Eh? It be Canada Day today! So be nice to the Canadians in your life and have some links!
Angels News
The Angels had their winning streak snapped in a close 7-6 loss vs Detroit. But hey, 6 in a row, that’s something.
What was more important was that Taylor Ward was not seriously injured after getting hit in the head with a fastball. Again. This is what helmets are for. Very scary though.
Happy thoughts, the Angels have won back to back series, and have not lost a series since facing the Brewers on the 17-19. And that also means that this team went 15-11 in June, a .577 winning percentage, which is tied for the 9th best month by the Angels since 2014. If we exclude 2015, since the team actually did well that year, it is tied for 6th best. Exclude 2015, it is tied for 4th best. 3rd best since 2018.
Neto has shown amazing power at SS. He is already tied for 8th for most home runs by a SS in a season in Angels history. Considering we are roughly halfway through the season, it means he is on pace to tie Jim Fregosi’s 22 in 1970.
What about Mike Trout? He is finally free of pain and is looking at coming back sometime in late July. Yay! Let us hope this means no more setbacks.
Around Baseball
New Home Run Derby Rules. No first round bracket, just top 4 advance. Timer and pitch number is limited, but then you get extra swings if you hit them really far. Which means EACH ROUND HAS DIFFERENT RULES.
Mariners had to have their pitcher hit. No, not a 2 way player or anything, just a pitcher hitting because they ran out of players due to injuries. But hey, they have the worst batting average in Baseball right now, which is so bad that, if they keep it up, would be THE WORST in modern Baseball history.
The AL West is the only division without a team with 50 wins. Which, at the end of June, wouldn’t be weird, since this is only the 2nd time that 5 Division leaders have 50 wins by the end of June since 1993. (when we went from 4 to 6 divisions)
Speaking of the AL West, it is time to panic, as the Trashos have a winning record for the first time this season.
The Twins now have 5,000 wins in their history. (Since becoming the Twins in 1961) The Angels have 4993, for comparison.
Is the ball juiced? Maybe on the east coast, as the O’s have hit 60 home runs in June, only the 3rd tie has ever hot 60 in a month before.
The Phillies have their lineup crippled right now with Shwarber and Harper getting hurt. If they can’t make the All Star Game, that leaves stuff open for others…
Oh yeah, VOTE FOR THE ALL STAR GAME! (But no Angel was a finalist) THEN VOTE FOR THE LEAST BAD ONES!
What teams are clutch? Not the Angels. Here is a chart of what teams do better with RISP.
Anything I missed? Post below for upvotes!
Probably not the hustle needed if your hitting below the Mendoza line. I’ve been a Moniak fan, this just sunk him way down my list. Ridiculous. https://x.com/LAATweeter/status/1807523236999205142
Ward no help either. This is pathetic. The fish rots from the head.
Honestly, they should both sit the next game and be told they’re gone the next time it happens.
YEAH! YOU TELL EM STEVE DAVE!
Silent Bob, you are not.
Same here and I concur.
Question: Is Jo Adell worth a 4th OF spot in 2025 based on speed, power & defensive flexibility even if he’s only a .190-.210 hitter when it’s all said & done?
Yes because he’s cheap and we’re not winning anything in 25 anyway.
Yeah, I probably agree with this.
If he plays defense and hits 20 HR with a .200 ave…. yup
Instead of actually covering the Angels with a beat reporter, the LA Times waste a bunch of paper and ink writing a timeline about Tyler Skaggs last night on earth. Thanks for beating a dead horse, further tarnishing his legacy, and stomping his family’s pain. No coverage is way better than this trash.
I saw that and agreed it was a worthless article. However, It was probably the most coverage the Slimes has given the Halos all season long.
Local radio and SoCal News coverage is awful too, and I get why… Kurt Sandoval local ABC news covered the Angel highlights yesterday. First and understood, they covered Doyers loss, but then went to the Padre – Red Sox’s game. Finally and quickly did the Angel highlights in a demeaning fashion. Mentioned they won Saturday night after being down 5-0 (not true, had a 2-1 lead early) and called out Schanuel (Skah-nell) or something like that, for K’ing to end the game… You’d think he’d at least know who in the F is the starting 1st baseman that’s in your direct market…..if your only job is to cover local sports.
HMMM…fake news is everywhere,
KABC sports coverage must be having AI do all their copywriting now.
I saw his report and had a minor fucking fit when he mispronounced his name. JFC it’s your job, and the next sports report he didn’t even mention Skanell’s name.
I happen to loaf Nelson Skanell.
I’m amused that you call it the Slimes. In my town we call our paper the Boregonian…some say the Snore-egonian
I no longer care when Trout comes back. He says sometime in July, I guess we’ll see him July 31.
I guess we’ll see him
July 31August 10And when will he return to the IL. Inquiring mind like Brandon Drury and Tony RenDone want to know. Let’s keep going with the kids.
