“We want to be better at the whole game of baseball” says Ron Washington. The article also says he wants to make the Angels more like they were when Mike Scioscia was around. News flash! The Angels should have spent some money on starting pitchers. This article says the Angels are the team in the AL West that will beat expectations. Fangraphs ranks the Angels bullpen at number 23. They ranked the Angels DH position at number 21.
Shohei’s statement yesterday stuck with the massive theft version of the story. He read his statement in Japanese and was not taking questions. Apparently there is a bunch of false information in Ippei Mizuhara’s resume.
The MLB owners will vote on the sale of the Orioles tomorrow to a group led by billionaire David Rubenstein.
Photo credit: Rex Fregosi
Montgomery signs with the DBacks.
I guess NL West had all the money this offseason
I honestly always thought we had a chance of going after that guy, but I guess our management truly did go with the “let the kids play and just save money” path this offseason.
ya I think with the future TV dollars in doubt, and ages/ of Fish and Guess Who, maybe Arte’ just said Fuck it, let’s try the right thing (prob Perry convinced him it was time)
Moniak didn’t play yesterday either. maybe he’s sick or tweaked.
Makes you wonder just what was being kept from him…
How was Ippei shaping Shohei’s day to day? This is truly wild.
https://x.com/byjackharris/status/1772765688274530792?s=46
https://x.com/byjackharris/status/1772766328530804745?s=46
Interesting!
The strategy to make Ippei look like a madman is working perfectly
If that was the case, give Ippei his due! Unless Sho was wildly unsuccessful the last 6 years. Really hope we aren’t going to be turning days into weeks with this same back/forth. When new news comes out all for it.
Or he was taking advantage of his rich friend who couldn’t speak the language.
Not sure why but Sano is apparently in.
https://twitter.com/EricaLWeston/status/1772740030588424685
because….? Well, we’ll see what the playing time is this weekend.
I wonder who gets punted from the 40 man.
No one . Bachman and the Plumber go to the 60 day IL
Sano is capable of standing near third base with a glove on his hand.
That is more than can be said about Rendon for most of the season.
I know it’s only ST, but I got the sense pitchers treaded lightly during his AB’s. Had some nice contact, if that increases, I’ll take it.
With who we’ve had as a backup at 3rd/1st/DH in the past 5 years, at least he has the potential to hit with some power.
Free Sano don’t ya know!
You betcha!
Does that mean Adrianza is out, or do we have another spot?
OF: Trout, Ward, Hicks, Adell, Moniak
IN: Rendon, Neto, Drury, Schanuel, Sano, Rengifo
C: O’Hoppe, Thaiss
Adrianza was never in.
I thought it was down to Sano and Adrianza for the last spot.
Is this where I ask why didn’t we just give Urshela a new deal?
He’ll start at the Great Salt Lake unless a phantom injury surfaces in another player between now and Thursdays opener
Sano sure seemed to have limitations when I watched him play this Spring. Maybe Perry will watch other team’s final roster moves and upgrade Sano for something better.
Let’s hope Neto is healthy for 162 games.
I’m sure there’s a high probability of that
Because Luis Rengifo is the bestest backup infielder Eva
Maybe just in case…..I don’t know……our other primary 3B gets…..hurt or something.
Everything with Sano is because he lost a metric-shit-ton of weight. If he hits. If he doesn’t hit. If he makes the roster. If he doesn’t make the roster.
Soriano makes the team as a reliever.
https://x.com/samblum3/status/1772741560423096620?s=46
I suspect he’ll be in Salt Lake working on the starting thing after Stephenson return
Shohei is in the lineup for tonight, contrary to what I predicted. Thus, a new prediction: a huge, rousing, warm welcome when he comes to bat.
Unlike many, you admit when you’re wrong. If see an Ippei sign (On TV) I’m gonna laugh to tears.
Fans better cheer for him. He just won an MVP in our uniform.
He’s going to get booes in every non-Dodger stadium this year. Of course plenty of Angels fans will cheer and appreciate him but his brand is doooooownnnn after this offseason.
