Are you not entertained? Bleacher Report has Shohei Ohtani as one of the top ten most entertaining players in MLB (Duh!).
Speaking of entertaining, Simu Liu threw out the first pitch at a Dodgers Giants game and did a back flip on the mound. It was a pretty good pitch compared to some of the first pitches I’ve seen.
Angels Links
In case you missed it, José Suarez pitched a complete game victory on Saturday. It’s nice to see the occasional success story.
The drama continues related to Eric Kay’s trial. I’m not sure why Sheryl Ring is analyzing California law in discussing a motion to compel filed in a federal court in Fort Worth, Texas. Nevertheless, it is an interesting article.
The Angels’ 2022 regular season schedule is now available.
Non-Angels Links
Former Angel Julio Teheran was shut down for the season due to shoulder issues.
Former Angel José Iglesias is now on the Red Sox.
Job Postings:
Texas Rangers Coach Identification Program.
Driveline R & D Data Engineering Intern.
Photo credit: Rex Fregosi
Since the Angels are out of it like usual, go Padres!
we’re getting our wish tonight! Rengifo is batting 2nd. Perfect spot for him! Mayfield cleanup, Packy 8th.
2 shutouts in a row…..ugh.
7:10 feels like such a late start now lol
You got to love these guys.
https://twitter.com/TaylorBlakeWard/status/1435343562372116482
https://youtu.be/PKfD8d3XJok
To all of our CTPG Jewish friends and their families, happy Rosh Hashanah. Party like it’s 5782.
ACL Angels 22 – ACL Brewers Blue 1
https://www.milb.com/gameday/acl-angels-vs-acl-brewers-blue/2021/09/06/658310/final/box
Nice to see J.J. back. I’m not sure why he hasn’t returned to the IE yet. Maybe with the outbreaks there and at Tri City this maybe the best course of action for him though.
I didn’t realize he’s missed half the season.
Mason Albright….18 year old, ACL Angels
https://www.milb.com/player/mason-albright-695476
Being able to add Mason Albright with the money saved on Bachman really makes this a great draft by Perry IMO.
There’s a legit debate to be had about higher floor, quicker to MLB college players and higher ceiling, longer development high school kids.
Perry snagged one of each.
this is the high school kid?
Mason Albright is the high school kid. He’s coming from IMG Academy which is basically a sports factory with a little bit of actual school and signed for a cool $1 million over slot.
https://www.perfectgame.org/players/playerprofile.aspx?ID=478296
I like that! 94 at age 18 is very promising. The Angels like tall pitchers like Slegers but 6 feet even can work, too.
18 at age 94 would be equally impressive.
It is very difficult at any age to make an 18 mph pitch for a strike from 60 ft 6 inches.
I think Ohtani will not win the MVP if he ends up hitting .245 and is 4th in HRs. Also we need a Trout update. Yes or no.
The entertainment factor is likely to dip as the schedule gets much tougher. But if you are looking for pieces to next year’s team and a potential next competitive window, sure.
Marsh and Adell are the headliners. We need some multi inning relievers and spot starters. Junk, maybe? Both Davis Daniel and Ryan Smith were promoted to AAA so maybe them.
At this stage I’m actually ok with losses. Draft position and player development are all that matter.
Same ole song and dance. Let’s play for draft pick position- woo hoo!!
I want nothing to do with a team that plays Rengifo. I actually cringe when I see him in the lineup.
I could not agree more! Rengifo is not a major league player on offense or defense. I hope they are showcasing for a trade.
To whom? the Milwaukee Milkmen?
I thought I was the only one over the Rengifo experiment. I hate to be so down on a guy who is obviously trying his best, but there’s no spot on an MLB field for him.
I’d bet the farm Perry isn’t planning on him being with the big club next year. He’s just a placeholder we have to watch for a few weeks.
The basic problem with Rengifo is his defense is inconsistent to warrant a full time position and his hitting approach is such that he hits fly balls (not line drives or ground balls) with big swings that either end up as doink singles or in the outfielders glove at the rim of the track.
I may take you up on that farm bet as I’m not so sure this is just a show exhibition with the amount of rope Rengifo is being given and the fact that Stefanic will be an inevitable Rule 5 casualty if we don’t get him on the 40 man roster.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udXB13CJOGE
His swing is definitely Willie Mays Hays of Major League II fame.
Maybe we should make him do pushups all the time?
Now if he could only steal bases
I feel the same way about Rengifo. Maybe it is his pseudo LeBron James beard, but I would rather see a younster get his first cup of coffee than see Rengifo.
Ok, I understand everyone’s frustration …. but … Rengifo is young (24), had a bad 2020 and start to 2021, but did well in AAA.
So, maybe deserves a week or two look to see if one wants him in camp. Too much? I think he out competes Jack Mayfield (who at 30, four years in the majors, is batting his career high at .218), even if I hope we find a far superior stopgap SS.
Maybe we can trade him in the offseason like we did Jam Jones. Who knows?
Speaking of the Jam Jones trade, I’ve almost forgotten about Cobb. The latest that I can find on Cobb is that he still isn’t ruled out for the rest of the season, that he threw a week ago. But we know he’s done, as is Trout.
Last update was August 21st saying he had a setback and will be out indefinitely.
Dead? Maybe? Would we even know?
here’s the Cobb news from Sept. 4th.
https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/angels-alex-cobb-throws-bullpen-saturday/
I’m not sure if he threw on the 4th or if it refers to the week before, Aug 28th.
So short I might as well just post all of it.
“Cobb (wrist) threw a bullpen session Saturday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Cobb threw a side session early in the week, and it appears as though he’s close to facing hitters. If he feels good following Saturday’s activities, he’s expected to throw an accelerated sim game in the coming days before the Angels determine his next steps.”
