Here is a kind of cool .gif of Mike Trout batting.
Six more guys just made it into the Hall of Fame as Veterans Committee selections.
The Major League portion of the Winter Meetings is canceled. I guess this is not particularly surprising.
MLB Trade Rumors is seeking a part time fantasy baseball writer.
The other job posting today is with the White Sox as a Player Development Affiliate Intern.
Former Angels farmhand, Jason Alexander, has almost made it to the majors. He’s with the Marlins organization, currently.
Today’s Minor League Deals
Yacksel Rios signed a minor league deal with the White Sox.
Jose Peraza signed a minor league deal with the New York Yankees.
Mauricio Llovera signed a minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants.
Photo credit: Rex Fregosi
https://twitter.com/JomboyMedia/status/1468029267749621766?s=20
That ball was coming in fence high.
He should get into the Hall on that video alone
Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi
Was this a promo for BALCO?
Weak sauce – if i was pitching I have have gone with the Double Layout Full In* followed by a slider at the knees
*two flips completed in the layout body form with the first flip having a 360 degree twist (2 flips, 1 twist)
Pretty good interview with Lorenzen in The Athletic today. He mentions that he had offers from other West coast teams that would let him be a starter and for more than one year, and he still chose the Halos. Sounds like it was almost purely to get back into his hometown to start a family (plus being part of a 6 man rotation), but still good to know the Halos weren’t the only team open to him being a starter.
I’d guess the Giants were the other West coast team that offered him more than one year and the chance to be a starter.
https://theathletic.com/3002357/2021/12/07/i-never-take-the-safe-route-michael-lorenzen-discusses-his-decision-to-join-angels-become-a-starter-again/
Very nice article, indeed. Definitely sounds like he wants to be here. And if this move works out, he sounds like a definite extension candidate.
If his rotation spot is locked in, that currently has us with:
Thor, Ohtani, Sandoval, Suarez, Lorenzen, Barria most likely (Barria is out of options) with Canning and Detmers as our primary depth.
That’s what I thought too after reading it, total extension candidate if he pitches well. Fingers crossed.
Was also cool to read that he’s offered to cover half the costs for any minor league player that wants to join him at the training facility he goes to. He seems like a standup guy.
And you know his stuff is his stuff.
STILL NEED MOAR PITCHING!
Agreed. I was hoping Lorenzen was in the bullpen.
However, we might have just enough now to be able to trade Sandoval or Detmers for an established MLB starter. The trade values site has Detmers and Sonny Gray at about even value for example.
I’d hate to lose depth and potential but if we’re going to really improve, a trade that hurts will need to be made.
I agree. It would hurt to lose Detmers – as our recent draft and the pitching depth there is still a question. But if Gray or Castillo gets us closer, we have more drafts to find a young arm that can eventually replace a Thor or Gray.
It is the same situation with Adell or Marsh, only that we don’t have nearly the ready depth in that position to trade from (I think trading either of them hurts more than trading Detmers or Chris Rodriguez).
We brought this guy in for his arm and it isn’t much benefit if he hits .275 with 10 HRs if he also goes 5-15 with 4.99 ERA.
It will be interesting to see how much his spring training regime matches Shohei’s and how much cage time he gets – Joe seemed non-commital about ABs for him.
The MLBPA would be well served to push their public agenda as helping the younger players and those with the least service time to get paid more. No one is crying for the high-end veteran free agents… but the guys (example, like Jamie Barria) who spend 4+ years riding the SLC-LAA shuttle and getting pro-rated minimum pay before eventually being cast aside once they exceed “team control” years– those are the players who aren’t getting the fair shake. Otherwise they just look like “crying millionaires” in the average public’s view. And they could publicly support the MiLB players’ plights, being the “feeder” system for their eventual members. That would have a lot of public sway too.
I do think the MLBPA has a right to be upset with the pay imbalances and the “service time” system, but the teams are just rationally doing what they need to do within the current system to compete as efficiently as possible. Hopefully this gets resolved by February so there isn’t a noticeable impact on the 2022 season.
I like the MLBPA’s assertion that they are looking for more competitive balance. That’s a direct attack at tanking and one I fully support.
However, I think that angle also paints them into a corner a bit with regards to the luxury tax. You can’t say you want competitive balance then let the big clubs spend endlessly.
