June 2007 Archives

Despite a 1.87 ERA in nearly 40 outings this season, reliever Scot Shields would seem to be a long shot to make the AL All-Star team. That still has not prevented Shields from protecting his chances of earning his first All-Star nod. Shields refuses to talk about anything All-Star related out of fear it might jinx his chances.

The last two years, Shields looked like he was potentially All-Star worthy. And in both years, a reporter asked him about making his first All-Star squad. On that same day in both years, Shields had an incredibly brutal outing that led to a defeat. So now, Shields quickly deflects any All-Star talk. He figures it not only will help his chances of going to San Francisco on July 10, it also will help prevent another defeat for his team. Talk about the lengths some guys will go to.

Nick Gorneault was recalled today to take Shea Hillenbrand's spot on the roster. Hillenbrand was designated for assignment Thursday and the Angels have eight more days to trade him or release him outrigh. Gorneault was batting just .220 at Triple-A Salt Lake but did have 10 home runs and 29 RBI in 78 games. He also had 11 steals.

The Angels' road trip from Baltimore to Texas to New York that begins Friday will log the team 8,385 air miles. Had the schedule required the Angels to go to Texas first then Baltimore and New York it would have been 2,598 miles less, or five hours less flying.
And to think, this isn't manager Mike Scioscia's biggest gripe with the schedule. Scioscia doesn't like that the Angels will be playing out-of-division opponents as late as a week and a half before the season ends.

Knowing how legends can grow, Reggie Willits took some time to clear up one particular matter. It seems like the story about how he ended up as No. 77 is taking on a life of its own. In a recent sidebar in ESPN's magazine, Willits was praised for his rookie success. But the story happened to mention how Willits wears No. 77 as a tribute to Mickey Mantle, who wore No. 7 with the Yankees. That would be incorrect. Willits actually wears his number because it is double the number Kenny Lofton wore when Lofton was setting himself apart as the ideal leadoff man years ago with the Cleveland Indians. Willits was growing up when Lofton was running wild with the Indians and Willits patterned his early game after Lofton.

Willits doesn't blame the guy at ESPN. He probably got the Mantle story from another publication that made the leap on its own in a previous article. Willits said he knows how it must have happened. Mantle was a native of Oklahoma and was offered a football scholarship by the University of Oklahoma (he signed with the Yankees instead). Willits also was born and raised in Oklahoma and actually did become a Sooner where he played baseball.

As for the Mantle story, it never really did bother Willits. "He was a great player too," Willits said. He just figured he would set the record straight.

For an entertaining read on what Willits' success has meant to the Angels, see the feature story from the L.A. Newspaper Group's Paul Oberjuerge titled "Big little Angel."

Angels pitchers are 2-for-12 in interleague play with three more games this weekend against the Dodgers. Ervin Santana, Jered Weaver and Kelvim Escobar will each get in a couple of hacks, that is if they aren't driven from the games early.

While pitchers' hits are always hard to come by, Escobar has a conspiracy theory as to why it might be even harder. Scot Shields said pitchers are each sent three bats every year by the bat companies, but Escobar doesn't use his.

"I don't think they send good wood to the pitchers," said Escobar, who has one of the two hits.

News of the Giants using infielder Pedro Feliz at catcher last week got the old brain waves to finally stir. Who would be the Angels third catcher in case of emergency? Manager Mike Scioscia has been asked that question more than a few times in the past few years and has failed to answer it directly. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it is basically Scioscia's response. It should come as no surprise that Robb Quinlan is open to donning the gear and playing catcher for a short stretch if necessary.

"I caught in high school a little bit, middle school, junior high school," said Quinlan, a native of Minnesota. "I've been out there a few times to warm up a pitcher when the catcher is putting his stuff on. I'm fine with it. Hopefully it doesn't come to it."

Note that current Angels catcher Mike Napoli was listening to Quinlan's takes on being a catcher. So whose equipment would Quinlan borrow to get behind the plate?

