March 2008 Archives

With the Angels set to open the season Monday at Minnesota, here are a few things to consider, with all facts compliments of the team's PR departmant.

ABOUT OPENING DAY: Angels open their 48th campaign vs. the Minnesota Twins at the Metrodome...It will mark just the fifth time in the last 17 seasons opening on the road for the Halos...Angels have won last four Opening Day games...Club last played Twins on Opening Day in 1994 (8-2 win at Metrodome) and square off against Minnesota to open season for third time overall ('85 &'94)...Angels are 25-22, 15-14 at home and 10-8 on road all-time on Opening Day.

MARCH SADNESS: Tonight the Angels play their third ever regular season game in March...Angels opened the season on March 30, 2003 at Texas (3-6 loss) and March 31, 2002 vs. Cleveland (0-6 loss). VS. TWINS: Halos have a four-game win streak vs. Twins...Angels have won last five season series vs. Twins...Angels claimed 2007 season series 6-3, winning five of six games at home and one of three on the road...Angels swept Twins in last meeting, Aug. 10-12, 2007 at Angel Stadium...Angels' 328 total victories vs. Minnesota are most for Angels against any opponent.

TOUGH SLEDDING: Angels play 18 of first 30 games against Cleveland, Oakland, Seattle, Boston and Detroit, all contending teams in 2007.

DID YOU KNOW? Angels have won 157 consecutive games when leading after eight innings, the longest current streak in Majors (last time Angels lost when leading after eight innings was April 19, 2006 at Twins).

GEHRIG & GUERRERO: Vlad Guerrero has batted at least .300 with 25 home runs in each of the last 10 seasons...Only player with more consecutive seasons with those numbers in Lou Gehrig who did it in 11 straight campaigns from 1927-37.

As expected, the Angels put John Lackey, Kelvim Escobar, Scot Shields and Chris Bootcheck on the 15-day disabled list. They also set the Opening Day roster after making a number of moves.

Nine players were reassigned to minor-league camp: RHP Nick Adenhart, RHP Alex Serrano, INF Hainley Statia, OF Terry Evans, INF Brandon Wood, C Ryan Budde, C Bobby Wilson, INF Kendry Morales, OF Dee Brown

Following is a look at the Angels 2008 Opening Day Roster:

Pitchers: Jason Bulger, Jon Garland Dustin Moseley, Darren O'Day, Darren Oliver, Francisco Rodriguez, Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders, Justin Speier, Rich Thompson, Jered Weaver.

Catchers: Mike Napoli, Jeff Mathis

Infielders: Erick Aybar, hone Figgins, Maicer Izturis, Howie Kendrick, Casey Kotchman, Robb Quinlan

Outfielders: Garret Anderson, Torii Hunter, Vladimir Guerrero, Gary Matthews Jr., Juan Rivera, Reggie Willits.

The Angels tried to slip speedy outfielder Nathan Haynes through waivers in order to send him to Triple-A Salt Lake, but former Angels bench coach Joe Maddon was there waiting. Maddon, now the manager at Tampa Bay, will have Haynes in the fold now after the Devil Rays claimed him.

In 40 games with the Angels last season, Haynes batted .267 with 10 runs scored. He was on the roster for much of last season partially because if the Angels tried to send him back down he would have had to clear waivers.

Haynes' biggest contribution last season might have come through his close friendship with Chone Figgins. After coming off the disabled list last year, Figgins started slow but started to get hot at the plate once Haynes was recalled to the team.

The Angels 40-man roster is now at 38. One player expected to be added to that 40-man roster is reliever Darren O'Day.

Preston Gomez, who has spent a lifetime in baseball as a player coach and front-ofice executive, has shown improvment after being involved in what was being called a freak accident Wednesday. Gomez, 86, who is a special assistant in the Angels front office, was driving home from spring training early Wednesday morning when he stopped for gas in Blythe. At the gas station he ended up walking into the path of a pickup truck that was pulling in to refuel. Gomez suffered a fractured skull and was airlifted to a Palm Springs hospital.

He was initially considered to be in very serious condition, but Thursday he opened his eyes and recognized family members. No surgery was necessary, although he did recieve two units of blood Thursday.

"There is a tremendous amount of optimism," Angels spokesman Tim Mead said.

The Angels are making it easier than ever for fans to post messages on the scoreboard during games. For a fee of $30 ($25 of which goes to charity), the Angels will put a birthday, anniversary, congratulations or welcome message on the scoreboard that will appear in the middle of the fourth inning. And of course, fans can pick what day they want their message to appear. For more information, see the Angels' website.