For Trout we have Joe’s quote from a week ago.
“He had another good day working out and we were optimistic but he came back sore. So we keep going back to that. It’s a possibility [he’ll get shut down].”
NO! HIVEMIND NO LIKE! BAD! MAKE HIM GO AWAY NOW! KIDZ!
Wasn’t he in the trade with the Dodgers that Arte squashed?
Yes. so there’s probably one slight mechanical tweak LA sees that they want to try out on him.
does it involve an uppercut?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6C_nyZLQR8
I just don’t see DD or Ryan Smith seeing action at the Major League level this year . Neither one is eligible for the major league (or minor league) Rule 5 draft. I think the Angels are already focused on the potential Rule 5 pitching candidates by recent promotions including, Packy, Marte Junk, Tyler, A & W Bros, Elvis, & Ortega. The real question will be who comes off the 40 man when Detmers, Warren & Marte come off the COVID IL. I’m hoping doofuses like Petricka, Herget, Guerra are finally afforded an early summer vacation so we can try and figure part of the 2022 roster puzzle out
They aren’t cracking MLB this year. But I expect both to get invites to big league camp next year even if they are among the first sent back home.
My dream, and I’ll clearly outline it in my Perry off season piece, is to have 2-3 guys who can go 2-3 innings on a regular basis.
Who knows if Perry is looking for the same thing or not?
Like a large sandwich, I share your dream.
That’s such an annoying font.
What? You no like 70s Turkish Restaurant Sheik?
I struggle with this idea of losing for draft position. Does any scout or development team really have the skills to tell the difference between a #12 vs. a #16 pick? I’m all for playing kids, win or lose. Sometimes this talk of draft position just seems a stat head’s version of sour grapes.
the difference is hard cold cash. Each pick is assigned a certain dollar amount. the more money Perry has to sign prospects, the more flexibility he has in drafting them.
Take this year, for example. He was able to land Albright, generally considered a 3rd or 4th round talent, in the 12th round because he used his draft allotment intelligently.
Why do our starters always have difficulties in the 1st inning, or two????
It’s not a new problem. It seems to be more prevalent at home. Again the training staff, not adequately warming them up? Is it a pitching philosophy problem (if we even have one)? Is it the mounds (other teams don’t seem to have the same problem)? Jinxed? Or, just our general awfulness?
A difference in scouting effectiveness? Maybe they just have to learn the hard way stuff like “Never throw this guy a four seamer middle-in for the first pitch.” You would think our catchers have been around long enough to know what most of the opposing batters are looking for. They were sure swinging at first pitches yesterday.
We are being entertained by AAA players with only 3 real Major Leaguer’s and they are in a slump while leading off at the top of the line up. Young starting pitching is by intent using the old theory of throw enough stuff against the wall and some might stick. We are not watching a Major League team really, but we are watching a group that could come together next season because of what we are watching this year. Is that unlikely? Maybe but I will always remember the 1967 Red Sox. How would you fix this team?
With limited money, see what you’ve got (doing that now) then go get what you need (we hope) and if you need more than you can get, hope for .500+.
I couldn’t care less about being .500, making the playoffs is all that matters
The more I see comments like “Small improvements don’t matter, only derr play offs hurr derr!” the more I enjoy not making the play offs. It’s just such a douche coach take. Of coarse everyone from Arte to the Salty Nuts Guy would prefer we just make the play offs. Do we really need a “only the play offs matter cause winners!” comment every f***ing time someone mentions a version of better that doesn’t involve a promise of play offs?
It’s been seven years since the Angels made the playoffs. If you’re happy finishing with 70-80 wins every year, that’s your prerogative, but you don’t have to be a dick about it.
I guess we get to spend the rest of the season being entertainment by the awesomeness of “prospects” Janson Junk, Packy Naughton, and Luis Rengifo. I wish we had actual pitching prospects like Alexy and Otto and that we actually completed the Rengifo trade. But I am very excited that Marsh and Adell are being given a chance to entertain, too.
Aren’t prospects Detmers, Warren, and C Rod working out pretty well? Even Kyle Tyler came in and pitched well.
But sure, we are stretching who we are playing – but wouldn’t you rather that than running Bundy and Quintana out there every five starts because we were paying them? Are the results with Junk and Packy worse than that?
All the results are bad accept championships.
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Now You’re cutting into 2002’s territory. But can the stuffed donkey with the negative attitude pitch?
I haven’t given up on Bundy. He was terrible then he was good then he was terrible. But why was he good in between? I think the answer can be found and he can pitch well again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aH3H1auHcA
Sticky Stuff
He was bad to start 2021 though
None of them had the results of the Texas guys. I’m still holding out hope. Detmers getting Covid didn’t help. Warren has been pitching well before his Covid. C Rod looks very much a long term injury risk.
These last two games were not entertaining. They were boring.
Thank you Bleacher Report for ranking Sho so high in both rankings.
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2939280-ranking-shohei-ohtani-and-mlbs-most-overhyped-players-for-the-2021-season
Last nights game was ……….. yeeesh. No hits between the 2nd and 7th innings?
“No tank” tank
Eppler said it’s not in our DNA. Maybe our DNA has mutated?
Went from Mu to LO-SE quickly.
What GM would openly admit it? Perry and Joe are the covert tank commando duo. They are not managing to win while remaining silent. The media is not calling them out.
Andddd…. look, up on your screens! It’s……. Captain CallOut!
There’s a difference between playing for next year and blatantly tanking IMO.
The kids could hit the ground running and add to the win total. They could suck. You don’t know, but you’re willing to find out.
And the goal is to compete again soon. In our case, next year.
Imagine how the As will feel when we roll Junk out there to face Seattle?