"Probably Napoli's stuff," Quinlan said. "It will be a little big on me in the gut area but other than that ..."

No way Quinlan was getting away with that one.

"You have a bigger gut on you than I do guy," Napoli fired back.

Quinlan relented and gave his teammate a little credit.

"Obviously it's the toughest position in the game to play so it won't be easy," Quinlan said.

Cincinnati's Great American Ballpark is known as a launching pad and the table could be set for some long balls tonight when the Reds play host to the Angels in an interleague matchup. The Reds' 1-0 victory in 12 innings on Sunday was just the 29th game without a home run in the 356-game history of the ballpark along the Ohio River. In addition to that, there has been just one occasion when there were two consecutive games without a home run (Aug 6-7, 2005, against the Florida Marlins). There have been 922 home runs hit at the Reds' park in its four-year history. The only other park to allow more over that same time span is the White Sox's U.S. Cellular Field which has seen 955 home runs.

So what team will go deep tonight? Reds starter Bronson Arroyo has given up just six home runs this season, but five have come in his last four starts, with two coming in his last outing. Angels starter Kelvim Escobar has given up just three home runs and just one in his last seven starts. Looks like a long ball night is approaching for the Angels.

UPDATE: Casey Kotchman and Gary Matthews Jr. both went deep while the Reds had no home runs Tuesday. In the end, the Reds got the last laugh with a 5-3 victory.

Angels pitchers had plenty to say in the locker room after Ervin Santana's start on Saturday. It wasn't that Santana picked up his first road victory that had everybody so talkative. The fact that he had a two-run double had the room buzzing.

"You might be the DH when we get back home," Scot Shields said across the room.

"Batting champion," Jered Weaver said while walking past Santana as he was answering postgame questions.

Santana's double was big news among the pitchers. The starters typically have a friendly wager on who will deliver with the bat in interleague play. As of now, Santana is in front by a comfortable margin. Weaver gets his chance to catch up on Sunday.

Ervin Santana's road woes definitely are on his mind. How could they not be? Santana is winless on the road this year with an ERA nearly at 10.00. Asked Friday if he wanted to talk about his start today, Santana declined. Typically the young right-hander is approachable and friendly. Maybe he was putting on his game face a day early. We will find out how intense he is in a few hours when he takes on the St. Louis Cardinals.

"I don't want to talk about any of that," Santana said Friday. "Tomorrow."

The Ducks are getting ready to celebrate their first Stanley Cup title and being neighbors, of course the Angels will play a role. Indications are that the Ducks' championship parade will be a short one. It is likely that it will just travel the short course from the back parking lot of Angel Stadium, north on S. Douglass Rd., over Katella Ave. and into the Honda Center parking lot. The Ducks likely will use the Angel Stadium parking lot as a staging area of sorts. The Ducks' championship rally will take place in the Honda Center parking lot. As of now, there are no plans for the Ducks to have a celebration on Disneyland's Main St., like the Angels did in 2002. In no way are these plans official so keep checking www.nhl.com for more information.

The Angels' first selection in Thursday's free-agent draft will be at No 58 overall. The Angels lost their first-round pick when they signed free-agent Gary Matthews Jr. this offseason, but get a sandwich pick (a pick between the first and second rounds) at No. 58 after the St. Louis Cardinals signed Adam Kennedy.
The draft will be televised for the first time on ESPN2 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Although this story appeared in various lengths in L.A. Newspaper Group print editions, here is the full text on what Gary Matthews Jr. had to say Saturday about what he went through this spring when his name was brought up in assoitation with a steriods ring:

