LA Angels Thursday News Crash: Beat Down

Photo credit: Rex Fregosi

Marcus Stroman challenges Nascar driver Kyle Larson to a charity MMA bout because Stroman thinks Larson “needs his ass beat.”  

Angels News and Opinion

Mike Trout sees a lot of red flags about the Arizona plan.  Meanwhile, Brian Goodwin reflects on his first full Major League game he played on Jackie Robinson Day 2019 with the Angels.  ZiPS projects the Angels to be a .500 ball club in the Cactus League West, beating out only the White Sox in that division. 

Baseball Versus Coronavirus

Dr. Anthony Fauci adopts a wait and see approach as to whether there will be baseball in 2020. So does Rob Manfred.  This public health expert thinks gatherings at sports events cannot happen until the fall of 2021.  Arizona’s Governor thinks his state can handle the plan for an isolated MLB season in Arizona.  It’s the players I’m worried about.  The Governor hangs out in an air conditioned office. Major League Baseball teams (some but not all) are participating in a coronavirus study to test about 10,000 people for antibodies.  It is unclear whether the Angels are participating. 

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Designerguy
Super Member
4 years ago

If Joe Buck won’t do it, let’s give Gubi a chance. Can’t wait for “Trust your stuff. Stay within your mechanics. Change her eye level.”

https://twitter.com/Buck/status/1251193698731393024

steelgolf
Legend
4 years ago
Reply to  Designerguy

Wonder how Joe could work in Derek Jeter and The Yankees into his play by play?

Designerguy
Super Member
4 years ago
Reply to  steelgolf

Probably something like, “…I haven’t seen anyone get to a ball like that since Jeter in ’99.”

matthiasstephan
Super Member
4 years ago
Reply to  Designerguy

Wouldn’t that get old after having to say it about Simba a couple of times a game?

steelgolf
Legend
4 years ago
Reply to  Designerguy

or something like “this is going to end in a gift basket”

red floyd
Legend
4 years ago
Reply to  Designerguy

I haven’t seen anyone swing a bat that hard since Big Papi in 2004!

Designerguy
Super Member
4 years ago
Reply to  Designerguy

Whoa! He had to go deep in the hole to get that one!

RexFregosi
Super Member
4 years ago
Reply to  Designerguy

‘Light that baby up!’ ‘Sho-time!’ and ‘drive home safely’

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
4 years ago

Love Stroman’s fire but live that betting props are already available even more. What a world, ha ha.

45 pound weight difference means not even UFC would sanction it and they tried to pull off a card on an Indian reservation last week.

rspencer
Trusted Member
4 years ago

Hey, I don’t know how long it’s been there, but I just noticed the new site logo. I love it! Great work, guys!

steelgolf
Legend
4 years ago
Reply to  rspencer

It would make a pretty nice t shirt or sweatshirt.

rspencer
Trusted Member
4 years ago
Reply to  steelgolf

I’ll take a Large and an XL.

steelgolf
Legend
4 years ago
Reply to  rspencer

And just like that, i found their link to where you can order the T-Shirts, Sweatshirts, Hoodies, etc. Down to the right on my computer they linked a store from their twitter feed. Since I don’t twitter, it could have been there for months without me even knowing about it.

rspencer
Trusted Member
4 years ago
Reply to  steelgolf

Thanks for smartening me up!

Brent
Super Member
4 years ago

There will be no Angels regular season game this year. Book it.

Designerguy
Super Member
4 years ago

OT: Give this headline writer a raise. The jokes within the article don’t stink, either.

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/3-thieves-try-to-make-clean-getaway-but-are-arrested-anyway-in-heinous-toilet-paper-caper-port-hueneme-pd/

Mas_Angeles
Member
4 years ago

.500 sounds about right. Maybe next year we can haz pitching?

steelgolf
Legend
4 years ago
Reply to  Mas_Angeles

If they go heavy in the draft on pitching, get lucky on one or two, then they may have pitching in 3 to 4 years. Here is a list of possible free agents. Which one are you wanting to go after? Chatwood? Richards? Stroman?

matthiasstephan
Super Member
4 years ago
Reply to  steelgolf

Mike Minor, Robbie Ray in addition to Stroman and (possibly for sentimental reasons, and providing his arm holds up) Richards. I really hope someone picks up Fiers – hate to see him blackballed for calling out the Astros.

