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Angels Classic Rewind | Dateline: May 19th, 2002

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Richter) — Sun, 19 May 2013 16:14:00 +0000

By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor -

MAY 19, 2002

GAME 41 - ANGELS AT WHITE SOX

CHICAGO -- If the Angels wanted to put together a highlight video of their recent hot stretch, the top of the ninth inning of Sunday's game against the Chicago White Sox could serve as the intro.

Pinch-hitter Orlando Palmeiro goes the opposite way with a double to left. One out later, Palmeiro steals third on his own. On the next pitch, the squeeze is on and David Eckstein bunts a tough pitch -- a slider low and away -- to the right side. Not only does Palmeiro score, but Eckstein beats it out for a base hit.

They call it little ball, but it has been big for the Angels as they continued to roll with a 6-1 victory before 19,869 at Comiskey Park. The win was the Angels' 18th in their past 21 games and moved them to within four games of the Seattle Mariners in the A.L. West, the closest they've been to the top spot since April 11 when they were 3 1/2 out.

Another huge factor in the Angels' run is the pitching, and it was starter Jarrod Washburn's turn on Sunday. He battled through a stiff back to go seven innings, allowing one run and three hits, improving to 4-2 and lowering his ERA to 3.48.

Angels starters have pitched into the seventh inning or later in 22 of the club's past 32 games. It has all added up to seven consecutive series wins. They haven't lost a series since losing two of three to Seattle on April 22-24.

``The challenge of the season is not to do this for two or three weeks,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. ''But for six months.''

Troy Glaus and Darin Erstad had the big hits, Glaus getting a two-run double in the first inning and Erstad a two-run double in the fifth. Both came off losing pitcher Mark Buehrle (7-3), who entered the game tied for the American League-lead in victories.

While the hits by Glaus and Erstad were big, the little ball mentality has taken over the Angels offense. Get 'em on, get 'em over, get 'em in.

``In spring training we focused on it a lot,'' said Erstad, who had three hits Sunday to extend his hitting streak to nine games and raise his batting average to .313. ``Early in the season we didn't have baserunners to do it. But yeah, it's awesome. It puts the other team on its heels because they don't know what to expect.''

The Angels have only 34 homers this season, more than only Kansas City and Tampa Bay in the A.L. Only one player -- Glaus -- is on pace to hit more than 30 this year.

Only two years ago, the Angels became the first A.L. team to have four players with 30-plus homers.

``The difference is the way the whole lineup is in touch with the situational aspect we need,'' Scioscia said.

The Angels scored three runs in the first inning, two on Glaus' double and another on Bengie Molina's two-out, RBI single. When Erstad's double in the fifth made it 5-0, the White Sox were still looking for their second hit off Washburn.

Washburn gave up a two-out double to Kenny Lofton in the third, a leadoff homer to Royce Clayton in the sixth and a two-out double to Carlos Lee in the seventh and that was it. Impressive because it came against a White Sox team that began the day tied with Seattle for the major league-lead in runs scored.

``With that lineup, you're in trouble every inning,'' Washburn said. ``Whether they're on base or not. It's a great lineup with great hitters and they can open it up in a hurry.''

Scioscia agreed, which is why he scoffed when questioned about Eckstein stealing second base in the ninth inning with a five-run lead.

``With (Ray) Durham, (Maglio) Ordonez, (Paul) Konerko and (Frank) Thomas coming up (in the bottom of the ninth)?'' Scioscia said. ``Those guys can put up runs in a hurry.''

Troy Percival pitched the ninth even though it wasn't a save situation, because he hadn't pitched in a week. He allowed a two-out single to Konerko, but struck out Thomas to end it.

NOTEBOOK

CHICAGO – Ho-hum, another boring season for Garret Anderson.

The Angels left fielder appears on his way to a typical season. Even though he's in a mini-slump (hitless in 12 at-bats), he's hitting .287 with six homers with 27 RBIs, which means he's on pace to have 24 homers and 107 RBIs. And that would be right on line with his career averages of .296, 19 homers and 90 RBIs.

Anderson, though, is overlooked nationally. He's never been an All-Star. Part of it could be because he's never had that one, truly remarkable season. He's hit more than 30 homers only once, and he's driven in more than 100 only twice.

``(Hitting coach Mickey Hatcher) jokes around, saying he hopes he's around the year everything falls my way,'' Anderson said. ``But maybe it's not in the cards for me to be that kind of hitter. The players that have great years also usually have a year where there's a big dip. I'd prefer to do what I'm doing and be boring.

``Everyone wants to have a great career, but for me, I'd rather not have that off year. I'd rather be consistent.''

Anderson has played in at least 150 games for six consecutive seasons and has played in all 41 games this season. He's never been on the disabled list. And in a game with so many ups and downs, Anderson hopes those who matter appreciate the type player he is.

``You do it year after year, people will eventually notice what you've done,'' he said. ``In any kind of business, you have to like that.''

Coincidence, Darin Erstad says.

Erstad was hitting .242 when he sustained a concussion and missed seven games starting April 20. Since returning, Erstad has hit .366 (30 for 82), raising his average to .313. But the time off wasn't the cause for the turnaround, he said.

``I didn't see 'the light,' '' Erstad said. ``No angel came down and touched me. I don't know ... but I don't want to go through that (concussion) again.''

After Sunday's game, the Angels activated right-handed reliever Donne Wall from the disabled list. Wall had been out since April 28 with tightness in his right arm. To make room for Wall, the Angels sent right-handed pitcher Matt Wise to Triple-A Salt Lake.

Wise pitched in three games will with the big club this season, and had no record with a 2.25 ERA.

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Oh Say Can You Sing? : The Night I Sang the National Anthem

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Richter) — Sat, 18 May 2013 19:04:00 +0000

By Ellen Bell, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer -

It was my New Year’s resolution. A dare, if you will.

Over the years I had listened to many National Anthem singers at the ballpark. One day, I said to myself,

“I can do that.”

I’m not really sure what drove me to call the Angels Front Office to inquire about an audition in January of 1998. But for whatever the reason, I made the call, recorded a short cassette tape, and mailed it in. I told myself that the dare was complete. I had made the effort and followed through. Mission accomplished.

Then I got the call.

I came home to find a message from the Angels on my answering machine, wondering if I’d like to sing the National Anthem in April. My kids, who were only 6 and 3 at the time, wanted to know why my face looked funny.

“Mommy’s gonna sing at the Angels game,” I answered weakly.

“Will you be on that giant TV screen in the field?” Tyler asked.

I had to sit down.

When the big day arrived and I drove to the stadium filled with a mixture of excitement and dread. I was thrilled for the opportunity but my anticipation was laced with panic. What if I messed up? What if I sang off key and embarrassed all of the neighbors and friends who had bought tickets to come and support me?

But what of it all went well and I had the time of my life?

I hung on to that thought as I met the Andre, the Angels Stage Manager at the time, who walked me through the tunnels and then up the elevator to the press level. There I met Peggy Duquesnel, the wonderfully talented musician who used to play live organ music during every home game. Peggy made me feel right at home as we ran through the anthem and practiced “Take Me Out to The Ballgame.” She was a stickler for the lyrics, and insisted that every soloist sang…”I don’t care if I never get back.” Even now, I still listen to the singers to see if they get it right.

After rehearsal, we took the elevator down to the dugout suites level. Andre showed me to the dressing room that was so close to the field I could hear the crack of the bats as the players took batting practice. Minutes later, I stepped up onto the field behind home plate and took a look around.

It was a beautiful, warm spring evening and the stadium was slowly filling with fans. Peggy’s music was floating over the field and I scanned the stadium around me, trying to memorize everything. David Courtney announced the lineup of the visiting team and then “Spirit in the Sky” began to play over the loud speaker. This was my signal to step up and take my position at the microphone. To this day, no matter where I am when I hear that song, my stomach fills with butterflies.

Then David Courtney said, “Now would you please rise and kindly remove your hats and join Ms Ellen Bell in the singing of our National Anthem.”

I glanced up at the giant image of myself on the jumbotron and quickly looked away. I decided to smile and focus on the flag in the outfield instead.

“Oh say can you see…”

A funny thing happens when you’re singing the National Anthem in front of thousands of people. Your mind begins to play tricks on you. Sure, you try to stay focused on the task at hand, but a little voice in your head tries to mess you up. This is why I will always have empathy for Christina Aguilera or anyone else who has flubbed the lyrics. Suddenly, in the middle of the song, I was absolutely convinced that I had sung the wrong words. I looked at the cameraman to see if he was confused by my jumbled lyrics, but his expression told me nothing. I continued on, singing through to the money note at the end, still believing that I had screwed the whole thing up.

“….O’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave.”

The cheers went up and I felt as if Mo Vaughn had been lifted off my shoulders. I walked off the field and whispered to my husband,

“Did I get the words right?”

“You were perfect,” he said just as the umpires took the field.

After that first night, I went on to sing the National Anthem more than 50 times at southern California sporting events. I had the honor of singing at Dodgers Stadium, Staples Center and on the ice for the Ducks when they still played at “The Pond.” But more than 30 of those games were for the Anaheim Angels, who always treated me and my family as if we were part of theirs. I have many wonderful memories from singing at Angels Stadium, but I have to say that the best are from that very first night,

...when I dared myself to step up to the plate.

The 2013 Angels: A New Dark Age or Time of Transition?

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Richter) — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:06:00 +0000

By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Columnist -

A Brief History of Franchise Ineptitude

I’ve never really liked the way the Angels were run. I started following the team around 1980, although I was just a kid and only vaguely followed them, not getting serious about the team until 1987, the year after their ill-fated 1986 campaign. The Angels had been to the playoffs three times in the previous eight years, and finished 1st or 2nd in the division in six of the last nine years (1978-86), so for most of my early years they had been a contender.

After the accursed 1986 season, the franchise entered another dark age that rivaled their first decade and a half; as with 1961-1978, from 1987 to 2001, a span of 15 years, they didn’t make a playoff appearance. There were a couple of close calls, most notably the infamous Great Collapse of 1995, which for me was the low-point in Angels history. While 1986 was disappointing, it was the culmination of the Buzzie Bavasi and Mike Port crafted mercenary teams. The big stars were imports from other organization like Bobby Grich, Doug DeCinces, Reggie Jackson, and Rod Carew, and thus didn’t quite have the “these are my guys” feel that is symptomatic of a homegrown team.

It wasn’t until the late 80s that the Angels began to focus more on player development. The first wave, including players like Wally Joyner, Devon White, and Jack Howell, didn’t bear fruit, perhaps partially because the Angels still relied upon bringing in aging free agents past their prime. The rosters of the late 80s and early 90s are veritable "Who’s Who" of 80s All-Star teams, yet of course all well past All-Star performance. When Tim Salmon arrived in 1993 and won Rookie of the Year, a new and more hopeful era began. In 1995 the team was a mixture of a talented young outfield of Salmon, Jim Edmonds, and Garret Anderson, stalwart shortstop Gary DiSarcina hitting well, franchise cornerstone Chuck Finley leading the rotation, and a mixture of imports including sparkplug Tony Philips and first baseman JT Snow. On August 16 the team was 64-38 with a 10.5 game lead. What happened next was one of the worst collapses in baseball history and rather inexplicable. The Angels went 9-28 over their next 37 games, falling 3 games behind the Seattle Mariners. They then proceeded to win five games in a row to force a one game tiebreaker with the Mariners. What followed was probably the most painful game I’ve ever watched. A fading Mark Langston faced Cy Young Award winning Randy Johnson. Through six and a half innings the Mariners had a narrow 1-0 lead and then the bottom of the 7th happened. Langston loaded the bases which Luis Sojo cleared on a double, and then scored on a wild throw from Langston. The Mariners followed up with 4 more runs in the 8th and the game was lost 9-1.

The 1996 team struggled, finishing 70-91 and in last place, but then the team perked up in 1997 and ‘98, finishing 2nd place both years. But the homegrown talent of the 90s never manifested in a playoff run, not until a new wave of talent came in and 2002 happened. I write “happened” because just as the collapse of 1995 was unexplainable, so was the success of 2002. Like the 1995 team, the 2002 squad was a mixture of homegrown talent – including Salmon and Anderson, but also Jarrod Washburn, John Lackey, Darin Erstad, Troy Glaus, and Francisco Rodriguez – and imports like Adam Kennedy, David Eckstein, Brad Fullmer and Scott Spiezio. The team wasn’t bursting with talent, but it was well-balanced and had a heart of gold.

Predictably, the 2003 team – comprised of most of the same players – disappointed. The fire was lost and what remained was the talent, which wasn’t overwhelming. But the offseason saw new team owner Arte Moreno wanting to make a “big splash,” and the Angels surprised by signing superstar Vladimir Guerrero, as well as pitchers Bartolo Colon and Kelvim Escobar, and trading for problematic but talented outfielder Jose Guillen. If 2002 was the Golden Year of Angels baseball, 2004-09 was an echoing Golden Age. The Angels made the playoffs in every year but 2006, and even then they contended but finished 2nd.

A new level of expectation was established for Angels fans. After 41 years (1961-2001) with only three playoff appearances, the Angels went eight years with six appearances including a World Series championship. If the Angels weren’t quite yet a first tier franchise like the Red Sox, Yankees, Braves, and Cardinals, they were in the next group down. Life was good for Angels fans.

By the end of 2009 the franchise and fans were getting a bit world-weary. It was the third year in a row, and fifth of six years, of losing in the first or second round of the playoffs. The team was very good, but something was always missing. A shake-up was believed to be needed, so core players of the 2004-09 were let go of – most notably aging Vlad Guerrero and lineup sparkplug Chone Figgins. The Angels brought in former Yankees star Hideki Matsui and hoped to rely upon the homegrown core of Jered Weaver, Ervin Santana, Erick Aybar, Howie Kendrick, Kendrys Morales, and Brandon Wood, as well as the veteran leadership of Torii Hunter and Bobby Abreu.