By Doug Padilla
Staff Writer

ANAHEIM – Silent on the subject since March, Gary Matthews Jr. gave some insight Saturday into his trying spring training when his name surfaced in an alleged connection with a steroids distribution network.
“I had so much support from friends and family,” Matthews said. “We didn't even talk about it. It was just business as usual. My brothers came out (to Arizona), my dad came out. From the outside looking in it looks like there were all these challenges. But I was just being honest when I sat down and told you guys when I signed my contract that this is just my job. This is just one part of my life.
“I really approached it sort of methodical. I have a routine and go through different checkpoints so it always seems normal for me. I go through my routine and don't switch it up very much and I don't get concerned with outside affairs. I go and do what I do. There are only certain things I could control.”
Those things, for the most part, centered around his preparation and his play on the field. To that extent, Matthews has emerged just fine. Entering Saturday, Matthews had 23 RBIs in his last 23 games, providing more that adequate coverage in the cleanup spot in Garret Anderson's absence. It is the first time Matthews has batted cleanup in his career.
At the start of Saturday's game, Matthews was batting .286 with seven home runs and 33 RBI. Then there has been his solid defense in center, one of the major reasons the Angels signed the 32-year-old for five years, $50 million.
That contract earned general manager Bill Stoneman sharp criticism in newspapers and on websites, with many calling the Angels' offseason the worst in baseball. It also earned sharp criticism from many Angels fans not convinced that Mathews' one solid season (2006) was worth such a commitment.
When the news broke connecting Matthews with an alleged purchase of a synthetic growth hormone, it only fueled more criticism. Matthews immediately took a “no comment” stance, but that only angered owner Arte Moreno, who wanted his newest player to address the subject with Angels fans.
All of that and Matthews hadn't even played a game with the Angels yet. Matthews' situation appeared to be getting more complicated by the day. But he stuck to his routine, kept his head down and vowed to have a solid season.
“I honestly didn't read anything and I didn't watch TV aside from sitting in a restaurant a couple of times,” Matthews said. “We were at Cheesecake Factory sitting with my brother and some friends. Your name flashes up on the screen and you see your face up there. People at the bar are doing double takes.
“It's sort of like the pink elephant sitting in the corner that nobody wants to talk about. But aside from that it was really normal.”
From the beginning, Matthews was never in danger of legal repercussions even if he was connected to the situation. Prosecutors said they were only after the suppliers. Matthews eventually went on the record denying his involvement, giving Moreno the statement he was looking for. After that, the buzz slowly faded.
“Nobody has said a word,” Matthews said. “The commissioners office never said a word. MLB never said a word. I didn't discuss it.”
In a sign of how far things have come in three months, Matthews' chief concern these days centers around manager Mike Scioscia's decision on what to do with the cleanup spot when Anderson comes off the disabled list. When Anderson returns from the disabled list today, Matthews will indeed be batting cleanup.
“It would be nice to find one spot and sort of settle in instead of move around,” Matthews said. “But I understand. This is Mike's team and he will do what he feels is best for this team to have an opportunity to win.
“I'd like to maybe stay here for a while. I'd like to just stay in one spot. I've gotten accustomed to hitting (cleanup) and it's challenging.”

Gary Matthews Jr. claimed to have no venom during his key at-bat in Thursday night's game when he drove in the tying and go-ahead runs with a single. His two RBI were the difference in a 3-2 Angels victory. Even though the Orioles walked Vladimir Guerrero to get to Matthews, the Angels center fielder said he understood. If he was a manager, Matthews said he would have walked Guerrero too. He claimed to not take things personally.

But somebody out there noticed that Matthews did, in fact, have an edge about him during his game-winning at-bat. A television viewer on the East Coast called to tell Matthews that he saw things differently.

"My dad, I guess, was watching the game on TV and he said, 'The intensity you had on your fourth at-bat, that's what you need to come with for all four at-bats. You didn't wake up until you got pissed off,' " Matthews said of the conversation he had with his father, former major leaguer Gary Matthews. "I'd like to think I brought the same intensity for all four at-bats, but my dad said he thinks he saw something different with the body language and my concentration level. He's right.

"The cleanup spot is challenging and you really have to take the emotion out of it. There are going to be some ups and downs but it seems like every single at-bat is crucial. It seems like you have at least two at-bats every game where you have a chance to put us up by a run or maybe put the game away or out of reach. I want that challenge, I do."