On Tuesday a good friend of mine who moved to Tampa went to watch the Angels at the Rays. Mike Trout hit a mammoth home run and the Angels lost handily. I told him he’d just seen the last 8 years of Angels baseball in one game.
Of course the biggest news in the baseball world is Arte Moreno looking to sell the team. I asked around and if my Newport Beach friends all sold their houses, we can come up with about 0.3% down. Who else is in?
Already the buzz in the industry is what the sale might mean for Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. Nobody really knows, of course, but getting clicks is what is important here.
This does set up one very interesting off season. And there’s no way this is done prior to the off season. If you thought Arte handtied GM’s before, wait until he’s trying to sell the team.
One of 2022’s biggest disappointments has been Jared Walsh. Perhaps there’s a reason for that, although an odd one for a first baseman.
Walsh’s season is done as he’s been placed on the 60 day IL. Not good. Stay here as we follow the story.
As far as the replacements for Toronto that is simple. If you aren’t vaccinated against Covid 19 you can’t go to Canada. The list will be out before this publishes.
Warning: turning this into a political spat will get you the ban hammer. As far as this page goes, rules are rules and if the rules affect baseball then we talk about them through the lens of baseball. I hated it when players got banned for weed, for example, but didn’t go off on political rants. We all know who the vast majority of anti vaxxers love and which “news” station they watch. Stating the obvious will just start arguments. And if you turn this feed into the last 2 years of FaceBook and ruin the one good place I have on the internet, you’re gone whether the mods collectively agree with your take or not.
Ok now…
News on the minor league level is much better. The Inland Empire 66ers are fighting for a playoff spot and their broadcaster sat down for one of my favorite interviews.
One really intriguing player we discussed was Kenyon Yovan. Steve said he was a nice kid and one quick reach out via Twitter and Kenyon will be joining me for a chat next week. Give the kid a follow.
In the meantime, look at this gas.
I have to admit pretty much all of my interviews are my favorites. If you missed last week’s interview with the Trash Pandas manager, give it a view. Really impressed with both guys.
As for the team? They are killing it.
And when those minor leaguers make it to The Show they’ll have a more balanced schedule than in the past. MLB made substantial changes to the slate for 2023.
Football has added so many games as to take away the do or die feeling from division match ups. This move isn’t quite as bad, but losing 6 Giants/Dodgers, Cards/Cubs, and other die hard rivalry games a year sucks IMO.
Let’s end on a high note. I’ve had a blast watching the Little League World Series which wraps up this weekend. It is 75 years old and still growing.
The quality of baseball is outstanding. The small fields and mostly day games = how baseball should be. But in the end, I think it is the harkening back to summer days on the ball field with friends that makes us love the Little League WS.
I wasn’t a good baseball player. I have no problem admitting that. But I’d love to be 12 years old riding my bike to the field in Wasco, high fiving my friends, then taking my place in right field (i.e. worst kid on the team) again.
Enjoy the weekend everybody.
Aaannnndddd… Squid game. Good gah, if I were a wild assed owner I would pay some guy like Wade Boggs a couple million to just move in with Squid and teach him hitting all winter. Rent both their families a huge house in Costa Rica or something and just send em there.
In 109 games the Squid is over 1.5 WAR now that he’s finally at a .200 BA. He’s 13/14 in stolen bases. He can bunt. His fielding is good enough he’d be a 2 WAR player over a full season with his gross 50 OPS+. Imagine if they could just get him to have an OBP over .300 or .320.
I know, I know, “Bah in mahjor Leegs you need hitter SS or other kids laugh at you.” but I’ll take 4 WAR anywhere we can get it at this point. Besides, this years Cardinals, Rays, Orioles, Phillies all beg to differ. Fletcher, Rengifo and a Squid with an 80 OPS+ would serve us pretty well.
Also, Jo Adell needs to never make eye contact with Mr Hitting Coach ever again.
Team scores runs when hitting coach is not at the game or traveling with the team. Coincidence? I think not.
Did Rengifo just blind Adell with their stupid celebration.
Thaiss has got Bellinger’s stoner eyes.
Seattle Mariners, Julio Rodriguez finalizing long-term extension that could max out at $470 million, sources confirm
Good luck Mariners 😂
Actually over 25 years, if he stays roughly this good for most of it, then Seattle will be getting a deal. Only 210 is guaranteed.
