Halos Heaven

Ugliness is Next to Lackeyness

2010-03-17T23:59:35Z

Benedict Verde (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

For Saint Paddy's day, he is no longer on the Angels, he wore green for the Red Sox this morning and for John Lackey, here is our Irish Curse for The Benedictine Punk Himself...

Tax his tractor, tax his mule; tell him, taxing is the rule.

Tax his oil, tax his gas, tax his notes, tax his cash

Tax him good and let him know, that after taxes, he has no dough.

If he hollers, tax him more; tax him till he's good and sore.

Tax his coffin, tax his grave, tax his sod in which he's laid.

Put these words upon his tomb, "Taxes drove him to his doom."

Once he's gone, we won't relax. We'll still collect inheritance tax.

Poll

This here be the ugliest thing you seen in...

St. Paddys Day Game Thread

2010-03-17T19:45:10Z

Basically it is the 2nd start of the spring for Joe Saunders as the Angels face Ian Kennedy and the Arizona Diamondbacks at 1:05 PM in Tempe.

Rangers Manager is a COKE head

2010-03-17T17:39:37Z

Rangers Manager is a COKE head

The Rangers manager Ron Washington tested positive for Cocaine. Not sure a coke head can out manage our Lasagna head.

Poor Rangers fan. This one won't die soon.

Mike Napoli Audio Interview

2010-03-17T03:11:45Z

More photos » Ben Margot - AP

The Napster (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

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Angels Catcher Mike Napoli discussed his hot spring start with Jeff Biggs this afternoon on THE DRIVE on AM-830 KLAA. Check out the Audio: MIKE NAPOLI part 1 (7 minutes) ... MIKE NAPOLI part 2 (5+ minutes)

At the links above, listen to Napoli discuss how he would prefer to play everyday but remians great friends with co-catcher Jeff Mathis. Napoli says it was weird not seeing John Lackey and Chone Figgins at the beginning of Spring but things are fine with the club. He is excited to be catching Scott Kazmir and has good things to say about catching the bullpen. He discusses Angels relievers arm for arm with great detail. LOTS here!

Weaver Working It Out, Angels Are A Fluid Group: Halolinks

2010-03-17T14:43:23Z

More photos » Lenny Ignelzi - AP

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Angels 4, Padres 3 - CBSSports.com
Weaver was erratic through 3 1-3 innings. He walked five and allowed four hits and three runs while striking out four. After making some adjustments, "He looked really sharp his last 20 pitches," Scioscia said.

Weaver works to tame two-seam fastball - angelsbaseball.com
Weaver is working to get more ground-ball outs this season with an improved two-seam fastball, which he added to his arsenal of pitches only last season after first throwing it in the 2008 playoffs. The 6-foot-7 right-hander worked almost exclusively on that pitch on Tuesday against the Padres, as he threw it about 80 percent of the time, but it came with mixed results -- he allowed three runs on four hits over 3 1/3 innings pitched along with five walks and a hit batter.

This is why you don't worry too much about early spring training results. I seriously doubt Weaver will throw his a new pitch 80% of the time during the regular season. If this pitch helps cut down on his flyball rate and induce a few more ground outs (and double plays), you may be able to remove the "potential" from "potential ace" when describing Weaver.

Scioscia: Angels' lineup will be fluid - The Orange County Register
When Scioscia talks about his lineup, he uses the term "groupings." There's the grouping at the top of the order, the guys he counts on to get on base. Then, there's the power, the guys charged with driving in the runs. And then there's the bottom, the guys who are supposed to turn the order over to the top.

If the lineup is fluid, how is it grouped?

Los Angeles Angels 2010 preview - Stan McNeal - Sporting News
Sporting News prediction: The rest of the West is catching up, but the Angels' advantage in starting pitching will be the difference. They will win their sixth division title in the past seven seasons.

But...but...what about Pecota? And not having a "true" number one starter? Stan McNeal must live in Anaheim, or at least not in the pacific northwest, bay-area, or eastern seaboard.

Scouts' Views: AL West - Ryan Fagan - Sporting News
An AL scout spoke with Sporting News' Ryan Fagan about three of the division's biggest questions: Q: Which pitcher (if any) will emerge as the Angels' ace? Scout says: "I think Joe Saunders has a chance to really solidify himself as one of the premier lefthanded pitchers in the game. He's a tremendous makeup guy, works extremely hard, has a very strong aptitude for the game. He's probably the most durable guy in that rotation. To me, Saunders is a complete package and could put himself in that category as one of the top five to 10 lefties in the game."

A couple days ago, my son asked me who is my favorite player. I thought about it for a couple seconds, and the off-the-top-of-my-head answer was "Joe Saunders". But after giving it some more thought, and going through all of the possible players, I came up with the same answer...Joe Saunders. And I don't know why. Another thing I don't know, at least on this subject, is why there's so much diversity in opinions regarding Saunders. The above scout thinks Saunders has the ability to become the Angels ace, while others think of him as a reliable #5. Is his good? Is he great? Is he adequate? Maybe that's why he's my favorite, he could be anything.