Preston Gomez, a longtime fixture in baseball, was in critical condition Wednesday after being struck by a motorist at a Blythe gas station. Gomez, who was set to be the special assistant to general manager Tony Reagins, was returning from spring training at the time. Gomez is always quick with a handshake or a hello to anybody he sees, and his situation so troubled manager Mike Scioscia that he did not have a comment for reporters today. Gomez was airlifted to a Palm Springs hospital.

Gary Matthews Jr. went for X-rays on his right ankle and for now, anyway, he is being listed as day to day. Matthews hurt himself in the first inning Monday against the San Diego Padres. Add Matthews to a list of injured players that includes John Lackey, Kelvim Escobar and Scot Shields.

The Angels' surprisingly successful submarine right-hander has been afraid to raise his periscope, just in case it gives him a glimpse of reality.

Invited to camp late and then told he really wouldn't have a chance of making the major-league roster, O'Day simply put his head down and went to work. The news was neither disappointing nor something that lit his fire. He simply settled into a comfort zone and has found nothing but success.

The surprise of camp has a 1.35 ERA over 13 1/3 innings over seven outings (before Friday's night game against the Rangers) and is the favorite to make the Opening Day roster in the bullpen role of Chris Bootcheck, currently on the shelf with an oblique strain.

“I was just excited to be here,” the 25-year-old O'Day said. “I was just trying to make a good impression never imagining that things might happen where they might need somebody up there. But certainly that's why we all play to one day get up there. But I never dreamed it in my wildest dreams.”

Excuse O'Day if if his major-league expectations are on the conservative side. This is a guy that was cut as a freshman at the University of Florida and figured he would instead dive into his studies.

Then a former high-school teammate invited O'Day to play in a Jacksonville recreation league and it was there that the stuff of legends was born. Because of the casual atmosphere of the league, O'Day figured he would try a sidearm delivery. When his velocity improved and the movement of his pitches increased, O'Day went back to the coaching staff at Florida looking for another tryout.

“After I saw what I could do I thought I could make that team with this delivery,” O'Day said. “I knew that the college team needed a side-armer. They didn't have any and I saw others on teams in the league. When I played in college, every team in the SEC at least one team had a sidearmer.”

By his senior season, O'Day dominated as Florida's closer, not that anybody thought he could pitch on the next level. He wasn't even drafted, but in May of 2006 he signed a free-agent contract with the Angels.

At least O'Day believed in himself. He put off medical school to give baseball a chance and has no regrets. And then came some fateful words from an unlikely source.

“I talked to the dean and I was going to apply to our med school, but he said don't apply because you're waisting your money. If you get accepted and go play baseball you'll never get accepted again,” O'Day said. “It's so competitive they don't want me to take up a spot.

He signed with the Angels instead and continued to pitch like he was still in the SEC. He had a 2.51 ERA in 14 games at Orem, a 2.70 ERA in 17 games at Cedar Rapids, a 0.75 ERA in 24 games at Rancho Cucamonga to start last season and a 3.99 ERA in 29 games at Double-A Arkansas to end the 2007 season.

Double-A figured to be his destination this year, but now O'Day's father might get to watch his boy pitch in the big leagues.

“He actually likes baseball more than I do,” O'Day said about his father. “ He loves to have something to watch. We talked about it. He said, 'You now what, you should give this a try.' And now it's paid off for him because he had four years of college baseball to watch and now he gets to fly out here and watch some spring training.”

O'Day's father better make it to Minneapolis at the end of the month when the Angels open the season against the Twins. Anybody who likes baseball that much is going to love watching his son make his major-league debut.

The Angels quickly extinguished a little dust up in the clubhouse this morning as Darren Oliver took exception to the actions of fellow reliever Justin Speier. Call it that time of the spring when players are ready to break camp and have been stuck in a room with each other for far too long. Speier picked up a box of items belonging to Oliver and ceremoniously dumped them on the floor. His actions drew one or two awkward laughs at best. Oliver picked up his things quietly but then yelled an expletive at Speier as the two stood face to face. A couple of teammates, including Dustin Moseley and Gary Matthews Jr., separated the two. They then proceeded to sit next to each other in silence before the doors were closed for the morning meeting.

Manager Mike Scioscia was not present for the incident but downplayed it as expected, saying that the two were even laughing about it in the meeting. Scioscia said Oliver and Speier are as close as brothers and when told about the matter he thought the pair must have been joking.

The Angels quickly extinguished a little dust up in the clubhouse this morning as Darren Oliver took exception to the actions of fellow reliever Justin Speier. Call it that time of the spring when players are ready to break camp and have been stuck in a room with each other for far too long. Speier picked up a box of items belonging to Oliver and ceremoniously dumped them on the floor. His actions drew one or two awkward laughs at best. Oliver picked up his things quietly but then yelled an expletive at Speier as the two stood face to face. A couple of teammates, including Dustin Moseley and Gary Matthews Jr., separated the two. They then proceeded to sit next to each other in silence before the doors were closed for the morning meeting.

