Was it just me or did life feel a little better this week? The sounds of bats hitting baseballs, fans cheering, and the baritone of Terry Smith make the perfect backdrop for life. Yes, baseball is finally back.
There were quite a few things to make Angels fans smile this week.
Shohei Ohtani’s mammoth 468 foot home run is one.
The picture of Mike Trout with his son in the dugout is my personal favorite. I don’t have the rights to post it here, but find it. Nothing better than the love for your child.
How about the 2021 debut of Chris Rodriguez? It impressed me. And it definitely impressed some teammates. Chris traveled quite the road to get to this point and now has two screws in his back. He said pitching in 2019 felt like having a knife in his back. Yikes. If this guy can stay healthy….
In that same “if this guy can stay healthy” conversation is Andrew Heaney, whose new data driven training regimen seems to have paid off. I thought he looked pretty sharp.
And in a little glimpse of the fairly near future, Reid Detmers had a nice little professional debut.
I know to take Spring Training with a huge grain of salt, especially the first week, but I can’t help myself. Come Spring, I get excited.
The changes to the games have annoyed quite a few fans. Games being different lengths each day is bonkers but ending innings after only two outs is asinine. Enter grumpy old man Tony La Russa, who says he’s not going to end innings early.
La Russa should fit in perfectly on the South Side. White Sox fans drink the most in MLB. Anyone who has been near Red Sux or Dodgers fans is in disbelief.
According to the full study, Angels fans out drink all CA teams but the Padres.
Hey Manfred, when Tony La Russa is the voice of reason, you SUCK.
As if we need further proof of how bad Mr. Manfred is at this job: Spring Training has started and there were still discussions about the universal DH and playoff format. And beyond half the league not really knowing how to construct their roster, none of the league knows if players sent to alternate sites last year burned an option.
I realize the union is going out of its way to make life more difficult, but come on. To his credit, Arte Moreno saw this buffoon for what he was years ago and opposed his candidacy for Commissioner.
The Houston Asterisks also suck although I wouldn’t wish injury upon young pitcher Framber Valdez. But his absence along with Justin Verlander’s is creating quite a rotation problem in Houston.
Like to gamble? Here’s a look at some longshots that maybe shouldn’t be as long as they are.
Baseball, football, a city in sports frenzy…murder? Here’s the longform reading for this weekend. I found it by complete happenstance and I’m halfway through it. You might need a second cup of coffee to finish it, but it is amazing.
I’m sure I’ve missed plenty, so link it below. Have a great weekend, watch or listen to some baseball.
who’s pitching today? I could find out in an hour but I want to know now!
Astros sign Odorizzi: 2 years plus player option for a third year
Good thing we opened up that roster spot
I figured they would have to make an offer to him after Framber injured his finger.
At this point, not signing Hamels to a one-year deal is basically a war crime.
Hamels is toast. Look at the numbers for the last five.
Nothing like kicking someone in the balls when they’re down with an UCL strain.
https://twitter.com/FabianArdaya/status/1367999252782215169
Who going to fill his spot?
How many Ex-Cubs are still available?
Just announced MLB games can have limited capacity of fans, with mask restrictions, starting April 1st, Disneyland too.
It’s been a while since we had a real sell out crowd at the Big A
17 years?
Pretty limited capacity so I’d imagine it will be tough to get in without season seats.
But, there’s always StubHub!
714 Tickets?
I’m sorry but Grandpa still looks chubby to me. I’m not sure if he’s experienced that much weight loss.
It gets harder to lose weight in your 60’s, so a pound or two is a significant accomplishment
I admit that I can lose 5 to ten Lbs or so, but chubby, come on.
Sorry but I think we’re past the baby fat stage.
I can’t find that picture 🙁
Send me an email and I’ll send it to you.
Or post a link here
I think they left a zero off that Ohtani HR distance
Interesting. Rengifo at third base.I hope Rendon’s soreness doesn’t linger on too long.
https://twitter.com/Angels/status/1367869836995428355
What do you think it means that Marsh is not listed on that card, either as a starter or a substitute?
I think it means he’s not playing today.
Yes, things are looking up, hopefully for all of us but certainly for me personally. I got my second dose of Pfizer last week, my career just hit this very cool new level, the weather (in the Midwest) is getting better, travel plans in summer and definitely fall seem feasible. And there’s baseball on TV. I do believe I’ll skip out early on work today to ride my bike around and sample the outdoor drinking options at various local breweries. Cheers!
Very nice. Glad to hear it.
I rode my bike home from work twice this week. It’s staying light just late enough to get that in. Another way life is better in Spring
It would be nice if all that alcohol was in celebration rather than drowning our sorrows!
Both Detmers and Rodriguez have been looking good, as has Marsh. I have noticed Jackson’s hustle too. Even with the struggles of Adell and Yan (and a misread in yesterday’s game by Jordyn Adams), I have liked this look at our prospects. We may be getting some (quite needed) support sooner than I thought might be possible.
I wish Marsh wasn’t blocked. See: Upton, Adell, Fowler, Trout, Ward, etc. He has that Fletcher kind of spark plug light to him.
Other than Trout, I don’t see the others blocking him getting playing time. He could push past Ward and Fowler for playing time in RF, and may even be ahead of Adell in terms of potential playing time (Adell looks like he needs time in the OF in Salt Lake).
He’s only blocked until his service time is manipulated. Marsh can cover center, which makes him the perfect addition to the roster. Fowler is getting paid so little that benching him most days won’t really matter.
Upton, Trout, Marsh, Fowler will be the outfield mix by Memorial Day.
A Eppler draftee actually looked good?
I wonder what his 40 yrd dash time was at the NFL Draft combine last February? Usually spin rate and other tools mattered to him like a 1990’s farm system director on a small market team.
You know a bunch of the teams we wish we were put a bunch of stock in spin rate too right? And that it wasn’t much of a concept at all till the 2010s? In fact your man crush Shane Beiber was drafted because of the big spin rate on his curve ball. Nothin wrong with spin rate, you just need the guys other pitches to also become strikes instead of balls or home runs.
I’m also just not that down on players who run fast. After watching Pujols for nine years who is? I mean, other than guys who are reaching really hard for nits to pick.
Eppler’s true love was velocity. Repeatedly said it was the best indicator of success. So he got guys who threw super hard all the time and either hurt themselves or had no control. Secondary pitches were of little concern to Eppler, it seemed.
You can’t get locked in on one thing. There’s a huge difference between pitching and throwing. You’d know much better than me.
Out drinking the other California teams cost us a lot of money as we are second only to the Mets in money spent and we buy a lot less. Boy oh Boy it cost a lot to kept that Trouty Kid around. Hey I’ll drink to that.
All the “lovable losers” need to drown their sorrows.
“Thanks Arte”
/s
I mean we have to outdrink most other teams, just look at the last 17 years (see Rev’s article for the specifics)
Life did feel a little better this week, except for Yesterday