MLB Loves To Hide Their Beautiful Game - 7th Inning Stache, a Baseball Blog
I have not liked MLB’s internet policies since the first time I tried to find an MLB highlight on the internet. It turns out the MLB destroys all content that gets posted on Youtube.The NBA on the other hand, has a firm grasp on the internet, and it’s power. As soon as you want to see an NBA blooper, highlight, or fan video, you will find it on Youtube, all over the internet on message boards, on Digg, Ballhype, Blogs etc… But who put those videos everywhere? The fans did. The NBA saves millions of advertising doll hairs by having their game in everyone’s face, and they are paying zilch for it. They are just allowing their fans to do it.

I get why the MLB protects the "MLB" usage, but why not allow embedding and such? From their stupid blackout policy to their inability to promote their product (the players), baseball's marketing is a joke.

Ex-Yankee Chuck Knoblauch admits to assaulting wife - Houston Chronicle
Former New York Yankees star Chuck Knoblauch pleaded guilty today to a misdemeanor charge of assaulting of a family member in exchange for a year of deferred adjudication, according to court records.

I'm not posting this link to highlight an ugly incident, just to point out how "east coast bias" isn't always a good thing. Knoblauch played in the majors for 12 season, the majority of which were with the Minnesota Twins, yet when he's charged with assaulting his wife he's referred to as an "Ex-Yankee".

March 17 - BR Bullpen
1886 - The Sporting News, the weekly that will become "The Baseball Paper of the World," publishes its first issue. 1946 - In Daytona Beach, the Brooklyn Dodgers take the field against their minor-league farm team, the Montreal Royals. With Jackie Robinson in the lineup for Montreal, the game marks the first appearance of an integrated team in Organized Baseball in this century. A crowd of 3,100 attends the game at City Island Park, which will be renamed Jackie Robinson Stadium in 1990.

Happy birthday to...
1977 - Robb Quinlan, infielder

New Rules

2010-03-16T23:43:19Z

TOPICS: The Angels and Baseball are the topics. Be cool and nobody gets hurt.

ATTITUDE: OPTIMISTIC? Don't bully others into cheering along. PESSIMISTIC? Bitch once, then offer a solution. Don’t bitch twice, it’s alright.

STATS: Assume we are skeptical. Extravagant claims require extra-precise proof. If you use the word "luck" it means you believe in magic and faeries, not that there is anything wrong with that. Please explain or link to a simple definition of any stat more complex than OPS.

COMMUNITY CONDUCT: Disagreement and intelligent critiques are welcome. Criticism is not censorship - your opinion is always allowed, but so is everyone's opinion of your opinion. There are ladies and children here on occasion, so keep it PG-13. You may use the F-word once a month maximum. No T&A pictures ever - No exceptions.

COMMERCE: No Ticket Sales.

GAME THREADS: No posting pictures, animated gifs, etcetera in game threads. No requesting new game threads. No links to pirate feeds.

FANPOST/FANSHOT: This blog draws heavy high-traffic, so you are obligated to use good grammar and write about interesting topics. Try to impress us. We offer sophisticated posting tools, so learn these tools. FanShots are for quick links and news with little commentary. FanPosts are deeper analysis, investigations and detailed, passionate commentary. Your FanPost/FanShot Headlines MUST convey the Subject. Redundant, ambiguous and amateurish FanPosts get erased without warning, or worse, mocked in the comments by the community.

HOW TO GET BANNED: Martyrs and Hostile posters get banned fastest. Halos Heaven is like Vegas and our goodwill is like your casino chips - if you gamble away your chips you don't get them back, they're gone from the table and you're gone from the casino.

Angels @ Padres GAME Thread

2010-03-16T19:45:10Z

More photos » Eric Risberg - AP

11 days ago: Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jered Weaver throws against the Oakland Athletics during the first inning of their spring training baseball game in Phoenix, Saturday, March 6, 2010. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

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1:05 PM in Peoria, Arizona ... Angels @ Padres, Jered Weaver Vs. Jon Garland (remember him?)

Hideki Matsui and Angels Vie for Guinness Book

2010-03-16T19:17:06Z

I got this press release from the Angels. You cannot make this stuff up.

ANGELS TO ATTEMPT MATSUI GUINNESS WORLD RECORD

ANAHEIM, CA - On Tuesday April 6, 2010, the Angels will attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the "largest gathering of people wearing fleece blankets." All fans in attendance at the Angels vs. Minnesota Twins game (7:05PM) will receive a complimentary Hideki Matsui Blankie courtesy of Konica Minolta.

"We are very excited about this special opportunity," team spokesman Tim Mead said. "Setting this world record will be a unique and memorable experience for our fans, the first of many in 2010."