Manager Mike Scioscia was not present for the incident but downplayed it as expected, saying that the two were even laughing about it in the meeting. Scioscia said Oliver and Speier are as close as brothers and when told about the matter he thought the pair must have been joking.

Just came across this in the e-mail in basket. It seems that to get into the mood of the upcoming baseball season, XM radio is going all out to fire up subscribers. On March 29 and 30, the satellite radio service will offer 48 hours of songs, literature and classic play-by-play calls. All of it will air on XM Channel 120. Yes, XM will air 412 songs about baseball, 27 songs about players, seven dramatic readings of baseball stories and some classic game action.

Sounds like a clever little idea but let's hope this doesn't go mainstream. Christmas carols starting in November is bad enough. Who needs to hear "Casey at the Bat" through the entire month of March in every retail setting and restaurant you set foot in?

The 2008 Angels TV schedule was just finalized and the team announced that all 162 games will air live. FSN West will air 100 games, 75 of those in HD. KCOP/13 will air 50 Angels games. There will also be 12 national broadcasts split between FOX and ESPN. In other changes, whenever Rex Hudler and Steve Physioc are not doing TV broadcasts, they can be heard on the radio (830-AM) alongside Terry Smith. Here is the 2008 TV schedule (with spring games that are slated to begin Friday):

PRE 3/21 Fri. @ Rangers 6:00 PM KCOP
PRE 3/23 Sun. vs Mariners 1:00 PM PRIME
PRE 3/24 Mon. vs Padres 1:00 PM WEST
PRE 3/26 Wed. vs Cubs 1:00 PM WEST
PRE 3/27 Thur. vs Dodgers 7:00 PM WEST
PRE 3/28 Fri. @ Padres 7:00 PM KCOP
PRE 3/29 Sat. vs Padres 6:00 PM WEST