I understand what you’re saying, but younger players don’t have the appeal or standing in the league like vets. If guys like Scherzer don’t give his approval, younger guys fall in line. Much more weight behind a seasoned vet than Jaime Barria
Most union reps are long tenured veterans whose peers are fellow long tenured veterans. As a result they bargain for items that benefit long tenured veterans.
Also, the suffering in the minors and early in careers is considered a rite of passage among the veterans. Something to prove your worth.
So the youngsters really have no advocate or sympathy.
Jason Alexander? I thought George Costanza worked for the Yankees?
See, now I heard he was selling latex now
Are you sure he doesn’t work for the Angel’s now? because for like the last 6 seasons now they’ve all felt more like The Summer of George
Angels’ latest bullpen arm – Art Vandelay.
Angels Bull Pen
that’s what Jerry told Arte in 2015.
And….he does work for us.
I gotta tell you, you are the complete opposite of every applicant we’ve seen. Mr.
SteinbrennerMoreno, sir. There’s someone here I’d like you to meet. This is Mr. Costanza. He is one of the applicants.George SteinbrennerAte Moreno: Nice to meet you.George: Well, I wish I could say the same, but I must say, with all due respect, I find it very hard to see the logic behind some of the moves you have made with this fine organization. In the past twenty years, you have caused myself, and the city of
New YorkAnaheim of Los Angeles and surrounding Orange County, a good deal of distress as we have watched you take our belovedYankeesAngels and reduced them to a laughingstock, all for the glorification of your massive ego.George SteinbrennerArte: Hire this man!The standards for entering the MLBHOF just keep getting lower. While Oliva was a favorite of mine injuries diminished his skills and his career numbers just were not there. The Hall of Fame should be for the elite of the elite, the best of the best imho. Kaat belongs in the HOF with his CY and 283 wins. Minnie not so much a HOF’er either. Buck O’Neil was one of the nicest and most knowledgeable fellows ever associated with the sport and was so special that he belongs in. Nobody knew more about the Negro Leagues than Buck. But Congratulations to all 6 this morning.
Do we assume that Manfred and Clark are in a conference room at a Hyatt somewhere trying to work it all out? Yea I have my doubts too. Players have really right now want just too much of the pie and have “working conditions better than any other major league sport” and just don’t know it. Imagine having starting pay at 575 thousand dollars and if you are the best, you can make 43 million a year. Oh and 31/2 months of vacation minimum. On the road you have your own room, no “Bunkie” to deal with. How did players of the olden golden days pull off having great and wonderful careers?
Having others do your laundry for you is surely some kind of inconvenience as you have no choice in the brand of soap or how to press your duds. With Umps throwing out new balls after two or three pitches MLB does work at reducing Global Warming by reducing the amount of Cow and Steer flatulence does it not.
Traveling must be considered here, after all flying first class on leased jets or private jets sure beats train rides all to heck. Imagine having to carry your own duffle bag and luggage?
Now on the table is having larger bases so the players running the bases have a better chance to be safe. How about not partaking in the trough before and after games. Playing with baseballs made to leave the park on a pop fly is tough working conditions.
Hey, everyone have a great day today and pull out your umbrella in SoCal for a few days.
Rain is rare but we can deal with it. Heck, I have to deal with snow and shoveling with a bad back is no fun. I think I’ll build me a Snowman, lots of laughs and funny stuff.
Is this the ‘we should pay players less because it creates grit’ argument? The entire league became much more of a business since the time you seem to long for – it isn’t just the players that are making more money.
I doubt any of the players are ‘partaking in the trough’ as you seem to think they are – and even those that might fit that bill are called out constantly. The teams regulate far more than they used to do – it is just players trying to get perks – it is trying put the best product on the field. No player takes 3-4 months off – not if they want to compete (and there are plenty of people to take their spot if they don’t).
But yes, let’s make the game greener. That part of the rant I can get behind (though I don’t know how – train travel? more compact schedules?).
And sure, the HOF could be a discussion. But those are the guys in the room for a a reason. (And yes to BoyWithApple – Grich should be in the HOF).
I long for nothing but to watch MLB and I have no knowledge of what Grit is that you refer to.