During the game, an anticipated sellout crowd of over 40,000 will be prompted to wear their red "blankies", featuring Matsui’s name and number, for five consecutive minutes. After completion of the five minutes, a Guinness World Records Adjudicator will officially certify the new record. Later in the game, Guinness World Records will hold a short ceremony to recognize the record breaking attempt.

This is the first Guinness World Record attempted by the Angels. The current record for the largest gathering of people wearing fleece blankets is 17,758 set by the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 5, 2010.

WELL... there you have it folks... the only thing to add here is that when I think of "blankies" being shot in Anaheim, my first thought is the Katella Vasectomy Clinic.

Poll

Which Guinness Record Would You Prefer to Help Break?

Angels Hope For Wood, Staff Is Solid: Halolinks

2010-03-16T15:34:42Z

More photos » Jeff Chiu - AP

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Los Angeles Angels' starting rotation as deep as it gets - Jon Heyman - SI.com
The Red Sox, Yankees and White Sox rotations probably have stronger cases to be cited as the best overall starting staffs based on their top-heavy strengths. But it's hard to make a case any team has a rotation as solid as the Angels from top to bottom "One through five, we're as dependable as any team I've seen in a long time,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "And that's important when you get into the grind of the season. Some teams have a good one-two look and some even have a good one-two-three look. But they can't get past that.''

Finally. Someone gets it. The Angels have five starters who could easily win 15 games each. No other team can make that claim. Well, they can make the claim, but it won't be true.

Brandon Wood has inside track on third base job - latimes.com
"He's a guy we would like to take the position," Scioscia said when asked whether Wood was a lock to be his starting third baseman. "He has to show he's ready, but right now, we're looking for him to get the first opportunity there, with Izzy helping out with the versatility he brings to play second, third and shortstop."

Finally. Someone gets it.

The ax begins to fall - ESPN Los Angeles
The Angels cut 17 young players from big-league camp, leaving 49 left for the final 25 spots. Here are the victims, who must give up a good chunk of meal money and carry their gear over to the minor-league complex.

Nothing surprising with any of these guys.

MORE LINKS AFTER THE BREAK...

Torii Hunter Owed Apology Over Outrage -- MLB FanHouse
Consider this quote: "American blacks are being phased out and replaced by Latin-American players in some cases. I don't mean this in a negative way, but the Latin-American players make eight and 10 times less money than many American blacks. They're cheaper to sign." That wasn't more of what Hunter told USA Today. That was what former Cincinnati Reds star George Foster told me in 1982. It was for a week-long series I did for the San Francisco Examiner on the decline of African-Americans in the game from 24 percent during the early 1970s to 18 percent back then. Now it's eight percent.

Include me in the owe Torii an apology category. "I'm sorry Torii.''

In the beginning, a look at the end game for Angels and Dodgers - latimes.com
They played each other Monday just for fun and exercise in front of a sellout crowd at Diablo Stadium, blue prevailing over red, but which team has the best chance to be the last standing in October? Take it position by position, and it's not only close, but how do you answer these questions?

The position-by-position breakdown between the two teams is interesting, but I think the biggest difference is ownership. And that translates into on-field success.

GM's Corner - A Lunch with Benefits video series - Fox Sports on MSN
Jim Bowden, former GM of the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals lets us into the backrooms of the Major League Baseball teams.

A couple interesting videos about how trades are made.

MLB partners with Victoria's Secret to take swing at female fans - USATODAY.com
The VS PINK brand caters to college-age women with bras, lingerie and sleepwear. The baseball-themed line of crystallized hats, jerseys, T-shirts, hoodies, sweatpants, tanks, shorts and fleeces. The youthful gear will feature sayings such as "I Only Kiss Angels Fans"

This just made shopping for wives/girlfriends a lot easier.

Some news about the other A.L. West teams:

Mariners' Lee tossed for throwing at Diamondbacks' Snyder - CBSSports.com
The blowup came with two outs in the third inning of Arizona's 13-5 victory on Monday when Lee threw one pitch inside, then another that zipped just over Snyder's head. Snyder walked toward the mound, then the dugouts and bullpens emptied, but no punches were thrown. Lee, acquired in a big offseason trade with Philadelphia, says he was just trying to throw inside when a couple of pitches got away from him. In the first inning, Snyder and Lee collided when the Mariners' left-hander was backing up a play at home plate.

How dare Snyder even think about touching Cliff Lee! I heard Lee once clubbed a teammate over the head with a bat for just looking at his glove. Cliff Lee is a bad-ass. By the way, I kidding about both comments.

Hamilton exits game after plunking - MLB.com: News
Hamilton was diagnosed with a bruise on his left hand after getting hit by a pitch Monday night in a Cactus League game against the San Francisco Giants. Preliminary X-rays were negative and he will be re-evaluated Tuesday.

Thank God he wasn't hit by Lee or else he'd be dead. Dude's a bad-ass...ask Chris Snyder.