1 3/31 Mon. @ Twins 4:00 PM WEST
2 4/1 Tues. @ Twins 5:00 PM WEST
3 4/2 Wed. @ Twins 5:00 PM KCOP
4 4/3 Thurs. @ Twins 10:00 AM WEST
5 4/4 Fri. vs Rangers 7:00 PM PRIME
6 4/5 Sat. vs Rangers 6:00 PM WEST
7 4/6 Sun. vs Rangers 12:30 PM KCOP
8 4/7 Mon. vs Indians 7:00 PM WEST
9 4/8 Tues. vs Indians 7:00 PM KCOP
10 4/9 Wed. vs Indians 12:30 PM WEST
11 4/11 Fri. @ Mariners 7:00 PM KCOP
12 4/12 Sat. @ Mariners 6:00 PM WEST
13 4/13 Sun. @ Mariners 1:00 PM WEST
14 4/14 Mon. @ Rangers 5:00 PM WEST
15 4/15 Tues. @ Rangers 11:00 AM WEST
16 4/16 Wed. vs Royals 7:00 PM KCOP
17 4/17 Thurs. vs Royals 7:00 PM WEST
18 4/18 Fri. vs Mariners 7:00 PM WEST
19 4/19 Sat. vs Mariners 6:00 PM KCOP
20 4/20 Sun. vs Mariners 12:30 PM KCOP
21 4/22 Tues. @ Red Sox 4:00 PM KCOP
22 4/23 Wed. @ Red Sox 4:00 PM WEST
23 4/24 Thurs. @ Red Sox 10:30 AM WEST
24 4/25 Fri. @ Tigers 4:00 PM WEST
25 4/26 Sat. @ Tigers 12:55 PM FOX
26 4/27 Sun. @ Tigers 5:00 PM ESPN
27 4/28 Mon. vs A's 7:00 PM WEST
28 4/29 Tues. vs A's 7:00 PM WEST
29 4/30 Wed. vs A's 7:00 PM WEST
30 5/1 Thurs. vs A's 7:00 PM WEST
31 5/2 Fri. vs Orioles 7:00 PM KCOP
32 5/3 Sat. vs Orioles 12:45 PM FOX
33 5/4 Sun. vs Orioles 12:30 PM KCOP
34 5/5 Mon. @ Royals 5:00 PM WEST
35 5/6 Tues. @ Royals 5:00 PM WEST
36 5/7 Wed. @ Royals 5:00 PM WEST
37 5/9 Fri. @ Devil Rays 4:00 PM KCOP
38 5/10 Sat. @ Devil Rays 4:00 PM KCOP
39 5/11 Sun. @ Devil Rays 10:30 AM WEST
40 5/12 Mon. vs White Sox 7:00 PM KCOP
41 5/13 Tues. vs White Sox 7:00 PM WEST
42 5/14 Wed. vs White Sox 7:00 PM WEST
43 5/15 Thurs. vs White Sox 7:00 PM WEST
44 5/16 Fri. vs Dodgers 7:00 PM WEST
45 5/17 Sat. vs Dodgers 12:55 PM FOX
46 5/18 Sun. vs Dodgers 12:30 PM WEST
47 5/20 Tues. @ Blue Jays 4:00 PM KCOP
48 5/21 Wed. @ Blue Jays 4:00 PM KCOP
49 5/22 Thurs. @ Blue Jays 4:00 PM WEST
50 5/23 Fri. @ White Sox 5:00 PM WEST
51 5/24 Sat. @ White Sox 12:55 PM FOX
52 5/25 Sun. @ White Sox 5:00 PM ESPN
53 5/26 Mon. vs Tigers 6:00 PM WEST
54 5/27 Tues. vs Tigers 7:00 PM WEST
55 5/28 Wed. vs Tigers 7:00 PM WEST
56 5/30 Fri. vs Blue Jays 7:00 PM WEST
57 5/31 Sat. vs Blue Jays 6:00 PM KCOP
59 6/1 Sun. vs Blue Jays 12:30 PM KCOP
59 6/2 Mon. @ Mariners 7:00 PM WEST
60 6/3 Tues. @ Mariners 7:00 PM WEST
61 6/4 Wed. @ Mariners 1:30 PM WEST
62 6/6 Fri. @ A's 7:00 PM WEST
63 6/7 Sat. @ A's 6:00 PM KCOP
64 6/8 Sun. @ A's 1:00 PM KCOP
65 6/9 Mon. vs Devil Rays 7:00 PM WEST
66 6/10 Tues. vs Devil Rays 7:00 PM WEST
67 6/11 Wed. vs Devil Rays 12:30 PM WEST
68 6/13 Fri. vs Braves 7:00 PM WEST
69 6/14 Sat. vs Braves 6:00 PM WEST
70 6/15 Sun. vs Braves 12:30 PM KCOP or ESPN
71 6/16 Mon. vs Mets 7:00 PM KCOP
72 6/17 Tues. vs Mets 7:00 PM WEST
73 6/18 Wed. vs Mets 7:00 PM WEST
74 6/20 Fri. @ Phillies 4:00 PM WEST
75 6/21 Sat. @ Phillies 4:00 PM WEST
76 6/22 Sun. @ Phillies 10:30 AM KCOP
77 6/23 Mon. @ Nationals 4:00 PM WEST
78 6/24 Tues. @ Nationals 4:00 PM WEST
79 6/25 Wed. @ Nationals 4:00 PM WEST
80 6/27 Fri. @ Dodgers 7:30 PM KCOP
81 6/28 Sat. @ Dodgers 7:00 PM KCOP
82 6/29 Sun. @ Dodgers 1:00 PM KCOP or ESPN
