Good Morning Angels fans! Happy Humpday! We have good news in store for you. So enjoy the links!
Baseball is Back!
Players agreed with the health guidelines which means it is official! With a 60 game season in the middle of a pandemic, here are some rule changes and guidelines (numbered!).
First, Injured List will be 10 days only. No 15, no 60. Which makes sense given the season length. But there is a COVID19 IL. Which is flexible for any number of games.
Second, roster size will change during the season. 30 then 28 then 26. Also 3 players can be designated as Taxi Squad members but one must be a catcher.
Third, Players will not be allowed to come earlier than 5 hours before or stay after 90 minutes post game. Don’t want to allow people to stay longer than needed.
4th, Reporters can’t stay for more than an hour after post game interviews. Which is plenty, especially since reporters can’t meet players or management face to face. Video call only.
5th, DH in NL. It is optional, but unless your name is Ohtani I bet there will be a separate DH.
6th, bad news. Extra inning rules are changed. Runner on 2nd to start 10th. People are already mad including me, and it is now possible to lose a perfect game.
7th, Summer spring training can have as many as 60 players. Since it seems all will be at their own stadiums (except MAYBE Blue Jays) it makes sense as it will all be inter team games.
8th, Players cannot go into replay rooms. Thought that was already a rule.
9th, Arguing with umpires is now immediate ejection and fine, if you get within 6 feet of them. Could have solved the issue with robo umps.
10th, everyone in the ballpark will have their temperature taken. That is EVERYONE. Players will have 2 thermometers on them for home readings before coming in.
11th, Away broadcasters will call games remotely. Victor is already ready with his podcast, Big Fly Baseball Show.
12th, MLB has the right to relocate teams based on health and safety reasons even in the postseason. California has had a big spike lately along with Arizona, Florida, and Texas, so this may get messy.
13th, Trade Deadline is August 31st. Surprised there is a deadline, or trades being allowed at all.
14th, NO SPITTING. No sunflower seed spitting or tobacco or anything. You can chew gum though. Ohtani wonders what the big deal is as the rest of MLB panics.
15th, Players who are high risk or live with those who are high risk including pregnancy, are allowed to opt out with service time. Mike Trout’s wife is very pregnant right now and due in August.
Other news
First real big name to test positive for COVID19, Charlie Blackmon. Also another two Rockies players. I really do not know how MLB will pull this season off.
Puig, who was almost signed by SF back in March is now about to be pursued by the Giants again. If true, Angels will face him again.
Because the schedule of 60 games is 10 vs every division opponent and 4 vs every team in the opposite league division. West vs West, Central vs Central, East vs East.
Angels News
So the Angels schedule is 10 vs Astros, 10 vs A’s, 10 vs Rangers, 10 vs Mariners, 4 vs Dodgers, 4 vs Giants, 4 vs Padres, 4 vs Rockies, 4 vs Dbacks. Which makes the Angels have the 2nd hardest SOS for the AL. And the Marlins get hardest SOS for NL.
Arte Moreno revealed his plans for the land he bought in and around Angels Stadium in the Platinum Triangle. Mostly homes, offices and ‘better fan experience’.
David Fletcher is happy. Which means everything will be alright.
Ed. Note: David Fletcher
Anything I messed? Are you happy? Let us know in the comments below.
ALWAYS HAPPY JOHN, MAHALO MY FRIEND
ok….couple of deep breaths, no need to panic. I see local lad Mick Abel has signed with the Phillies for above slot value. Still no Detmers but the Abel article said 13 first rounders have signed so we’re not alone.
However we still have not signed any UDFAs at $20k. Zero. I’m not sure which I’m looking forward to more, Pujols with a heart warming retirement ceremony (he deserves it) or Arte selling the team.
If Arte sells the team, he will keep control of the land and stadium since it is a separate development company.
that’s a nice deal for him
Yep. McCourt kept the Ravine parking lot, Arte can keep the whole shebang, or he could sell just the stadium with the team and concessions, but keep the parking and surrounding development. And EVERY parcel there will be paying CAM charges
Selling the team now would make no sense for Arte. He needs a great team on the field to maximize his investment.
Look at Stan and the Rams. He didn’t give a crap about the product on the field until he needed them to be good to sell PSL’s for the new stadium.
As i stated before against Arte on previous rants, former Clippers owner and racist scumbag Donald Sterling proved that you don’t have to be as good as the other guys in this town to make money. If you’re just lukewarm good like us in the 2010’s ( one trip to the playoffs and 4 winning record seasons ) that’s good enough for a owner like Arte.
He signed both Trout GOAT and Rendon plus still has a possible Ace up his sleeve ( if healthy that is! ) in Ohtani. So a new city venue would have to look forward to. hey it’s been a while since a MLB team moved anyway ( Montreal in 2003 to DC ).
I’ll stick by the devil I know in Arte as an owner and hope now that the stadium deal is wrapped up he funnels all his attention and resources into the team. Winning the World Series would be the best possible investment and have the highest ROI he could make to ensure the success of the new development.
So less than half the 1st round picks are still unsigned. We have almost a year to sign UDFAs and less than 10% of them have signed. We sign Rendon. We sign Trout. We find out the team isn’t moving because the owner bought the stadium and land.
Yes. This has been horrible. I wonder if the Wilpons might be willing to come out west and save us from this abuse.
Maybe once thye sell the Mets to A-Rod and J-Lo the Wilpons can come out here and rescue the franchise.
You mean to tell me my half baked crazy rant from 14 months ago back at the old place is still a go? ( Arte wants to move the Angels to Charlotte NC or to Memphis or Nashville TN ). Of course I caught all kinds of hell from Gitcho and DR too!
Funny how the new stadium, which was the prime issue when the public was paying for it is now hardly mentioned when Arte is paying! Not sure I like losing the rock formation, but all the suites, etc., are now not needed???
I don’t think the suites are going anywhere, in fact they maybe expanded. The center field rock pile, TV booth/table, waterfall, etc will be gone. The rest of the stadium gets a fresh coat of CVS lipstick on the pig until a future date when they MAY decide to build another stadium. Problem being they may have already filled up that land with buildings by then.
It won’t blow me down if this plan changes. Given what has been happening since right after Arte bought the land I doubt that they have really formulated a solid plan for building a new stadium. There is nothing stopping them from plopping down a new plan with new renderings and a new stadium a year from now. They can build two thirds of what they want before they have to finalize their decision as regards the stadium.
If I were the owner I’d avoid promising new billion dollar buildings until I see if I am going to lose most of 2 seasons to disease and a CBA kerfuffle.
That extra innings rule sucks. I wish they had just allowed ties this season to prevent marathon games, because it’s less likely that a tie game rule would stick around for future seasons.
Re: seeing Puig again… I bet Albert is licking his chops
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHNEOrJarQs
5 hours before the game and 90 minutes after? Holy cow. Is that even a change? Seems like a pretty silly addition. Anyway – bring on the ballgames!!!
Might be doable. Looking at the infection rate maps this morning on CNN, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near Texas or Arizona.
112 F right now in PHX – it’s a dry heat
summertime……and the livin’ is easy
Just a few more weeks until monsoon season.
Fish and jumpin and the cotton is high
Charlie Blackmon is the guy who said he was going to spit no matter what. I wonder if they let him play after he “recovers” or just tell him to stay at home for the rest of the season.
Is he immune after he recovers?
We don’t know yet