Sheets pounded for 10 runs without getting an out - washingtonpost.com
Ben Sheets was battered for 10 runs without retiring a batter in his latest poor showing, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Oakland Athletics 13-5 Monday. Sheets signed a one-year, $10 million contract with Oakland after missing last season with elbow problems that required surgery. He gave up eight hits and a walk, and another batter reached on an error.

Hmmm. Very interesting.

Poll

My wife/girlfriend...

Site House Rules Thread

2010-03-15T23:06:01Z

Not to be a registered Democrat and embrace regulation that stifles freedom and growth, but I was going to tinker with the site rules and thought to ask here for your input.

Many years ago some guy posted that he loved the site but his kids were not allowed on it because of the F-Bombage. A wonderful discussion of standards versus censorship followed and we arrived at the 1 F-Bomb per month rule.

So there you have it, so have at it... this is the thread for feedback related to how we as a community should operate, what we should tolerate and where to draw the line.

HALOS HEAVEN TEN COMMANDMENTS

1. The Angels and Baseball are the topics. Have fun!

2. OPTIMISTIC? Don't bully others into cheering along

3. PESSIMISTIC? Bitch once, then offer a solution. Don’t bitch twice, it’s alright

4. Martyrs and Hostile posters get banned fastest

5. Your opinion is always allowed, but so is everyone's opinion of your opinion

6. Use the F-word once a month maximum

7. No T&A pictures. No exceptions

8. No Ticket Sales

9. No posting pictures in game threads

10. Sidebar Headlines MUST convey the Subject

Redleaf Water Ticket Giveaway

2010-03-16T02:42:39Z

Did you know that redleaf water is the official water of the Angels 2010 Spring Training?

Our friends at redleaf want YOU to go to an Angels spring training game!

If you want great seats to Sundays Angels/Mariners game (March 21st in Tempe) you will be the first person here to email me ALL the correct answers to the trivia quiz after the page break. Deadline is Midnight tonight. Most correct answers wins the tickets. No do-overs. UPDATE: Stirrups won, aced the exam.

Bert Blyleven and Nolan Ryan are not their real first names. What are they?
What year did the Los Angeles Angels finish in 2nd place due to a season shortened by an influenza epidemic?
Name the Angels television announcer who once managed the St. Louis Cardinals.
Name the Angels pitcher with the most strikeouts having faced under 2,000 batters in his Angels career.
Name the switch-hitter with the highest single season batting average in Angels history.
Name the highest-ranking Angel on the Halos Heaven post-2005 Top 100 Angels list to not make the post-2008 list.
Name the highest ranking Angel on the Halos Heaven post-2008 Top 100 Angels list to not make the post-2005 list.
Which Angels team committed the fewest errors in a non-strike-shortened season?
Name the 2 Angel non-pitchers with the most opening day starts.
Who made the final out of the Angels 2009 postseason?

redleaf Ultra-Premium Bottled Water Makes U.S. Store Debut in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Utah

CHILLIWACK, British Columbia, March 15 /PRNewswire/ -- redleaf, Canada's ultra-premium bottled water, today announced that Albertsons is the first national U.S. grocer to offer redleaf water in its stores. redleaf water (www.redleafwater.com) will be sold at 105 Albertsons locations, including 43 in Arizona, 30 in New Mexico, 22 in Colorado, eight in Texas and two in Utah.

What Makes redleaf water Ultra-Premium

Ultra-premium source:

An artesian aquifer in the Canadian Rockies that is renewable and naturally replenished.

Ultra-premium for the body:

No chemicals used in the bottling process or plant.
Micro-oxygenated to boost alertness, energy and re-hydration.
Magnetized which allows red blood cells to easily absorb oxygen.
Filtered four times for ultra-purification and natural mineral retention.

Ultra-premium commitment to the earth:

Bottled at the source in a state-of-the-art, eco-friendly bottling facility.
1:1 filtration process for no wasted water (most bottled waters are 6:1).
The BPA-free bottle, cap and shrink wrap are 100% recyclable.
Small carbon footprint – not shipped from overseas.

"redleaf is the bottled water that health- and eco-conscious consumers have been waiting for, and we're excited that Albertsons has taken the U.S. lead in offering our ultra-premium water," said Dave Hillis, chief operating officer, redleaf water. "We've produced a great-tasting water through a patented, chemical-free process that results in the most environmentally friendly bottled water in the world. We're confident that shoppers will embrace redleaf once they discover the purity in each sip."

redleaf is the official 2010 Spring Training water for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, who play at Tempe Diablo Stadium, and the Oakland Athletics, who call Phoenix Municipal Stadium home. redleaf is now available in Albertsons stores near the stadiums, including seven locations in Tucson, six in Phoenix, five in Scottsdale, three in Mesa and 22 more in nearby cities in Arizona.

Albertsons is part of SUPERVALU, the third-largest food retailing company in the United States. To find an Albertsons store, visit: http://locator.albertsons.com.

