodgers off the board five more frames.

They added three more runs in the seventh and the eighth inning. After loading the bases for the third time, Sam Coonrod walked Matt Beaty, gave up a single to Kristopher Negron and hit Will Smith with a pitch. Coonrod walked in a batter after he walked Gavin Lux.

By the eighth, Joc Peterson led off the frame with a single and back-to-back walks to Chris Taylor and Max Muncy loaded the bases. Austin Barnes singled Peterson and Taylor score. Muncy scored on a fielding error by shortstop Mauricio Dubon to make it a 9-0 game.

Players from the 2010 championship team walked out on the field, Nate Schierholtz, Cody Ross, Edgar Renteria, Brian Wilson, and Aubrey Huff. The 2012 team, Angel Pagan, Barry Zito, Ryan Vogelsong, Santiago Casilla and Marco Scutaro. And finally from the 2014 team, Javier Lopez, Gregor Blanco, Jake Peavy, Jeremy Affeldt and Tim Lincecum. Many of these players played all three years but it was Lincecum’s arrival that really choked Bochy up.

“It was just gradually building,” Bochy said on his emotions unraveling during his ceremony. “And, at the end, Timmy… When he was announced, that put me over the edge. Timmy’s somebody that’s really close to my heart and for him to come down here, that’s a pretty big deal for me.

He’s a tough one to get a hold of. I’ve tried to text him. I’ve tried to see him in Seattle.”

Lincecum never returned to the Giants after leaving almost four years ago. Invites were unanswered and the guy once known as “The Freak” moved on to play for the Los Angeles Angels and the Texas Rangers. But what Lincecum did as a Giant was one for the history books.

Three World Series, four National League Pennants, and twenty-five years as a manager in the Majors. Bochy’s 2010 championship team was the first to bring a World Series to the organization in fifty-two years. He’s the fifth manager to to lead a team to three titles in a five year span, joining Connie Mack, Joe McCarthy, Casey Stengel and Joe Torre.

“Seeing Boch get emotional throughout the day, definitely made it hit home,” Buster Posey said on Bochy retiring. “See him talk a lot. I’ve never seen him get emotional before. So, obviously this was a big day for him to say the least.”

“The team called me about this event and I couldn’t have picked a better day to make it special for him,” Former Giant Pagan said. “It’s his time, it’s his moment and I wanted to be there to thank him personally for everything that he did, not only for me but for all the teammates that I’ve had and all the players that have come through his hands. So I cannot feel any more grateful to be here and this will make me come back more often.”

Malaika Bobino

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Bay Area

Love Life Organization Shows Love

As part of Love Life Week, the Love Life Foundation was honored to produce the 1974-75 World Champion Golden State Warrior Day. It’s a shame that our first Bay Area World Championship team’s unique accolades had been lost in the pre social media era and the cultural revolution of the 1970s.

Published

5 days ago

October 28, 2024

Oakland Post

Members of the 1975 NBA championship team, Charles Dudley (left) and Clifford Ray (right) embrace Love Life Foundation leader Donald Lacy for his antiviolence mission. Courtesy photo.

City of Oakland Celebrates 1975 NBA World Championship Team

By Donald Lacy

Special to The Post

As part of Love Life Week, the Love Life Foundation was honored to produce the 1974-75 World Champion Golden State Warrior Day.

It’s a shame that our first Bay Area World Championship team’s unique accolades had been lost in the pre social media era and the cultural revolution of the 1970s.

The 1975 NBA World Championship team were invited back to the City of Oakland last Friday, to be properly celebrated for their ground-breaking performance in 1975.

The heartwarming ceremony highlighted the recent passing of the legendary coach of that team, Al Attlles, and his former players Clifford Ray and Charles Dudley were on hand to represent the “Cardiac Kids” as they were called back then for their ability to make great comeback victories during their run for the title.

Warriors great Chris Mullin and former spiritual advisor Gary Reeves gave heartfelt testimonies of their experiences under Attles’ leadership and their relationship with the inspiration they received from the NBA 1975 World Champion Golden State Warriors.

The City of Oakland provided proclamations to all parties with speeches made by city leadership including Mayor Sheng Thao and Deputy Mayor Dr. Kimberly Mayfield and activity host Love Life non-profit founder and Executive Director Donald E. Lacy Jr..

There will be a celebration of life event Nov. 9 honoring Attles’ legacy at Alameda College.

Oakland Post

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California Black Media

Several Black Californians Are Playing Key Roles in LA 28 Olympics Planning

From politicians and businesspeople to athletes and community leaders, a number of Black Californians are contributing to the thought leadership that is shaping the planning of LA28, the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. At the forefront is Los Angeles’ first Black woman mayor, Karen Bass, who has, in many ways, become the face of the Games in the City of Angels.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 22, 2024

Oakland Post

From left to right: IOC Member Hong Zhang, IOC Vice President Nicole Hoevertsz, Rex Richardson, Mayor of Long Beach, LA28 President Casey Wasserman, James T. Butts, Mayor of Inglewood, IOC President Thomas Bach, Marqueece Harris-Dawson, the President of the Los Angeles City Council (IOC/Greg Martin)

By Lila Brown, California Black Media

At the forefront is Los Angeles’ first Black woman mayor, Karen Bass, who has, in many ways, become the face of the Games in the City of Angels.