2010 was the team’s worst year since 2003 and the team finished 80-82. The homegrown talent wasn’t quite as talented as hoped, with Wood in particular being a massive disappointment. Owner Arte Moreno and General Manager had big plans for the offseason, looking to be in on both Carl Crawford and Adrian Beltre. They balked at the asking price of both and in what could only be described as a panic move of desperation, traded Mike Napoli and Juan Rivera to the Blue Jays for Vernon Wells and almost all of his $89 million contract. Wells was coming off a pretty good year, hitting 31 HR with an .847 OPS, but he had established a good-year, bad-year pattern and despite his superstar money had only really had a couple of superstar caliber seasons, in 2003 and 2006. He was considered untradeable due to his hugely overpriced contract until the Angels came along.

This trade sent the franchise reeling. Wells was a monumental disappointment in 2011, hitting .218/.248/.412, with one of the lowest on-base percentages in baseball history. The Angels perked up a bit overall, finishing 86-76 but still 10 games behind the Rangers and missing the wildcard by 5 games. Arte Moreno wasn’t satisfied, and neither were the relatively newly jaded Angels fans that were used to the success of 2002-09.

Tony Reagins was demoted and relatively young Jerry Dipoto brought in. Moreno and Dipoto got to work and pulled off the two biggest free agent acquisitions of the 2011 Winter Meetings, signing mega-star Albert Pujols and Texas ace CJ Wilson. Things were looking bright until, well, the season started. Pujols got off to a terrible start and the team was at 15-21 on May 14th. The next day notorious hitting coach Mickey Hatcher was fired. Whether that catalyzed the Angels or if they finally just figured things out—and of course a 20-year old by the name of Mike Trout had finally arrived—the Angels began to play well and went 42-26 through the end of July, pulling back into contention. But the Angels faded in August and despite a strong September were still watching the playoffs from their couches, finishing 5 games behind the Athletics and 4 behind the Wildcard teams.

Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire

This brings us almost to the present. For the last few years before 2012 the problem had been the hitting, not the pitching (well, at least not the starting pitching). In 2012 the hitting finally started firing on all cylinders, but the pitching fell apart, even with the late-season trade for Zack Greinke. Going into the offseason the plan was, or should have been, to re-vitalize the pitching staff. But the Angels balked at the asking price of Zack Greinke, who ended up going across town to the tune of 6 years and $147 million. The Angels also traded erratic starter Ervin Santana for Brandon Sisk in an obvious salary dump, and didn’t pick up declining starter Dan Haren’s option. So the Angels were left with a rotation of staff ace Jered Weaver, disappointing but solid CJ Wilson, and…Jerome Williams? Garret Richards? Brad Mills?

But never fear, Jerry Dipoto was in command. In non-chronological order he traded Kendrys Morales – who didn’t really have a position and was obviously not the same player he was in 2009 – for Jason Vargas. He also traded Jordan Walden for Tommy Hanson and, in his most head-scratching move of the offseason, signed Joe Blanton for two years and $15 million.

The real surprise was when the Angels, instead of going hard after Greinke consolation prize Anibal Sanchez or some other above average starter, signed Josh Hamilton for 5 years and $125 million. No one else was willing to give him more than 4 years, and for some reason the Rangers seemed quite willing to let him go – perhaps because of his injury-prone history and his erratic performance of 2012 - but Arte wanted a big name and a big bat and Arte holds the purse-strings.

So the Angels gambled. They gambled that A) The cobbled together rotation would be solid enough to let a B) supposed high-powered offense led by aging superstars Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols.

So far, not good. As of the time of writing, the morning of May 18th, the Angels sit at 15-27, 12 games below .500 and 12 games behind the Texas Rangers. 12 games! And we’re only a quarter of the way into the season.

There is no way around the fact that 2013 has been a disaster. Dipoto’s gambles have not paid off. While Wilson, Vargas and Hanson have held their own and basically been league average starters (although Wilson is being paid to be better than that), Joe Blanton has been a disaster (to the tune of an 0-7 record and 6.46 ERA through 8 starts). Jered Weaver has missed most of the season to injury and when he pitched, all of two starts, he was throwing soft 85-mph fastballs.

But the real goats of the season have been, first and foremost, Josh Hamilton and, secondly, Albert Pujols. Hamilton owns a .606 OPS and his performance at the plate can be best exemplified by his 9 walks to 48 strikeouts. Pujols, while starting better than last year, has been mediocre, hitting .242 with a .741 OPS. Together the two combine for an fWAR of -0.4, mainly due to Hamilton’s -0.4 (yet let us remind ourselves that Pujols 0.0 fWAR means he’s been of replacement value this year – that’s Paul McAnulty territory; it’s going to be a long nine years, folks).

The rest of the lineup has been solid, if unspectacular. For most of the year Peter Bourjos and Mark Trumbo played well, but Trumbo has struggled of late and Bourjos, surprise surprise, is injured. Mike Trout started slow but is playing very well, fWAR at 2.3, currently 6th in the majors. The bullpen has been, well, OK I guess – if blowing their usual saves.

To rub salt in wounds, former Angels are having good seasons across the league. Vernon Wells has seemingly discovered the flower of life, hitting .287/.345/.513 with 10 HR. Torii Hunter is also playing well, although seems to be fading and has only hit one HR. Perhaps worst of all is the fact that Ervin Santana is having his best season since his career in 2008, with a 2.79 ERA through 7 starts. Even Dan Haren, despite a 4.76 ERA, has pitched decently of late.

Where to Go From Here?

This brings us to the question. Or rather, there are many questions but I think we can simmer them down to two:

1) What’s wrong with this franchise?

2) What can and should be done about it?

Fans have looked to blame everyone and everything: Mike Butcher, Mike Scioscia, Jerry Dipoto, Arte Moreno, the players, the city, the team, the Indian burial ground, probably Barack Obama. Rather than trying to find someone to blame, it would behoove the powers-that-be to focus on how to make this team right – what to do. And unfortunately there is no easy answer.

Arte Moreno has been quite liberal with throwing his money around. While money can buy you a good team, it isn’t inherently causative that the more you spend, the more games you win. You have to spend that money well and the Angels, for the most part, have not done that. What is even more important is developing a strong farm system and savvy moves that optimize performance for cost.

Jerry Dipoto has made some savvy moves, but also some dunder-headed ones. In some ways he seems like he wants to be a moneyball-type GM, but is burdened by having too much money to spend, and the Steinbrenner-esque shadow of Arte Moreno looming over him.

What is wrong with this franchise is, I believe, what is also wrong with this country: a focus on the short-term and a lack of sustainability. Things not working out? Spend more! Buy buy buy!

The Angels need to look at their farm system as a garden, the prospects as flowers in the garden, and the major league team as a bouquet made from that garden. The bulk of that bouquet should be from the garden; that is the most cost-effective way to produce a bouquet and, furthermore, flowers fresh from one’s own backyard will be more beautiful and healthy than those imported from miles away. Now occasionally, when you want to bring in something exotic or to accent the bouquet, go ahead. But that should always be secondary and supplemental.

The Angels need to focus on the garden – on the farm system. It is terrible right now. Even the so-called “top prospects” like Kaleb Cowart, CJ Cron, Nick Maronde and Taylor Lindsey have struggled this year (although all are doing better, except for Cowart).

What can be done? This is the problem. At this point less is more. Let the team ride it out. Maybe make some minor adjustments, but by no means strip the minor league system further, or trade away someone like Peter Bourjos to bring in a rental to solidify the staff. Stop with the foolishness – enough damage has already been done. The Angels need to stop taking the psychiatric approach: prescribe one medication, then another to counter-act the side-effects of the first, then a third to counter-act the side-effects of the second, etc. It spirals out of control and you’re left with…well, a 15-27 record despite the 7th highest payroll in the majors.

Hey, at least the Angels aren’t the Dodgers, who have been almost equally inept but with a payroll almost $100 million higher.

From 2010 to the present the Angels have missed out on the playoffs. 2013 looks little different. We can hope, though, that Arte Moreno learns his lesson and stops throwing money around on bad gambles. We can hope that Jerry Dipoto has the long-range plan in mind so that the Angels can, once again, return to contention during Mike Trout’s prime years. Given that Trout’s only 21 that might sound fatalistic, but remember that the Angels have put a lot of eggs in just a small basket – they have $95 million invested in four players – Pujols, Hamilton, Weaver, and Wilson – in 2016, all four of whom have been disappointments this year. Hopefully the Angels stop trying to fix mistakes with further mistakes and take a more sustainable approach towards long-term success.

We can hope.

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Angels Classic Rewind | Dateline: May 18th, 2002

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Richter) — Sat, 18 May 2013 17:43:00 +0000

By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor -

MAY 18, 2002

GAME 40 - ANGELS AT WHITE SOX

CHICAGO -- Ramon Ortiz has learned that amnesia can be a good thing. Forgeting about a bad pitch and concentrating on the next one has helped him become the Angels' most consistent pitcher this season.

Now, Ortiz is faced with having to forget about a bad start.

For the first time this season, Ortiz did not reach the seventh inning as the Chicago White Sox snapped the Angels' eight-game win streak with a 10-4 victory Saturday night before 21,122 at Comiskey Park.

Ortiz gave up six runs but only seven hits in his six innings. However, four of the hits were home runs, including two by Frank Thomas, one by Paul Konerko and one by John Valentin. Ortiz has allowed 13 homers this season, most in the American League.

''Today I did not have good command of the ball, the ball was a little high,'' said Ortiz, whose ERA jumped from 2.63 to 3.30. ''When you make a mistake, you pay. With a strong hitter, every time you throw a pitch in the middle, that's what happens.''

Angels manager Mike Scioscia, though, is not concerned about Ortiz's tendency to give up homers. In fact, of the 13 Ortiz has allowed, 10 have been solo shots. And Ortiz had allowed only 15 earned runs in his seven starts going into Saturday's game.

One of Thomas' home runs on Saturday came when he broke his bat, but muscled it out.

''You can't say the home run has killed Ramon,'' Scioscia said. ''They've got a lot of power over there. He made a couple mistakes, but it's not always a bad pitch. Sometimes you have to tip your cap and move on.''

The White Sox jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning when Konerko had an RBI single and Thomas hit a two-run homer, both coming with two out.

''He wasn't real comfortable in the first inning,'' Angels catcher Jorge Fabregas said of Ortiz. ''I don't know if it was the cold (48 degrees at first pitch). He had trouble locating the ball. This year we're used to seeing him give us a dominating performance. He was just a little off today.''

Brad Fullmer (3 for 4) got the Angels on the scoreboard with a solo homer in the fourth, but Thomas' second homer in the bottom of the inning made it 4-1 White Sox. RBI singles by Darin Erstad and Troy Glaus brought the Angels to within 4-3 in the fifth, but Ortiz gave it back in the sixth when he allowed solo homers to Konerko and Valentin.

On the homer to Konerko, Fabregas called for a fastball inside. Ortiz wanted to throw a slider, hung it, and Konerko hit it out.

''I felt (Konerko) was waiting for it,'' Fabregas said of the slider. ''He wanted to throw the slider. Hey, it's his game. But if the slider's down, it's probably an out.''

The Angels scored one more run on Scott Spiezio's RBI single in the top of the seventh before the White Sox tacked on four runs in the bottom of the seventh off the Angels bullpen.

The Angels actually out-hit the White Sox, 11-10, but missed run-scoring chances. Going into the game they were hitting .303 with runners in scoring position; Saturday they went 3 for 15.

''We had a lot of opportunities,'' Scioscia said of the offense, which had at least one runner in scoring position in every inning but the eighth. ''Early on we had guys in scoring position but we couldn't get runs. Those guys made some pitches.''

Their streak over, the Angels still feel good about the way they're playing.

''Good things come to an end, but we'll start another one (today),'' Fabregas said. ''If we thought we were going to win every one out there, we were sadly mistaken. But we're trying to win every series.''

The Angels have won six consecutive series, and need to win today's game to make it seven straight.

NOTEBOOK

CHICAGO -- Center fielder Darin Erstad missed getting doused by a full cup of beer from a White Sox fan Friday as Erstad fielded a ball in the left-center field gap. Though Erstad had a few choice words for the fan, he said it was no big deal.

Such is the life of a major league outfielder. Erstad said he's had golf balls, batteries and quarters thrown at him. He's only been hit once, when a fan at Comiskey Park got him with a quarter.

While thrown objects are crossing the line, Erstad said he doesn't mind what fans might say, no matter how personal they can get at times.

''I have no problem dealing with that stuff,'' he said. ''They paid for their ticket so they have the right to say what they want. When I'm 50 or 60, I'm not going to be happy or sad based on what they said. But put it this way, they'll never be invited over to my house for Christmas.''

Angels manager Mike Scioscia was a catcher during his playing days with the Dodgers, so he didn't have to deal with thrown objects like many outfielders do. However ...

''Don't forget, I played with the Dodgers and we played at Candlestick Park (in San Francisco),'' Scioscia said.

The tunnel to the clubhouse there was down the right-field line, so all the players had to walk along those seats and listen to the fans' barbs and dodge the occasional thrown object. Scioscia said he remembers nearly getting hit by an orange.

While many Angels hitters have been productive during the club's hot stretch, DH Brad Fullmer has been as hot as any. Fullmer got off to a slow start, trying to find his swing and was hitting just .200 on April 28.

Since then, he's hit safely in 13 of 14 games, batting .411 (23 for 56) with 12 extra-base hits and 12 RBIs to raise his season average to .294. He went 3 for 4 with a homer and double in Saturday's loss.

''I was hitting .200 with no homers the first three weeks, so I'm not going to say I'm not swinging the bat better,'' Fullmer said. ''But I'm still not where I want to be. The last couple of days I've felt good at the plate. Now it's a matter of staying consistent and staying where I'm at.''

Reliever Donne Wall returned to the team Saturday following his rehab appearance Friday for Triple-A Salt Lake. Wall will be activated either today or Monday, meaning the Angels will have to send a pitcher down, probably Matt Wise.

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Los Angeles Angels Pitching Prospect Mark Sappington Talks With AngelsWin.com

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Richter) — Fri, 17 May 2013 23:57:00 +0000

Interview Conducted By David Saltzer, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer

The Angels selected Sappington in the 5th round of the 2012 amateur draft out of Rockhust, Mo., a Division II school where he went unnoticed after three years of competition. Sappington signed quickly and got to work immediately with the Orem Owlz.