About redleaf water

redleaf, Canada's ultra-premium bottled water, is superior in content, taste and purity. redleaf's corporate mission is simple: produce and distribute bottled water that is good for people as well as good for the earth. Founded in 2008, redleaf's state-of-the-art, 75,000 square foot, earth-friendly bottling facility is built over the artesian aquifer at the base of the Canadian Rockies in Chilliwack, British Columbia. More information is available at www.redleafwater.com. Fan redleaf on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/redleaf.ultrapremium or follow on Twitter: www.twitter.com/redleafwater.

Angels Dealing With Injuries, Pineiro Not Sinking In: Halolinks

2010-03-15T15:12:59Z

More photos » Jeff Chiu - AP

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Cubs 8, Angels 7 - CBSSports.com
The Angels' Joel Pineiro was also hit hard in his second spring start, allowing seven hits and four earned runs in three innings. Pineiro missed his second appearance for dental work. He allowed three hits and a run in his previous start against the White Sox on March 4. Kendry Morales hit his first spring homer for the Angels. Morales' spring was delayed because of immigration paperwork. He had a breakthrough 2009 season with the Angels, hitting .304 with 34 homers and 108 RBIs.

Joel Pineiro can't get things to sink in - latimes.com
"Sometimes you feel too strong, you overthrow, and the ball flattens out," Pineiro said. "If you get too powerful, you start getting the ball up. Maybe that was the case today … but the biggest thing for me is getting ahead in the count. I went 3-and-0 to the first hitter of the game. When I get ahead, it turns everything around."

Angels spring update: Abreu is scratched, Aybar remains sidelined - Los Angeles Times
Angels right fielder Bobby Abreu was scratched from Sunday's exhibition game against the Chicago Cubs because of tightness in his side, and shortstop Erick Aybar, who has some forearm stiffness, was not in the lineup for the fifth straight day.

Angels Blog - ESPN Los Angeles
Reserve outfielder Reggie Willits left Sunday's Cactus League game against the Chicago Cubs in the third inning with a strained right hamstring. If Willits misses a large amount of time, the Angels' reserve outfield job could be up for grabs again. Willits is competing with Terry Evans, Michael Ryan and Peter Bourjos for one extra outfielder job.

Santana turning up heat to his 2008 form - angelsbaseball.com
If Ervin Santana's outing against the Royals on Saturday is any indication, the right-hander will be returning to his All-Star form from 2008. Santana faced the minimum in three innings of work, allowing just one hit and no walks while striking out five batters in the Angels' 12-3 loss at Surprise Stadium.

Competition for final spots shaping up - The Orange County Register
On one side of the clubhouse, Robb Quinlan sits in front of his locker. On the other side, Michael Ryan does the same thing, but the two might not be in the same room for much longer.

Jim Edmonds making strong case to return to major leagues with Milwaukee Brewers - FOX Sports on MSN
Edmonds went 2-for-3 with a home run and double in the Brewers’ 12-3 win over the Cubs on Friday. He is hitting .429 (6-for-14) in six Cactus League games and making a strong case to make the Opening Day roster as a reserve outfielder.

Poll

Spring training stats...

Friend HALOS HEAVEN on FaceBook

2010-03-15T09:28:48Z

Friend HALOS HEAVEN on FaceBook

While you are chatting with some chick you sat next to in 4th grade on FaceBook you can keep up with what is on Halos Heaven by adding us as a friend!

Jason Brennan, Mel From Fullerton Embrace Headshaving

2010-03-14T08:58:53Z

Pictured here, Jason Brennan and Mel from Fullerton reveal the goods - heads freshly shorn of their locks in solidarity with children undergoing chemotherapy treatments for cancer.

On Saturday, Mr. Brennan brought a St. Baldrick's Foundation "Shaving our Way to Conquer Kids Cancer" event to Throwbacks Bar, a stone's throw from Angels Stadium. Over two dozen heads were shaved, including radio host Jeff Biggs and blogger Eric Denton. A raffle of great Angels prizes included tickets to Angels games in April and a silent auction featured a Robb Quinlan street banner that actually got a bid.

Brennan is closing in on his goal of raising $10,000 for the St. Baldrick's Foundation and I can happily report that the Throwbacks Pastrami Burger was superior to all food I have ever had at Angels stadium and that is counting the Diamond Club. I know where I am going to eat before home games this season.

Why FaceBook is Awesome and Awful at the Same Time

2010-03-13T04:28:15Z

This says it all.

Jered Weaver Feels Good, Torii Hunter Goes Quiet: Halolinks

2010-03-12T15:36:02Z

More photos » Benjie Sanders - AP

Los Angeles Angels' Mike Napoli, center, is congratulated after hitting a solo homer in the top of the fourth inning against the Arizona Diamondback. It was his 3rd of the spring and is another indication he is so getting laid.

