Hopefully some of you are heading to the Big A tonight to watch the Angels home opener of the 2023 season. I love the pageantry of opening night: the huge flag, the team introductions, the flyover.
Thankfully the Angels won’t make the same mistake as the Brewers with their fllyover.
Fans in Anaheim will be able to see a flyover tonight and see Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Have fun at the Big A. I’ll be stepping up from assistant to head coach for my son’s tee ball game. Organized chaos at its best and easily the most fun I’ve ever had. I love the home opener, but I love this even more. I’ll catch the Angels game when I take my son and some teammates out to pizza after our game.
What happened in the last week? The Angels went 4 and 2, Ohtani had a really heartfelt moment with Ichiro, and Mike Trout looks like Mike Trout again. Yes, I linked it but I love this picture so much I have to post it.
Winning two division series has inched the Angels playoff odds to right at 50/50. I still think we end the year with a much better bullpen than we started with. Hopefully before the current bullpen sinks us.
The minor league baseball season is getting underway. Here’s where you can see the Angels top 30 prospects as they climb the ranks.
From around the league:
It is early, but so far the new rules are producing exactly what I hoped for: young, fast teams are benefitting the most. This is looking like the game my dad loved and passed down to me.
Taking a look at the game times on Opening Day, the pitch clock is cutting out a whole lot of nothing. We’re talking about half an hour per game of batting glove and crotch adjustments while everybody else just stands around.
Fernando Tatis Jr. was roasted for being a cheater by a AAA pitcher. Where was this venom for the much larger cheater David Ortiz?
If we had a pool on the first player to be rung up and ejected on a pitch clock violation, I think Manny Machado would’ve been a popular pick. That’s exactly what happened Wednesday. Looks to me like he tried to casually call time out at the last second. The ump isn’t obligated to give it to him, but could hve.
Are we holding on to antiquated stats and ways of looking at things? Yes. Should strikeout percentage be used in lieu of K/9? I’d say also yes.
Enjoy the weekend with your family. We celebrate Easter so I’ll wish you a happy one. Get out to the Big A and enjoy some time at the ballpark.
14 years ago today Nick Adenhart was killed.
From early 20s to mid 30s taken. The years when all the best things usually happen: wedding day, becoming a father, having your baby sleep on your chest.
RIP Nick.
Man, Max Kepler and Austin Medows injured… again. Those are two guys I was kind of thinking would have some pretty sweet Ellis Burks type careers. I liked that. But man they just keep getting derailed.
Caden Dana, the over-slot HS pitcher we picked up last year in the June draft, logged his first professional innings last night and they were f*cking good innings: https://www.milb.com/gameday/66ers-vs-quakes/2023/04/07/726148#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=726148
UNPOSSIBLE. Stupid platypus. Arte. Evil. Nope.
Have I told you guys I am worried about the bullpen and SS? I am. I am telling you now so that if one of them blows it this weekend I get the points toward a free membership on the “Team That Has No Weaknesses” bandwagon.
Have I told you how mad I am that Vlad Guerrero Jr was literally begging, shirt off, hat in hand, surrounded by scented candles at the doors of the Angels offices to sign here as an Intl free agent but we wouldn’t do it because Arte is evil? Well, I just did. And I will tell you again six times this weekend if Vladdy does anything. I will also pine flaccidly for the days of Vlad Sr until you start hoping this team doesn’t do well again till after I’m dead so no more dry wood gets thrown on my morose fire.
Have I told you yet how angry I am that Aaron Loup will pitch? Did you know there is Ben Joyce? Have I mentioned how outraged I am that we haven’t DFAd Loup and brought up Joyce? I did it. I’ll do it again. And again. I also demand a champion, so when Joyce is called up and walks in a couple runs I will turn on him like an unrestrained dog turns on a veterinarian who is taking his temperature and probably gnarl at our coaching and development guys too.
Did you know Ohtani is a free agent next year? He is. If we don’t score a whole bunch of runs every time he starts I will blame that for why he has left me and taken a ton of other teams money. I just told you that. Remember.
This series is a must win against a possible play off rival. Next series is must win because it’s against the worst team. Then we play the only team from Boston. Must win. Every game is must win. I will tell you that. I suffer from lesions in my unmentionables areas cause stress.
Go JuJu the Donkey.