The tall, physical frame allows Sappington to work in the 94-95 range with his fastball, reaching 97, with heavy sink due to a downhill angle which generates a good portion of groundball outs. Sappington also throws a good slider, though inconsistent at times, and a developing changeup which looks average right now. There's a lot of movement in Sappington's delivery which causes deception, but there's cause for concern that it could corrupt his mechanics and command.

Ric Wilson had this to say about Mark Sappington when I asked if he would stick in the rotation or be moved to his bullpen where his good fastball/slider would play out well. "I think at this point Chuck he will continue to start. He is working on some mechanical things and it takes a lot of reps to figure it out, but he has big stuff and his secondary pitches improved as the season progressed all the way through instructional league. He loves to learn and he is not afraid to take it to the mound as he learns it."

Sappington has started his first full season in High-A with the Inland Empire 66ers with a 5-0 record, posting a minuscule 2.05 ERA while opposing hitters have hit just .204 against as a starting pitcher. Sappington has also fanned 49 batters in 52 2/3 innings.

Click below to check out our recent interview with Mark Sappington, who's always a fun interview. (Check out last season's interview with him)

Mark Sappington 05-13-2013 from AngelsWin.com on Vimeo.

Angels Classic Rewind | Dateline: May 17th, 2002

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Richter) — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:46:00 +0000

By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor -

MAY 17, 2002

GAME 39 - ANGELS AT WHITE SOX

CHICAGO -- The wind-chill factor at the start of Friday night's game between the Angels and Chicago White Sox was 34 degrees, which seemed to make Chicago-area natives Scott Spiezio, Al Levine and Lou Pote feel right at home.

All three played big roles in leading the Angels to an 8-4 victory before 12,736 bundled up fans at Comiskey Park, the Angels eighth consecutive victory and their 17th in 19 games.

The Angels have won eight in a row twice this season, the first time in franchise history they've had two winning streaks of at least eight games in the same season. The Angels also became the sixth team in the majors since 1998 to go 17-2 over a 19-game stretch. Seattle and Oakland each did it last season.

Spiezio, a native of Joliet, Ill., had two hits, including a two-run homer in the eighth inning that turned a 5-4 game into 7-4. Pote, from Evergreen Park, and Levine, from Park Ridge, each pitched two hitless innings in relief of starter Scott Schoeneweis (3-4). Levine earned his fourth save of the season.

``Listen, man, Chicago's their kind of town,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said, though Levine admitted he could have done without the cold.

``I wanted to throw three pitches and get out of there,'' said Levine, who didn't wear sleeves under his uniform jersey.

The cold also didn't seem to bother Darin Erstad, a native of North Dakota, who had three hits and raised his season average to .299. Troy Glaus homered in the ninth inning for the Angels, his team-leading ninth of the season.

Schoeneweis wasn't quite as effective as the pitchers who followed him, but managed to get through five innings and keep the White Sox, who rank second in the majors in runs scored, from putting together a big inning.

The White Sox scored two runs in the first inning, but the Angels tied it with two unearned runs off White Sox starter Jon Garland (4-3) in the third. The White Sox regained the lead on Aaron Rowand's (Glendora High, Cal State Fullerton) RBI double in the fourth, but the Angels went ahead for good with three runs in the fifth.

``We haven't played perfect baseball,'' Scioscia said. ``But we're not waiting for breaks to turn the game our way. The offense has been good, so a break either way doesn't determine a win or a loss.''

They had ''only'' 11 hits Friday, but once again got contributions from up and down the lineup. Seven of the nine starters had at least one hit and six of the nine scored at least one run.

``It just keeps coming and coming,'' Levine said. ''It's awesome.''

Erstad has been in the middle of it. Friday he extended his hitting streak to seven games, during which time he's hit .414 (12 for 29).

``I'm still working,'' Erstad said. ``I can handle certain pitches but there are some I can't get to. I'll keep working, I'm never satisfied.''

Hitting in the second spot, Erstad is expected to both score runs and drive in runs, a key spot in Scioscia's lineup.

``Ersty's got a lot on his plate because we're asking him to set the table and drive in runs,'' Scioscia said. ``He's moving full-speed ahead now.''

As a team, the Angels are averaging 7.9 runs per game during the 19-game stretch.

``We're playing with confidence,'' Erstad said. ``We're getting guys on, and different guys are stepping up every night.''

NOTEBOOK

CHICAGO -- The fact that the players union has begun considering strike dates is ``troubling'' to Angels manager Mike Scioscia, who also said he like to see a neutral party intervene to help the owners and players come to an agreement on a new labor deal.

``I would certainly hope there could be somebody to step in and function as a mediator and get something done,'' Scioscia said. ``You're talking about some that's very, very important, not only for the people directly involved in the game but for the whole country.''

That mediator, though, should not be President Bush, Scioscia said. ``I think the President's got bigger things on his plate,'' he said.

Scioscia said the fans have to be considered in how the two sides act, though it hasn't seemed to be much of a concern.

``You hope you're never confronted with eroding that support from the fans,'' he said. ``It's such a big part of the country, it's not just a sport. It's a part of people's lives. Millions of people every morning, if they can't see the highlights, pick up the paper and see how their team did.''

Scioscia also said that the game's popularity internationally should be considered, now that so many non-U.S. players are having an impact.

``With that kind of interest being generated world-wide, there's a golden opportunity to expand on that,'' he said.

At the start of Friday's game between the Angels and White Sox, the temperature was 42 degrees, with a wind-chill factor of 34 degrees.

Third baseman Troy Glaus often doesn't wear sleeves under his jersey during many cold days because he feels constricted. But Friday that was not the case.

``It's 20 degrees; that's different,'' he said.

Said Scioscia: ``It's easy to play the game when it's 70 degrees and no wind. If you're a championship club you play under adverse conditions. It's a challenge. I grew up in Philly and played in this kind of weather. I think we'll be OK.''

Shortstop David Eckstein fouled a ball off his face in the first inning Friday. He sustained a bump and small cut over his right eye, and another small cut on the bridge of his nose, caused by the helmet. After trainer Ned Bergert wiped away the blood and put a bandage on his nose, Eckstein returned to the game.

``Ned was working him like a cut man in the corner,'' Scioscia said.

``I knew I broke my helmet,'' Eckstein said. ``I went to get a new helmet and blood started coming down my face. I was just scared my eye would close.''

As Darin Erstad fielded Frank Thomas' double in left-center field in the fourth inning Friday, a fan threw a cup of beer that splashed near Erstad but missed him.

``I guess they were a bad shot,'' Erstad said.

Reliever Donne Wall, pitching on a rehab assignment for Triple-A Salt Lake in Memphis, Tenn. on Friday, gave up one run in 1 2/3 innings of work. Wall will rejoin the team in Chicago today, but he will not be activated yet.

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Where's The Beef?

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Richter) — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:31:00 +0000

The state of Angels baseball, explained in commercials

By Glen McKee, AngelsWin.com columnist -

Wow, it’s been a rough season so far and the light on the horizon is dim at best. Injuries, bad contracts, uninspired play, and a lack of depth have conspired to give the Angels one of their worst starts ever and now even making the playoffs seems a Herculean task (and not one of the easy ones, like slaying the Nemean lion). However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t any enjoyment to be had from the season. Some of that fun can come from comparing the state of Angels baseball to commercials, both current and past. Allow me to illustrate...

The relationship of Angels fans to manager Mike Scioscia = the “Jake from ‘State Farm’’ commercial.

First, let me say that the “Jake” commercial is one of the most disturbing things on TV right now, right behind watching the Angels play. The relationship of the couple in the commercial has to be teetering on the edge of destruction and I think the shrewish wife is gonna beat the crap out of her husband a few days after the commercial takes place, and he’ll then run away with Jake (they’re secretly lovers). But I digress; here’s the commercial in case you’ve missed it:

This commercial is a metaphor for how a growing number of fans feel about Mike Scioscia. The husband is Mike Scioscia, the wife is the fans, and I guess Jake is a combination of Arte Moreno and Jerry Dipoto. No matter what Scioscia/husband does, wife/fans is mistrustful of it and suspects the worst. As with my assumed “after the commercial ends” scenario there is some justification to how wife/fans are feeling but not as much as they think. Like the marriage in the commercial is doomed to a horrible ending, the Angels relationship with Mike Scioscia looks like it will end after the commercial (season) plays out.

Angels baserunning = Pepsi Max “I’m good!” commercial

As horrible and disturbing as the last commercial was, this one is funny. Unlike the Angels on the basepaths – particularly when headed to thirdbase for some reason – I never get tired of this one:

Much like the guys in the commercial, the Angels are getting killed on the basepaths but don’t seem to realize it and try to shrug it off. Made the last out – or the first or second out – at third? We’re good! Unlike the commercial, though, the Angels on the run aren't funny. Sigh.

The signing of Josh Hamilton = Doritos “Goat 4 Sale” commercial

Another one of my favorite commercials because really, who doesn’t love a goat? Not in the biblical sense, of course – they’re just cool with their weird pupils and ability to eat anything. So yeah, the commercial:

In this commercial the Angels are the bearded guy, the Texas Rangers are the dude selling the goat at the start of the commercial, and Josh Hamilton is the goat. Hamilton/goat seemed like a great fit because both of us loved Doritos/money. However, Hamilton/goat is eating up our Doritos/money and giving us nothing in return. Hopefully in a few months this commercial will look like a ridiculous choice. Maybe Josh needs to get a goat-pupil transplant to pull it off.

The Angels offense = Wendy’s “Where’s the beef?” commercial

It doesn’t really need explaining, but: the Angels offense is the burger. All bun, almost no meat. Bun = RISP, meat = runs. The old ladies are Angels fans, of course.

Angels pitching = Geico “Dikembe Mutombo”” commercial

Dikembe Mutombo is impossible to dislike in this commercial:

He’s also every team that faces the Angels pitching, and whatever he’s gleefully swatting down is at least six runs. The Angels try to say “Not in my house!” but Dikembe/other team whacks us like a box of cereal or the letter G. I swear, most of the time the other team makes it look that easy.

How the future looks for the Angels = Allstate “Mayhem motorcycle” commercial

The motorcycle is the Angels team and mayhem is Jerry Dipoto. Whee! He crashed the team and it’s gonna take a little while to pick it up and clean it off. That doesn’t mean he can’t do it, just that he’s steering a beat-up bike that used be to all shiny and awesome but now it has dents and scratches and damage.

Confession: I still love this team – you can love something and still not like it much – but I’m just trying to find ways to make these games more enjoyable. Right now it’s tough.

Angels Classic Rewind | Dateline: May 16th, 2002

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Richter) — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:43:00 +0000

By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor -

MAY 16, 2002

RAINOUT - ANGELS AT TIGERS

DETROIT -- After a three-hour, 55-minute delay, the Angels game with the Detroit Tigers was rained out Thursday night at Comerica Park. No makeup date has been scheduled. The Angels are not scheduled to return to Detroit this season, but since the Tigers have one more trip to Anaheim, it's possible the makeup game will be played at Edison Field.

After the long delay, Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski thanked Angels manager Mike Scioscia for his patience, then added: ``Go beat up on everybody else now that you're done beating up on us.''

Scioscia said he had no problem with the long delay because the team was hoping to play and does not need rest at this stage of the season.

``Now's not the time you're looking for a rainout,'' he said. ``Early in the season you don't need them. As it builds up to the grind of the season (having to play a makeup game) can get a little tough. But there's no way around it.''

Scioscia added he wasn't worried that the rainout would slow his club's momentum. They've won 16 of 18, including seven in a row.

``I don't think the confidence level of the club will be broken by a day off,'' he said.

Players passed the time during the delay watching TV or playing cards. First baseman Scott Spiezio, who is the lead singer/songwriter in his band ``SandFrog,'' said: ``If I had brought my guitar I could have written a whole album.''

Scioscia said the rotation will simply be pushed back a day, meaning Thursday's scheduled starter Scott Schoeneweis will start tonight in Chicago against the White Sox.

Shawn Wooten and Benji Gil left the team Thursday for the club's minor league camp in Mesa, Ariz., where they will work out for the next week. Wooten (thumb surgery) and Gil (sprained ankle) are on the disabled list and recovering from their injuries, but left the team because rain is expected all weekend in Chicago, which would limit their ability to work out.

Gil will join Triple-A Salt Lake on Friday to begin a rehab assignment. Wooten hopes to go along with Gil, but there's a chance he'll need more time before going on a rehab assignment.

Wooten tore a ligament in his thumb on March 13 and hasn't played since. Gil sprained his ankle on April 5 in the team's fourth game of the season. Both are eager to get back.

``Obviously you want to be around when the team's playing well,'' Gil said. ``It's always fun, but when the team's winning, every day is like a party. It's pretty fun when you get to shake hands 10 times a day.''

Wooten said he was encouraged because he hit off a pitching machine in the batting cage for the first time Thursday.

``Being able to hit 80, 90-mph fastballs is big, that's what I was worried about,'' Wooten said. ``But it was good. I'm taking baby steps.''

Wooten and Gil are expected to need about one to two weeks of playing time on their respective rehab assignments. Besides showing that they are physically sound, both also need enough time to play multiple positions. Wooten will play first base, third and catcher; Gil will play first, second and shortstop.

Pitcher Donne Wall (tightness right arm) will join Salt Lake today in Memphis, Tenn. to begin his rehab assignment.

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Angels Classic Rewind | Dateline: May 15th, 2002

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Richter) — Thu, 16 May 2013 00:49:00 +0000

By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor -

MAY 15, 2002

GAME 38 - ANGELS

DETROIT -- The streaking Angels won again Wednesday, routing the hapless Detroit Tigers, 10-1, before 12,314 at Comerica Park.

Yes, the Tigers are a bad team, owners of the worst record in baseball. Tigers right fielder Robert Fick said if he was a paying fan, he'd probably ''throw up.''

