I’m a guy who likes the comforts of home. My patio, my bed, my vinyl collection…the things that make home home. The Angels get a chance to soak in that back home feeling for 10 days starting today.
A 3 win, 4 loss road trip is less than idea but if Phil Nevin had more than three functioning brain cells last Sunday it could have easily been 4-3. I can honestly say the 8th inning last Sunday was among the worst game management I’ve ever seen.
To recap: he intentionally walked the go ahead run into scoring position, having lefty Sandoval avoid facing righty Jose Ramirez. Then, once left handed masher Josh Naylor (who was on deck) stepped in the box Nevin brought in right hander Carlos Esteves to serve up the game losing 3 run bomb. There’s so much stupid in that process it almost hurt to type it.
Not coming back with the team is batting practice thrower Ryan Tepera, who was designated for assignment after blowing yet another game on Saturday.
The highlight of the road trip came from Monday’s starting pitcher who came up with an unreal shot.
Speaking of moonshots, friend of the site Trey Cabbage has been hitting several of his own. Just look at these numbers.
And Trey was not alone. The Bees had themselves quite a trio on Tuesday night.
Did I mention Trey is a great dude who is crushing the ball in the minors this year? I’m not alone.
Going into the year there was a lot of talk about the new rules. This was an out last year. And so were a few more of Ohtani’s hits. By both the stat quoted and my eyeballs, banning the shift has equated to more hits.
Yes, that Jared Walsh is nearing a return. Meanwhile the MRI results on Anthony Rendon showed “good results” which with our medical staff can only mean a full amputation of the leg is forthcoming.
And I can’t go a week without plugging the wunderkid Zach Neto. This was Simba-esque the other night.
I can’t post highlights all over the place and ignore my favorite affiliate. Check out the hose job by Orlando Martinez of the Trash Pandas.
In one last bit of Angels news, convicted pill peddler Eric Kay is seeking an appeal. In the appeal Kay says both that he should not have been convicted and that he should have accepted a plea bargain. Hmmmm… Sounds like gamblers remorse to me. He took his shot at a jury trial and escaping punishment and when that blew up in his face 5-10 years sounded like a good proposition.
Domingo German is an absolute piece of shit human being who shouldn’t be allowed to play MLB. Oh, and he also got caught cheating this week. And a few weeks ago against the Twins.
Speaking of woman beaters who don’t belong in MLB, Trevor Bauer is the one getting knocked around in Japan.
Looking at that picture, I just imagine how great it would feel to land a crushing left hook on that jaw…
In better news, Daniel Bard is working on his mental health and back in baseball. Please read this longform piece on his journey. It has been a while since I linked a longform piece and this one is worth it.
I get being tough and working through things. But I also know sometimes the best way to move forward is to take a step back. If you need help, ask. That “nobody cares” thing is your brain lying to you.
In great news for the league, Angel Hernandez has been MIA since Opening Day. The speculation is he’s out with a medical issue. Yeah, he’s freaking blind.
No tee ball game tonight. Only one more on the schedule. I’m not ready to let this go.
Salmon: “The Twins are one of the worst offenses in baseball.”
Shit … by Jack logic, they’ll score 20 this weekend.
I’m finding that as you age, the sirens call to be home is ever stronger.
In other news: Cubs DFA Erik Hosmer due to poor production
Question: Who saw this coming?
Answer: Everyone including Jose Feliciano & Andrea Bocelli
Pirates DFA’d Miguel Andujar today. If you recall, Andujar competed for AL ROY in 2018 along with Shohei and Glyber Torres.
That tells you it is extremely difficult to stick in MLB team.
Or how biased voters are in favor of Yankees players.
I think I remember a lot of pushing for Andujar to win, right?
That’s the media for you. Currently they’re griping that the last place Yankees are getting screwed out of a playoff spot because the AL Central leader is guaranteed a spot
I recall many Yankees fans cried foul and unfair that Shohei was not really a rookie, and then screamed murder to DFA Andujar when he started sucking the next season.
This is the prime example of why Mike Trout has had a 1st ballot HOF career. Consistent excellence.
Even at 75% of his peak, he’s still an All Star level player.
Lineup:
1 – Moniak
2 – Ward
3 – Ohtani
4 – Renfroe
5 – Drury
6 – Urshela
7 – Rengifo
8 – Wallach
9 – Neto
I don’t think I like the idea of resting Trout just as he was getting out of his slump. Very weird call IMO.
I believe the current vernacular is “Load management.”
Slump management
Is Load management really just a Load?
You need a Ford Super Duty or a Toyota TRD to haul that Load.
