Mike Trout leads Team USA against the Angels today. Are you conflicted about who to root for? Team USA versus Team Mexico is sold out. According to Joel Reuter that is the number 2 team versus the number 6 team respectively, both of whom are likely to advance out of Pool C.
What do you think? Are Juan Soto and Manny Machado a more intimidating one two punch than Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani?
News flash: Jo Adell “goes through little skids, as we’ve seen once in a while” and he will continue to get lots of at bats this spring.
The Angels had a walk off victory against the Colorado Rockies thanks to Jeremiah Jackson. They’ll have to make do without Jackson today. Indeed, he is on loan to Team USA for today’s game.
The Rangers traded infielder/outfielder Mark Mathias to the Pirates for a player to be named later. Jarlin Garcia can’t grip a baseball due to left arm tightness, so the Pirates have shut him down for several weeks. Rockies reliever Lucas Gilbreath will undergo Tommy John surgery. The Rockies just hired Brad Hand to pick up the slack. Frankie Montas was apparently damaged goods when he was traded to the Yankees last season. Caveat emptor.
Mitch Moreland is retired as an active player although he is in Red Sox camp to work with some younger players.
Photo credit: Rex Fregosi
I think the only Angels pitcher who can handle team USA is the current ace, Tucker Davidson. Tucky DeLite wins the night with his dazzling repertoire.
Today I learned I don’t know how to spell repertoire.
LOL @ “Tucky DeLite”
Is that a rapper’s moniker?
It will be when ol’ Tucky Tuck Tuck releases his many platinums rap album Strait Outa Midland.
But I thought the album was called Strait Outa Options.
Is the game on TV anywhere?
Don’t let the Trout kid beat us!
Sorry, gotta root for Trout on this one. Player before Uni.
Ben Joyce vs one of the best hitting lineups ever assembled? Yes please.
https://twitter.com/JeffFletcherOCR/status/1633862387781738496
I just hope Neto goes deep
My take away from Team USA game yesterday. “Sean Manea is a dude.”
my takeaway was Tony Reagins needs to find some pitching.
He’s the TEAM USA GM – saw him at the game last night.
If they lose this tournament, I’ll blame him.
He needs to start looking at the Del Taco In Phoenix
FLETCH & FLETCH! WOO HOO! Go Italy!
Does anyone know the address to where the Angels minor league prospects have moved in Scottsdale? They broke away from Tempe yesterday and are now in Scottsdale. I can’t figure out where.
which camp? I thought i saw it earlier but don’t remember. Giants? The stadium is roughly Osborn/Scottsdale Rd and practice fields are scattered about. I was thinking of looking them up tomorrow as Team USA is there too but their fields are somewhat scattered.
Easy to root for Trout. Him playing in a more competitive environment and having to be “captain” of an All-Star team can only benefit the Angels and how he maybe becomes more vocal in our locker room.
Seeing all the Angels gear and souvenirs in Japan is wild. For these brief couple of years, Ohtani made the Angels a worldwide brand. There’s no way any sane owner gives that away. Not saying it’s smart from a pure baseball sense, but only from the POV of a business owner. I know, I know, being competitive is a great business strategy, but still. To me the Angels are still that team in Anaheim that my friends asked “who are they” during my elementary years in the 90s.
Agree, Arte knows that he cant let Ohtani get away.
But there may be forces out of our owners control.
I wouldn’t put it past manfraud to manipulate things.
So putting more emphasis on just two players matters more than winning? This is MLB not the NBA. The Astros and Dodgers have lost more good players than anybody else since 2016 and just keep on winning. Meanwhile the Baltimore Orioles are poised to make the playoffs and they LOST 110 GAMES IN 2021!!
This^^^^^
Trade or re-sign? For those in the “trade him camp”, not enough weight given to the pure business with and the business without Shohei. Might make more baseball sense to do it…doesn’t on the business side.
All of that gear money is split through all the teams. I’m sure the Angels make extra money off Ohtani a dozen other ways, but the red you’re seeing isn’t one of them. Unless an owner actually comes out and says a 60M a year payroll bump is more than covered by Ohtani himself…. for ten years…. the liability is still the same.
But I’m sure it will be OK. All of the Angels huge long term contracts work out great so why would this one be any different?
FOR ONE GUY…….LOL!!!
Is this for Wilt Chamberlain?
The Angels are the Donald Sterling Clippers on the baseball diamond. This is how it’s gonna be until MLB gets a comish with a spine and punishes this organization like Adam Silver did to Donald Sterling. There was always rumors circulating about the Clippers before V Stiviano and Instagram happened. The late Joe McDonnell radio talk show host would always mention it from time to time.
Shohei: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 5 K
Along with a 2 RBI double.
He’s back.
Interesting article about what Ohtani means to Japan.
Shohei Ohtani and Japan: It’s much more than just baseball | FOX Sports
cool – but i’d rather see
Shohei: 10 yr, $500M
He’s back.
I’m still waiting for your prediction to come true, Rex!
It was interesting to see Shohei appear actually a little nervous up there at bat. I haven’t seen him like that since year 1. Too bad I fell asleep but at least got to see a little of him playing age-down in the little league WS.
Watching Italy v Cuba this morning and all I keep thinking is how goofy Fletcher looks with a mustache
Not conflicted at all.
USA! USA! USA! 👍
Most of the fans last night in Scottsdale were Giant fans and routing for the Giants – treason but what can you expect from SF.
one thing i didn’t like last night was seeing Giant scrubs substituting in for Team USA – really bugged me but am really looking forward today to seeing our scrubs join Team USA.
Would love to see Trout triple, then Neto come in and PR from him.