83 6/30 Mon. vs A's 7:00 PM WEST
84 7/1 Tues. vs A's 7:00 PM WEST
85 7/2 Wed. vs A's 12:30 PM WEST
86 7/4 Fri. vs Blue Jays 6:00 PM WEST
87 7/5 Sat. vs Blue Jays 6:00 PM KCOP
88 7/6 Sun. vs Blue Jays 12:30 PM KCOP
89 7/7 Mon. @ Rangers 5:00 PM WEST
90 7/8 Tues. @ Rangers 5:00 PM WEST
91 7/9 Wed. @ Rangers 5:00 PM WEST
92 7/10 Thurs. @ Rangers 5:00 PM WEST
93 7/11 Fri. @ A's 7:00 PM WEST
94 7/12 Sat. @ A's 6:00 PM KCOP
95 7/13 Sun. @ A's 1:00 PM KCOP
96 7/18 Fri. vs Red Sox 7:00 PM WEST
97 7/19 Sat. vs Red Sox 12:55 PM FOX
98 7/20 Sun. vs Red Sox 3:00 PM ESPN
99 7/21 Mon. vs Indians 7:00 PM WEST
100 7/22 Tues. vs Indians 7:00 PM WEST
101 7/23 Wed. vs Indians 12:30 PM WEST
102 7/25 Fri. @ Orioles 4:00 PM KCOP
103 7/26 Sat. @ Orioles 4:00 PM KCOP
104 7/27 Sun. @ Orioles 10:30 AM KCOP
105 7/28 Mon. @ Red Sox 4:00 PM WEST
106 7/29 Tues. @ Red Sox 4:00 PM WEST
107 7/30 Wed. @ Red Sox 4:00 PM WEST
108 7/31 Thurs. @ Yankees 4:00 PM WEST
109 8/1 Fri. @ Yankees 4:00 PM WEST
110 8/2 Sat. @ Yankees 12:55 PM FOX
111 8/3 Sun. @ Yankees 10:00 AM KCOP
112 8/4 Mon. vs Orioles 7:00 PM KCOP
113 8/5 Tues. vs Orioles 7:00 PM WEST
114 8/6 Wed. vs Orioles 12:30 PM WEST
115 8/8 Fri. vs Yankees 7:00 PM WEST
116 8/9 Sat. vs Yankees 12:55 PM FOX
117 8/10 Sun. vs Yankees 12:30 PM KCOP
118 8/12 Tues. vs Mariners 7:00 PM WEST
119 8/13 Wed. vs Mariners 7:00 PM WEST
120 8/15 Fri. @ Indians 4:00 PM WEST
121 8/16 Sat. @ Indians 12:55 PM FOX
122 8/17 Sun. @ Indians 10:00 AM KCOP or ESPN
123 8/18 Mon. @ Devil Rays 4:00 PM KCOP
124 8/19 Tues. @ Devil Rays 4:00 PM KCOP
125 8/20 Wed. @ Devil Rays 4:00 PM WEST
126 8/21 Thurs. vs Twins 7:00 PM WEST
127 8/22 Fri. vs Twins 7:00 PM WEST
128 8/23 Sat. vs Twins 6:00 PM KCOP
129 8/24 Sun. vs Twins 12:30 PM KCOP
130 8/25 Mon. vs A's 7:00 PM WEST
131 8/26 Tues. vs A's 7:00 PM WEST
132 8/27 Wed. vs A's 7:00 PM WEST
133 8/28 Thurs. vs Rangers 7:00 PM WEST
134 8/29 Fri. vs Rangers 7:00 PM WEST
135 8/30 Sat. vs Rangers 6:00 PM KCOP
136 8/31 Sun. vs Rangers 12:30 PM KCOP
137 9/2 Tues. @ Tigers 4:00 PM WEST
138 9/3 Wed. @ Tigers 4:00 PM WEST
139 9/4 Thurs. @ Tigers 10:00 AM WEST
140 9/5 Fri. @ White Sox 5:00 PM WEST
141 9/6 Sat. @ White Sox 4:00 PM KCOP
142 9/7 Sun. @ White Sox 11:00 AM KCOP or ESPN
143 9/8 Mon. vs Yankees 7:00 PM WEST
144 9/9 Tues. vs Yankees 7:00 PM WEST
145 9/10 Wed. vs Yankees 12:30 PM WEST
146 9/11 Thurs. vs Mariners 7:00 PM WEST
147 9/12 Fri. vs Mariners 7:00 PM WEST
148 9/13 Sat. vs Mariners 12:55 PM FOX
149 9/14 Sun. vs Mariners 12:30 PM KCOP or ESPN
150 9/16 Tues. @ A's 7:00 PM KCOP
151 9/17 Wed. @ A's 7:00 PM WEST
152 9/18 Thurs. @ A's 12:30 PM WEST
153 9/19 Fri. @ Rangers 5:00 PM WEST
154 9/20 Sat. @ Rangers 5:00 PM KCOP
155 9/21 Sun. @ Rangers 12:00 PM KCOP
156 9/22 Mon. @ Mariners 7:00 PM KCOP
157 9/23 Tues. @ Mariners 7:00 PM WEST
158 9/24 Wed. @ Mariners 7:00 PM WEST
159 9/25 Thurs. @ Mariners 7:00 PM WEST
160 9/26 Fri. vs Rangers 7:00 PM WEST
161 9/27 Sat. vs Rangers 6:00 PM KCOP
162 9/28 Sun. vs Rangers 12:30 PM WEST