Load management is also quality time in the bathroom …..other sports vernaculars, creating Cap Space, dropping off the kids at the pool, the goal-line stand…etc.
What if Trout pinch hits in the 8th inning and comes up with a big go ahead hit for us ?
I’ll take this option. This load looks good to me.
I’d unload if that happeneed.
I think it is because Trout had that calf injury during the first game back from a long flight from east coast last year.
This calf injury you speak of?
Perhaps it was two years ago, but I read somewhere that he did strain his calf going from 2nd to 3rd base, and that was during the first game back from a long flight. Either Maddon or Nevin talked about it and decided that he will be given a day off after a long flight. Medically speaking, many people suffer relative deep vein thrombosis like condition, also known as coach class syndrome, in calfs after a long flight. So, this is precautionary on top of load management.
I read a few days ago that they prefer to have him rest after a road trip/long flight.
I think it’s a idea. He’s top 4 in PA’s on the team. That’s acceptable to me.
I can’t wait for the day that Trout or Ohtani get an off day and someone doesn’t come out with “I don’t knoooooowww… I just think…..”
I get what you’re saying, but if a guy has hit HR’s in back to back games, it’s sometimes a good idea to let that hot streak ride.
I can’t wait for the day that someone has an opinion without someone else having an opinion on their opinion
In my opinion, I disagree.
There is a place your dreams can come true….
Of course, I am superstitious. halofansince1978 posted starting lineup yesterday, and Angels won. I listed the lineup Tuesday and Wednesday and they lost. Someone, please post the starting lineup today.
If we don’t post the starting line up does that mean the game really never existed?
Hmmmm, it is a conundrum. Unless you are a time traveler…..
If CtPG guy posts a lineup and nobody is around to read it, does it make a sound?
Or, if CtPG guy posts the lineup and another (or the same) CtPG guy posts a complaint about it…..is that really a CtPG posts? ^ > < ^ ^ < > < ^
CtPG guy and something not making a sound can’t exist in the same question. CtPG guy isn’t CtPG guy if he has thought and doesn’t mouth part that thought and then magic dance finger on keyboard while mouth breathing words like “grit” and “idiot” like J Jonah Jamison’s failure doppelganger.
Are we discussing metaphysics? I thought we are NOT supposed to talk about religion on this site.
If you are a fan of ANIME with time traveler these, I can recommend The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and Your Name.
Done!
Thank you!
Trey Cabbage looks like one of those random Oakland guys who breaks out and gets traded. I’m thinking specifically of the Matt Olson, Brandon Moss kind of guys.
Here’s Matt Olson’s Baseball Ref page. https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=olson-003mat
Not sure I see the correlation unless hes a late late late bloomer.
Matt Olson is a scrub….and never hit well against the Angels.
I’m not afraid of Matt Olson. Screw that guy. Hold me back.
Just a random guy who got a chance to play and produced. This year it’s Rooker but he’s an OF.
He is a bit Brandon Mossy
Cheater is back…..
https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/astros-activate-star-2b-altuve-190200433.html
Mets apparently selected Gary Sanchez’s contract today. One of their catchers has eye issues and is on IL, and they are struggling especially in their offense. I am so glad that Angels did not sign him; Thaiss and Wallach are so far working out.
Yep, just when the “Sign Gary Sanchez” malarkey picked up steam, Wallach & especially Thaiss started pouring it on.
So who can we threaten to pick up now?
https://www.rotoballer.com/player-news/jared-walsh-could-return-saturday/1178308
I was wondering what the holdup was. Walsh has only had 28 PA to get back, but he sure looks ready.
My guess is that Soto goes down at that point. It could also be a DFA for Phillips because without Soto, it’s a little thin on the infield.
I get the Cabbage love, but I don’t see having both Cabbage and Walsh on the roster at the same time since they’re both LH hitting 1B who can play an outfield corner if necessary.
I agree jco, Phillips is expendable now that Moniak is up and is hitting. Besides, Walsh can also play some OF, especially if they want to run a LH heavy line-up.
Jeff, you’re always good, but today’s recap is awesome! You absolutely made my morning. I had to reread it twice to fully capture how great it is. Thanks again!
Thanks. I actually had the time to do a decent job this week.
I thought Ohtani had a lot more hits through the right infield. I didn’t count but I kept thinking, “That would have been an out last year.”
I remember Jered Weaver cussing out the shift every time a ground ball shot through a hole that was created because the defense had shifted over.
I love the t-ball video. The question is which Angels coach/manager has been working with this team on their fundamentals and grittiness?
Those kids had zero grit and no respect for the game. And execution? Stupid kids.