Maybe I’m wrong. But click the comments on any of the social media posts about Ohtani this month, click the comment button on The Athletic to see what non-Angels fans think. Its overwhelmingly negative.
It’s a good reminder that online is not real life. I’ve never met an MLB fan in real life that didn’t love the dude.
I think, assuming his name is cleared, he will go back to being the sports beloved superstar. I’m not even sure he’s lost too many fans at this point. The vast majority of people are casual fans, and you won’t find them represented on places like the Athletic.
Just my $.02.
Agreed.
Just boo his new interpreter, we don’t know who the Hell he is.
I’m still a fan. It’s (mostly) not his fault that he played for a crappy organization.
We need at least 5,000 people at the game tonight all wearing Ippei masks.
My name is Shohei,
My friend was Ippei,
He gambled and lost,
I helped at great cost,
Now I must cast him away
Let’s see how hard Shohei’s attorneys go for Ippei’s jugular to put him away and lock him up for years or just push this all aside once the dust settles. The former would hold more water if a crime was committed, and the latter would be a buddy doing a solid.
A lack of prosecution, a weak allocution and a quick diffusion equals noise pollution.
If the glove does not fit, you must acquit.
Johnnie Cochran and or Jackie Chiles
https://youtu.be/X8rxPrV-tn4?si=UafIKWnDxY3aY4l3
Just saw this on X
Is it possible for Ippei to wire 4.5m without Ohtani noticing?
Former MLB Translator “yes”
Ministry of Finance staff “yes”
Athletes who have been embezzled “yes”
Numerous accountants and bankers “yes”
Some random twitter junkee ”ya’ll financially illiterate”.
I highly doubt Ohtani ever checks his bank accounts. That’s why guys like him hire bookkeepers and accountants.
I wonder when we’ll hear he’s fired those folks.
Yes, but they don’t check his finances quarterly? That would’ve caught the transfers last year.
The transactions occurred over multiple years. His team of consultants including tax attorneys would have seen and reviewed these transactions by now.
Meanwhile, Jo and Moniak riding the pine tonight with Sano getting at-bats
Well, after today they have to make some decisions. They probably already know that Jo and Mickey are on the roster.
That cutting blade just nicked the top of Adell’s hairline.
It’s nice to be a team’s first round pick.
Does Sano’s contract allow for him to be sent down?
IDK, but he’d be wise to accept it, I believe you can periodically opt out during the MiLB season if you are not called up.
He signs a minor league deal so the answer would be yes. However I’m sure it has out clauses along the way if he wasn’t put on the Major League roster
Likely due to the fact Sano is on the fence and likely to be out the door. He could be a really good story but let it be some other teams story.
He may accept a demotion, I believe he has an opportunity at some period to reject staying in the minors. Someone’s going on the IL tonight.
I know the “Shohei is a degenerate gambler” crowd won’t be satisfied by anything, but there is this experience form another interpreter.
https://twitter.com/DanielKimW/status/1772505255034421546
Sounds like a common thing for that trust to develop between player and interpreter.
I have zero reason to doubt any of that.
It still defies logic for a bookie to extend $4.5MM in credit to a guy making $75k per year unless the bookie knows that guy has access to stacks of cash to pay the extended credit back + the vig.
No way Ippei racks up that much debt unless the bookie knew he could collect, somehow. Whether that was because Ippei was stealing the money or “stealing” the money is the $64k question, or maybe the $4.5MM question.
FWIW, someone with the fund Shohei ahs made over his career, and continues to make, is not a degenerate gambler, at least not in my mind. When I think of a degenerate gambler, I think of someone foregoing paying their bills or providing for their family in order to continue to gamble. Someone making $65MM per year in endorsements does not fall into that category in my mind.
There’s always the possibility that Ippei lied to the bookie by falsely insinuating (or outright stating) he was placing the bets on Ohtani’s behalf.
It’s all certainly possible and I don’t have a position one way or the other, but It is hard to believe that no one else, including Shohei, ever saw his account or was ever suspicious of any activity. There is no indication that Ippei was attempting to cover his tracks. Especially when you’re talking about wire transfers and the amount of money involved.