The cover photo screams NCAA Tournament, but the next edition of Sports Illustrated, scheduled to hit newsstands this week, gives a decent shout out to the Angels' Howie Kendrick as well. An inside feature details how Kendrick went from an unknown who couldn't make a junior college team, into one of the best pure hitters in baseball. It's no wonder the guy was so desired on the trade market this offseason. And it's no wonder the Angels were reluctant to let him go.

Garret Anderson was a late scratch for the Angels in their split-squad game against the Chicago Cubs. It seems that the veteran has right knee irritation. Anderson has struggled with injuries in recent years and his sore foot that cropped up last spring was one reason Anderson had a slow first half. For now, the knee doesn't look like it will be a long-term problem. If it is, Gary Matthews Jr. better get comfortable with playing in left.

As for the game against the Cubs, Sean Rodriguez had to break up a Cubs no-hitter with a triple in the sixth inning. The Cubs won 4-1. In the other split-squad game, the Angels rolled to a 5-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants behind the pitching of Jered Weaver. The right-hander gave up two hits in five innings as the Angels' five-run first inning was more than enough. If Weaver stays on schedule, he is lined up to be the Angels' Opening Day starter March 31 at Minnesota.

The Angels have an off day on Monday but Jon Garland will stay on schedule by pitching in a minor-league game. The Angels play next on Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers. Dustin Moseley will not start but is expected to throw upward of 60 pitches. Moseley might be used in the rotation at the start of the season (in the No. 5 spot) now that John Lackey is on the shelf for about a month with a strained triceps.

We don't run the Angels obviously, but we like to pretend we do at times. So if this was our team, it would be time to let Nick Adenhart, the 21-year-old pitching-stud-to-be, to get a crack at life in the major leagues. With John Lackey expected to miss 3-4 weeks with a strained right triceps, and even more time than that as he gets into pitching shape, there is a spot to be had in the Angels rotation. Dustin Moseley would be a fine option, but remember, he is coming off surgery to repair his right ulnar nerve.

Assuming Adenhart doesn't fall apart during the remainder of Cactus League play, it would be the perfect time to give him his first real major-league test. He has a 4.26 ERA in four spring training starts which isn't brilliant but we can only assume he will get better once the season starts and he has more innings under his belt. Hey, he's going to have to get a chance sometime. That sometime should be now.

"Personally, I understand what that means,” Adenhart said today. "It opens up a spot. From the beginning of camp I felt like I was coming in to compete for a job and that was still my mind-set going out there today.”

Adenhart pitched four innings Saturday against Arizona, giving up three runs on four hits with four strikeouts. In other words, he knew how big his start was and he still kept his team in the game. Let the Adenhart era begin.

An MRI revealed that John Lackey has a strained right triceps and will be out of action for up to a month, the Angels announced today. Dr. Lewis Yocum had evaluated Lackey Friday and diagnosed the right-hander with the strain. The MRI, done in Scottsdale, Ariz., confirmed that diagnosis. Lackey already has started his rehab therapy and will be reevaluated in 3-4 weeks.

It was Angels owner Arte Moreno himself who reminded us of this little tidbit: when the Yankees and Mets open their new stadiums in 2009, Angel Stadium will be the fourth oldest in the major leagues. Really. We just did the research so we can confirm it is true.

Moreno wasn't even being asked about a new ballpark. He was actually being asked if there is anything new at the ballpark awaiting fans this year.

“They're working on all the maintenance stuff; it's an old stadium,” Moreno said. “A lot of people forget that. When the new stadiums open next year, I think we'll be the fourth oldest stadium. Let's figure it out. You have Boston and the Cubs. And then the Dodgers and ourselves. The Dodgers were in '62 and I think ours was '66. Think about it.”

It sounded as if Moreno was taking his first breath in a strategy to get a new stadium built. So Arte, is there a plan to make a push for a new yard?

“I don't know if we're there,” he said. “But if you look at the new facilities, there's always efficiency. The older the facility the more maintenance. Just like here when we remodeled this (spring training complex in Tempe, Ariz.), there are just some things structurally that you can do. But our decision was to obviously build a minor league complex. That was our largest investment here was the minor league complex and the fields.”

Here are all the major league stadiums and the dates they opened (some dates are exhibition games):

NATIONAL LEAGUE
AT&T Park, San Francisco (opened 3/31/2000)
New Busch Stadium, St. Louis (4/4/06)
Chase Field, Phoenix (3/31/98)
Citizens Bank Ballpark, Philadelphia (4/09/04)
Coors Field, Denver (4/26/95)
Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles (4/10/62)
Dolphin Stadium, Miami (opened 8/16/87; first Marlins game 4/5/93)
Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati (3/28/03)
Miller Park, Milwaukee (3/30/01)
Minute Maid Park, Houston (3/30/00)
PETCO Park, San Diego (April 2004)
PNC Park, Pittsburgh (3/31/01)
Nationals Park, Washington D.C. (opens 3/29/08)
Shea Stadium, New York (4/17/64); Citi Field opens April 2009
Turner Field, Atlanta (3/29/97)
Wrigley Field, Chicago (4/23/14)

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Angel Stadium, Anaheim (4/19/66)
Comerica Park, Detroit (4/11/00)
Fenway Park, Boston (4/20/12)
Jacobs Field, Cleveland (4/4/94)
Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City (4/10/73)
McAfee Coliseum, Oakland (1966; first A's game 4/17/68); Cisco Field opens April 2011
Metrodome, Minneapolis (4/3/82); Minnesota Ballpark opens April 2010
Orioles Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore (4/6/92)
Rangers Ballpark at Arlington, Arlington, Texas (4/1/94)
Rogers Centre, Toronto (6/5/89)
Safeco Field, Seattle (7/15/99)
Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Fla. (3/3/90; first D-Rays game 3/31/98)
U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago (4/18/91)
Yankee Stadium, New York (4/18/23); New Yankee Stadium opens April 2009

Young catcher Mike Napoli will be the latest guest on Angels Tonight, the weekly radio show devoted to everything Angels. Jose Mota and Terry Smith are the hosts for the show which will air live tonight (Monday) on 830-AM from 6-8 p.m. Also on the show will be USA Today baseball writer Mel Antonen. The show will air from Tempe Diablo Stadium, the spring home of the Angels in Tempe, Ariz.