But the Angels aren't about to feel sorry for anybody. That was them early in the season, when they lost 14 of their first 20 games. Since then, they've won 16 of 18, the best 18-game stretch in franchise history, including the last seven in a row.

At 22-16, the Angels are six games over .500 for the first time since Aug. 28 last season.

Angels starter Aaron Sele gave up one run and six hits in seven innings, the first time he's completed seven innings this season. The offense continued its surge as all nine starters had at least one hit and eight of nine scored at least one run.

Sele has won his past four starts, improving to 4-2. But he hasn't pitched all that well, especially for someone who signed a three-year, $24 million deal with the club during the winter.

He has struggled with his mechanics all year, but Wednesday found a way to work through it.

''(Pitching coach) Buddy (Black) and I talked about working with a little more tempo and rhythm,'' Sele said. ''Pitching is athletic and I was too mechanical with it.''

So Sele worked more quickly, kept the ball down and got outs. And probably there was no bigger play in the game than in the first inning when he got Dmitri Young to hit into a double play.

The Angels had taken a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on Garret Anderson's RBI single, but the bottom of the first would be a telltale sign of things to come. Sele had given up at least two runs in each of his previous three starts, and it was a pattern the Angels were hoping he'd break.

But with one out in the first, Fick singled and went to third on Bobby Higginson's single. Young followed with a grounder to David Eckstein at shortstop, who flipped to second baseman Jose Nieves.

Nieves made a difficult pivot at the bag and threw to first to get Sele out of the inning.

''When you come back to the dugout and guys are high-fiving you and laughing, you know they're thinking about it,'' Sele said of his first-inning woes. ''I think that was the most consistent I've been this year. I was able to repeat quality pitches. I got guys to hit the ball on the ground and let the guys work behind me. They did an excellent job.''

The Tigers were never in it after that. In the second inning, Nieves had a two-out, RBI single and Eckstein followed with a two-run homer, his third of the year for a 4-0 Angels lead.

Eckstein had homers on April 27 and 28, both grand slams, but insists his recent power is a fluke.

''Those balls aren't clearing the fence by much,'' Eckstein said. ''And they're right down the line. It's not like I'm going to center field.''

The Angels added three more runs in the sixth, one in the eight on Brad Fullmer's homer and two more in the ninth. Eckstein, Darin Erstad, Troy Glaus and Anderson each had two hits.

But as good as the offense has been, the pitching has been equally as good. And Wednesday, Sele joined the party.

''One encouraging thing about Aaron is you say, OK, he's been struggling, but he's 4-2,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. ''That shows you when he gets support, he can shut teams down.''

NOTEBOOK

DETROIT -- Shortstop David Eckstein is the only Angels player to start every game this season at the same position and in the same spot in the batting order (leadoff).

It's the kind of consistency the Angels have come to expect from Eckstein, who is hitting .279, has an on-base percentage of .360 and is tied for the A.L. lead in getting hit by pitches (eight).

But manager Mike Scioscia is not planning to play Eckstein every game this season. The Angels will play games in 16 consecutive days starting May 28, and there's a good chance Eckstein will get a day off during that stretch.

''When we really start to get into the grind, we'll look at it,'' Scioscia said of giving Eckstein a day off. ''But he's holding up real well.''

Eckstein, who played in 153 games last season, says he feels fine.

''I feel comfortable at the plate right now,'' he said. ''I'm making good contact. There's nothing I want to change right now. Pitchers are doing the same thing with me -- trying to throw inside.''

Blue Jays pitchers tried to throw Eckstein inside a couple weeks ago and Eckstein pulled those pitches for grand slams in consecutive games. He got another inside pitch from the Tigers' Mark Redman on Wednesday, and pulled that one for his third homer of the year.

''This game is a game of adjustments,'' Eckstein said. ''Even between at-bats with the same pitcher. You have to be able to adjust, that's what keeps you in the game.''

Defensively, Eckstein has played well, making only three errors all season.

The only other Angel to start every game this season is Garret Anderson. Anderson played in 161 games last year, missing one game to tend to a family matter.

It's rare when a manager's argument results in the umpire changing a call, but Scioscia pulled it off in Wednesday's game.

Bengie Molina was on first base in the second inning when Tigers pitcher Mark Redman threw a wild pitch that bounced off catcher Michael Rivera's shin and toward the Tigers dugout. Rivera retrieved the ball as he slid, landing one step down in the Tigers dugout, then flipped the ball back onto the field as Molina went to third.

Homeplate umpire Laz Diaz ruled that Molina had to go back to second, bringing Scioscia out of the dugout. Scioscia's argument resulted in three separate umpires conferences, ending finally with the umps allowing Molina to take third.

''The ball carried into the dugout with the catcher's impetus,'' Scioscia said. ''That's two bases. I think the umpires did a good job. They talked it over, came to an understanding and made the call.''

Molina eventually scored on Jose Nieves' two-out single.

Right-handed reliever Donne Wall came out of Tuesday's bullpen session fine on Wednesday and will join Triple-A Salt Lake on Friday in Memphis, Tenn., to begin a rehab assignment. Wall has been on the disabled list since April 29 with tightness in his right arm. ... With Wednesday's win, the Angels are now 15-2 in May. The franchise's best May ever came in 1989, when it went 18-7. The franchise's best month ever came in June of 1998, when it went 22-6. ... With his one inning of work in Wednesday's game, reliever Dennis Cook has pitched 1,000 innings in his major league career.

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ANGELS TO HOST ARMED FORCES DAY AT ANGEL STADIUM ON MAY 18

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Richter) — Thu, 16 May 2013 00:36:00 +0000

Purple Heart Baseball game to follow Angels vs. White Sox contest

ANAHEIM, CA – The Angels announced today that the club has partnered with State Farm to pay tribute to the United States Military for Armed Forces Day on May 18 at Angel Stadium. Honorary events will take place throughout that afternoon’s contest against the Chicago White Sox at 1:05PM with both teams debuting MLB’s new camouflage hats (see image below).

Armed Forces Day begins with multiple military vehicle displays outside of Angel Stadium and a Camo Hat promotion for all fans in attendance, courtesy of State Farm, while supplies last. A pre-game ceremony is scheduled for approximately 12:30PM and will include: a World War II aircraft flyover, an honorary bat boy (local Gold-Star child who lost a parent in combat), a joint forces color guard, an on-field military presentation and a first pitch and National Anthem performed by veterans. Additionally, an American flag previously flown at a North Kabul NATO Base in Afghanistan will be raised during the ceremony by special guest, Buzz Aldrin.

On game day, veterans and active duty military can purchase tickets at the stadium box office for 50% off selected seating with a Military ID or VA Card. Angels Baseball has also partnered with season-seat holders and State Farm to donate tickets to local military branches.

The day’s events will conclude with a postgame three-inning Purple Heart Baseball game. A wounded warrior team from Fort Sam Houston (San Antonio, TX) will take on Camp Pendleton wounded warriors (Oceanside, CA) approximately 30 minutes after the completion of the Angels/White Sox game. Fans in attendance for the Angels game are encouraged to stay and enjoy the event as these individuals represent over 50,000 service members who have been wounded over the last decade. All donations will go to support military and wounded veteran organizations.

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Angels Classic Rewind | Dateline: May 14th, 2002

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Richter) — Wed, 15 May 2013 06:00:00 +0000

By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor -

MAY 14, 2002

GAME 37 - ANGELS AT TIGERS

DETROIT -- Told the Seattle Mariners had lost Tuesday night, Angels manager Mike Scioscia responded: ''Did they? I didn't see.''

That's the mindset Scioscia is preaching to his club, 9-2 winners over the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday before 12,745 at Comerica Park. Coupled with the Mariners' loss to the Blue Jays, the Angels are 4 1/2 games out in the A.L. West, the closest they've been since April 12.

The Angels have won six in a row and 15 of their past 17, matching the best 17-game stretch in club history (June 1-17 1998). But Scioscia says his players aren't patting themselves on the back.

''We're not looking at it in terms like that, because we also got off to the worst start in franchise history,'' he said of the 6-14 start. ''We're trying to keep the short-term focus. We're not looking past anything but (tonight's) ballgame.''

If it's anything like the past 17, the Angels stand a good chance of winning. They played another complete game Tuesday, getting another solid outing from starter Kevin Appier (7 innings, 2 runs, 3 hits) and more than enough offense.

Eight of the nine starters had at least one hit, including three by Tim Salmon. Salmon homered, doubled, singled and drove in four, and Troy Glaus also homered as the Angels had 14 hits.

Still, the Angels refuse to allow themselves to get too excited about the way they're playing.

''We were good about not panicking when things were not going real good at first,'' said Appier, who improved to 4-1 and lowered his ERA to 2.79. ''Still, it's been a lot different. You feel a lot of confidence in here. It's not cockiness. We don't know we can kick everybody's butt when we go out there. But we have a lot more confidence about us.

''We're glad we've been playing great lately but you can't assume tomorrow's going to be the same thing. Just keep busting our butts hard and hopefully in September we're in playoff position.''

If the Angels are to make a run for the playoffs, Appier figures to have a major role. He's allowed two earned runs or fewer in seven of his eight starts. The Angels are 6-2 in games he started.

''I think he's shown no matter the situation he's been able to pitch his ballgame,'' Scioscia said. ''A lot of it is experience. It has let him pitch beyond his years. Whether we're scoring runs or not, he's able to execute his pitches. He was able to do it when he was young, and he's definitely doing it now.''

None of the Angels pitchers have had to worry about a lack of offensive support lately. During the 17-game stretch, the Angels have averaged 7.8 runs per game. And Salmon has been a big part of it.

Salmon has hit in six consecutive games, batting .571 (12 for 21) during the streak. But he's been hitting well longer than that. Since going 0 for 5 on April 27 and seeing his batting average dip to .158, Salmon is hitting .409 (18 for 44) to raise his average to a season-high .250.

But don't ask him to explain it.

''I'm not saying anything,'' Salmon said. ''That's for you guys (reporters) to talk about. I'm not going to do anything to ... ''I'm not analyzing. I'm making adjustments, enough to where it's starting to come together. But I don't want to start analyzing. For me, it's best not to think.''

The Angels scored early, getting two runs in the first, one in the second and two in the third for a 5-0 lead. But they could have had more. In both the second and third innings, the Angels had a runner on third with one out and stranded him.

Glaus' two-run homer got the Angels started in the first, his team-leading eighth of the season. In the second, Salmon singled, went to third on a double by Scott Spiezio and scored on Bengie Molina's groundout. Brad Fullmer made it 5-0 in the third with his two-run double, scoring Erstad and Anderson, each who singled.

The Tigers got on the scoreboard in the third inning when Wendell Magee doubled and eventually scored on Michael Rivera's sacrifice fly. Dmitri Young's solo homer in the fifth made it 5-2.

That would be as close as the Tigers would get. Salmon put the game away with his three-run homer in the seventh, and he added a 420-foot sacrifice fly in the ninth.

NOTEBOOK

DETROIT -- When the Angels signed pitcher Aaron Sele to a three-year, $24 million contract, one of the things they were banking on was innings. But Sele, making his eighth start of season tonight against the Tigers, has yet to last seven innings in any of his first seven starts.

Sele has struggled with his mechanics for most of the season, though he has made slow progress throughout.

''A number of things have happened,'' pitching coach Bud Black said. ''Coming to a new team, it's taken time getting to know the catchers, and the catchers getting to know him. It's had a real impact on pitch selection.

''And it's human nature to try to do a little too much with a new team. When you do that, your mechanics tend to get off kilter.''

Though he hasn't been good, Sele has been consistent. In each of his past three starts, he's given up four runs and nine hits. He's given up more than four runs only once this season and more than nine hits only once.

And Sele finds a way to win. In 1998 with Texas, he won 19 games with an ERA of 4.23, and he won 18 games with a 4.79 ERA in 1999. Despite a 5.75 ERA this year, he's 3-2.

''To his credit, when he's really had to, he's made pitches to keep himself in games and get a victory,'' Black said. ''Even though he's not totally locked in, he's a winning pitcher.''

The Angels have won 15 of their past 17 games, but so far the national media haven't paid much attention. The spotlight in the A.L. West primarily falls on the Mariners and A's, and it seems even the Rangers get more attention.

Manager Mike Scioscia, though, said the lack of attention paid to his team is inconsequential.

''We've got a different focus than worrying about what the opinion of our club is in the media or in baseball,'' Scioscia said. ''Our focus is in house. We know we're a championship-caliber club.

''Our focus is not missing steps along the way that lead to a championship. Whatever the perception is of the talent level of our club is really immaterial.''

Utility player Benji Gil had hoped to begin a rehab assignment early this week, but it won't happen until the end of this week at the earliest. Gil sustained a severely sprained ankle on April 5.

Reliever Donne Wall (tightness in right arm) threw a bullpen session Tuesday and felt fine. He's eligible to come off the disabled list but likely will go out on a rehab assignment before the Angels consider activating him.

Shortstop David Eckstein went into Tuesday's game as the toughest player in the majors to double up. He had not hit into a double play all season until he did so in his 149th at-bat of the season Tuesday on a hard-hit ball to shortstop with Darin Erstad on first.

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Los Angeles Angels Prospect Interview: Michael Morin talks with AngelsWin.com

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Richter) — Mon, 13 May 2013 23:47:00 +0000

Armed with the best change-up in the Angels system according to Ric Wilson, Morin has taken the lead in the 66ers bullpen. Not only does the 21-year-old Morin have 24 Ks 2 1/3 IP to go along with a 2.01 ERA, but he has only allowed two walks on the season. Morin's fastball is not on the same level as a Scoggins or Sappington, it is respectable, in the low 90s and he complements it with a solid curve. With the Angels lack of depth out of the bullpen, look for Morin to shoot up the depth chart and possibly compete for a spot in the Angels bullpen in 2014.

For now, get to know Michael Morin a little more by watching our interview with the future star.

Mike Morin 04-24-2013 from AngelsWin.com on Vimeo.