I’ve heard some suggest here that it’s time to send Ward down and bring up Adell and platoon him with Moniak.
Ward hasn’t been what he was last year and Adell’s been crushing it at AAA.
Moniak, since spring training, looks like he’s a keeper.
Right now, the team is carrying 5 outfielders and there is no space for Adell or Cabbage.
I don’t think sending Ward down now is the answer, but I’d sure like to see Adell and Cabbage called up to see if they can continue their success at the big league level….
If a roster spot is the problem…….Hello my friend, Phillips here…Brett Phillips.
The Hat Monger!
Walsh provides a viable backup outfielder option so Phillips could go bye bye. I suspect no one would claim him ( Maybe Oakland?) so theres a good chance he would reman in the organization and go to the Great Salt Lake.
But this would mean that Moniak becomes our primary defensive outfielder replacement at all three positions as well as our primary pinch runner provided hes not in the starting lineup (Adell would be the PR if Moniak is already playing)
I’ve seen enough good things from Moniak to know he could be that Pinch runner and he looks like a serviceable outfielder although the defensive metrics weren’t very kind to him last year.
I think he should be “promoted” to batboy so he continue his most important duty of handing out that home run hat.
On the west coast, we call that “hatboy.”
It is intriguing that during yesterday’s victory, there were NO complaints about the Samurai hat mentioned. During Tuesday and Wednesday game threads, I counted at least 5 negative posts regarding the hat each day.
I am going to call it Kabuto factor, which precisely indicates how the Angels are doing and measures the mentality of Angels fans.
If Kabuto Hat 2023 and Cowboy Hat 2022 we’re to get in a Doyer Stadium style parking lot fight, who would win?
I wish Akira Kurosawa were still alive and would have been able to collaborate with Steven Spielberg to make an epic movie featuring those two hats using Star Wars theme. 😄
I like Cowboy Hat. Kabuto hat looks a little flimsy and awkward.
btw, did the Angels invent this hat celebration thing? They were the first team I can remember doing it.
I remember that it was an idea by one of Angels assistant coaches, cannot remember his name though.
OK, Just read this in the Athletic…
The internet is amazing. Tim Buss, one of the assistant staff to Joe Maddon, came up with the cowboy hat idea. I remember the original hat had some sort of NFL logo (Either Eagles or Cowboys, I forget), but was replaced by another hat, where they started to add some sort of seal with each homerun (like they do on football helmet with each touchdown). It was also a tribute to late Mr. Autry.
As far as Kabuto is concerned, I also heard that it may have actually come from Ippei, who had placed an order for its construction this winter. I think I know whose credit card they used for purchase.
cowboy hat has a Colt 45 and kabuto has a sword.
we win one for the Cowboy.
Bring a gun to a knife fight….thats what my mother taught me.
She was OG yo.
Is it like Harrison Ford in one of his Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark movies, where he shot this sword wielding Middle Eastern guy?
I am little too lazy to search for the movie and also incapable of embedding the scene.
Raiders of the lost Ark
Wait…. are you talkin bout… JuJu?
Since Angel management has zero interest in having their players steal bases, there is no need for Phillips to take up a roster spot when Adell and Cabbage are enticing options.
As much as I have liked Brett Phillips being a cheer leader and ceremonial Kabuto passer, I think the only logical solution is to DFA Phillips. I still think there were many occasions in especially those games that we lost earlier that he could have been used as pinch runner. I think that is on Phil Nevin, who hesitated to use him more often. Well, there was least at one game that Nevin subed Phillips in for Rendon, which resulted in come back from behind win.
I am not that familiar with Trey Cabbage. How is his defense? He does have pretty good slash line right now, but his strike out rate is 31%.
Trey’s strike out rate is about 15% less than Adells but his walk rate this year has been about 35% less. he listed as a first baseman corner outfielder but I think his primary position this year is first base . the reports on his defense are not very good and it seems like the Angels are just now trying to get him more experience in the outfield. So I doubt the Angels are ready to bring him up especially with Walsh’s imminent return.
I agree with you on Moniak will stick for a while longer. What do you think of him as leadoff hitter? Neto is another option as leadoff, but I actually like him in the 9th spot. Is there another effective leadoff hitter option on this team?
I know we all love Neto, I do too, but the guy is not a lead off hitter at all. He’s not very good with the bat. Yet. Just keep him at 9 and let him see lots of MLB pitching.
Let’s bring him up to 6th
There is no way Arte will allow Phillips to be sent away because of that contract. Remember that bullshit? I do.
Yeah. I suspect Phillips may be short a job soon cause Walsh/Moniak will both be on the roster.