The Angels received plenty of production from the DH spot as Vladimir Guerrero and Juan Rivera supplied the offense in a 6-4 Cactus League victory over the Texas Rangers. Rivera, who suddenly finds himself as the fifth outfielder, had a key two-run single to spark the victory. Kendry Morales added a mammoth home run. Ervin Santana started but gave up a disappointing four runs in four innings and has an 8.31 ERA this spring. With three weeks left in spring training, the Angels reassigned 12 players to minor-league camp.

Five runs in the second and five more in the eighth was more than enough as the Angels pounded the Chicago White Sox 11-1 on Friday. Jon Garland, pitching against his old team, gave up just one hit in three innings. Could Garland wind up as the Opening Day starter for his new team? It's early but with John Lackey behind schedule, it's a good possibility.

OK, they're not really cuts like a guy is sent packing, they are actually reassignments. The Angels sent three players from big-league camp to the minor-league side, including catchers Hank Conger and Anel De Los Santos and infielder Ryan Mount. Conger, out of Huntington Beach, was a first-round pick in 2005 and batted .290 in 84 games at Single-A Cedar Rapids last season with 11 home runs and 48 RBI.

Catchers are typically in the first group of players being reassigned since many of the lower-level catchers are invited to big-league camp to help pitchers get in their early spring work. The Angels now have 61 players in big-league camp, including 23 non-roster invitees.

After losing two consecutive games and three of their last four, the Angels got back on track with a 9-1 pounding of the San Francisco Giants. Jered Weaver gave up a home run but it is his only run allowed in two spring starts. Vladimir Guerrero hit a home run.

In other news, John Lackey went all out in a bullpen session to test his sore right elbow (the Associated Press incorrectly calls it a sore shoulder) and reprted no problems. Lackey wants to make four spring starts and then start on Opening Day in Minnesota, but manager Mike Scioscia wants his ace to make five outings before pitching in a regular-season game. Instead of starting on March 31 against the Twins, Lackey might end up getting pushed back to the home opener April 4 against Texas. Stayed tuned on this subject.

Angels director of scouting Eddie Bane is being honored for his dominating pitching at Arizona State, with an induction into the National Collegiate Baseball Hall of Fame. He will be inducted on Fourth of July weekend in Lubbock, Texas.Bane was 40-4 for the Sun Devils from 1971-74 and had a 1.64 ERA. Here is the complete press release from the Angels:

ANGELS DIRECTOR OF SCOUTING EDDIE BANE TO BE INDUCTED INTO NATIONAL COLLEGE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2008
ANAHEIM, CA - Angels' Director of Scouting Eddie Bane has been named to the 2008 induction class for the College Baseball Hall of Fame, the College Baseball Foundation announced. Bane will join Floyd Bannister in this year's class to bring the number of ASU Sun Devils in the Hall of Fame to five, joining coaching legends Bobby Winkles and Dr. Jim Brock as well as former Golden Spikes Award winner Bob Horner.

Bane and Bannister will enter the Hall of Fame with fellow 2008 inductees Steve Arlin (Ohio State), Owen Carroll (Player at Holy Cross, Head Coach of Seton Hall), William "Billy" Disch (Head Coach at Sacred Heart, St. Edward's and Texas), Neal Heaton (Miami), Burt Hooton (Texas), Dick Howser (Player and Head Coach at Florida State), Ben McDonald (LSU), Jackie Robinson (UCLA), Greg Swindell (Texas) and Gary Ward (Head Coach at Oklahoma State and New Mexico State). Carroll, Disch and Robinson were selected as Vintage Era Inductees.

The official induction ceremony will take place over Fourth of July weekend in Lubbock, Texas, the future site of the College Baseball Hall of Fame.

Bane pitched at Arizona State from 1971 to 1973, going 40-4 in his career with a 1.64 ERA. The lefthander threw 27 complete games and 11 shutouts during his collegiate career, helping lead the Sun Devils to the College World Series in 1972 and 1973. He struck out 535 batters in 379.1 innings pitched, including a career high 21 against LaVerne in 1972. He threw the only perfect game in Arizona State baseball history on March 2, 1973, striking out 19 batters in a 9-0 win over Cal State Northridge. His 535 strikeouts still stands as a school record, and his 40 career wins are third most in ASU history. Bane was twice named an All-American and was the 11th overall pick in the 1973 Major League by the Minnesota Twins. He had his #21 retired by Arizona State University on February 16, 2000.

