Santana not talking

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.”

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Angels' role in Ducks' party

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.

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Angels to select at No. 58

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.

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Matthews breaks his silence

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.

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