It seems like Spring Training arrives and ends earlier each year. Starting Sunday the Angels will be in Anaheim taking on their rivals from actual LA.
You can watch the Freeway Series games on the Angels new TV network. That is actually my best performing piece On SI with my bashing Arte a pretty close second place.
With game action so close it is time to predict who will be in the Opening Day lineup. I also took a stab at predicting the Angels rotation on Opening Day but it appears that Grayson Rodriguez is going to start the year on the IL.
Who could have seen that one coming?
One of the things I love about Spring Training is watching guys try new stuff. Several pitchers are throwing new pitches in Angels camp and some are getting good results. Mike Maddux might be working some magic here.
Ryan Johnson is one of those pitchers who is looking good in camp and he’s throwing an improved pitch. Check this out.
Sam Aldegheri made quite a case for himself to be in the Opening Day rotation when he shut out Brazil in the World Baseball Classic. Sam is throwing a new change up and has a former Angel teammate to thank for that pitch.
Grayson Rodriguez is not the only Angel pitcher who is predictably injured. Robert Stephenson is out for the year. Again. Here’s what his injury means for the Angels bullpen.
At this point I think Perry will have to look for a waiver claim or a couple of arms to get squeezed off better rosters. I looked at three realistic possibilities and we should all keep an eye on the roster bubbles of the other 29 clubs. Well, at least about 26 of them.
Meanwhile, the Angels are whittling down their roster.
The fact Angels fans were hoping Moore could be a starter less than two years removed from college is kind of crazy. Moore isn’t ready for MLB and that’s fine. He never should have been there and would not have been in a well run organization.
In a well run organization Moore would have spent last year at High A then AA and probably played in yesterday’s Spring Breakout game. Looking at the Angels roster tells you a lot about the direction of the team. Warning, there’s quite a bit of hopium in that piece.
The biggest news in baseball this week was Team Venezuela winning the World Baseball Classic. I absolutely love this tournament and think it is great for the game. Hats off to Venezuela for knocking off the 1 and 2 seeds in the tournament. Beating both us and Japan is incredible.
Take a look at how the Venezuelan fans reacted. This is what a global game and tournament looks like.
I hope everybody welcomes new writer Tracy O onboard. He’s an Alabama native who worked for the radio station that broadcasts Trash Pandas games and can give us an up close perspective nobody else can provide. Once the AA season starts he will have a weekly column on the Pandas and drop big news as it happens. He’s a passionate Angels fan who will also cover some post game write ups.
Lockers are getting cleaned out and the big names are heading home. The regular season is just about to start.
Enjoy your weekend and link what I missed. I’m going to do some really hard hitting journalism and do a food tasting at the Big A. I’ll be trying the new stuff as well as sampling items from the Diamond Club and Club levels. Truly the height of sports media coverage. At this stage, I’m taking whatever credentials I can get and making sure I say hi to the lady who approves them every time.