Angels Classic Rewind | Dateline: May 13th, 2002

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Richter) — Mon, 13 May 2013 23:31:00 +0000

By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor -

MAY 13, 2002

OFF DAY - NOTEBOOK

DETROIT -- While the Angels offense as a whole got off to a slow start, there were three in particular who struggled more noticeably than the others. But during the offense's surge in the past few weeks, the same three -- Tim Salmon, Brad Fullmer and Adam Kennedy -- have been a big part of it.

Starting May 1, Salmon is hitting .343 (12 for 35) with two homers and 10 RBIs; Fullmer is hitting .394 (13 for 33) with one homer and five RBIs; and Kennedy is hitting .419 (13 for 31) with two homers and four RBIs.

''It's fun when you know you're not that one guy always getting out,'' Kennedy said. ''When the big guys are swinging well too, you see what happens, we score 18, 19 runs. We've been able to pick them up and drive in some key runs. It's good for our confidence.''

In their past 16 games, of which they've won 14, the Angels have averaged 7.8 runs per game. And everyone has contributed.

''These guys have been swinging better for a while and now they're starting to contribute,'' manager Mike Scioscia said of those who struggled early. ''That's going to be important for us. We're the type of club that has to put pressure on other clubs not only every game but every inning.''

Hatuey Mendoza, pitching for the Angels' Double-A team in Arkansas, threw a no-hitter in the Travelers' 3-0 win over the Tulsa Drillers on Monday. Mendoza hit a batter, walk one and struck out three.

A 23-year-old right-hander, Mendoza threw 91 pitches and retired the final 24 batters. The no-hitter was the first by an Angels' minor leaguer since Ramon Ortiz threw one for Single-A Cedar Rapids against Quad City on Aug. 7, 1997. Mendoza is 1-1 with a 2.33 ERA for Arkansas this year.

Mendoza, from the Dominican Republic, was acquired by the Angels from the Diamondbacks in the Rule V draft last December.

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Los Angeles Angels Prospect Report | Cam Bedrosian Tops This Week's Prospect Hotlist

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Richter) — Mon, 13 May 2013 06:44:00 +0000

By Scott Stedman, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer -

1. Cam Bedrosian, RP, Burlington Bees

Past 10 Days: 0-0, 0 Save, 0.00 ERA, 8 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 12 K, 0.63 WHIP

Overall: 0-2, 0 Save, 7.94 ERA, 17 IP, 19 H, 8 BB, 20 K, 1.59 WHIP, .288 BAA

What’s Up: Cam Bedrosian has fought and clawed his way back to an important name in the Angels' system. After being a 1st round selection in the 2010 draft, Bedrosian underwent Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2011 season. He returned in 2012 and struggled mightily as a starter, walking more batters than he struck out. This season, Bedrosian was put back in the rotation and the struggles continued. However, on April 20th, he made an appearance out of the bullpen, and a new pitcher was born. Since the move to the 'pen, the 21-year-old has pitched 12 innings giving up just 1 earned run while striking out 17 and walking just 2. The exploding fastball in the mid 90s has now returned. The devastating slider is back. Now, the potential that the Angels saw in the son of Steve Bedrosian is slowly coming to fruition. If he can continue this success in the bullpen, Cam Bedrosian should move quickly within the organization can could even become a future closer. His pure stuff is that good and it seems like he has finally found his niche in the back-end of the bullpen. Take a good look at him, Burlington, he may not be there for long.

2. Zach Borenstein, OF, Inland Empire 66ers

Past 10 Games: 17/38 (.447), 4 Doubles, 1 Triples, 3 HRs, 7 Runs, 6 RBIs, 1 SB

Overall: .339/.376/.678 with 10 HRs and 4 SB

What’s Up: Borenstein was featured in AngelsWin's prospect hot-list last week, but his domination of the California League has continued. In the past 10 days, the 22-year-old outfielder is slugging a mind-boggling .842, and his overall OPS of 1.054 leads the league a good margin. He also leads the league in home runs and is second in total bases with 80. Reports indicate that the former 23rd round pick has shortened his swing vastly while still maintaining the torque that he creates to get extra-base hits. In the outfield, Borenstein makes the plays the need to be made and has a solid to plus throwing arm. However, if his bat stays this hot going forward it won't matter what he does in the outfield. From here it will be tough for Borenstein to leap-frog the glut of outfielders ahead of him, but he has the potential to do so.

3. Randal Grichuk, OF, Arkansas Travelers

Past 10 Games: 10/29 (.282), 1 Double, 2 Triples, 4 HRs, 10 Runs, 9 RBIs, 0 SB

Overall: .205/.271/.451 with 6 HRs and 1 SB

What’s Up: Though Grichuk has struggled some to start the 2013 campaign, a few things have remained constant: Defense, power and an improve idea of the strike zone. Last year, the main knock on Grichuk was that he was far too much of a free-swinger, and this year he has improved on that aspect. In fact, he is already nearly 40% of the way to his walk total from 2012. On top of that, the 21-year-old outfielder is starting to really crush the ball in a tough hitting environment. He has 4 home-runs in as many days to bring his season total to 6, and has an OPS of 1.051 in his past 10 games. Grichuk is still incredibly young for Double-A so any success here will simply solidify his standing as a top prospect in the organization. If he progresses with the bat and maintains his plus defense, I would not be surprised to see Grichuk with the Angels in September.

4. Kyle Johnson, OF, Burlington Bees

Past 10 Games: 12/41 (.293), 2 Doubles, 0 Triples, 0 HRs, 5 Runs, 2 RBIs, 7 SB

Overall: .330/.443/.404 with 0 HRs and 22 SB

What’s Up: What an incredible season Kyle Johnson is having after 30 games. The most amazing feat, however, is Johnson's consecutive stolen base streak, which now sits at 22. Since being drafted by the Halos in 2012, the 23-year-old corner outfielder is a perfect 29-for-29 in stolen base attempts. His jumps are what make the difference, a true 70-75 base stealer on the 20-80 scouting scale. Oh by the way, he is getting on-base at a clip of 44%. The killer on-base and speed combo perfectly fits into what a leadoff man needs to accomplish. Due to his advanced age after being drafted out of college, look for Johnson to move to Inland Empire as soon as there is an opening. But for now, run Kyle, run.

5. C.J. Cron, 1B, Arkansas Travelers

Past 10 Games: 13/40 (.325), 4 Doubles, 0 Triple, 1 HR, 6 Runs, 4 RBIs, 0 SB

Overall: .313/.362/.453 with 2 HR and 4 SB

What’s Up: Rounding out this week's list is Mr. "Light-Tower Power" himself, C.J. Cron. Cron's plate discipline is finally coming around, which has directly led to his numbers at plate improving. There is no doubt that these two parts of his game are directly proportional, and extremely important. Like Grichuk, Cron is showing much more patience at the plate lately, a crucial aspect of his game simply because he profiles as a long-term DH. His 10 doubles lead the team and his 13 extra base hits are just behind Grichuk's 14. The big man has some wheels too, ripping off 4 bags without being caught. As with his teammate Grichuk, Cron may have the opportunity to get his feet wet in the big leagues this September.

Affiliate Reports:

Salt Lake Bees: The Bees went 3-4 this week to bring their overall record to 18-20, 3rd in the Pacific Coast League Northern division. First-baseman Efren Navarro has a .874 OPS. Starting pitcher Matt "Beautiful Beard" Shoemaker has 6 quality starts out of 7 starts overall. Reliever Jeremy Berg has a 1.40 ERA and Brad Hawpe has a .419 OBP in his last 10 games.

Arkansas Travelers: Arkansas had a hot week, going 5-2. They are now 18-17 just a half-game back in their division. Taylor Lindsey is hitting .300 with 2 home-runs in his last 10 games. Nick Maronde has tossed 7 scoreless innings in a row with 12 punch-outs. Catcher Jett Bandy is getting on-base at a 48% clip in the month of May.

Inland Empire 66ers: 'Twas a 4-2 week for the 66ers, improving their record to 21-15 overall, a half-game back of first-place. Mike Morin is ridiculous. 2.01 ERA out of the 'pen with 24 Ks and a just 2 walks. Mark Sappington still has an ERA below 2 with nearly a 9K/9 rate. Opponents are hitting .196 off Sapp. Alex Yarbrough has raised his average back up to .307 after a killer week. The second-baseman has 66 total bases and an 80 smile.

Burlington Bees: Tough week for Burlington, going 2-4. Side-armed starting pitcher Alex Keudell has an ERA of 1.64, and his opponents are hitting just .176. Impressive. Jairo Diaz is now a closer and has 5 saves and a 1.35 ERA. Mickey Hatcher's nephew Kenny was added to the roster and pitched 0.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen in his debut.

Angels Classic Rewind | Dateline: May 12th, 2002

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Richter) — Sun, 12 May 2013 21:25:00 +0000

By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor -

MAY 12, 2002

GAME 36 - WHITE SOX AT ANGELS

ANAHEIM – The Angels won their fifth consecutive game and moved a season-best four games over .500 (20-16) with a 5-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox before 19,251 at Edison Field.

The Angels scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth, sparked by David Eckstein, who was hit by a pitch with two out and nobody on base. Eckstein stole second, and after Darin Erstad was walked intentionally, Troy Glaus singled to left field to score Eckstein with the winning run.

Tim Salmon led the Angels offense with two hits, including his fourth home run of the season, and three RBIs. Troy Percival (2-1) picked up the win in relief with a scoreless ninth inning.

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Deliverance

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Richter) — Sat, 11 May 2013 21:04:00 +0000

By Rob Goldman, AngelsWin.com Historical Writer -

The Scene: Angels Stadium, October 26, 2002 - 7th Inning

Scott Spiezio knew he’d hit it well. How well he wasn’t sure; but from the moment he turned on the Felix Rodriguez fastball, he felt it had a chance to go out. As he left the batter’s box and headed for first base, the crowd became eerily silent. Spiezio stared at the ball he had crushed just moments before, now hanging high in the sky.

“Please, God, make the ball go out! Please!,” he thought to himself.

Spiezio had tattooed the low inside fastball. He had put his absolute best swing on it. And as Rodriguez whirled around to spot his pitch sailing high above the outfield grass, Spiezio paused momentarily to revel in the moment. Had he just erased 40 years of bad breaks and bad luck for the Angels? Was the misfortune of one franchise vanquished with one swing of his bat?

At that moment, the person best equipped to answer that question was Giants right fielder Reggie Sanders. Although Sanders was well aware of the game-changing potential of the ball headed in his direction, he was unaware of the emotional baggage that came along with it. He was too focused on the present to be concerned with the ghosts of Angels past.

Although the Giants were ahead 5-0, Sanders had been around long enough to know that in the postseason, momentum can change in a flash. As he raced to the warning track, Spiezio was frozen between home and first. Just like the ball, he, too, was suspended in limbo.

“Push it out, God! Push it out!,” he screamed inside his head.

No matter who or what your beliefs may reside in—God, fate, baseball superstition, or curses—it’s certain that something had kept the Angels at bay for 40 years. Something had seen to it that the Angels remained a frustrated franchise, occasionally on the cusp of greatness, but never able to grasp it. So why would tonight be any different?

Something suggested that it just might. Maybe it was the electric undercurrent that charged its way through a restless crowd. Throughout this wild month of October, the underdog Angels had accomplished amazing feats. They had out muscled the heavily-favored Yankees three games to one in the divisional series. They had out pitched the Twins with relative ease to clinch the American League pennant. Now it was Game 6 of the 2002 World Series, and the Angels were staring down defeat. Just nine outs stood between the Giants and a World Series trophy. It was time for David to pull back on his slingshot and launch a killer stone at Goliath. It was time for the mighty Giants and the magnificent Barry Bonds to fall.

The slingshot in this case was Spiezio’s T141 black Louisville Slugger. Just days earlier, Spiezio had been spotted among the fake rocks beyond the centerfield fence at Edison International Stadium yielding another weapon: his electric guitar, which he smashed into the ground—a la The Who’s Pete Townsend—during the filming of a team promotional video. Spiezio’s brash style and Generation X attitude epitomized the modern player. He shared nothing in common with Donnie Moore, Gene Mauch, and the ghosts of Angels past. Those Angels were long gone. It was time to make a mark for the new Angels.

The 2002 Angels had already proven that the team had the potential to be an instrument of change. Now, Scott Spiezio was poised to be the messenger and deliver the Angels into a new era of baseball. He was used to the bright lights of the small stage as front man of an alternative rock band, but never had Spiezio been on a stage so massive with lights beaming so bright. On this night, Spiezio would thrust himself onto center stage of the baseball universe.

Miles away from Edison International Stadium at his home in La Quinta, California, Albie Pearson was saying a little prayer as well. Prayer came easily to Pearson, an ordained minister since the 1970s. An original Angel, Pearson had patrolled centerfield for the club during its first five seasons. Now, surrounded by grandkids and bowls of fresh popcorn, Pearson felt like shouting as he watched the game on TV, but instead he repeated his quiet, fervent petition, “Please, God, make it go out!”

In Houston, Texas, where he was promoting a boxing match, the Angels’ first and only Cy Young Award winner squinted at his battery-operated TV and smiled a wicked smile. Dean Chance had been writing daily reports on the World Series for the L.A. Times and bragging to anyone who would listen that the Angels would beat the Giants in four straight. “It’s meant to happen,” Chance told himself as Spiezio paused between home and first. “Unbelievable.”

“If only Gene could see this!” thought Jim Fregosi, as he leaned toward the big-screen TV in his living room in Tarpon Springs, Florida. Gene Autry’s “Fair-haired Boy,” Fregosi had carried the franchise on his back during its first 10 seasons. In his heart he had always been an Angel. Now he was a speechless one.

“Shouldn’t have taken this long,” thought a reflective Alex Johnson, watching the game in his Detroit, Michigan home. “We should’ve won the damned thing in ’ 70!” For Johnson, the only Angel to ever win a batting title, the moment was bittersweet. The controversial slugger-turned-mechanic still believed the 1970 Angels were the real team of destiny, not this one.

But there was nothing but joy in a hotel room in San Antonio, Texas. “It’s their year!” rejoiced Nolan Ryan, watching the game on his hotel room TV. The players’ collective effort had impressed Ryan, who fully understood that teamwork—more than anything else—was the trait that brought about championships.