15 years. Stupid fat fingers on phone.
I don’t have Facebook and hate politics. Politicians are self serving shitbirds. I still love the Angels even if they play like shitbirds. Let’s win today and make this a no shitbird zone for just one day. Happy little trees and all that👍
but we’re playing against the blue jays, not the shitbirds.
The Shitbirds vs the blue birds unless they show us different
Not saying it’s a good thing, but it’s not shocking that Walsh had thoracic outlet. He pitched until 2-3 years ago from what I remember, and I thought he was touching 94 off the mound. It would be more shocking if a more traditional 1B had that issue.
https://twitter.com/SamBlum3/status/1563258846214524929?t=HyBObun1_z5u5rvNO5Lf_w&s=19
Awesome, finally found a way to keep Loup out of a game!!
🤣🤣
Maybe the Angels will score a gazillion runs without their hitting coach
https://twitter.com/JeffFletcherOCR/status/1563260067591655424
They have a hitting coach???? What does he teach them, how to hit the showers after another 0-fer game?
He’s better known as our team’s “strikeout coach”
Does he teach them the proper way to stare at the pitcher after they strike out and walk back to the dugout?
So does this mean we are playing the series with a 23 man roster?
Who tf is Ryan Aguilar?
Leasing the AA league in OBP all year. Been 1 or 2 in OPS.
He’s 28 and played with Milwaukee a few years back.
A money guy types “leasing” 😂
28 years old and in AA. Enough said.
Ryan Aguilar starting in rightfield, so there’s a clue
I’m loving the Little League WS. Those kids are talented. They’re very good at fundamentals.
Also….the umpiring is atrocious, mostly balls and strikes. For years I regretted swinging at a slightly high pitch (full count) with the score 2-2 in the 6th, runner on 3rd. Whiffed. We lost 3-2 in extras and were eliminated from the New Jersey tournament. After watching these home plate umps I’m assured that the pitch would have been called a strike. Either way I was gonna K.
but back to these kids today. Wow, Hawaii is huge. Are we sure they’re eligible? They clobbered a good Tennessee team the first time around. I can’t see it being any different tomorrow.
On the vax story, I looked up the requirements. Either one shot of J&J or two of Pfizer or Moderna. No requirement for boosters. I won’t get into it here, as Jeff tells us, so nevermind!
I can only handle watching these kids for so long. Hard to handle the color commentator breakdown these 9-12 yr old kids like they are professionals. They are kids for kryst saaaaakes!! Most of them are trying hard not to pee their pants vs focusing on getting in to the correct defensive position after after throwing a pitch. Shut the f-up Eduardo!
Yes, the broadcasts are awful.
Agreed. Great play but horrible plate umps.
So much for the conventional wisdom that the Mariners don’t have “stupid” levels of money to spend on players contracts……
If I remember right their value’s over 1.6B… grouped in with teams like the Padres and Blue Jays, maybe White Sox….
They can pay some guys. They just can’t pay ALL the guys like the Dodgers can.
Soooo…. here are most of the Zomz Wowz young men who have been signed to long term deals very early in their careers thus far. Who do you think will be worth it? Click to see the brefs with contracts.
Austin Riley
Fernando Tatis Jr
Eloy Jimenez
Luis Robert
Ke’bryan Hays
Wander Franco
Ozzie Albies
Julio Rodriguez
Ronald Acuna
Who else is out there, maybe a 2nd year guy, who a team may want to sign to a long contract early? For example, I might try to get Rutchman and Cedric Mullins locked down for 10 and 6 years now if I were the Baltimore Happy Birds.
Do we think this is a rout that the Angels should take in the future? Note that all these teams are small to mid-market.
Still of note, none of these guys are pitchers.
Heh heh, you said “this is a rout”. Subliminal slip. After a season’s worth of trauma…
From Twitter “Brian Taylor”: “Mike Ford’s 2022 @Angels’ debut also makes him the 31st Halos’ position player to be used so far in 2022, which will now set a new all-time franchise record.”
We did it!
Perry…Dumpster Diver King
…which will now set a new all-time franchise record for futility“
I guess the mystery is solved about why Walsh is not the same player he was last year.
