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LA Angels Thursday News Crash: Classic!

March 6, 2025

Germany and Brazil play today for the final spot in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Nicaragua, Chinese Taipei, and Colombia are already in.

Gratuitous Trout Bomb

Torii Hunter is in camp mentoring Mike Trout about playing right field. Hunter says he is interested in managing at the Major League level.

One From Mickey Moniak

Jose Iglesias just got a minor league deal with the Padres. Gunnar Henderson has a mild right intercostal strain. The Orioles are hoping he will be OK by opening day. The Athletics shut down lefty Brady Basso due to a shoulder strain. There is no timetable for his return. Adolis Garcia has a mild boo boo in one of his obliques. The Rangers think he will be fine for opening day.

Rafael Devers further makes his case that he won’t budge from third base by telling Alex Cora that he’s not yet ready to play in general. Good plan!

Photo credit: Rex Fregosi

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Super Member

PedroCerrano

13 days ago

Is it just the eternal hope that comes with spring or does MNT’s swing look shorter and better? I have thought that he and his swing both got too big over the last several years.

Super Member

Pineapple12

13 days ago

Reply to PedroCerrano

1000%. Looks vintage 2014-16

Super Member

PedroCerrano

13 days ago

Reply to Pineapple12

I hope it sticks. Every spring you see 90% pull hitters reinvent themselves into guys that use the whole field only to regress to their bad habits as soon as the lights go on.

Legend

gitchogritchoffmypettis

13 days ago

NOT TRYING TO BE POLITICAL! Not even sure this is all that political….

But having known a few guys from Taiwan, who do you think mandated that the team from there be called Chinese Taipei instead of just Taiwan? Was it the big pile of people trying to NOT be lumped in with China or was it the gloppy profit machine that would really really like to keep a couple billion consumers, or at least the government that controls their viewing pleasure, happy?

“Hey Guys, welcome to the WBC. Bringing America’s game to the world! Celebrating freedom and shit! Now put on that uniform with a country name on it you find insulting so we can keep your oppressors happy. Cause America and baseball are all about taking that shit. Go get em boys! Baseball!”

I kinda hope they kick everyone’s ass till they lose to us.

God I feel lucky to be born in America sometimes. It’s gotta suck being from a place where the way everyone else handles your country is mitigated by their need to keep the country that wants to take you over happy. Canons. Eagles. Beef. Baseball. America. F Yeah.

Rafael Devers. At least he’s not a truly evil asshole like Rendon. If he really wanted to sell the lie he’d get some fun surgery. Then do a few months of rehab. You know, really try and fool Cora and the fans. Show everyone you’d rather deal with a bunch of pain and work than play the game you hate. Devers is further evidence of my totally baseless scientific theory that if you are born with a stupid looking face that you are far more likely to in fact be stupid. The Willie Fraser Effect.

I feel so certain this team is gonna really suck, especially after they trade some guys, that they will probably make the playoffs because I am always wrong.

Once I got the poisonous hatred of losing anything to the Doyers out of my head by watching the episode of Game of Thrones where Joffrey dies I realized I’m not as down on Detmers/Silseth as a I thought. I often forget that that 2nd or 3rd appearance in ST is generally the one where I wonder if even proven pitchers are broken. Gotta wait till the end of the month and see what the pitching pile looks like….

Super Member

RexFregosi

13 days ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

you’ve come to the right place to figure out aa correct geographic description of an athletic team.

Chinese Taipei of Taiwan

Legend

gitchogritchoffmypettis

13 days ago

Reply to RexFregosi

Perfect. They’ll love it AND it smooshes them into a real market!

Legend

Twebur

13 days ago

Reply to RexFregosi

I hear LeBron has part ownership…..

Legend

gitchogritchoffmypettis

13 days ago

Reply to Twebur

LeBron. The perfect Laker. Loves him so moosh.

Super Member

Angelz4ever

13 days ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

A lot of vomit just came up….