I can definitely see that. You’d need to take the interpreter to the bank with you to communicate. And in translating the interpreter would learn all the numbers and identifying information.
That part makes perfect sense.
A bookie extending an interpreter that much credit and Ohtani’s financial team never realizing $4.5 million was gone….not so much.
I’ve had my credit card locked when I made a charge they thought was inconsistent and it wasn’t for a lot of money. I also occasionally get calls asking me if I made a specific purchase.
Same. The bank didn’t seem to think I would/could/should purchase $100+ fuel in Lake Havasu City, AZ at 5:30 AM and then again in Valencia, CA that same afternoon.
Definitely the question this all hinges on.
In my orbit nobody really thinks Ohtani was a degenerate doing the gambling. They think he covered Ippei’s losses and is now lying about that and participating in a cover-up his lawyers and possibly MLB’s and the Dodgers’ are all orchestrating to preserve the golden boy.
This is the most likely scenario, I think.
That’s cool, i’ve seen plenty of others convinced Shohei was paying off his own debts through Ippei, i’ve seen baseless claims that Shohei and Ippei are in a relationship and his new wife is a distraction from their relationship.
People are fucking crazy.
I can respect your stance though and if i’m wrong i’d believe that’s as bad as it gets.
Hopefully.
Bingo
The whole Ohtani situation feels like one where you have to be very carefully about bias.
Ohtani is still an Angel = Ippei is a thief.
Ohtani left the Angels = Ohtani secretly gambled on baseball and is using Ippei as a scapegoat.
Ohtani left the Angels = Ohtani, as a friend, reluctantly covered Ippei’s debts
I think even if Ohtani was still an Angel I would feel the same way.
I agree with Eric, I think Sho covered his buddy’s debts and is now backtracking. I don’t think the team he plays for has changed my opinion on that.
Same.
For sure gonna chant Free Ippei all the same though when he rolls through Anaheim.
LOL now I want Dodgers tickets just so I can make a sign
Oh, I wish I could attend with you so we could be masters of CtPG status-LOL
We need ideas to replace the many Shohei give away days.
Free Ippei T-shirt night
Kenny Rodgers concert night- plays The Gambler, over and over
Shohei playing poker cards. Shohei is on all the Aces. Pete Rose on the Kings, Arte Moreno the Jokers, Jack Mayfield on the Jacks.
For children under 12, The Little Bookie Starter Kit – 8.5 by 11 notepad, pen, play phone, nerf baseball bat – used to encourage on time payments
My favorite
Hot Dog Scented Candle Richmond Flying Squirrels, July 10
The Double-A affiliate of the Giants is breaking new ground by giving away hot dog scented candles, so that you can enjoy the musky, meaty aroma of the ballpark from the privacy of your home. The timing of this endeavor is not coincidental, as July 10 is — you guessed it — National Hot Dog Day.
You’re way too into this. 🙂
I blame Arte…again. This is what happens if my favorite MLB team wins 70’ish games every year.
Hot dog candles and lighting my farts on fire.
Hopefully it keeps you out of trouble.
Okay, I need a couple of these. I know some vegans that this would be perfect for!
No, I feel the same, Ippei was bailed out by a friend who didn’t realize he was breaking MLB rules by making a payment to an illegal bookie. Of course, why would Ippei tell Shohei he was worried about his safety if it was a legal bookmaker?
Inquiring minds want to know!
If Ohtani was a degenerate gambler, why would he only take $2M a year in salary, but not know $4.5M was missing?
right. The first story is better for Shohei, in my opinion. It’s been said the worst part is the coverup. How bad is it gonna be, if the first story is correct, when Shohei gets busted for lying to a federal investigator? I would say much worse than if he’d been unaware of the legal consequences of paying the debt.
I hope the first story is correct. I can easily forgive a guy for breaking a rule for the right reasons.
Perhaps Ippei convinced the bookie he was betting on behalf of Ohtani so the bookie gave him a large credit line. When the payments came from Ohtani’s account that only confirmed the bookie’s belief.
That still leaves Ohtani with an incompetent bookkeeper and accountant, though.