Okay. We get it. You think the average poster on this site is a chicken little myopic idiot. I really understand and generally agree. But not sure we need a daily reminder.
“Not sure we need a daily reminder.” Amen. If only.
🤣
So….is GhostGuest Tooty’s alter-ego? There are distinct similarities- particularly with the emojis- but big differences re point of view. I imagine if someone was inclined they could have multiple log-ins and basically have conversations and arguments with themselves.
GhostGuest suddenly appears and then frequently posts including photographs of players and 💪💪💪👈👈👈 this kind of thing.
I’m guessing GhostGuest is Tooty on his medication. But we may never know.
Hmmm.
The joy of the internet combined with mental illness.
lol
Spectrum. It’s not just a cable provider
Nah, 2002 is always negative, GG is pretty positive, and uses complete, intelligible sentences.
So which one is really real.
I think I was trying to say something about the duality of man, sir! 😐 😐 😐
That’s why I said alter-ego
Ghost Guest isn’t Tootie. Ghost Guest actually looks stuff up and comments on factual stuff happening in recent games… even if some of it is silly. Unless the pills Tootie is taking are the same pills Bradley Cooper took in Limitless these are two different dudes, not a Flowers For Algernon thing.
Besides, there is a prevailing theory that GG is actually a former GG who is also a FS who is an old friend with a White Sox problem.
How do we know you’re not tooty? Or any of us are tooty? He could easily be a made up personality intended to annoy.
Yeah, curiously he has never been suspended either
The good news is tooty 2002 is transitioning to GG via ChatBot. Doing this because they know that 2002 shtick won’t fly with the ‘23 Angels finally playing winning baseball. Image Consultants brought on board and some new computer software, BOOM, we have GhostGuest to get us through the summer of NEW trAditions.
FREE 2002
FREE RENDON
FREE THE PLUMBER
FREE AI TAKEOVER
I believe the theory was once that I am Tootie. I believe the stupid morons who thought that all died in CPAP mishaps.
Ha! Classic
I don’t know if he is or isn’t and don’t much care. Ghost started out doing the same stuff as Tootie but now I enjoy reading his post. At the same time one came in and one went out. I was on another many years ago 2002 and he was one of the good guys, the shyt he did here was just messed up.
I think Ghost just used emojis as a joke and now he’s straddled with Toot suspicion.
Couldn’t the admins settle this by comparing IP addressi?
I’m sure the admins are aware of who is actually a ghost and who is a toot.
We have a lineup!
https://twitter.com/samblum3/status/1644449264427487233?s=46
Can’t wait for tonight. Enter Sandman.
1st place all to ourselves as Texas loses.
That didn’t last long but was one hell of a ride
Toronto’s two big hitters are kids of former Angels, and one of those Dad’s is tossing out the first ball tonight. Will he be wearing an Angels Jersey or Blue Jays jersey. He may even be wearing a custom job with a half and half shirt. Let the Goodtimes Roll.
The Angels have only one SB so far and it came with the only attempt. Do you know by whom?
We really do not seem to care if the new bases are closer or not, just waiting for the big knock, I guess.
If you said Rengifo stole the only SB for us you’d be wrong. Not thought of as a base stealer, it was Taylor Ward who stole our only base so far this season. What were the odds on that?
So, who will steal our next base? My vote is for Ohtani, he will steal less this year as injury would cost him a hundred million or more, SMH. But he is so competitive he won’t be able to contain himself.
Rengifo and Fletcher could pull it off too. Not as much team speed as last season really.
I am surprised watching O’Hoppe speed, that’s a young catcher for you though. I won’t be surprised to see him as a LF or 1B in 6 or 7 years down the road. But still, I can’t think if I have ever seen a faster catcher, at least one does not come to mind. His framing has been excellent this season as he has picked up many strikes for our pitchers so far. He seems to be the real deal and I could not be happier for his future.
I am so excited about tonight’s pre-game and game I feel like a youngster for sure. Coors light in the fridge, Angels Hawaiian shirt ironed and have not even seen a line up yet.
GO ANGELS, GO!
Faster catcher — John Wathan? When I was a kid he set the single season record for steals by a catcher. That skinny, fidgety catcher the Pirates had in the late 90s was pretty fast.