His pitch selection kind of went way downhill too…. though if he was having physical problems I’m sure that hurt the issue. Then there’s the fact that, if there were locations he couldn’t get to well because of the TOS those tendencies showed up on hundreds of tablets in bullpens and dugouts after about four weeks of the season.
I like Murder Face Walsh. It may not be prudent to do so, but I’d like us to keep him and get a RH DH/OF/1B to pair with him…. we’ll have to see how long he’s out.
Really “news”
Hu?
Jeff – I’m not in either camp and got the shot but your less than subtle jab (pun intended) demeaning the folks who don’t agree with you isn’t right either.
???? I thought the only jab was at people who can’t keep their opinions to themselves as regards vax on a baseball sight. He wants them all to stuff it.
It is a prickly topic
Some might say this is a shot in the arm we needed
Possibly in vain.
This is probably the jab that PedroCerrano was referring to:
You’re a brave soul smithy!!
yikes
I read that as “paraphrasing” the most common “arguments”
I suggest everyone quit trying to make something out of nothing.
Peace!
Downing gets it.
..but “making something out of nothing” is why Al Gore invented the internet
Oh. Eh.
You got a point.
Amen
It’s mostly a way to say “we all know where this is about to go” and hoping to avoid it.
I’m just bummed no Novak Djokovic for the US Open
Yeah. Not a huge tennis fan, but that’s still a shame.
I’m still hopping mad they wouldn’t let Rod Laver play because he wasn’t an amateur!
I’m wearing his shoes right now…..
Agreed. I’m not Novak fan but a major isn’t a major without him.
Isn’t Novak something the dentist gives you for a toothache?
No. Thats the stick that Novak carries … A Novak Cain
https://sports.yahoo.com/mariners-sign-julio-rodriguez-to-reported-14-year-deal-with-210-million-guaranteed-165110978.html
Julio Rod is going to be rich.
JeDi gets his own Mike Trout and signs him to a Troutian deal.
start the injury bugs for Julio Rodriguez!
Another mistake…Tatis, Franco and chalk-up ol’ Julio.
At least he hasn’t signed Kelenic yet. Whoosh.
LOL
At least the Mainers hit on one of their OF prospects. Angels whiffed in Marsh and Adell. 0-2.
I still believe it’s too early to give up on them. Especially Marsh. But hey, it seems we got a similar player in return AND a legitimate top 100 prospect in return, in a position of dire need.
Marsh profiles like Bourjos to me though. Adell seems to have a higher ceiling. I would really prefer he be an everyday player AND finish games from this point forward. Enough of this “defensive switches” at end of games. This team is going nowhere to bother with “defensive switches”
Looks like someone is wanting to buy a baseball team?
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/25/arts/design/christies-auction-paul-allen-art-collection.html
He’s dead, they’re liquidating for the trust. The TrailBlazers are something they own and that’ll be put up for sale too
Also, wow, if only we could get an owner that has the drive and commitment and big mouth to make us…. just like the Portland Trail Blazers?
LA Rams owner Stan Kroenke please!
A proven Champion with lots of billions.
He needs to own a baseball team in order to complete the pro sports grand slam (pun intended)
Right now we’re exactly like the Trail blazers, surrounding Trout and Ohtani with prospects and journeymen like the Blazers do with Lillard. Similar results
Yeah…. and the whole “Will Trout/Lillard/Ohtani leeeeaaaavvvve!?!?” thing with MSM asshats constantly declaring, in solemn tones, that said player should go to BIG TEAM X because “it’s time”.
Oh shit. looks like I got my ultra-rich, NBA team-owning, Microsoft dudes, mixed up. Was early in the morning, and I was thinking of Steve Ballmer.
So why should that stop him? Rumor has it Arte’s been dead for years .
Soon there will be but one MVP, CYY, RoY, awards, half of the Golden Gloves award etc. as MLB is going to remove the two-league concept. The American and National League Conferences will remain, but no longer as separate leagues. MLB started this homogenizing many years ago when the removal of the two league presidents took place. No one could ever crack the secret of promoting MLB as two different leagues.