That’s certainly reasonable.
While seems reasonable, feels like a convenient alibi based on how it went down.
There are too many things that don’t add up even if you take Ohtani at his word.
Is nobody allowed to talk to Shohei?
No one is actually allowed to talk to Shohei.
including Shohei
Since they can’t find a record of Ippei at UCR, did any reporters try the next logical place, RCC?
I love how UCR didn’t say a word about his attendance at the school until the scandal came down.
along with proposed claims of employment with the Red Sox and Yankees
Props to Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott when someone asked about how soon the bridge could get repaired and back up. He said (Paraphrasing) we are trying to save people in the water, there’s plenty of time later to talk about a bridge being repaired. I hope that reporter got his/her ears flicked.
Bridge collapse in Baltimore is horrific. Not surprising it’s the Angels destination tomorrow.
https://www.the-sun.com/news/10887766/maryland-francis-scott-key-bridge-collapses/
Not surprising B-More is a sewer of a city-Remember during an O’s game there was a horrible shooting right outside the stadium? Remember the city was so Hell bent on self-destruction that the O’s played a game with no fans in attendance?
B-More and DC have a lot in common.
Umm – the bridge was hit by a ship causing it to collapse so I am not sure it had anything to do with Baltimore as a city. Maybe a rant about the captain of the ship would be more applicable.
Just icing on the decrepit cake.
BTW, I saw pics and that ship hit dead on a support pier, catastrophic navigational system failure or human failure?
Cripes!
Sounds like they lost power. Possibly sent out a mayday before they hit and that kept some cars off the bridge.
I hope the death total is lower than projected.
I’m sure the fact that is happened around 01:30 reduced the potential victim count.
They are too different issues. But the conditions that forced MLB to play a regular season game in front of No fans because of the surrounding community civil unrest still remain and do not seem to be improving anytime soon
Yes, this is the second time this ship has crashed into something.
How sad, night time as well. Pray for the missing.
Doomed cargo ship “Dali” was being piloted by a LOCAL crew who were trained to AVOID obstacles in the Baltimore port – as it is learned that the 100,000-ton vessel ‘lost control and propulsion’ moments before smashing into the bridge
As is typically the case with these types of events, the early reporting will prove to be incorrect and verified details will emerge in the coming days & weeks.
Nobody mentioned Detmers’ outing. It was very encouraging. Though it was not a “real” game it was about as close to regular season as you’re going to get — both teams had all their regulars and are/were clearly attempting to get into serious mode. We need big things out of Reid this year. We need efficiency and consistency. Hopefully he takes another step or two up in his progression this season.
Detmers was dealing and it definitely meant something as he wasn’t pitching against players like #98 from the Rancho Quakes. Gavin Stone is also no slouch, nothing cheap about the Halos defense, pitching or offense last night.
Well, the Angels really sucked last night!
Seriously though, nice game for the second to the last practice game before the season. O’Hoppe and Schanuel looking sharp.
Just saw a video of Pete Rose saying, “I wish I’d had an interpreter… I’d be Scott free.”
I don’t care what Rose has to say. He is a liar through and through.
It was obviously tongue in cheek Frosty. But it does remind you of the sliminess of this entire situation .
We may never know the truth as the power balance is strongly in Shohei’s favor. I will state again, I do not think at any time Shohei placed any bets, but I believe he may have tried to help a friend and inadvertently broke MLB rules.
History is written by the victors….and those with a bigger war chest.
Pete Rose and Eppei have the same haircut… coincidence?
It’s on the cart, it’s called the Mo-Gambler.
Haha, ya, Jimmy Kimmel pointed that out, too.
A couple of those haircut names are not PC.
The 4500 B.C. Civilization of the Fades, would be aghast
One of those should be re-named “The Rengifo”.
…and subsequently banned, along with bleached hair, by the Halos.
The Gaffo-Fade
LOL, no, second row, right hand edge.
Dammit. I was planning to get my chink fade later today….
It is my inherent duty to report you to the PC police….wait a sec, I am a boomer, never mind.