“Yes, we can! Yes, we can! It’s happening all over again!” Don Baylor shouted to his wife in the living room of their home in La Quinta. Baylor was referring to his 1979 MVP season, when fans chanting “Yes, we can! Yes, we can!” helped propel the Angels to their first divisional title.

A proud Rod Carew was also watching the game on TV from his California home in Cota De Caza. Just two hours earlier he’d been at the stadium to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. He left after that to go home and look after his wife. As the Angels’ hitting coach in the mid-’90s, Carew had taught many of the current Angels their batting skills.

Reggie Jackson was at the stadium entertaining friends in an upstairs suite. The former Angels superstar knew a thing or two about October magic, and what was happening out on the field looked like the genuine article to him.

“We should have taken those tickets!” Jim Abbott whispered to his wife at the Café Zulu restaurant in Laguna Beach, California. The former Angel pitching ace had declined the team’s offer of tickets due to a prior commitment. Now, as he sat transfixed—like everyone else in the restaurant—by the scene on the television, a wave of regret swept over him. If the Angels pulled it out tonight, Abbott would throw out the first ball for Game 7 tomorrow, and it would take a building falling on him for him to miss that one.

Up in the stadium press box, Jackie Autry was on her feet. Only moments before, wearing her late husband’s Stetson cowboy hat and waving a rally monkey, Mrs. Autry had energized the dispirited crowd. She stood in awe as Spiezio’s blast hung in the darkening sky, gritted her teeth, and whispered, “C’mon, do it for Gene! Win it for the Cowboy!”

Reggie Sanders could care less about cowboys. As he retreated to the outfield wall, Spiezio’s crushing blow fell from the black sky. Sanders leapt into the fence, his hip inadvertently hitting the foam padding lining it. The ball landed beyond his reach, disappearing into the second row of the right field stands. The stadium erupted in acknowledgment that something was indeed happening—a new chapter in Angels history was being penned on the fly as Spiezio rounded the bases and touched home plate.

Somewhere a cowboy was singing….

Los Angeles Angels Prospect Eric Stamets Interviews With AngelsWin.com

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Richter) — Sat, 11 May 2013 19:21:00 +0000

Director of Scouting Ric Wilson snagged Stamets in the 6th round after Sappington and the Angels sent him straightway to Low-A ball where he held his own and demonstrated gold glove defense.

Eric Stamets has two plus tools, speed and defense at shortstop. With well above-average speed, Stamet's home-to-first times is in the 4.1-second range from the right side of the plate. He stole 100 bases in three seasons at Evansville. Stamets' speed also helps him cover a lot of ground at shortstop, where he's shown soft hands and a strong arm. Offensively, Stamets is a slap hitter who makes solid contact, but he has no power and little extra base pop. Slapping at the ball will play out well with his plus speed and should allow Stamets to hit for a high average if he can catch up to top tier fastballs as he advances through the minors.

Stamets played in 62 games at Cedar Rapids and held his own and for the High-A Inland Empire 66ers he's hitting a .281 with a solid .374 on base pct. The head scratcher thus far is that Stamets has just two stolen bases through 32 games. 2013 should be a telling season to see whether the Angels have a good find in Stamets as a future starter, or the next Andrew Romine, destined for a utility spot on a major league roster.

Check out our interview with Eric conducted a couple weeks ago by David Saltzer.

Angels Classic Rewind | Dateline: May 11th, 2002

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Richter) — Sat, 11 May 2013 15:48:00 +0000

By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor -

MAY 11, 2002

GAME 35 - WHITE SOX AT ANGELS

ANAHEIM – The Angels put up five runs in the first inning and rode the right arm of starting pitcher Ramon Ortiz and two relievers to a 6-3 win over the Chicago White Sox before 40,535 at Edison Field.

Ortiz (4-3) gave up three runs and seven hits in seven innings while striking out eight, getting plenty of support from the offense, which had 12 hits, including two each from Darin Erstad, Troy Glaus, Garret Anderson and Scott Spiezio.

Glaus hit a two-run homer, his seventh of the year, and Spiezio drove in three. Troy Percival struck out the side in the ninth for his sixth save.

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Angels Classic Rewind | Dateline: May 10th, 2002

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Richter) — Fri, 10 May 2013 22:03:00 +0000

By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor -

MAY 10, 2002

GAME 34 - WHITE SOX AT ANGELS

ANAHEIM -- Now the Chicago White Sox know how the Cleveland Indians must have felt.

It was 11 days ago that the Angels routed the Indians, 21-2, in the type of game that seems to come around only once a season, if that.

But the Angels did it again Friday, knocking the White Sox silly with a 19-0 victory before 36,715 at Edison Field. Like the game in Cleveland, the Angels did everything right. The 19 runs were the most scored by the Angels at home in franchise history.

They had a season-high 24 hits, including home runs by Garret Anderson, Brad Fullmer, Julio Ramirez and two by Adam Kennedy. The five homers in a game were the most since they hit five on May 14, 2000 against the Rangers. The 24 hits were two short of the club record.

Kennedy and even Tim Salmon had four hits each, while two other players -- Anderson and Fullmer -- had three hits apiece.

They got a solid pitching peformance from starter Scott Schoeneweis (2-4), who gave up three hits while throwing seven scoreless innings in winning his first game since April 6. A victim of poor support in some of his other starts, Schoeneweis could not have asked for more on Friday, including errorless defense behind him.

What it all means is the Angels have won 12 of their past 14 games and are two games over .500 (18-16) for the first time since Sept. 17 of last season, when they were 73-71. They are still 6 1/2 games behind the A.L. West-leading Seattle Mariners, but moved 1 1/2 games ahead of Oakland for second place.

Despite all the big hits, everything started for the Angels with the bunt. Three of them, in fact.

There was no score when Kennedy led off the bottom of the third with a bunt single. David Eckstein followed with a sacrifice bunt, but Kennedy reached second when third baseman Tony Graffanino's throw hit second base umpire Phil Cuzzi in the shoulder. Darin Erstad dragged a bunt past pitcher Dan Wright and beat second baseman Ray Durham's throw to load the bases.

From there, the Angels rolled. They scored eight runs in that third inning, including two when White Sox center fielder Kenny Lofton lost Anderson's flyball in the twilight sky for a two-run double.

Fullmer was next up, and he responded with a three-run homer, his first as an Angel.

''You look at the final tally and it's hard to believe it started with three bunts,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. ''But it did.''

Kennedy's homers were his first of the season, but he said the bunt single to start the third was more satisfying.

''The bunt set up everything,'' said Kennedy, who raised his average to .286. ''It made me more comfortable at the plate later. It got us more of a cushion, so I've got to go with the bunt. But (the home runs) were a close second.''

The onslaught continued as the Angels scored twice in the fourth and three times in each of the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

Scioscia began taking some of his starters out by the sixth inning, but it didn't slow the offense. Ramirez pinch hit for Erstad in the sixth inning, and hit the first pitch he saw over the fence in left-center for his first major league home run.

It was a bit of revenge for Ramirez, who was released by the White Sox during spring training before he signed with the Angels. It was also ironic, considering what the White Sox told him when they let him go.

''If I told you what they told me when they released me, you'd think it was a joke,'' Ramirez said. ''They said, 'Swinging at the first pitch won't get you to the major leagues.' And that was all they really said.''

All the runs were nice for Schoeneweis, who tried his best to ignore the scoreboard.

''You try to think about it as a 0-0 game,'' he said. ''I mean, if we can score 19, they can score 19.''

NOTEBOOK

ANAHEIM -- Garret Anderson is as devoted to the one-day-at-a-time approach as any Angel player, but he won't deny he's looking forward to a three-game series June 18-20.

That's when the Angels are in St. Louis to play interleague games against the Cardinals and one of Anderson's best friends in baseball, ex-Angel Jim Edmonds.

Edmonds, a 1988 graduate of Diamond Bar High, was moved to tears when he embraced Anderson in the Angels' spring training clubhouse in Tempe, Ariz. the day in March of 2000 when he was traded for Kent Bottenfield and Adam Kennedy. And the two speak to each other on the phone often, even if sometimes it's only through voice mail.

''We're always pushing each other to do better, messing with each other,'' Anderson said of the phone calls.

And it seems to be working. Edmonds hit 42 homers with 108 RBIs while batting .295 in 2000. Last season he hit 30 homers with 110 RBIs and a .304 average. This year he's hitting .343 with eight homers and 24 RBIs.

''I always knew he could do those things,'' Anderson said. ''When you're hurt, it's hard to put those numbers up. He was hurt when he was here, and he still played when he was injured too. Since he's been there he's been healthy.''

Edmonds' time with the Angels mixed spectacular defense and a solid bat with controversy and alleged back-biting from teammates. But Anderson said Edmonds was misunderstood.

''I think the way things transpired wasn't good,'' he said. ''It was the whole situation. I don't want to get into it, but from what I understand he probably did get an unfair shake. In that situation, nobody's right, everybody's wrong.

''I'm glad he's healthy again. I wish he could have done it here, but business is business.''

Anderson himself has put together some good seasons since Edmonds was traded, batting .286 with 35 homers and 117 RBIs in 2000, and batting .289 with 28 homers and 123 RBIs last year. He went into Friday's game against the White Sox batting .292 with five homers and 21 RBIs.

''It'll be fun,'' Anderson said of playing against Edmonds and the Cardinals. ''I've got Eduardo Perez over there too, he's a good friend. We all came up together, played a full season together in the minor leagues in '93 (Triple-A Vancouver). It'll be cool to play somewhere new and play against old friends.''

Reserve outfielder Julio Ramirez has made quite an impression in his two starts since being called up May 2. In his first game, he had a bunt single and threw a runner out at the plate. In his second game he had a two-run triple.

With regular right fielder Tim Salmon enduring on-going struggles, Ramirez will get an occasional start, but he isn't about to take over the starting job.

''What's impressive about Julio is the amount of time he sits between at-bats and when he comes in he's able to contribute,'' Scioscia said. ''That's tough to do, especially for a young player. As with any player, if he keeps producing he'll work himself into more at-bats.''

First baseman/DH Shawn Wooten took live batting practice Friday for the first time since tearing a ligament and dislocating his right thumb on March 13. Wooten also took ground balls and said the workout went well.

He's expected back in mid-June.

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Angels Classic Rewind | Dateline: May 9th, 2002

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Richter) — Fri, 10 May 2013 01:37:00 +0000

By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor -

MAY 9, 2002

GAME 33 - TIGERS AT ANGELS

ANAHEIM -- The Angels spent most of April digging themselves a hole. And while there are those who believed they might have been buried as well, the Angels instead started climbing their way out of it.

They beat the Detroit Tigers, 7-6, Thursday night before 15,003 at Edison Field, going over .500 (17-16) for the first time since April 7 when they were 3-2. They also climbed over the Oakland A's and into second place in the American League West.

The Angels didn't make things easy on themselves, falling behind 4-0 before rallying to go up, 7-4. The Tigers cut the deficit to 7-6 before Angels closer Troy Percival slammed the door in the ninth for his fifth save.

Julio Ramirez, making his second start of the season in right field for the Angels since being called up May 2, had a two-run triple to get the Angels offense going, and Troy Glaus had a two-run double that put the Angels up for good.

Every Angel in the starting lineup had at least one hit, including two by Scott Spiezio, as the Angels won for the 11th time in their past 13 games.

''It's definitely exciting, coming from where we were,'' said Angels shortstop David Eckstein of going over .500. ''But we want to keep building upon it.''

However, most of those in the Angels clubhouse answered questions about being in second place and over .500 with a yawn.

''Our goal is not .500,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. ''Our goal is to become the type team that is championship caliber. That's our goal, that's our challenge. I don't think any of us take too much stock in the standings or our record at this point. There are still some things we need to do on a more consistent basis.''

Angels starter Aaron Sele (3-2) won his third consecutive start after going winless in his first four. Sele gave up four runs and nine hits in six innings.

Sele had his typical first-inning troubles, giving up two runs. In his past three starts, all eventual wins, Sele has allowed eight runs in the first inning. For the season, Sele has yielded 11 first-inning runs in seven starts.

Sele, though, continued his struggles after the first inning on Thursday. He gave up an RBI double to Damian Jackson in the second inning, and after a 1-2-3 third, he gave up three more hits and a run in the fourth, and the Angels were down, 4-0.

''I'm not concerned at all, as long as we win,'' Sele said. ''Who cares? They hit some good pitches. Sometimes it's 1-0, sometimes it's 7-6. You take 'em all.''

Sele's ERA is 5.75, but the Angels are averaging 5.86 runs per game in his starts, which would explain his winning record.

''He still hasn't hit stride as to what we're looking for,'' Scioscia said of Sele. ''But he's done one thing well: compete. He settled in and pitched a good ballgame.''

Down 4-0, the Angels started their rally in the bottom of the fourth with Garret Anderson's one-out single. But the key to the inning was the throwing error by shortstop Shane Halter. Instead of making the second out of the inning, Tim Salmon was safe at first and Anderson went to third.

Bengie Molina followed with a sacrifice fly to score the Angels' first run, and Spiezio singled, moving Salmon to second. That's when Ramirez got his chance, hitting the ball off the fence in right field driving in both Salmon and Spiezio to cut the Tigers' lead to 4-3. But Ramirez wanted more.

Right fielder Robert Fick tried to make a play on the ball, which ricocheted back toward the infield. By the time Fick retrieved the ball, the speedy Ramirez had a triple easily, then was waved home by third-base coach Ron Roenicke. However, the relay from the first baseman Simon was in time to nail Ramirez at the plate for the third out.

''I thought I was going to make it, but I ran out of gas,'' said Ramirez, who is hitting .286.

The Angels scored three more in the fifth to go ahead for good. Glaus' two-run double was the big blow, putting the Angels up, 5-4.

NOTEBOOK

ANAHEIM -- It's too early to evaluate any off-season trade, but so far the Angels have the edge over the Mets in the deal that sent Mo Vaughn to New York for pitcher Kevin Appier last December 27.