Trusted Member

Mikeal1st

13 days ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

Had to stop watching the Lakers when Lebron came. Can’t say I miss them but I’m looking forward to caring again when he’s gone.

Super Member

Angelz4ever

13 days ago

Reply to Mikeal1st

I have never felt that professional athletes should have no power, but when the tail wags the dog, that’s no way to run a franchise.

Trusted Member

CAoldskoll

13 days ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

Lakers! Sounds like you were a Smuuush Parker fan! Remember him, Kobe’s buddy.

Super Member

Angelz4ever

13 days ago

Reply to Twebur

No, Lebron owns the children who make the shoes and uniforms-There’s a difference!

Super Member

RexFregosi

13 days ago

just caught up with the WBC tournament. I laughed at how far China was behind other countries – they are happy just to have avoided being shut out for three games.

my laughter stopped when I realized the Angels in MLB are like China in WBC. 😑

Trusted Member

Mikeal1st

13 days ago

Reply to RexFregosi

At first I thought, “Not even close” the I thought about how the White Sox swept the Angels near the end of the year and I thought I was glad we didn’t have the worst record in baseball.

Trusted Member

Mikeal1st

13 days ago

Reply to Mikeal1st

*I hate it when I refer to the Angels as “we” still.

Super Member

Angelz4ever

13 days ago

Reply to Mikeal1st

Admittedly, the Halos at that point in the season had quite a few non-MLB active roster players (Or ill-advised, but necessary call-ups) at that point.

Last edited 13 days ago by Angelz4ever

Trusted Member

Mikeal1st

13 days ago

Reply to Angelz4ever

Fair enough. Then again, it would be nice if ~~our~~ their team had prospects good enough to not be swept by an historically bad team. I think I remember figuring out the we they were responsible for 20% of the White Sox victories.

Super Member

Angelz4ever

13 days ago

Reply to Mikeal1st

It is safe to say that we aren’t the only Halo fans embarrassed by the ChiSox running the table late in the season.

Legend

Eric_in_Portland

13 days ago

Reply to Angelz4ever

that was the lowlight of 2024

Legend

gitchogritchoffmypettis

13 days ago

Reply to Angelz4ever

I actually didn’t care. But that’s because, as has been noted, I apparently don’t really care about the Angels or winning.

But it was a bad team, limping into the end of a bad season, with a whole bunch of their best players hurt. The team we put up the last couple weeks especially was just gassed trash. While the White Sox were desperately trying to NOT be the worst ever by more than they had to.

I wasn’t shocked when they beat us at all. And yes, I know that RealManofBaseball is gonna be like “Hurr Durr even the scabs of what’s left of a bad team should have enough pride to beat the White Sox even if it is the end of a soul crushing season burr blah blah pride and professionalism, blurp blop we have a right bleep bloop back in my day snow and bears and Nolan Ryan, poop slip….”

But nope. The reality was we could totally lose to that team in that situation and it just is what it is. Not anything especially ass rashing.

Legend

Cowboy26

13 days ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

Hey if it helped us get the no. 2 pick I n the upcoming draft I think it was actually a good thing.

Super Member

Pineapple12

13 days ago

Opening Day is so close, yet it feels so far away. 3 more weeks!!!

Legend

Twebur

13 days ago

Reply to Pineapple12

Is a mid season Spring Training refueling needed for this team? Seem to be low energy, low on grit

https://x.com/Rainmaker1973/status/1897712893338230969

Super Member

RexFregosi

13 days ago

Reply to Twebur

smoke break

Legend

gitchogritchoffmypettis

13 days ago

Reply to Twebur

Gawd. Those Warthogs…. old as dirt and the entire military loves them. Won’t get rid of them cause they are perfect for the job they do. Friggin air to ground killing machines. More than a couple infantry guys have told me they’re so damn loud you can hear them coming in a fire fight and the enemy starts packing up cause there’s literally no cover safe from those things other than a cave. If it aint broke don’t fix it. Ugliest jet ever.