Kendall
Weasels with daddy issues are pretty fast.
it’s common for catchers to play other positions. I believe Yogi Berra was the leftfielder when Bill Mazeroski hit the HR to win the World Series for Pittsburgh
Earl Averill, Jr. was a catcher who filled in as the Angels left fielder from early June through mid July in 1962 when all the other outfielders manager Bill Rigney tried did not pan out. Ken Hunt, who had a very good 1961, was supposed to be an outfield regular in 1962, but he broke his clavicle in spring training when he was in the batter’s circle stretching with a bat extended over his head.
Rigney was desperate to fill Hunt’s shoes because the Angels had been near first place all year long (they were in first on the 4th of July), and the final two months of the pennant race were coming up.
Averll did an excellent job filling in as the Angels’ left fielder. He had a .403 OBP while getting regular ABs during this stint. He came up with many clutch hits, and he set the Major League record for most consecutive plate appearances reaching base safely.
Averill’s the one with his tongue sticking out. Ken Hunt is the first on the left.
See. This is no Tootie comment.
The five guys in the photo all hit at least 20 HRs for the Angels in 1961.
Old Steve Bilko (the guy on the right, a 2X MVP of the PCL for the LA Angels in the 1950s) hit home run #20 on the last day of the season when he was called into the game in the ninth inning to pinch hit.
It was the final home run ever hit at Wrigley Field West.
⚾ ⚾ ⚾ ⚾ ⚾ 🏅 🏆 🙌 💪 👈
It’s too bad Salmon couldn’t get that final home run to round off that 299. Scioscia gave him plenty of chances.
Sort of a metaphor/microcosm of his career. Never made an All-Star team. Didn’t quite crack 300. Awesome in many ways but somewhere south of historically exceptional. The WS is the redeemer.
Weather finally warming up and that is good news for our pitchers. Toronto has some big-time sluggers ready to really break out though. What a great Opening Day and Opening Weekend this is. I’ll miss Sunday’s action between Church and Family and friends, but I’ll catch up later that night. Watch for the Homeruns on Sunday
FINALLY the site updated and it’s no longer stuck on the ren-don-done story!!!!
Say thank-you Jessica 😃
Good-night, Gracie
😄
Somehow caching got turned on which was fine if you logged in since it refreshed the site with login but did not if you did not login. I turned off caching. Don’t think it will affect performance.
at least this has given me the opportunity to dig out my password.
Free Anthony Rendon!
Hilarious that some Giants pitcher calls out an opponent over steroid use. I wonder what he has to say about team icon Barroids.
Yeah to me it’s a bad look for a career minor leaguer to call out Tatis.
I get it – you’re bitter because juiced up guys made it to the show and you haven’t – but being a whiny sore loser isn’t a good take
Tatis is a chump
He was in kindergarten when Bonds was playing. Nowadays his numbers are getting hurt by cheaters.
The 20odd year old Giants kid is probably barely aware Bonds existed because “kids today, get off my lawn, sacrifice, uphill in the snow, empires undone by a single generation…”
Did you watch the ass trot his home run?
I don’t get the love for David Ortiz, one of the most obvious ‘roiders out there after Barroids other than his apparent lovely treatment of sportswriters.
pretty simple.
dude is personable and fellates the media, so he gets a pass.
And ESPN’s big wig was a huge Red Sox fan during Ortiz’s career. Dude had Red Sox carpet in his office and coined the term “evil empire” for the Yanks.
It’s the hat.
What is most feasible;
The writers would answer #1, why, because they already put the 2 catchers in the HoF. Baseball writers seem to have their own distinct way of looking at things. Bonds and Clemens are the only ‘Roid users with possibly ARod to join their select group, but other users of PEDs are to them clean. What will they say about Cano or Cruz?
Writers of the first 70 years of the twentieth century saw the game differently than their more contemporary counterparts, they did not get into the “Up close and personal” stuff such as Mantle and Mathews being alcoholics and wrote about them as hero’s and the game was “Clean” in their eyes. Writers pretty much gave yearly awards to the best players, and it was tough getting into the HoF with those scribes. Today the older guys are retiring, and the newer guys really don’t respect the game the way those old writers did. But then Selig and Manfraud didn’t or don’t respect the game either unfortunately, their sole purpose is to do the bidding for the owners and to just make money.
I opine too much, sorry. But cheaters do prosper it would seem.