Appier is 3-1 and ranks fourth in the American League with a 2.83 ERA. He's allowed two earned runs or fewer in six of his seven starts and he's pitched into the seventh inning in four of his starts.

Meanwhile in New York, Vaughn didn't hit his second homer of the season until Thursday, and he has just 10 RBIs while batting .257.

''I think it's worked out fine,'' Angels general manager Bill Stoneman said. ''We were looking to strengthen our starting pitching and Kevin's done that. And we filled Mo's spot on the offensive side with (Brad) Fullmer (in a trade with the Blue Jays).''

Stoneman, though, said he doesn't evaluate the trade based on how Vaughn is doing. In fact, he said the trade is better for the Angels if Vaughn plays well.

''Obviously, you want the guy you obtain to do well, and you want the guy that you traded away to do well also,'' he said. ''It certainly doesn't hurt a relationship (with the opposing general manager).''

Vaughn has already missed time with a broken finger, and his weight is always an issue. If Vaughn continues to struggle, Stoneman said there's no reason for the Mets to feel they got snookered.

''They knew the risks going in,'' Stoneman said. ''They knew Mo didn't play last year. We certainly didn't hide anything from them. They even went out to see him (in a workout).''

For the third time in the past four games, Tim Salmon was not in right field for Thursday's game. He was the designated hitter, but manager Mike Scioscia insists Salmon is still his right fielder, even though Salmon went into Thursday's game hitting .186 and ranked 38th among 42 starting outfielders in the American League in fielding percentage.

''Tim's our right fielder, he'll be out there (tonight),'' Scioscia said. ''At times it makes sense to put the other guys out there because Tim's more comfortable in the DH spot.''

Julio Ramirez got the start in right field on Thursday.

Reliever Donne Wall (tightness in right arm) threw a bullpen session Thursday and likely will throw another this weekend. He's eligible to come off the disabled list Tuesday, but probably will go out on a rehab assignment first.

Benji Gil (ankle) and Shawn Wooten (thumb) are still two weeks and one month away, respectively, from returning.

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Angels Classic Rewind | Dateline: May 8th, 2002

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Richter) — Thu, 09 May 2013 03:49:00 +0000

By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor -

MAY 8, 2002

GAME 32 - TIGERS AT ANGELS

ANAHEIM -- Troy Glaus could have kicked himself after fouling off a 3-2 pitch that was out of the strikezone. But the Angels' third baseman would atone for his mistake.

On the very next pitch, Glaus hit a game-winning homer leading off the ninth inning that gave the Angels a 3-2 win over the Detroit Tigers before 14,722 at Edison Field.

''I was just trying to hit it out there, so maybe it falls in or maybe someone kicks it,'' Glaus said of the game-winner off Tigers reliever Fernando Rodney (0-2).

About the only person who had a chance to kick the ball was Angels bullpen catcher Orlando Mercado. Tigers left field Bobby Higginson just missed the ball as it carried over the fence in left field and landed in the Angels bullpen.

It was Glaus' team-leading sixth homer of the season, and just his first at home. But it came at the right time for the club, which rallied from a 2-1 deficit. Bengie Molina's two-out, RBI single in the seventh tied the game, setting up Glaus for the game-winner.

Angels closer Troy Percival made a rare appearance in a tie game, coming in to pitch the top of the ninth with the score tied at 2. Percival needed 14 pitches to strike out the side.

Percival (1-1) struck out Shane Halter and Wendell Magee on fastballs, Jacob Cruz on a curveball.

''His hook (curveball) is really what makes him so dominant,'' said Angels starter Kevin Appier, who gave up two runs and six hits in seven innings. ''When he snaps his curveball off like that, you can't sit on one speed.''

The victory was only the Angels' second of the season when scoring fewer than four runs, something many in the clubhouse believe is necessary.

''You're not going to blow everybody out every day,'' Appier said. ''There are games you have to find a way to win. That's what you see on those great teams.''

This was one of those games. Neither team put together any significant offense in the first three innings as Appier and Tigers starter Nate Cornejo pitched well. But the Angels broke through in the fourth on Garret Anderson's two-out, solo home run.

Appier faced the minimum number of Tigers batters through four innings. He allowed only a second-inning single by Randall Simon, who was erased on a double-play grounder.

The Tigers were able to get on the scoreboard in the sixth inning thanks to a leadoff walk by Damian Jackson. Jackson took second on Mike Rivera's groundout, and one out later, he scored on Robert Fick's single to center.

It snapped Appier's scoreless inning string of 16 2/3 innings, the longest such streak by an Angels pitcher since Chuck Finley's 19 1/3 scoreless innings April 6-22, 1998.

Outside of Ramon Ortiz, Appier has been the Angels' most effective starter. But while Ortiz does it by mixing a 93-mph fastball with a good slider and changeup, Appier is doing it with experience.

''Probably the biggest thing is I have a real good rhythm going,'' said Appier, who lowered his ERA to 2.83. ''My timing has felt right on. All my pitches have been fairly reliable.''

The Tigers took a 2-1 lead in the seventh on back-to-back doubles by Halter and Magee. Appier finished the inning, but was finished for the night, having made 118 pitches. It was the 17th time in the past 23 games the Angels starter has pitched into the seventh inning.

The Angels nearly let an opportunity get past them in the seventh before tying the game at 2. Glaus led off the inning with a double, but was still standing at second after Brad Fullmer's flyout to shallow right field and Tim Salmon's strikeout.

Molina, though, grounded one up the middle and into center field, scoring Glaus to tie the game.

The win moved the Angels to within a half-game of Oakland in the A.L. West.

NOTEBOOK

ANAHEIM -- It would have been difficult, if not impossible, to imagine during spring training, when Tim Salmon hit .404. But Orlando Palmeiro started Wednesday's game against the Detroit Tigers hitting third in the lineup for the seventh time this season, the same number as Salmon.

Salmon's ongoing struggles and Palmeiro's hot bat made the improbable idea a reality for the first time on April 24 in Seattle. The Angels won that day, and going into Wednesday's game the Angels were 5-1 when Palmeiro started in the three spot.

But Palmeiro's hold on No. 3 only goes so far. Manager Mike Scioscia would prefer that Salmon was swinging well enough to hit third, but in the meantime, he likes to ''mix and match.''

''O.P.'s like a great sixth-man in basketball,'' Scioscia said. ''You try to use him to your advantage when dictated by matchups.''

Even though Palmeiro has only three home runs in 584 major league at-bats, Scioscia likes to bat him third because he gets on base (team-best .397 on-base percentage) to set the table for Garret Anderson and Troy Glaus in the middle of the lineup.

Asked about hitting third, Palmeiro does his best not to ruffle any feathers.

''I just show up to play,'' he said. ''If that's where he puts me, that's where I hit.''

Salmon has been all over the lineup, hitting fifth (10 times), sixth (nine times) and seventh (twice, including Wednesday). He hasn't been successful in any spot, batting .125 in the third spot, .206 in the fifth spot, .211 in the sixth spot and going into Wednesday's game, .000 in the seventh spot.

Salmon, who went into Wednesday's game hitting .182, has been most successful when he puts the first pitch in play. When he does that, he's hitting .357 (5 for 14).

First baseman/DH Shawn Wooten hit soft toss Wednesday and if all goes well, he'll be able to take live batting practice on Friday for the first time since he dislocated his thumb March 13.

Wooten is hoping to be back by June 1, but Scioscia said mid-June is more likely.

Benji Gil (sprained ankle) is expected to begin a rehab assignment next week and could be back with the big club in about two weeks.

Third baseman Troy Glaus, who has struggled to find a pair of proper-fitting contact lenses, now has a pair of prescription goggles. They are similar to the pair worn by Reds third baseman Chris Sabo years ago, though they are not nearly as big and awkward looking.

Glaus, though, said he isn't planning to wear them. ''Only in case of emergency,'' he said.

The Angels went into Wednesday's game hitting .229 at home and .298 on the road, but Scioscia said the difference was only coincidence, that the team just happened to get hot when it was on the road.

''We could have been on the moon, and we would have been hitting the ball well,'' Scioscia said of the club's recent hitting surge on the road.

Los Angeles Angels Tickets

Angels Classic Rewind | Dateline: May 7th, 2002

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Richter) — Tue, 07 May 2013 17:53:00 +0000

By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor -

MAY 7, 2002
GAME 31 - TIGERS AT ANGELS

ANAHEIM – Jarrod Washburn gave up only one hit in seven scoreless innings, but the Angels bullpen could not keep it going in a 3-0 loss to the Detroit Tigers Tuesday night before 15,315 at Edison Field.

Tigers starter Seth Greisinger matched Washburn inning-for-inning for seven innings, then the Tigers offense came up with three runs in the eighth inning off Angels relievers Ben Weber and Dennis Cook.

The Angels mustered just five hits in the game, two by Darin Erstad. The loss dropped the Angels below .500 at 15-16.

Los Angeles Angels Tickets

“It gets Late Early out There”

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Richter) — Tue, 07 May 2013 00:32:00 +0000

By Gregory Bird, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer -

We are all experiencing this Yogi quote here on AngelsWin and so I think it is time for a team progress report from Inside Edge. I remember when I was a good, hardworking student I didn’t mind my parents seeing my progress report but if I wasn’t doing well or had been messing around then I dreaded it being mailed home. I feel like just writing “you’re crappy, do better” as my progress report for the team but that would be a lot like the last Angels’ game I watched, depressing. So instead I will look at Angels’ player trends in measurable ways with the existing sample size and give them a grade. Yes, the grades are arbitrary.

I would first like to thank Pizza Cutter’s research over on the FanGraphs’ site and credit his research with the foundation of this article. Cutter’s research as to when stats stabilize is how I determined what to focus on here. This doesn’t mean these stats won’t change at all throughout the year; it does means there is some real change happening that we can see and measure in these early statistics.

Hitters
There are three tiers of hitting stats that have stabilized at this time. At 50 plate appearances (PA) a hitter’s swing rate stabilizes. This measures just how often he swings at the pitches he sees. At 100 PA a hitter’s contact rate stabilizes. This measures how often he can actually make contact with the pitches he swings at. At 150 PA three more important things stabilize: strikeout rate, line drive rate, and pitches per plate appearance (P/PA). No Angels’ player has actually reached this level yet, but 5 players are very close.

Let’s look at our star student first and the improvements he is making at the plate. Trumbo, I bet some of you thought I was talking about Trout, has reduced the number of pitches he is swinging at while making a little less contact than last year. Mark has never been very good at making contact and is now about 10% worse than league average. This is the most troubling thing about his game. The good news is most of his reduced swing rate can be attributed to him improving his O-Swing rate (pitches swung at outside the strike zone) by 7.5%. This has resulted in Trumbo cutting down his strikeouts by 1.7% and increasing his line drive percentage by 2%. A big strong guy like Mark striking out less and making better contact with the ball suggests that he could have continued success. His P/PA hasn’t changed instead he is just being more selective at the plate. His strikeouts would probably vastly improve if he could just make more contact with pitches in the zone which is 9.7% worse for him over the past two years. Mark only has 135 PA so this is still a bit premature. Grade A-

Let’s check in next with the young phenom, Trout. He leads the team with 142 PA but the news is mixed. His overall swing rate is nearly the same as last year but he is making less contact with the pitches he swings at because he is swinging at more pitches outside the strike zone and less pitches in the zone. He made contact 81.8% of pitches he swung at last year compared to only 79.3% this year which mirrors the difference in his O-Swing rate from this year to last year. The good news is that even though he has poorer pitch selection he is actually striking out less, almost 3% less. Strikeouts were his biggest problem last year, if you can say he had a problem. Hopefully this trend continues but it could be hard if he doesn’t adjust his swing rates. Trout is seeing fewer P/PA this season. All of this hasn’t affected the type of contact he is making as his line drive rate has improved by 1.2%. The only thing I can attribute his increased line drive rate to is his improvement at making contact with pitches in the strike zone. He is successful in reducing strikeouts and increasing line drives yet he is doing it by swinging at some bad pitches and swinging earlier. Hopefully his selectivity sorts itself out but it something to keep our eye on all season. Grade B+

Let’s turn now to the long time teacher’s pet, our aging superstar, Pujols. Albert is swinging at the same number of pitches as last year but making 3% less contact with them. This is mostly because he is making less contact on pitches outside the strike zone, nearly 7% less. The good news is he has reduced his O-Swing rate and improved his Z-Swing rate (swinging at pitches in the zone) over last year. He is seeing fewer P/PA but isn’t striking out any more this year than last and his better selectivity at the plate is probably why. His strikeout rate through the first 100 PA was better than his rate over the past 38. It is also worth noting his 11.6% strikeout rate is nearly a full 2% over his career average. Swinging at better pitches is also helping him hit more line drives which should mean more hits this season, I hope. Grade C+

Next we’ll evaluate the classmate that teachers always expect so much from and who never quite delivers, Howie. Kendrick has been somewhat successful but his underlining numbers this year don’t really make much sense to me. He is swinging at more pitches outside the zone (+4.9% O-Swing rate) this year and making less contact with those pitches (-3.4% O-Contact rate) but he is currently having a career year hitting line drives. His career average for line drives is 19.3% and this year he is hitting 25.5% line drives. He is still seeing about the same number of pitches in the zone but he is seeing fewer fastballs than at any other time in his career. Somehow during this time he has reduced his strikeouts by 3.4%. This doesn’t seem sustainable with him swinging at more pitches outside the zone. He is also seeing slightly more P/PA. None of this really adds up so there is some fear of him regressing as the year progresses unless he drops his O-Swing rate back in line with his career norms, which is possible. My final verdict is that I’m going to take a more wait and see approach with our potential batting champion as he only has 131 PA right now. Grade C

Finally we’ll analyze the transfer from our rival school who we all really wanted to root for this year. I like Josh but his numbers are frustrating and are not very superstar-like. He is swinging at 59.7% of pitches, which is only slightly more than last years’ swing rate of 58.9% and this number has been dropping the last week or so. It is however still 4% more than his career average. He is making 4.5% more contact with the ball this year, but this is still 2.1% below his career average and nearly 5% below his most productive years. Josh is seeing the same number of P/PA but striking out 2.5% more often and hitting 1.8% less line drives. This is evident to any person observing his at bats as he flails at outside pitches, hits weak grounders to the right side, and pops up to outfielders. He is doing better than last year in some areas but not good enough. This is only over 132 PA so this hasn’t really stabilized yet and we can all hope the mental day he had against the Orioles will be the turning point in his season. Grade D

The Rest
Nobody else is really close to 150 PA and only Bourjos and Iannetta were even really close to 100. Aybar, Harris, and Jimenez have all reached the 50 PA level. Here are some highlights from the rest of the class.