Trout should try the “4 a.m. fade.” Is that named after you’ve been up all night, with heavy pharmaceutical and/or alcohol influence leading you to believe this cut would be acceptable by family and you’re employment?
Oh yeah, it is for unemployed hipsters, sorry guys….
While not in the same crime class, Rose and OJ are in the same boat.
Yeah, the Hall of Fame boat
Hall of Shame.
I thought it interesting that there was no remorse in his statement. He just talked about how he could’ve gotten away with it.
He was my favorite player but I’ve never forgiven him.
If Shohei has stayed here though, it would be just MEDIA HYPE, right?
Why? Is that what dodger fans are saying?
The 5 Dodger fans I interact with daily say he’s guilty
Find 7 more for a jury.
Dodger fans fail jury duty selection at the felony conviction part.
In court, Dodger fans are defendants.
Rose has to face the fact that Giamatti took his chance at MLB career resurrection to his grave. It is sad such a prolific and iconic MLB player has reduced himself to such a low place in public opinion. BUT, he made choices….
I have always said, MLB will be hypocritical bastards when Rose dies as then they’ll regale him and laud his on-field legacy. The worst part is every few years Rose is granted a temporary waiver to participate in a MLB event.
Is he in or is he out?
The details with Pete Rose’s history are completely different. He regularly associated with scumbags and mobsters that he also placed baseball bets with. The lifetime ban was a plea bargain for Rose as MLB had no interest in revealing the ugly details despite holding more damning evidence.
Am I the only one who gets the feeling Wash is going to be tinkering with the order to try to get something going all the way to the trade deadline?
He said he specifically doesn’t want the lineup shifting a lot so that would be a bad sign if he was.
I don’t like the recent changes… Early on it looked like Ward would lead-off, or perhaps it would be alternated between a few options of LH vs RH batters based on matchups. Personally, I think it should be Schanuel.
But now we get Rendone ? Of all people you put the low-motivation, ingrate cancer at the top of the order ? Not a good idea.
I wonder if Rendon hitting leadoff is some sort of motivator. Like hey, we want you mentally engaged, the whole lineup counts on you getting us started.
Or just seeing if we can get a “Justin Upton spark” at leadoff. At least for a bit.
Would you prefer him to stay in the clean up slot? His only batting value has been getting on base. Once that is no longer happening, he becomes a liability in the line up.
He’s interesting leading off. I agree should not be hitting 3-4 or 5, at this time. Maybe if he stays healthy (I said Maybe), or if he gets back some ability to drive the ball, move him back down there. But we don’t have a stereotypical leadoff hitter, may as well give him a try. Does seem to get OB and smart running the bases.
Doesn’t work, throw more shit and see what, if anything sticks….its all part of the trAdition.
I would not be surprised to see Wash go either Hicks/Shanny, with Rendon 6th or 7th, or Rendon/Shanny, with Hicks 6th. They both work for different reasons.
To be honest, if he has to be in the lineup I would rather bat him 7th or 8th. But I understand because of the money he makes that isn’t going to happen… I know he does draw walks, but I still don’t like the idea of him hitting 1st. I’d rather have Schanuel there…
At least for now, Wash seems committed to hitting Shanny 2nd if he’s at the top.
It hurts a little to see Shohei playing on another team. Why Arte are you so much of a dummy? 😡
It doesn’t hurt as much as watching him walk out the door with his bookie and not getting jack shit in return . Especially after wstching Bobby Miller dominating the crsp out of us on Sunday nite.
So, guilty until proven innocent, right?
If it’s involving a Doyer? Yes…
why are you blaming Arte?
After the Dodgers offer and deal with Ohtani, Arte could have matched the offer (per Shohei) and turned it down sealing the deal the Dodgers had made with Shohei.
🤣🤣🤣🤣
And hamstrung the org for 20 more years
Possibly, but if the Dodgers still wanted Shohei maybe we’d of have something in return then. Over reaction on my part, again possibly, but I just always thought that the Dodgers would end up a Dodger I’m “Butt Hurt” I guess. besides I like mashing Arte once a week and at least I’m picking a an easy target that is hard to find someone who likes my target.