Trough I refer to in humor is the food spreads in the locker-room.
All players take time off in the Winter in unless they play Winter, hence the name. Now what they do with that time off is their business.
This next one was funny stuff and you took serious, wow. Greener by making more baseballs, because of cow farts? really.
And finally, does Grich belong in the HOF? No he does not. Very good player, but no HOF’er.
Grandpa – much of this sounds like a cry to go back to the ‘good ole days’ of our memories – ie when we were young and society did not seem so different. It happens with every generation as they age. Here’s the irony – nostalgia causes us to forget the bad and make the good seem better than it was.
Things change and so has/is baseball. No need to get frustrated with it – it’s just the natural progression of things. Whatever happens with this CBA – it’s not our money. If ticket prices soar – we can choose to attend fewer games. If cable prices go up because baseball packages increase in price to support new higher salaries- we have the choice not to participate. We as fans always have a choice.
As for the rich and spoiled owners and players – it’s a business that generates 100s of billions in revenue. It’s something like 1-in-a-million to become good enough to reach the major leagues. So yes – they are spoiled and coddled. It’s hard to relate to them – sure. Not like the good old days when they bagged groceries and painted fences during the off-season. That’s nostalgia again – ask yourself if you were one-in-a-million re skill, and you were in a 100+ billion industry- wouldn’t you want not to have to clean pools from Nov-Feb?
Ultimately it’s just baseball. Sit back and enjoy the ride.
Just put Bobby Grich in the HOF already . He’s longed deserved it. I don’t really give shit about anyone else
GPB, you know I hold you in high regard as you were a key cog in getting Daron Sutton removed from my family room, I will forever be grateful but I got to disagree when it comes to career stats to get one entered into the HOF. Look at Harold Baines, the dude lasted an eternity, 22-years to pad his stats to get in. Oliva was fierce with the bat, glove and do a deep dive on his career, its petty impressive but yes, short lived as injuries ate him up. He had to hit through a dead-ball era. I have zero problem with Oliva and when you think of great hitters, Rose, Carew, Gwynn, Ichiro…Oliva is just behind them in his abilities. He led the league in hits 5 out of his first 7 years. I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt because if he had remained healthy, 3000-hit club, easy. He’s better than Larry Walker, Baines and some other recent HOF adds. I’m a huge Dick Allen fan and I would say Tony Oliva was more talented. But yes, its okay to disagree.
It’s nice to see the HoF committees being generous. I hope Bert Campaneris, Lou Whitaker, and Bobby Grich all get voted in soon, while they are still alive to enjoy it.
I strongly agree on Bobby Grich!
Agreed. And the Halos should retire #4 (and #5 for Downing)!!!
Oh, for a minute I thought you wanted to retire #5 for Grandpa.
To be fair, it’s a premium number.
We should also retire Timmy’s 15 and GA’s 16. But I suspect that everyone’s too GA to do 16.
For many years Bert Campaneris has joined a group led by Ferguson Jenkins and signed autographs out at Spring Training. He’s the most pleasant guy you can meet.
Through this group I’ve managed to chat with and get autographs from Fergie, Campaneris, Vida Blue, Blue Moon Odom, George Foster, Lee Smith and many more. The players from that era really seem to get it and enjoy hanging out with fans.
That’s nice to hear. Campy was one of the all-time great defensive shortstops. He also is 14th all-time in Stolen Bases with 649. He spent a couple of years at the end of his career with the Angels, but I find this connection with the Halos to be much more interesting, from his SABR bio:
Campaneris was honored with a “night” at Kansas City’s Municipal Stadium on September 8, 1965. He marked the occasion by playing all nine positions in that night’s game against the Angels. He started at shortstop, went to second base for the second inning, then successively played third base, each outfield position, and first base. He pitched the eighth inning, yielding a run, and caught the ninth inning. The 5-foot-10, 160-pound Campaneris injured his shoulder in a collision with Ed Kirkpatrick at home plate in the ninth and had to leave the game. He was out of the lineup for five games.
He also took no crap at the plate. From the 1972 ALCS…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEBMZBEgxQI
I remember watching that game on TV.
That’s cool. Pitchers always feel like they can throw a ball at a batter and face no repercussions. That was just evening up the field.