Aybar is swinging at a lot less pitches this year. He swung at 51.6% of pitches last year and has held himself to a 46.7% swing rate so far this year. This is also nearly 3% below his career average. Most of this has to do with him lowering his O-Swing rate (pitches outside the strike zone) by 8.8%, a big improvement. Hopefully this new plate selectivity keeps up throughout the year and he shakes off his free-swinging ways.

Bourjos is swinging more this year, 3.9% more than last year. This is closer to his 2011 swing rate. Last year Peter swung at less pitches out of the zone than in 2011 but also at less pitches in the zone. This year he is maintaining the same low O-Swing rate of 2012 but is now swinging at more strikes instead of letting them go by.

Iannetta is also swinging more in 2013 than in 2012. He is swinging more at both balls in and out of the zone and making less contact with those outside the zone. This looks a lot like he is pressing or trying to make something happen instead of just staying within his skillset. He is still walking a lot but this new ‘freer-swinging’ strategy seems to be contributing to Chris’ lower batting average.

Pitchers
For pitchers we look at how many batters they’ve faced to get a read on how they’re doing. It takes a lot more data to really decipher these stats and there is only one tier that has been achieved so far this season and only by three of the starters: Wilson, Blanton, and Vargas. It is 150 batters faced (BF) and here we see a pitcher’s strike out rate (K%,) groundball rate, and line drive rate stabilize.

Last year’s new kid and jack of all trades, CJ, has stats that are both interesting and boring all at the same time. Almost nothing has changed for Wilson from last year. His K% is 19.6%, his groundball rate is 49.5%, and his line drive rate is 19%. These are all within 1% of last year’s numbers. They are also very much in line with his career numbers. He is pretty much doing what he has always done, as far as anyone can tell. His BABIP (batting average on balls in play) is .298, just about where it always is for him so hitters aren’t getting lucky either. His only out of line stat is his walks per 9 innings. It looks like if he can just cut down on the walks he could turn it around. Maybe he should just throw strikes, eh? Grade B-

Blanton, or as many refer “Blantana,”may be the universally hated classmate right now but he has some positives. Blanton’s biggest problem is his K%. He is striking out only 9.5% of batters he has faced. That is 11.1% fewer than last year and 6.3% fewer than his career average. He doesn’t appear to be fooling people, which is kind of what we’ve all seen out there. What he does seem to be doing is limiting line drives and getting more groundballs. He is getting 50% of balls in play to be hit on the ground, which is a jump of 5.4%. That is huge. Also, despite what it seems, he is limiting hard hit balls as his line drive rate has dropped 3.4% from last year. Fewer line drives and more groundballs could mean his recent success isn’t a total fluke. He has been raising his K rate recently too. If this all turns around he could be exactly what DiPoto billed him as: a reliable innings eater that keeps us in games. Grade C+

This year’s new kid, Jason Vargas, is turning out to be the same mixed bag last year’s new kid was. He is striking out 4.2% less people than last year and that has nothing to do with the park factors. His line drive rates are consistent with last year, so hitters aren’t making any better contact than before. He has also become more of a groundball pitcher. He has raised his groundball rate from last year’s 40.2% to 43.7% this year. This can’t hurt him and if this helps him keep the ball in the park more I’m all for it. If he can raise his K% closer to career norms and keep the lower groundball rate then he could be very effective the rest of the year for the Halos. Grade C

Hanson and Richards are the next Pitchers that will reach the 150 BF plateau. They both have around 125 BF right now. Hanson has fewer line drives and fewer strikeouts so far this year while maintaining his 40% groundball rate. Richards has more strikeouts, a lot more grounders and fewer line drives. We will see what happens over their next 25 batters faced.

Looks like the overall grade is a C+ on process but the results on the field are a D- in my grade book. There are some positives but the biggest problems here are our two superstars and our pitching. I didn’t even look at the bullpen, which looks like 5-year olds in a food fight. Hopefully with Madson going out on rehab assignment later this week, Jepsen throwing off a mound soon, Burnett’s positive medical news, and with Lowe coming back Tuesday it will straighten itself out. We can only hope, right?

I believe Butcher is a smart guy but I think he is the first to go if the pitching woes continue. I don’t believe another pitching coach is actually that much of an improvement over Butcher but it could serve to shake up the pitching staff and be a warning shot across the bow. We will check in again next month at which time I hope to have better news to write about. Let’s hope and pray it is still early enough to get back into this thing but I am very afraid “it’s getting late early out here.”

Los Angeles Angels Prospect Hotlist | Minor League Report

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Richter) — Mon, 06 May 2013 04:25:00 +0000

By Scott Stedman, AngelsWin.com Minor League Reporter -

1. Zach Borenstein, OF/1B, Inland Empire 66ers

Past 10 Games: 12/36 (.333), 2 Doubles, 0 Triples, 5 HR, 9 Runs, 12 RBIs, 3 SB

Overall: .287/.330/.638 with 9 HRs and 4 SB

What’s Up: Zach Borenstein has been on a complete tear lately for the Angels High-A ball affiliate, the Inland Empire 66ers. The 22-year-old outfielder blasted his 9th home-run of the season on Sunday, putting him tied atop the list of home-run leaders in the California League. His .638 slugging pct. is also good for 1st in all of High-A ball. In 2012, Borenstein went largely unnoticed even though he put up a .824 OPS in the pitcher-friendly Midwest League. Borenstein bats from the left-side and although his swing can become long at some times, he produces an incredible amount of torque. Defensively, Borenstein makes the routine plays and covers a decent amount of ground. With players such as Randal Grichuk, Travis Witherspoon, Peter Bourjos, and Mike Trout ahead of him on the depth chart, it will be tough for Borenstein to make his way into the Angels' plans, but if his power continues to wow on-lookers, it might not seem as impossible as it once was.

2. Alex Keudell, SP, Burlington Bees

Past 10 Days: 2-0, 0 Save, 0.64 ERA, 14 IP, 10 H, 1 BB, 14 K, 0.79 WHIP

Overall: 3-1, 0 Save, 1.72 ERA, 31.1 IP, 20 H, 9 BB, 21 K, 0.93 WHIP, .179 BAA

What’s Up: Alex Keudell was selected in the 27th round of the 2012 draft by the Tampa Bay Rays, but after a solid season in Rookie ball, was released in March of 2013. The 23-year-old righty was picked up by the Angels and was assigned to the Burlington Bees where he has dominated hitters in his 30+ innings of work. On the mound, Keudell relies on the deception from his side-armed delivery to get outs. With a delivery similar to Darren O'Day, Keudell has shown the ability to keep the ball in the yard, allowing just 1 home-run this year. At the age of 23, Keudell will have to continue to shine to be considered a true prospect.

3. A.J. Schugel, SP, Salt Lake Bees

Past 10 Days: 0-0, 0 Save, 2.92 ERA, 12.1 IP, 9 H, 5 BB, 10 K, 1.14 WHIP

Overall: 0-1, 0 Save, 6.21 ERA, 29 IP, 35 H, 14 BB, 30 K, 1.69 WHIP, .307 BAA

What’s Up: Coming into the season, A.J. Schugel was ranked as the Angels 8th best prospect according to AngelsWin.com. However after being assigned to the extremely hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, Schugel struggled mightily. However, his last two starts have been quality and his stuff is beginning to look sharp again. Schugel's fastball sits in the 89-93 range with some heavy sink to go along with his plus change-up and a decent curve-ball. The curve-ball can become flat on occasion which is a recipe for disaster in the PCL. Look for Schugel to get a cup of coffee with the Angels sometime this season, most likely in September.

4. Jett Bandy, C, Arkansas Travelers

Past 10 Games: 8/27 (.297), 3 Doubles, 0 Triples, 0 HRs, 4 Runs, 2 RBIs, 0 SB

Overall: .238/.333/.333 with 0 HRs and 0 SB

What’s Up: Jett Bandy. What could go wrong with a name like that? Bandy is a 23-year-old catcher for the Arkansas Travelers whose value lies in his defense and patience at the plate. Bandy who stands 6'4" tall, has just one passed ball this year and is throwing out a solid 30% of would-be base-stealers. At the plate, Bandy struggles to regularly square up balls but he rarely strikes out and has shown the knack for laying off pitches outside of the zone. In 62 at-bats this year, Bandy has just two strikeouts.

5. Abel Baker, C, Inland Empire 66ers

Past 10 Games: 10/34 (.294), 2 Doubles, 0 Triple, 0 HR, 3 Runs, 3 RBIs, 0 SB

Overall: .294/.342/.412 with 0 HR and 0 SB

What’s Up: A notch below Jett Bandy on the depth chart is Abel Baker. Like Bandy, Baker is known more for his defense than he is for his offense. The 22-year-old Baker, who was a 7th round pick in 2011, moves freely behind the plate and has been praised for his work with the pitchers. Consistently, I have seen Baker with a pop time around 1.8, which is extremely advanced. Offensively, Baker is a left-handed hitter who has worked in some DH games lately, as he is swinging a hot bat.

Affiliate Reports:

Salt Lake Bees: The Bees went 3-4 this week, dropping to 3rd place in the Pacific Coast League Northern division. First-baseman Efren Navarro is swinging a hot bat, as is utility infielder Luis Rodriguez. The pitching remains a concern, as the current crop of veterans isn't getting the job done.

Arkansas Travelers: The Travs' are currently tied 2nd place the Texas League North division after a 3-3 week. Their overall record is 14-15. The big bats of Cowart, Grichuk, Lindsey, and Witherspoon have yet to break out of their combined slump. C.J. Cron is hitting nearly .300 but has just 2 walks. Michael Roth threw 3 scoreless innings in his return to Arkansas.

Inland Empire 66ers: The 66ers are now in 2nd place after a very good 4-2 week. Mark Sappington is still dominating hitters, lowering his ERA to 1.73. A promotion to Double-A seems to be in the cards. Eric Stamets is still swinging a hot stick, as is 1B/DH Michael Snyder. Mike Morin and Eric Cendejas are holding down the fort in the bullpen.

Burlington Bees: Burlington had a tough week, going 2-4 and consequently drop into last place with a record of 10-15. Middle infielder Pedro Toribio is hitting .345 and Jairo Diaz has found his role as the closer, with 5 saves. Of note: AngelsWin's #17 prospect, outfielder Jonathan Walsh joined the team Friday after rehabbing from an injury.

Los Angeles Angels Tickets

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

noreply@blogger.com (Chuck Richter) — Mon, 06 May 2013 02:47:00 +0000

By Glen Mckee, AngelsWin.com columnist

Look on the bright side!

As I write this it is overcast outside in Southern California, and I’m enjoying the change in weather. What I’m definitely not enjoying is Angels baseball. I did enjoy the game I went to Friday night, thanks to surprise tickets from my girlfriend, but that was the exception. That was a well-played game in every aspect, perhaps the best one the Angels have played this year. After the fireworks went off, though, the Angels promptly forgot about that game and returned to their wretched ways. Two consecutive losses after coming from behind to tie or lead the game, two more reminders of how dreadful the bullpen is and the team in general. However, just as the sun is hiding behind the clouds out here in California there are always bright sides, even with this team. Let me share a few of them with ya.

Mike Trout – Like most of the rest of the team he started out slow but he’s really picked it up over the last handful of games. I don’t have the exact stats, but he’s hitting close to .578/.700/.650 since April 30. Mike Trout is becoming MIKE TROUT! once again. It’s a joy to watch.

Mark Trumbo – He’s been one of the few Angels doing well since the season started. The other guy is the ballboy; I haven't seen the ump run out of balls yet this season. Dude is a shoe-in for the coveted Ballboy of the Year award – the statue is two balls linked together, representing a ball and a strike. Anyways, Trumbo…after the end of last year there was legitimate doubt about him but he’s been excellent so far this year and is going on a power bender.

Mark Langston – I catch a lot of the games on radio so I get to hear Langston a lot. I do miss Jose Mota sometimes but Langston is a fresh voice that isn’t afraid to criticize the Angels organization. And, he looks like David Bowie. That’s kinda cool.

Angels Talk – I don't get to listen to this much but I bet it’s great right now. I'm guessing two “fire Scioscia!” calls followed by somebody saying it’s still early and we need to back our team, and then a nine-year-old kid saying Trout is great. I always imagine Terry Smith doing this show and drinking a la Bob Uecker in “Major League.” I know I would.

The starting pitching is getting better – Baby steps. Jason Vargas pitched a complete-game shutout against a good offensive team and the quality starts are starting to accumulate.

My Angels pushup program is yielding dividends – Ten for each run the Angels score, five for each run their opponents score. My chest is seriously yoked already.

Uh…I just saw the Head & Shoulders commercial with CJ Wilson – Okay, that isn’t a positive. Just thought I’d mention it.

I’m not spending much money on the Angels this year – That means more money for other important stuff like music and date night with my girlfriend. Get ready baby, we’re upgrading from Sizzler to Golden Corral!

At some point, the team has to get better – Right now this team is the baseball equivalent of this Hank Hill gem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fx7Z5B3wWmE Every time I think the team has hit rock bottom, they find another embarrassing way to plumb the depths. They haven't hit rock bottom yet and it might take a while longer for them to do so, but eventually they will and then they'll start to improve.

Well…we have playoff basketball to watch! – Ha ha, just kidding. Basketball sucks more than this team does. And don't even mention soccer. It’s like basketball with no hands.

So there you have it. You can be a Debbie Downer and swim in the negativity of the team thus far, or you can join me in taking a cue from Monty Python and looking on the bright side of life. There are plenty of reasons to be hopeful; feel free to share your own!