You’re right, we’ll win more games in the next ten years w/o Shohei……..HUH? What if Arte lives to 93, oh God help us all (Angels Fans this is).
again, so you think we should have spent $700 million to keep him?
When you weigh the plusses and minuses between the organizations, a similar offer would have failed for the Angels.
Arte himself said, with him having two sunk and underperforming $35M and $37M AAV contracts in Trout and Rendon, caused him to flinch and I don’t blame him for passing on Ohtani at that cost.
Which means the “trade him” camp was 100% correct.
In 2022, maybe the Angels could have made the Dodgers cough up Bobby Miller and Andy Pages and Sheehan. Ah well…f-it.
We would’ve rioted if Arte signed Sho-Pay for $700.
$700 seems like a fair and reasonable price….
Before or after Sho put it on a 3-team parlay?
Well said, Senator
C’mon people, if Arte would have shelled out $700MM for Ohtani, you know he then would have refused to pay out any more money to fill out any of our other needs at other positions… oh wait, that is what he is doing now anyway… d’oh!
You are correct if Arte paid for Ohtani and stopped. But if he paid for Ohtani and then paid to fill out the rest of the team, which of course is highly unlikely, we would have been happy.
Dude, read my response closely. I said $700, not $7,000; not $70,000; not $700,000; not $7,000,000; not $70,000,000; not $700,000,000.
While unlike most here at CtPG, I do not “Hate the Dodgers. But when the opportunity comes around that we can beat them it is really gratifying as they are natural across town rivals that are the Big Boy on the block. It is a huge plus when Detmers is pitching so well (Giving Shohei some chin music to boot 😋 ) O’Hoppe straight away to CF HR was an added bonus too.
Why is Sano taking up space on the roster? Strange watching Rendone batting leadoff, but the 2b was fun to watch.
Get it on tonight Angels and clobber those Bums.
I agree, I rib my Dodger fan friends (When I can), though of course they can clock me with comparative records, but I do not hate them. Once the O’Malleys sold them, they went on the decline.
The Blew Crew used to focus on not only good baseball players, but also decent human beings. Once the O’Malleys sold, jamokes like Milton Bradley, Manny Ramirez and several other headcases became distracting sideshows. Team rules were run over rough shod and it was only because they were winning.
The once great org in Chavez Latrine now has a win at all costs goal-That is always a bad course, regardless of the business that you run.
Remember Wall Street’s, “Greed is good.”
Isn’t the “Blew Crew” the very definition of the Angel glory years? “Division Champion”!!!!! One and out playoffs.
It’s always fun to beat the Dodgers, but even more fun to watch heads explode here over anything that happens up the 5 freeway. I was fortunate growing up, my dad and his brothers had season seats in LA and Anaheim so going to 120+ games every season was just the thing for a baseball crazy kid. Plus, my family roots are in LA, so I know evil old mean nasty Walter O’Malley (who forced kindly, gentle, old, clean, Gene Autry to pay rent) didn’t kick all those poor people out of Elysian Park and Chavez Ravine (Fletcher Bowron did in 1949 – long before the Dodgers were a gleam in Roz’ eye), in spite of revisionist attempts at history, and Angel apologists wanting it to be so.
I’ve been looking for an excuse to root for the dodgers. Can you go ahead and put all your theories into a fan post as to why the Dodgers are scott-free in this whole deal for us butthurt Angel fans – all the way back to the Elysian Park story and Gene Autry getting punked by O’Malley. I’m all ears.
The fights I saw in the stands from the opening of interleague play in 1997 year after year have led me more and more to despise the team, so don’t discount our experiences. But I’d be willing to hear yours. Again – I’m all ears.
I hope he adds the details on how they inject their players with a concoction of Scorpion Venom/Mule Testosterone/Umbilical Cord Blood from genetically modified super babies born in the basement of the Doyer Stadium Union 76 gas station. And tell us where the Money Printing Machine is?
“the basement of the Doyer Stadium Union 76 gas station.”
I partied with Wash & Hambone there once…what a night.
Nolan and O’Hoppe last night:
AND DETMER TOO! 😆