A thought…
Is Quero the youngest player in AA? Just turned 20 yesterday. Had a hit and RBI last night to celebrate in his Rocket City debut… https://www.milb.com/gameday/lookouts-vs-trash-pandas/2023/04/06/720947#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=720947
But we should trade him or O’Hoppe immediately since no franchise should be allowed to have 2 elite catching prospects .
Don’t you know, we’re required to trade all of our really good players to the Dodgers, the Yankees or the Red Sox !
Took my son to all three opening games in Oakland. On day 3 sat behind home plate and was lucky enough to see the Trout Ohtani bombs up close. I have to start taking my son to more games. He has seen 5. The Angels are 4-1, Trout and Ohtani have homered a combined 5 times in those games, and he has seen the Angels give up 1 run (Suarez threw a complete game), 1run, and throw a shutout.
Hopefully the opening home stand can bring a bit more production from guys not named Ward, Trout, Ohtani and O’Hoppe. I feel like we have the makings of a team that could be solid, but we need the other guys to step up and help out (yes Rendon I am talking to you as well). Here’s to a good weekend for all of us.
We might have to set up a gofundme so your son can get us to the playoffs.
I sure as heck won’t attend a game without him next to me anymore. I have to try and get him to more of them so we can get some more wins.
The key for tonight’s game versus the Blue Jays is “Are You Going to Stay the Night” by Zedd and Hayley Williams.
https://youtu.be/i-gyZ35074k
2023 Angels, I’ve had a crush on you for a few months now, ever since you surprised me by making the first big move of the off-season when you signed Tyler Anderson. You teased me all spring training long with offensive outbursts, breakout performances, and victory after victory after victory. And did I mention how excited I am by your rookie catcher?
So maybe tonight will be the night when we get beyond our nervous flirtation. Pull off a win here against the Blue Jays. Let me know that your answer is yes, you are going to stay the night.
Will 2002 and ChatBot be there?
Yes. And we’ll all be wearing these for ease of identification:
😂 😂 😂 💪 💪 💪 👈
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG1NrQYXjLU
If I had the chance, I’d ask the world to dance.
“Let’s Dance” put on your red shoes and “Safety Dance”..
There is no way you’re 2002.
I’m 2002, he’s 2002, she’s 2002. We’re all 2002. At least that’s what the mushrooms tell me.
Shrooms was a one a done for me.
Sorry you had a bad experience!
Tonight’s interim coach Morris “Jeff J.” Buttermaker is rumored to be in line for the Angels manager job if Nevin doesn’t get them to the playoffs.
I get why some people think the Sandlot is the best baseball movie but that just wasn’t my experience.
my experience was LL in SoCal in the late 60s/70s and BNB is a far superior movie
I’ll go one step further….BNB was a great movie period.
My baseball experience was straight out of Scarface. I played on Salinas Auto Sales, a car dealership that was a front for a guy who was arrested for importing something like 200 tons of cocaine with his brother.
To really make it fun, our coach was Salinas best friend and a local sheriff. Coach ended up marrying Salinas wife when Salinas was locked up
It gets no better than small town drama ha ha.
now THAT would be a good youth baseball movie
https://memes.getyarn.io/yarn-clip/1d51b480-df0a-4a43-a3f2-302eb5dac326
Did the coach have a “little friend”?
6 home games coming up, 3 with the Blue Jays and 3 against the Nationals. Looking ahead it would be sweet to come off our first homestand with a 4-2 record. It’s doable with our starters. Trouty loves nighttime home cooking, and it could be just what the doctor ordered to bring out the best in Fletcher, Rengifo and Renfroe. Right now would be a good thing to see Thaiss make a move forward with the bat too.
Quick somebody swipe Hergot’s glasses. Loupty Lou should not be brought in a close game as we all can agree, but how much should Tepera be trusted? If Canning is brought up soon who goes? Speculation here has been Davidson goes, but with no options left do we want to lose him? I think Davidson will see some more work this week or may be used as a starter next week and Canning to SLC.
So far O’Hoppe is the biggest surprise, biggest missing player is Walsh. Hardest to get out is Ward, great start for him in ’23. See you all tonight, GO Angels.
Pull the plug on Loup. Let him be Mariano Rivera for some other team. It’s necessary roster management.