I also like that minor leaguer with the Hunter Renfroe arm.
On the eve of Walsh’s callup, Cabbage seems unnecessary now. Where was Perry 2-3 weeks ago with a Cabbage promotion? I’ve heard that the Angels are concerned about his whiff rate but no worse that Drury. In addition to his power, Cabbage has sneaky speed, 11-steals and has not been caught. He might be able to teach the team a thing or two about the Art of the Steal. Rengifo needs some help.
Maybe more like a Joey Gallo type?
https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/8ceba3b4-3b18-42e8-807e-91e40dc40af3
Does ShuffleBot even exist?
When Mike Trout broke the Angels’ franchise record for career home runs back in 2020, it was a big deal. Angel fans had been anticipating this achievement and excitedly watched when Trout overtook Brian Downing’s 222 Angel home runs, then Garret Anderson’s 272 homers, and then Tim Salmon’s 299 homers to become the Angels all-time home run king.
This was a national story. USA Today and others ran stories of Trout being the Angels’ new franchise home run king.
Trout is doing something right now in regards to home runs that is even bigger than becoming the Angels’ career leader in homers — he is getting closer and closer to becoming the American League West’s All-Time Home Run King.
Instead of passing players like Downing and Anderson, on his way to becoming the AL West’s career Home Run Leader, he is passing Hall of Fame slugging legends like Edgar Martinez, Reggie Jackson, and Mark McGwire.
Trout currently has 360 career home runs as an AL West player. That is the fifth most ever hit by an ALW player. Trout needs just two more home runs to tie Reggie Jackson for fourth place. This is a huge deal and needs to be noticed, to be celebrated.
Since the creation of the ALW in 1969, Reggie hit 239 homers as an Oakland A and 123 homers as an Angel, for a total of 362 HRs as an ALW player. It took him 13 years to do it, and he led the American League in home runs three times during this time period (twice as an Athletic and once as an Angel).
Trout is currently in his 13th year of his MLB career. He only hit 5 in his his first year and had two more down years in 2020 and 2021, and even with that handicap, Trout is going to surpass the great Reggie Jackson in the same number of years both players had as an ALW player. Absolutely tremendous.
Not only that, but Mark McGwire has 363 ALW home runs, so after Mike Trout hits four more home runs, there will only be two players in the history of the American League West who have hit more home runs than Trout — Juan Gonzalez (TEX) at 372 and Ken Griffey, Jr. (SEA) at 417.
It blows my mind that next year Mike Trout is going to be the AL West’s All-Time Home Run King, and no one is going to even know.
Losing all the time will have a negative effect on your popularity.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/losing?pronunciation&lang=en_us&dir=l&file=lose0003
he just passed Jr in bWAR. Jr played 21 seasons and was baseball twenty years ago.
Trout is in his 13th season. he just passed Pedro too.
He has a lot of baseball to play and now on the cusp of being Top 50 ever.
EGAD!
But did you know that Ohtani recently becaome the first player in MLB history to drink a mango smoothy AND strike out more than three hitters AND get a hit in the MLB ON THE SAME DAY!?!? Wowzballsz!
The Angels haven’t made the play offs since 2014 to spite having two generational talents in Mike Trout and Ohtani. The Dodgers. The Yankees. The Yankees. Journalism. End.
Only a polyglot genius could dare to crack your cryptic code.
Nice….!
The Angels scored 19 runs in their four-game series with the Orioles. How many of these runs was your favorite Angel responsible for? Remember, if Rengifo gets a walk, steals second, and then is driven in by a Neto double, Rengifo and Neto both get credit for creating 0.50 runs.
4.50 Ohtani
3.25 Urshela
3.25 Trout
1.50 Wallach
1.50 Thaiss
1.50 Neto
1.25 Rengifo
1.00 Moniak
0.50 Renfroe
0.25 Ward
0.25 Drury
0.25 Soto
This is the fourth time this season Ohtani has been the leader in runs produced (also vs. HOU, NYY, and SEA). Good to see Trout as one of the main run producers again. Also good to see the catcher position produced 3.00 runs.
Here are the year-to-date Actual Runs Allowed per Batters Faced for our Angel pitchers using this same credit system. For example, in ARA/BF, if Ohtani walks a batter, is relieved, and the reliever immediately gives up an RBI triple, Ohtani is credited for giving up just 0.25 runs and the reliever is credited with giving up 0.75 runs.
The number of batters faced is in parenthesis.