Bud Selig started Inter-League play as a way to increase revenue for the Brewers while thinking of ways to increase revenue for all teams in general too, but a surprise to all as the original concept was to capitalize on making regional rivalries such as Angels vs Dodgers, Mets vs Yankees, A’s vs Giants, Rangers vs Astros, Cards vs Royals and the idea was a success. Well, you can never have enough of a good thing now can you, so the Inter-League play was expanded as the years went by with the ultimate goal being that every team got the advantage of playing the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers and Cubs and Cards. It worked in the NFL so, why not with MLB. Over twenty years have now been getting the baseball public used to teams from the two leagues playing each other and now with the DH “Universal” as the two leagues are the same, next move is have what is coming, everyone will play everyone and there for the playing field is level for all owner’s franchises to be more equal than before and that will raise the value of the smaller city teams.
The two different league concepts of Umpiring being different, the leagues run by two different groups, playing more in your division to see who comes out on top, playing more in your league to see who comes out the winner, are all removed as is the rooting for one league over the other. Now in place is one league that all teams play everyone all season long. Like Inter-League play it will be popular for the fans and that really will help the game along and create more rivalries hopefully down the road.
For some, like in life in general the change will be difficult as the olden days of being a one league fan will be over and the days of the World Series being about two different types of baseball are gone. In its place will be infused excitement of seeing more teams coming to town with different stars and the play not so stale with the same old same teams.
Manfraud is very progressive in his changing the game to the way he believes the game should be, like the rest of his changes this one may or may not be popular, but the change here is likely to be regarded as his best one.
I am Old School about how the game itself should be played, but now there is no differences left to distinguish they’re being two leagues that are different, the scheduling that is coming may be refreshing.
I’ve actually thought about baseball, expansion, and a single league system like the NBA just for fun… what would it look like? And you’re right, it may actually be fun. It would also break up a lot of the “regionalism” that a lot of people say plagues baseball. I think it would be a benefit if it didn’t seem like the Red Sox and Yankees were on TV every weekend. The fight for reginal dominance would also be kind of cool. Like….
MLB WEST
LA Dodgers
SF Giants
SD Padres
LA? Angels
CO Rockies
LV A’s
STL Mariners
AZ D Bags
MLB SOUTH
TX Rangers
HO Astros
ATL Braves
TB? Rays
MIA Marlins
Stl Cardinals
Charlotte/Austin/San Antonio
Nashville
MLB EAST
BOS Red Sox
NY Yankees
NY Mets
PHI Phillies
PIT Pirates
WA Nationals
BA Orioles
TOR Blue Jays
MLB NORTH
CHI White Sox
CHI Cubs
DET Tigers
CLE Guardiandians
MIL Brewers
MIN Twins
KC Royals
CN Reds
Play a balanced schedule, like the NBA. With divisions like these, within a few years, you’re gonna have a major rivalry playing every weekend. The Cardinals and Cubs will still play a home and away series. But you will also develop a bunch of hate between the teams… say in the “mega city 2” area where Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville have to compete, the Phils play the Pirates every year, The Dodgers play the Yankees and Red Sox every year, White Sox Vs Cubs actually matters, as does Nats v O’s and Mariners fans are still buttholes….
It could work really well. Schedule balance would be off by 2 games per year, each team will play all the other teams 5 times and then we’d either need to switch to a 160 games season (which will accommodate expanded play offs a little) or have each team play two teams one extra game per season to get 162. Then just have the 4 division winners, and the top 4 non-division winners, duke it out in the post season according to seed/bracket.
Should’ve been a fanpost.
Should have been a White Paper
*paper of color
But Jack Stephen is in the White Pages.
Is that another name for Salt Lake?
Thought provoking, interesting city choices too. Kool.
As if the lineup could get anymore AAAA, enter a Toronto away series.
Im really glad for the MLB schedule changes. While the really good matchups made for kinda watch TV, I’ll enjoy seeing teams I haven’t seen in awhile and will for sure make a yearly road trip to SD or SF (if Angels are playing now!).
Another upside is it evens out the wild card hunts. A team in the Central has fewer chances to beat up on a weak schedule.
Oh, Put me in coach
I’m ready to play, today!
Look at me, I can be Centerfield!
Sorry there kid, but you never were vaxxed
So, gotta give you the axe
You ain’t gonna be, Centerfield!