Browse more photos »

Diamondbacks 4, Angels 1 - CBSSports.com
Jered Weaver regrouped from a rough first outing for the Angels, allowing one run on three hits and striking out two in three innings. Los Angeles' lone run came on Mike Napoli's third homer of the spring, off Leo Rosales, Chris Snyder homered for Arizona. Weaver, 16-8 with a 3.75 ERA and four complete games last season, gave up two runs on three hits in 1 2-3 innings his first time out this spring. "It was a lot better than the last outing," he said after Thursday's appearance. "I was able to locate my off-speed pitch a lot more this time. I was making strides in the right direction."

The Angels are having a tough time of it so far this spring, however yesterday's game didn't feature many of their regular season starters.

Angels' Weaver not worrying about health - The Orange County Register
"I tried to do something different," Weaver said. "I'd come into camp (before) with some tendinitis in my shoulder. I tried to activate my arm sooner this offseason and ended up feeling good coming into camp." Weaver began throwing on Jan. 1, earlier than in the past, playing catch every other day. The change in the schedule has Weaver on the mound sooner this spring than in the past.

This is the first time I've linked to the OC Register's new guy, Dan Woike, since this is the first time he's written anything worth linking to (unless you're a "Saved By The Bell" fan). If this post is the type of writing we can expect from Woike in the future, you'll be seeing more links. (By the way Dan, if you're reading this, join in the conversation here too. It won't hurt.)

Angels center fielder Torii Hunter vows to watch what he says to reporters - latimes.com
Torii Hunter is one of baseball's most accessible and quotable players, but the center fielder emerged from a lengthy closed-door meeting with Manager Mike Scioscia, General Manager Tony Reagins and team executive Tim Mead Thursday vowing to be more guarded with reporters and his choice of words. "If it's not about baseball, I'm not going to talk about it," said Hunter, heavily criticized Wednesday for remarks in a USA Today article examining the declining percentage of African American players in the game. "I know what I am. Don't always believe what you read."

I've never met Hunter, but from everything I've ever read about him, he seems like a good guy and has provided some pretty good quotes. If he becomes more guarded with what he says to the press, hopefully the quotes don't go away.

Journeyman Ryan eyes spot with Halos - angelsbaseball.com
Even in the Majors, Ryan proved he could hit when he was called up by the Twins for 27 games in 2003, when he went on to bat .393 with a .441 on-base percentage and .754 slugging percentage in 61 at-bats. "He's a guy that is certainly making the most out of every opportunity he's getting," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He's versatile and we're working on that now with him getting work at first base, third base and the corner outfields. And he can handle the bat, whether it's hit and run or working the counts."

Nice story...until the first round of cuts are announced.

Spring Training Spotlight: Howie Kendrick's Glove Is Less Than Gold - Bleacher Report
No, Kendrick's bat is, by no means, a major concern just yet. His defense, however, is. In those three Spring Training games he played this year, Kendrick was credited with three errors, the most of any Angel in camp. Only two other Opening Day starters have errors, one apiece, while minor league second baseman Ryan Mount has two. What's worse, Kendrick could easily have more. Several times this spring, he's let grounders roll by him or fired the ball over his first baseman's head only to have the batter be awarded a hit.

Is this true? If so, is this something we should be worried about?

10 Word Wiki: Baseball - Sam Miller - The Orange County Register
10 Word Wiki is like Wikipedia, but all entries are limited to exactly 10 words. So for baseball, we get: "America’s pastime, played while wearing pajamas, now past its time."

Here's my 10 word wiki for Sam: Sam Miller is a nerd, but in a good way.

DP Show: Tom Verducci talks Torii Hunter's comments
On The Dan Patrick Show, Tom Verducci and Dan discuss Angel outfielder Torri Hunter's controversial comments and how his words may have been taken taken the wrong way.

A short audio clip.

FanGraphs Audio: Rob Neyer Status Update - FanGraphs Baseball

A long audio clip. I did learn one thing from this, his name is pronounced Niy-er, not Nay-er. At least in this interview.

Demolition Of Yankee Stadium
A website entirely dedicated to recording the demolition of the historic Yankee Stadium.

Pretty cool pictures and video.

Some news about the other teams in the A.L. West -

HeraldNet: Game report: M's beat Giants; Adam Moore catching everyone's eye
Chone Figgins continued his hitless spring but also his ability to be the perfect complement to Ichiro Suzuki at the second spot in the batting order. Figgins walked three times, giving him seven in 16 plate appearances and a .438 on-base percentage. After Ichiro doubled off Tim Lincecum to start the game, Figgins walked and they pulled a double steal that set up Ryan Garko's two-run single. "Those two guys at the top of the lineup are going to be like gnats," Giants manager Bruce Botchy said.

Oakland A's oft-injured Eric Chavez rediscovers his stroke - San Jose Mercury News
Chavez, who has had five surgeries (three on his shoulders, two on his back) since September 2007, won't play again until Saturday. He had his second microdiscectomy operation on his back last June. Chavez said if things continue to progress, he could start to play five or six innings on back-to-back days in a week or so.