“The 2028 Games present an incredible opportunity to unite our city and lift up every corner of Los Angeles,” said Bass during a historic event at Los Angeles City Hall on Sept. 13, when the Olympic and Paralympic flags were unveiled and installed.

The event marked the return of the Olympic flag to L.A. since 1984, when the city hosted the Olympics for the second time. It was the first time the Paralympic flag was raised in California’s largest city.

“From creating jobs to supporting small businesses, we are committed to ensuring that these Games benefit all Angelenos — not just for the summer of 2028, but for decades to come,” Bass added.

Nearly two months after the Olympic flag handover from Paris to Los Angeles, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach visited Los Angeles.

Bach toured several of the city’s newest world-class sporting venues, including the SoFi Stadium and the recently opened Intuit Dome, both located in Inglewood. At the stadiums, he was joined by two other Los Angeles County Black mayors, whose cities will be key to hosting LA28 events: Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts and Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson.

SoFi Stadium, known as the home of NFL teams the LA Rams and LA Chargers, will host swimming competitions during the LA28 Games, with a temporary pool set to make it the largest swimming venue in Olympic history, boasting 38,000 seats. Intuit Dome, Inglewood’s newest state-of-the-art venue and home to the LA Clippers, will host the Olympic basketball tournament in the 18,000-seat arena.

In an interview with California Black Media ( CBM), Butts highlighted Inglewood’s central role in the upcoming Games, stating, “Inglewood will host the Opening and Closing ceremonies, basketball, and swimming competitions of the 2028 Olympic Games. This will be our second hosting of Olympic Basketball, the first in 1984.”

Marqueece Harris-Dawson, President of the Los Angeles City Council, also attended the tour.

Harris-Dawson is one of the leading backers of PlayLA, a parks development program that promises to provide sports programming to “young Angelenos of all abilities.” The initiative is funded by a $160 million investment from the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the International Olympic Committee.

Black Californians serving on the LA28 Board include Businesswoman Mellody Hobson; decorated Paralympian Lex Gillette; former Netflix Executive Dana Smith; President of the LA County Federation of Labor AFL-CIO Yvonne Wheeler; and television host, retired sprinter and four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson.

Rosalyn Brant Clark, a 1976 Olympic silver medalist and mother of three-time Paralympian Breanna Clark, said while the “Games for All” theme is promising, she is looking for more concrete action that impacts the lives of ordinary people, including Black Californians.

“They are going to need to show me more on that one before it gets my stamp of approval,” she added, challenging organizers to ensure genuine inclusivity.

Oakland Post

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Bay Area

Ohemaa Nyanin Named GM of Valkyries WNBA Team

The Bay Area is filled with excitement, and much of the conversation is about the Bay Area’s newest WNBA team — the VALKYRIES! The Golden State Warriors were awarded the 13th team in the WNBA last October, and just four months ago, the team’s General Manager was announced — Ohemaa Nyanin.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Getty Images

By Y’Anad Burrell

Nyanin’s parents are from Ghana, and she was born in Maryland. Nyanin’s experience in this industry precedes her both as a former college player and on the business side. Nyanin is an American University alumna who played on the Eagles’ women’s basketball team. In 2019, Nyanain joined the WNBA team, The New York Liberty, initially serving as the director of basketball operations before she became assistant general manager.

“No excuses,” Nyanin said. “We are here, first and foremost, as humans, and secondly to win basketball games. So how do we do that, and how do we do that in the most inclusive way?”

From viewing interviews that Nyanin has done since her arrival in the Bay Area, a constant theme in her conversations is talking about taking a “people first” approach. Nyanin talks about how she will be focused on the players, staff, and fans as she navigates and executes her role as general manager. Health, both mentally and physically, is important to Nyanin, as I’ve seen in her many interviews.

Just days ago, The Golden State Warriors announced the head coach for the Valkyries — Natalie Nakase.

Nakase has been the assistant coach for the Las Vegas Aces for the past three seasons, where she was a part of the Aces’ back-to-back championship run in 2022 and 2023. Before joining the Aces’ coaching staff, Nakase spent ten seasons with her hometown team, the Los Angeles Clippers, and their G League.

The Valkyries will practice at downtown Oakland’s Golden State Warrior space and play games at Chase Center in San Francisco. This is an excellent opportunity to experience both sides of the water.

The Valkyries WNBA season opens May 2025 at Chase Center in San Francisco, and the Valkyries website shows over 18,000 season-ticket deposits. For clarity, if someone is ‘interested’ in purchasing season tickets, a $25 deposit is required. The Chase Center’s capacity is a little over 18,000, so you can imagine how electrifying the stadium will be during all home games.

Ohemaa, welcome to the Bay and The Town!