Mas_Angeles
Member
4 years ago
Reply to  steelgolf

That’s a big “if,” but I’d love it. Pitching just hasn’t felt solid for a few years now. As for free agents, I like Matthias’ votes. I’m not too big on Richards, though. We got what, 3 months of healthy Richards when he was with us? /s

matthiasstephan
Super Member
4 years ago
Reply to  Mas_Angeles

Do you only mean in 2018? He was great for us in ’14 and ’15, and I am hoping he can return to some of that form.

Rahul Setty
Admin
Trusted Member
4 years ago

In Trout’s comments, he expresses concern for not seeing family members and being stuck in his hotel room. Which is quite realistic. There’s so much money involved that baseball will have to be played during the summer, but we’ll see what the MLBPA agrees to. These guys signed up to play baseball, not to be indentured servants.

Mia
Legend
Mia
4 years ago
Reply to  Rahul Setty

People need to remember that it’s just a game. Health and safety of the players is the priority. If that means we don’t see baseball for a year or more then we will get over it.

I’d hate to see a player catch it and die from playing a game.

Rahul Setty
Admin
Trusted Member
4 years ago
Reply to  Mia

Hey if Fauci said it was possible, I doubt they don’t charge ahead with some plan.

Mia
Legend
Mia
4 years ago
Reply to  Rahul Setty

Possible, sure. Actually getting the players on board and figuring out the specifics is the issue.

I still see too much potential for transmission. But I trust Dr. Fauci, so if he clears it i’ll hope for the best.

Eric_in_Portland
Legend
4 years ago
Reply to  Rahul Setty

since there’s no school couldn’t entire families move to Arizona during the season? (whatever “the season” might be). Generally they wouldn’t because they wouldn’t want to take the kids out of school.

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
4 years ago
Reply to  Rahul Setty

He’s going to be a father this summer. I wouldn’t trade all the ultrasounds and being in the delivery room for anything. Not even Trout’s 2020 salary and that probably goes tenfold if I’d already made as much as him.

Designerguy
Super Member
Jim Atkins
Super Member
4 years ago
Reply to  Designerguy

Retirement is summed up in just two words. Pants optional. Then again, it’s getting warmer up here in the desert. I shift over to cargo shorts only about this time of year.

Jim Atkins
Super Member
4 years ago

According to CNN Roy Halladay had quite a few different drugs in his system the day he killed himself. Man had 720 hours flying time and about 52 on the plane he was doing aerobatics in when he crashed. There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are very few old, bold pilots.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/us/roy-halladay-ntsb-accident-report-spt/index.html

Designerguy
Super Member
4 years ago
Reply to  Jim Atkins

Sounds like he had a very difficult life post-baseball.

roy.jpg
Mia
Legend
Mia
4 years ago
Reply to  Designerguy

Almost makes you wonder if it’s worth it to let people put their bodies through that kind of torment for our enjoyment.

I’m 26, I played sports from age 5 to when I graduated high school. I have my share of aches and pains. Especially my knees. Can’t imagine after a 20 yr career.

Combine Doc with Skaggs and it just gives me pause. How many other players are abusing substances and haven’t been found out?

H.T. Ennis
Admin
Super Member
4 years ago
Reply to  Mia

On the other hand, it’s absolutely crazy that some athletes devote their entire lives to sport and then are done at 25-30 years of age. I can’t imagine loving something so much, working that hard at it, and then being told that after a third of my life, I can’t do it anymore.

Mia
Legend
Mia
4 years ago
Reply to  H.T. Ennis

Definitely. The dream you’ve had since you knew what sports were is just ripped away. You can easily see the path they walk down. Easily see how all the injuries and failure cause depression and substance abuse.

Rahul Setty
Admin
Trusted Member
4 years ago
Reply to  Jim Atkins

I’d read on r/baseball that he was flying an A5, which is a small plane so fun to fly that people often forget the safety part of it. But as DG mentioned, it sounds like Halladay had deeper, underlying issues, too.

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
4 years ago
Reply to  Jim Atkins

Also sounds like he had a rather joyless childhood.

2002heaven
Super Member
4 years ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

Todd Marinovich on the baseball diamond?