It’s April 7th. Calm down Alexandria.
Guess what? It would be great just to win TONIGHT’S GAME. That is all I am thinking about right now.
Some people are forward looking types, some are stuck in the now only, what can I say.
The Eternal Now is all there really is. It is all we have.
The future does not exist, likewise the past.
Just a heads up, visiting this website on my iPhone (safari) is stuck on the April 3rd post.
Verified this with a coworker’s phone as well. Not sure if this has been brought up.
It’s been constantly that way for me this past week too regardless of which computer I use. I have to log in to see more recent articles.
Ah, got it. Logged in, then refreshed and I see the most current post.
We’re looking into
It. Best advice for now is to make sure you’re logged in.
It’s a caching thing that only affects you if aren’t logged in. I cleared the site cache so that should help but it may happen again – if it does login is the solve 🙂
GMB and I were recently talking about going to Dodger Stadium as neither of us has been there in over 30+ years. Remembering the sights and sounds that memories can bring back and all the fun stuff like the Dodger Dogs, peanuts being thrown by vendor and his perfect tosses and handing the money down, listening to Vinny on transistor radio and all the happiness. After the latest outbreak and the unsafe parking lot, and the unintentional eye contact with idiots that may cause us grief, well we are no longer interested in the nostalgia and revisiting our memories. We thought going to see the Angels and wearing our Angels shirts and hats would be enjoyable. No way now and what were we thinking – geez. It really is Chavez Latrine.
Better off going to watch a game at the Big A!
Doyers should play loud classical music in the stadium concourses and parking lot….the criminals don’t like it.
https://twitter.com/BoxlogoBully/status/1643809783890468864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1643809783890468864%7Ctwgr%5E2e3a613259a09395671e0a94aa85858175454c28%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thebiglead.com%2Fposts%2Fdodgers-fans-fight-video-brawl-01gxbzg6848a
🤣🤣🤣
Who is being disrespected? Who needs another beer more? Who is ignoring a larger child support bill in order to buy OEM car parts? I don’t know, let’s fight about it!
Stay blue.
Fucking cesspool of degenerates
Going to any other stadium wearing Angels gear can get you in trouble with rival fans — ask Rendon.
I’ve been to 37 stadiums and during most of those visits the Angels were the visiting team. Despite my initial fears we were treated cordially and respectfully by the home town crowd.(Including Oakland, Safeco, Fenway, Philly & Yankee stadium to name a few)
By far, the stadium that I had the most concern visiting with Angel Red was Dodger Stadium Now certainly things seem better now than the McCourt years but nothing surprises me coming out of that Latrine.
37 is impressive. I’m at a third of that.
Dodgers is by far the worst. I’ve been there when the Dodgers hosted the Marlins and the fans started fighting each other because there weren’t any Marlins fans to assault.
Once the Raiders moved, all the trouble makers started hanging out at the Latrine.
22 here.
10 here plus one minor league park (Fresno)
Only nine, and three no longer exist, but two NPB (would have been three, but Yokohama would not take credit cards for same day seats back in 2013).
McCourt still owns that Thunderdome known as the parking lot.
That was a shrewd move on his part
My friend who was an usher at Angels Stadium (he passed away in July) said when the Dodgers came here, it was all hands on deck. Everybody worked and he said it was the worst visiting team. Worse than Boston or NY.
Baseball stats: After the steroid users basically ruined statistics with inflated numbers we have seen the advent of new numbers and stats come down the pike. Are numbers that dissect every time a player blinks important, really all that important? So Shohei is the first person to get busted by a pitch clock two different ways in one game really that important? Even here at CTPG people talk about WAR as the true test of player value.
I didn’t need numbers when I was growing up to tell me the value of Koufax, I saw it. Mantle – Mays – Aaron, three of the greatest and throw in Clemente and the players of the sixties, I didn’t need WAR to tell me how good they were. The basic numbers of Average, HRs, RBI and R/S and Hits told us what we needed to know. This idea that we need to add how many coughs per at bat or the weighted average of the armor each player uses when the sun is out per at bat, well you get the picture, does it really matter more than watching the game itself?
While I see some value in the newer stats, I’m inclined to agree with you. I’m the happiest when I play in fantasy leagues with batting average and wins rather than OPS or quality starts I’m not a grandpa, but I feel like one.