Author

Super Member

Charles Sutton

13 days ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

Gatling cannon with wings installed.

Legend

gitchogritchoffmypettis

13 days ago

Reply to Charles Sutton

1st pass, shred everything that isn’t six feet thick with the cannon. Two sharp ass turns. Loop back. Bomp what ever was more than six feet thick. Fly home. Beef.

Legend

GrandpaBaseball

13 days ago

First cut is the deepest, but some folks have got to go. But the fun is in the return.

Legend

GrandpaBaseball

13 days ago

Make Mikey lean 1b and then hear “Mikey likes it”. Just a thought.

Super Member

Pineapple12

13 days ago

Reply to GrandpaBaseball

I respect your commitment to this bit. It’s not happening tho

Legend

Fansince1971

13 days ago

Reply to Pineapple12

Yep. Moving from CF to RF is the only move we will see in his career.

Legend

gitchogritchoffmypettis

13 days ago

Reply to GrandpaBaseball

You can keep asking for it if you want but it isn’t gonna happen. Like me and gymnastics.

Trusted Member

Mikeal1st

13 days ago

Reply to GrandpaBaseball

Makes sense.

Legend

GrandpaBaseball

13 days ago

Devers working hard to retain 3b while showing he is a team player. eeeeek, he’s got an iron glove to boot.

Super Member

Angelz4ever

13 days ago

Reply to GrandpaBaseball

What’s worse is a lot of his misplays are scored as hits. I saw an Olay double down the line that the scorer called a double. If you can’t even get to the ball, failing to field it (I guess) means it’s a hit?

Super Member

PedroCerrano

13 days ago

Reply to Angelz4ever

That guy is the worst kind of team chemistry cancer. He will either figure it out or be out is my guess.

Super Member

Angelz4ever

13 days ago

Reply to PedroCerrano

Sometimes the market for headcase players just astounds me. Then the acquiring team is surprised they are toxic.

Legend

GrandpaBaseball

13 days ago

Make just retired Moose a coach in Anaheim.

Trusted Member

SchofieldsWalkoff

13 days ago

Reply to GrandpaBaseball

Why?

Super Member

Angelz4ever

13 days ago

Reply to SchofieldsWalkoff

Coolest nickname-What else do you need?

Legend

gitchogritchoffmypettis

13 days ago

Reply to Angelz4ever

Grit? He’s from Chatsworth? He has stubble? He’ll take all those soft players and pump them full of manliness? He’ll yell at a player I don’t like on our team? He’ll maybe yell at a player I don’t like on another team?

I have zero clue what the reasons for “Angels should bring in such and such scowling white man” suggestions are based on.

I think the grit pump got stored away after Nevin. Remember him? How he yelled at players we don’t like and also his own team in New York? RealMenOfBaseball had a total chubby for him around here, he was what these soft and listless Halos needed…. till we got a good dose of him as manager.

No one ever asked things like “Did any of his shit do anything good in New York?” or “Why isn’t he still with the Yankees if he’s a magic bad ass?” Well, we know now.

Super Member

Angelz4ever

13 days ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

Moustakas, day one as a coach, “I am here to do two things, chew bubble gum and kick a$$, and I’m all out of a$$….wait a sec….hold on.”

Trusted Member

SchofieldsWalkoff

13 days ago

Reply to Angelz4ever

Skill & ability to observe, analyze and convey information in a digestible form.

Super Member

Angelz4ever

13 days ago

Reply to SchofieldsWalkoff

Well, if your team is into that sort of thing……

Legend

Cowboy26

13 days ago

Reply to GrandpaBaseball

The first time I saw Moustakis play is when he manned third base for Team USA in the 2010 Futures All Star game at the big A. This was game where Hank Conger was the MVP and a 18 year old Mike Trout had a 2 hits while mesmerizing everyone with his in the stadium and on the field with his talents.

Moose’ retirement makes you think about how fleeting a major leaguer’s career is and a sober reminder that there is probably only a sort period time left to see Mike Trout play even if he can stay healthy.