Brian Banmiller's blog

Your smartphone is getting a little bit closer to your fingertips.

Samsung is now joining Apple in the wristwatch department. But this won’t be your ordinary accessory; these watches will be designed to operate like a smartphone. Some features that have been mentioned in tech blogs include the ability to tell you who is calling or texting you, play music and monitor your heart rate.

So far Samsung is not releasing any specific information about their product including a price or release date. The company did say they have been working on a prototype for a while and a watch is definitely one of their upcoming products.  read more »

No one appreciates false advertising; especially when you’re eating it.

The New Jersey based Butterfly Bakery has been shut down by federal authorities for ingredients it didn’t include in labels. The Food and Drug Administration says it found sugar in the bakery’s sugar free food and saturated fat in its fat free treats. In some cases the food had as much as three times the amount of sugar and two times the amount of saturated fat then necessary.

The bakery was closed late last week after a federal judge approved the order. The bakery advertised its products as being “made with 100% love” but now the relationship is over. The FDA says the bakery is a repeat offender, and the bakery isn’t denying it.  read more »

Baseball season’s opening pitch is just one week away; and the players aren’t the only ones warming up.

Dennis O’Donnell is the sports director at KPIX; a CBS affiliated television station in San Francisco. I recently spoke with him about his experience covering bay area baseball for the past thirty years.

“The game is on a whole different level than it was 20 years ago, but the funny thing is its still two lines, hit the ball it’s still baseball.”

O’Donnell says these days his job requires a creative edge. Thanks to the internet game highlights are old news by the time his show airs. So he has to find a different type of story to tell. But the one thing that has remained consistent is the characters.  read more »

The Catholic Church has a new leader and papal fever is spreading.

Less than 48 hours after appearing on the balcony of Saint Peter’s the smiling face of Pope Francis was all over Vatican City. Fans wanting a piece of the new pope wasted no time sweeping up pendants, posters and buttons featuring his picture. And vendors are struggling to keep up.

They say $9 rosary beads with a picture of the pope and $0.50 postcards are the most popular items. And sales continued to climb when the pope was officially installed earlier this week. Now vendors all over Vatican City are doubling their orders to meet tourist demand.  read more »

Baseball season is one week away and the players are hoping to score more than the winning run.
For 17 years Vida Blue pitched for the San Francisco giants, Oakland A’s and Kansas City Royals; winning three World Series. I recently talked to him about the sport of baseball and the business of staying in it.

“It’s constantly changing, the owners are really savvy with how they sign players and the players are real savvy on how they approach getting their raises.”  read more »

Baseball players make a lot of money, but not forever.

During his 17-year career Vida Blue pitched for the San Francisco Giants, Oakland A’s and Kansas City Royals, and won 3 world series. He told me about the day in 1971 when he asked then A’s owner Charlie Finley for a raise; Finley said no because “I don’t have to”. So Vida became one of the first players to hire an attorney to go to bat for him. Today’s players have more negotiating power but every career eventually ends.

“They pay good money for these players, for their services but there comes a time in a player’s career where they have to make a business decision.”

Vida advises today’s players that when the spotlight fades so does their paycheck.  read more »

We are just weeks away from opening day of baseball season; and the players aren’t the only ones warming up.

Dennis O’Donnell is Sports Director at KPIX; the CBS affiliated television station in San Francisco where he’s watched the baseball business grow over his 30 year career.

“When I first started going to a baseball game at Candlestick Park it was $0.50 to get a ticket in the bleachers, I’m not sure how affordable it is for a family of four to go to a certain amount of games.”

Dennis fears high ticket prices keep some fans away.

“You have to pay for the tickets, you have to pay for the parking and you have to pay for the food. I think that some things should be made a little more affordable so fans can go to the game and enjoy the whole experience.”  read more »

When it comes to baseball; the most important people are not always on the field.

Larry Baer is President and CEO of the San Francisco Giants. A team that has won two World Series rings in the past three years. And while the franchise appreciates a win Baer says baseball has become a brand and his customers need more than just a winning season.

“The fans that come here, the clients that come to this ballpark we want to give them a good experience with everything we can control.”

Baer says this means filling the stadium with good food, friendly staff and a lasting experience. Baer says regardless of the final score every fan should go home happy.  read more »

America’s favorite pastime is being hit out of the park.

Every spring, baseball fans across the country pack into stadiums to root for the home team. But if they can’t score a ticket; they turn to the next best thing. That’s big business for Peter Osborne, who owns MoMo’s restaurant across from the San Francisco Giants home field. He credits the team’s success for his own.

“It’s changed my life I’m not going to lie to you. I think it’s changed the city’s life as a matter of fact and its part of that evolution. It’s a dynamic, vibrant ingredient to every major metropolitan area.”  read more »

Baseball might have a six month season but for some players the game never stops.

“This is a business that is getting bigger and bigger and is really many different businesses all rolled into one.”

Larry Baer is the CEO and owner of the World Series winning San Francisco Giants. Baer says winning games is the primary business but he is also in the entertainment, customer and community service business. Baer says over the past 20 years the sport has evolved and there is something in it for all types of fans to enjoy. This helps organizations fill stadiums and bring in three million fans a season; especially because the competition is not only on the field.  read more »