0.05 Estevez (88)
0.05 Moore (83)
0.09 Ohtani (209)
0.09 Sandoval (190)
0.10 Barria (90)
0.12 Wantz (75)
0.13 Anderson (197)
0.13 Detmers (156)
0.14 Canning (131)
0.14 Silseth (52)
0.16 Davidson (79)
0.16 Herget (45)
0.16 Devenski (42)
0.19 Suarez (123)
0.22 Loup (50)
A few weeks ago Barria and Davidson had the same ARA/BF, but they have been trending in opposite directions since.
More examples of how ERA is unreliable: ERA says Barria (1.96) has been much better at not allowing runs to score than Ohtani (3.23) has been, but that is not true at all. Neither is ERA’s claim that Devenski (2.61) has been really good at preventing runs this year.
Thanks for doing this after each series. I find the data about pitchers most helpful.
Absolute Gold.
Thank you.
Absolute Gold. If I had made that comment that would be awful?
Man you got issues. Have you tried counseling?
So you’re making light of someone’s medical issue?
What if he has cancer? would that be funny”
Simmer down….nobody would find humor in that.
If you read the link it states a back injury.
Considering I’m not known as a troll, I get a little leeway to be funny. Everyone also knows I’d never make light of cancer nor would we allow it on the site.
I have had cancer (don’t like being called a survivor) and my younger sister died of cancer at the age of 49. I take offense that you would use it to attack Jeff who has been nothing but classy in all the time I’ve read his work, while you couldn’t write something classy if I wrote it for you.
(Meanest thing I’ve written on the internet)
I just like you cause you don’t refer to yourself as a survivor.
The Foundation Building Materials’ keystone for the Angels this weekend is “Love Is All Around” by Joan Jett.
This is one of the happiest songs I know, and thanks to the split with the Orioles, to having the Angel team that is going to make the Wildcard slot finally show up and compete with a good team, well, love is all around.
https://youtu.be/zWQHhKrdtSA
Great song selection! The tune sounded familiar to me, and thanks to the internet, I came to find out this was the theme song for Mary Tyler Moore’s show. I did not know it was by Joan Jett. It certainly generated happy feelings in me this morning.
By the way, thank you for allowing me to discover Band Maid with your post several weeks ago. Now, I am their fan and might be going to their show when they make their USA tour this summer.
P.S. There are some sinister rumors out there that you and I are evil twins…… 😆
Yes, I’ve seen the rumors. Not only that, but you and I are also supposed to be aliases of a member of this community named 2002Heaven (who hasn’t posted here in a while). People here dislike 2002Heaven because he comes across as a troll who is really a Mariner fan.
Also, Joan Jett didn’t write The Mary Tyler Moore Show theme song, she just started playing it as part of her live show. She did write a new verse for it, however.
Are you sure about that? I’m thinking at 10-years old, Joan was already locked away into her recording studio for her second album.
Easy Rider was really boring until the Jack Nicholson character shows up to make the second half of the movie a lot of fun.
All good information. The Mary Tyler Moore Show was a popular TV program around the time when I came to the US (Hawaii) and it was relatively simple to follow the storyline for someone who was learning English. I thought all actors on the TV show spoke “proper” English rather than “pidgin” English. I also thought watching those soap operas like General Hospital and As the World Turns, during afternoon were quite helpful. Again, they were easy to follow and used proper English. Should I encourage Shohei to watch afternoon soap opera to further his English knowledge since I understand he spends a lot of time playing video games at his apartment?
I learned my Japanese in Izakaya’s. Was much more well received speaking from what I learned there vs textbook or some proper video
Well, I was only 14 years old then, looking less than 10, so I would have been busted if I attempted to buy Primo beer at a convenience store.
Which one of your older bothers is Buster? My guess is Ghost Guest?
https://youtu.be/1TC-2aw2TUY
I like the part where the Korean boy keeps taking off his shoes in house. I have “forced” my Irish/Polish spouse and our boys to take off their shoes when in house.
Learning the lyrics to Rammstein, Die Arzte, and Beatrice Egli songs and then singing along with them helped me learn German.
Are you sure you’re not….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG1NrQYXjLU
See above… he just trolled Jeff.
Tooty is not you guys at all.
I second that emotion.
She’s the perfect confluence of talented, cool, and beautiful.
Agree, Mary Tyler was very beautiful.
Especially as Laura Petri.
Oh, Rob!
While the whole time managing her diabetes. Quite a woman.
that was Wilford Brimley….
https://youtu.be/BME0639IP5g
Epic response.
wait, not….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f9xOHXHT2Q
I will be internet free for three days…Halo Power Baby!!
Still buzzing over the Renfroe throw off his back foot. That was outstanding. And it likely saved the game given the double that followed.