The Muffin Man showed up yesterday.
Going forward, meaning forever, Art, PTP, Wash and CTPG guy should not make decisions with Trout in mind. Assume he will not be healthy enough to be counted on. His ability to be unavailable matches his ability be an elite threat in the batter’s box when healthy enough to play. Getting to the point where his inactivity on the last 4 years has caused permanent rust. If we have him great, if we don’t, defer to plan A, which is don’t count on Trout.
Yes, at this point he’s just another guy. I can’t believe I’m thinking and saying this, but facts are facts.
Stuck with him, for better or worse. We’ll squeeze out some hot stretches (old timey Trout production), probably not often or prolonged.
But he’s our Trout…unless we find a sucker to eat a lot of his salary in a trade. And why would anyone do that.
I no longer care nor do I want Trout to come back this year.
I do since hes under contract for SIX MORE YEARS and unfortunately, Jockey Mondell are actually regressing at the plate not improving.
Time reference for SIX MORE YEARS…….
So, the 2024 Presidential Elections. Then the 2028 Presidential Elections……and then half way to the 2032 Presidential Elections. Wow, that seems like forever. That’s too long for a contract, and too much money.
-Albert Pujols
Man. Democracy will face existential threats TWICE by then and be in the middle of totally getting threated again by the time Trout trots. By the time his contract ends I probably won’t care because people with armbands will likely have gathered me into a camp where I can finally afford the rent while I make hi end processors for bigger AI brains for the machines that then encourage me to see that everything is great.
Though, by then, I do believe the BIG A is supposed to have melted or slid under the waves…..
Because Arte.
But will we finally have a real third basemen?
But….can AI pitch?
It’s sad that we’ve reached this point this early in the story arc.
It was always going to be a bad deal on the backend of the contract but, it was reasonable to expect a good return on 6-7 years. Unfortunately, it went south immediately.
I just want to see him have one more healthy & productive season before he hangs it up.
Watching him go out with a whimper of extended IL stints and rather lengthy slumps when he’s actually playing is a bummer.
I haven’t thought about Keston Hiura in a long time… but statistically, he’s fascinating. And look what he’s doing in Salt Lake. Can we fix him? https://www.milb.com/player/keston-hiura-669374?stats=career-r-hitting-minors&year=2024
He does have a career OPS of .771 but I hope you don’t mind the strikeout since Keston’s career whiff percentage per PA is 36%
His defense at second looks adequate. I’m sure Wash can make it even better. Here’s all 9 plays he made yesterday including an error on a DP turn. . https://x.com/BeyondTheHalo/status/1807610991477477781
Maybe Drury’s replacement, assuming he’ll be traded?
……..if he is healthy enough to be traded.
Defense good enough, some defensive flexibility, and some pop. Sounds like Drury to me….but cheaper and possibly more upside.
I doubt he has any trade value and Huira probably has an out clause in his minor league deal so I had to FIFY
Yeah, the strikeouts and the power are both off-the-charts. If he walked more, he’d be a true-outcome wet dream. But looking at past seasons… if he can keep his strikeout rate around 30%, he can be really effective. Look at those rookie stats from 2019. He was a superstar in the making at one point. And he’s hitting a bomb every five ABs in SL right now.
UC Irvine guy. Maybe playing close to home will rehabilitate him.
if you look at his career splits Heston has a severe reverse platoon split as a RHB (.253/.332/.508) so he is even better against RHP’s but horrible against LHP’s (.203/.283/.323) but I would think you could easily platoon him with a RHB who destroys left-handers.
So, you may be wondering why I did today’s links. It is because this week is very busy for me and I won’t be able to do almost anything on the site. My brother is getting married on Saturday, and I need to be available for all the wedding prep as a groomsman.
Alright, behave yourselves, and see you on Sunday.
Enjoy yourself
Enjoy!
Congrats!
Oh, and..
Oh, golly gee whiz, Dad! Do we have to?
Congrats, and don’t get too psycho with last minute stuff and errands you get sent on!
Don’t care. Serve my desires.
Happy Canada Day? More like it’s Happy Bobby Bonilla million dollar deferred payment day!
Just don’t be a hoser, eh?
‘Mericas Hat. Home of the Milk Bladder, Syrup, and Canadian Bacon.
In America, we have our milk delivered in glass bottles by nice men wearing a white uniform. He would frequently come in the house and help my mom while my dad was at work. And I went outside to play in the street.
Oh, and I can’t wait for the Doyers’ annual “Shohei Ohtani Day”. Kind of makes Bonilla look like a piker, eh?
Ippei should make parole by then. I wonder if Ohtani will let him handle those checks too.
Pretty sure Ippei will get a big check for falling on his sword…PAYDAY!!!
An off day in Oakland…oh boy.
Hey, Oakland is not that…..I can’t do it…….