Greenberg: Rangers sale 'going smoothly' - texasrangers.com
This week, Sport Business Journal reported that the sale of the Rangers was stalled after Major League Baseball informed the team's creditors about delays in responding to the lenders' concerns regarding the deal. Greenberg responded to that report Wednesday. "What's interesting is it said that the sale is delayed again, which suggests that it has already been delayed once and that just hasn't happened," he said. "I think there are some folks out there that have a little bit of self-interest in portraying gloom and doom, none of whom are principals in the deal, by the way.

Poll

Halolinks posts (like this one)...

Angels Trivia

2010-03-12T05:27:33Z

More photos » Jeff Roberson - AP

6 months ago: Houston Astros right fielder Hunter Pence, left, is congratulated in the dugout by teammates Darin Erstad (2) and Edwin Maysonet, center, after making a catch on a ball hit by St. Louis Cardinals' Matt Holliday and doubling Albert Pujols off first to end the third inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2009, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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Here is one. After Darin Erstad caught the final out of the 2002 World Series, he ran in from the outfield to join his teammates celebrating. Who was the first person he "High-Fived" after making the catch? I only saw it once, captured on tape in replay a few minutes after the victory had been sealed. Anyone recall?

Angels @ DBAX Spring Game Thread

2010-03-11T20:01:42Z

More photos » Ross D. Franklin - AP

8 days ago: Joanne Ordway, of Los Angeles, Calif., walks around Tempe Diablo Stadium with an umbrella as the rain comes down before the start of a spring training baseball game between the Los Angeles Angels and the San Diego Padres Tuesday, March 9, 2010, in Tempe, Ariz. The start of the game was delayed by thirty minutes due to rain. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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Arizona of Arizona is hosting the Tempe Halo from L.A. of Calanaheim ... This is the Game Threadage.

Hunter Was Right...sort of, Abreu At It Again: Halolinks

2010-03-11T16:13:20Z

More photos » Eric Risberg - AP

"Be more selective or you'll see the back of my hand!"

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Reds 6, Angels 0 - CBSSports.com
TEMPE, Ariz.-Reds prospect Mike Leake threw two crisp innings in Cincinnati's 6-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday.

Leake was the eighth overall pick in last year's draft.

Hunter made a valid point - FOX Sports on MSN
One point from the USA Today roundtable deserves more attention than Hunter’s comments: The low number of baseball scholarships — 11.7 per season — permitted for each Division I team. The scholarship limit in football is 85. In basketball, it’s 13 — and a basketball team uses only five players at a time. On the other hand, football and basketball are revenue-producing sports and baseball is not. "The colleges have corrupted baseball because they’ve taken away the scholarships," agent Scott Boras said during the roundtable. "They’ve taken away America’s pastime from the grassroots level of homes."

With all of the publicity Hunter's comments have received, hopefully it puts more focus on increasing baseball's reach to young players and fans. Baseball needs to return to the grassroots level to improve its standing with everyone...not just African-American, Latin-Americans, European-Americans, etc.

Panel Part IV: A less-costly process discussed for draft - USATODAY.com
"There's no question," Boras says, "the draft needs to be completely redone. It's not working." Major League Baseball can't agree more. But the $7 billion industry question is, how can it be changed? There has been talk of a hard slotting system similar to the NBA's or an international draft. Key ideas USA TODAY's eight-person committee emerged from a four-hour roundtable discussion with imaginative solutions.

I find this comment from Boras as semi-hypocritical. He seems to have no problem taking advantage of the broken system when it suits his clients needs, yet he wants to fix it so those advantages no longer exist.

Los Angeles Angels Bobby Abreu turns patience into power - ESPN Los Angeles
"You can see it on their face sometimes. I take a lot of pitches. I hit whatever I want to hit, not what they want me to hit. "They get a little irritated. You see some guys give you that look like, 'Swing the bat.' "But I don't care what they do. I have my plan; it doesn't matter what they do. If they get mad, they lose their concentration. They make mistakes, then you take advantage of that."

There was some debate about how Abreu's hit approach rubbed off on his teammates. I was in the belief some of the other Angel players benefited from watching Abreu and talking with him about hitting, while others thought there was no "Abreu Effect". I want to read often that Brandon Wood and Abreu spend a lot of time together.

Wood's hard knocks might be ending - Yahoo! Sports
"I feel my time has come to go out and play the game and be able to take those minor league numbers and transfer them over to the big leagues. I’d like to relax and find out what a full year will do, see what it’s like just going out and playing baseball."

Another "Wood's time has come" story. This one talks about him and his dad, Kerry. Yeah, Kerry Wood.

Glaus keeps 8-for-8 streak in perspective - Atlanta Braves with David O'Brien
The former American League home-run champion is 9-for-12 with one double and three walks this spring. He doesn’t have a homer, but also has no strikeouts. Glaus and the Braves are confident that he’ll supply plenty of power from the cleanup spot, long as he stays in the lineup. Health has been the only question mark for the 33-year-old former All-Star. He’s hit at least 20 homers in all eight seasons when had at last 385 at-bats, including 38 homers in 540 at-bats with Toronto in 2006.

Good luck Troy. I hope you win Comeback Player of the Year.

Math geek picks 2010 MLB winners - FOX Sports on MSN
In the American League, the New York Yankees should blow away the competition, winning in the East, and the Minnesota Twins will repeat as winners in the Central. But the American League West is too close to call, with all four teams within five wins and the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim expected to win 82, 81 and 80 games respectively. As for the wildcard, Bukiet says it's a toss-up between the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox from the East.

Ya know, I hope the A.L. West is really competitive this season. An excitingly tight pennant race would be fun to watch, plus I think when the Angels win the division, they'll be "sharper" in the playoffs. I dunno, maybe I'm full of crap.

Hendry: Bradley needs to 'look in the mirror' - Chicago Breaking Sports
Hendry called Bradley's implication to ESPN that he received hate mail from within the organization "absolutely ridiculous," and said Bradley needs to look "in the mirror" and accept responsibility for his poor 2009 numbers. "We're all brought up in life to accept responsibility when we fail, and to judge people by how they act and how they carry themselves when things don't go well," Hendry said. Bradley told ESPN some of the hate mail he received had no postage, suggesting it could've been in-house. "Obviously, that couldn't be further from the truth," Hendry said. "I think maybe it's time Milton looks at himself in the mirror. It is what it is. He just didn't swing the bat. He didn't get the job done. His production, or lack of (production), was the only negative."

Have fun this season Seattle!

Poll

I'd like to see the Angels clinch the division...

Halos Heaven CBS Sports Fantasy League

2010-03-11T05:51:14Z

The Winning manager in this league will have some pretty extreme bragging rights:

Chicago Neighborhoods - managed by Bill "Shredder" Seitz of the LA Seitz of Chicago blog

Downing's Briancats - managed by Sean Smith, inventor of the CHONE projection system from the ALL THE WAY blog

Radio Angels - managed by AM-830 Radio Personality Jeff Biggs

THE BATGIRLS - managed by Missus Halofan who has never done this before, adding to the humiliation of any and all she beats

Scottnak's ATTACK - managed by SCOTTNAK - Halos Heaven pregame picks maestro. Would have been weird if someone else in the league had named their team this.

Sabotage - managed by poster Casey KOD as his reward for winning the ultimate Angels trivia contest

Team 7 - managed by Jason Brennan, the AM-830 Radio Host and proprietor of Throwbacks Sports Bar who has yet to name his team

WARgasmic Nine - managed by WIHALOFAN, Halos Heaven co-host and mad cartoonist

Team 9 - managed by the Orange County Register's Sam Miller who has yet to name his team even though this name kinda sorta works for a team

PECOTA Busters - managed by Ryan Ghan, Halos Heaven minor league guru

Quarter-Tones - managed by Jim Scully, jazzman

Hawaii Tinmen - managed by Eyespy - first member of the Halos Heaven community that I did not know before this blog commenced

Darby from Yorba Linda - managed by CUPIE - rock star

Rev's Puzzled Panthers - managed by yours truly.

And for those of you keeping score at home, 6-4-2's Rob McMillin politely declined an offer to manage a team and Matt Welch apologized for being too busy saving the world for democracy to participate.

Halos Heaven

Ugliness is Next to Lackeyness

This here be the ugliest thing you seen in...

St. Paddys Day Game Thread

Rangers Manager is a COKE head

Rangers Manager is a COKE head

Mike Napoli Audio Interview

Weaver Working It Out, Angels Are A Fluid Group: Halolinks

New Rules

Angels @ Padres GAME Thread

Hideki Matsui and Angels Vie for Guinness Book

Which Guinness Record Would You Prefer to Help Break?

Angels Hope For Wood, Staff Is Solid: Halolinks

My wife/girlfriend...

Site House Rules Thread

Redleaf Water Ticket Giveaway

redleaf Ultra-Premium Bottled Water Makes U.S. Store Debut in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Utah

Angels Dealing With Injuries, Pineiro Not Sinking In: Halolinks

Spring training stats...

Friend HALOS HEAVEN on FaceBook

Friend HALOS HEAVEN on FaceBook

Jason Brennan, Mel From Fullerton Embrace Headshaving

Why FaceBook is Awesome and Awful at the Same Time

Jered Weaver Feels Good, Torii Hunter Goes Quiet: Halolinks

Halolinks posts (like this one)...

Angels Trivia

Angels @ DBAX Spring Game Thread

Hunter Was Right...sort of, Abreu At It Again: Halolinks

I'd like to see the Angels clinch the division...

Halos Heaven CBS Sports Fantasy League

Which Manager is Going to Win?