Bane begins his fifth campaign as Director of Scouting for the Angels. He oversees the scouting of amateur and minor league players as well as the signing of domestic amateur players and international players. Under his direction, Angels' scouts have been responsible for drafting and signing highly-regarded Angels' prospects such as Jered Weaver, Kendry Morales, Nick Adenhart, Stephen Marek and Hank Conger.

The Chicago, IL, native attended Westminster (CA) High School. Bane has four children: Jaymie, Kacey, Corey and Veronica.

Jon Garland will get the start for the Angels on Friday and he will be facing his old Chicago White Sox teammates. It seems as if the White Sox are interested in giving their old friend a stern test as many of the team's regulars will be in the lineup including Paul Konerko, Jermaine Dye and Joe Crede. The White Sox already are excited about the awkward matchup.

Enough about all this radio confusion from spring training. Tape-delayed games on the radio. Free games on the internet. Now live games on the radio but only on weekdays. Here is the real question: When can we see some spring games on television? Well, there still is two weeks before games will air on TV from Arizona but here is the schedule when they do:

Friday, March 21, Angels vs. Texas at Surprise, Ariz., 6:05 p.m. KCOP/13
Saturday, March 22, Angels vs. Dodgers at Phoenix, 1:05 p.m. KCAL/9 (Dodgers broadcast)
Sunday, March 23, Angels vs. Seattle, Tempe, Ariz., 1:05 p.m., Prime
Monday, March 24, Angels vs. San Diego, Tempe, Ariz., 1:05 p.m. Fox Sports West
Wednesday, March 26, Angels, vs. Chicago Cubs, Tempe, Ariz., 1:05 p.m., Fox Sports West
Thursday, March 27, Angels vs. Dodgers at Angel Stadium, 7:05 p.m., Fox Sports West
Friday, March 28, Angels vs. San Diego, at Petco Park, San Diego, 7:05 p.m., KCOP/13
Saturday, March 29, Angels vs. San Diego at Angel Stadium, 6:05 p.m., Fox Sports West.

The March 29 game is the final exhibition game. Opening Day is Monday, March 31 at Minnesota. The season opener will air at 4:05 p.m. on ESPN2.

The Mariners beat the Angels 6-5 in a Cactus League game today and tried to make it seem like the contest had a regular-season feel. Manager Mike Scioscia's reaction: he could hardly care less. Looks like Mariners vs. Angels for the AL West title should be very interesting.

As for Mariners pitcher Erik Bedard, who granted the media only four questions and then only answered three of them in barely a minute: Get over yourself.

ProjectedAngels Opening Day starter John Lackey, who had been dealing with a sore elbow, is expected to make his spring debut Monday.

Not to beat a dead horse with this subject, but there is some positive news when it comes to spring Angels games being aired live on the radio. The Angels just announced that starting Monday (March 10) all weekday spring games will air live on 830-AM, the team's new flagship station. That's good news for those fans who are making the daily rounds in their car and want to catch a few innings while sitting in traffic. All games had been airing on the radio on a tape-delayed basis. Weekend games will continue to get the delayed treatment.

To repeat, this entire episode is happening because the Arte Moreno-owned 830-AM was prohibited from airing spring games live because of contract obligations with existing shows. It seems those weekend shows have a tighter contract than the weekday shows. Once the regular season starts, Angels games will get priority over all existing non sports programing.

And for those who already have grown comfortable listening to free live broadcasts on the internet, the Angels have said those games will continue to be free. The games on the internet can be accessed at angelsbaseball.com.

In a late addition to this update, weekend replays of Angels games on 830-AM that conflict with Ducks broadcasts will air following the hockey games.

Ervin Santana got the start Tuesday and allowed two runs on four hits in 2 2/3 innings, but it was the late innings that posed a problem as the White Sox rallied with two runs in the ninth to beat the Angels 7-6. Brandon Wood hit his second home run of the spring, while Kendry Morales and Reggie Willits had two hits each. The Angels are 3-2-1 on the spring.

Lovieanne Jung might be getting more national exposure, er attention, these days than her boyfriend, the Angels' Jon Garland. Jung, a member of the USA softball team heading to the Olympics this summer, is pictured in a Budweiser ad on the back of the recent Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition with two other members of the team. Yes, they all are in swimsuits.

But Garland said recently that the photo looks nothing like his girlfriend. It seems that all three softball players received the airbrush treatment to make them look more like paintings, or caricatures of themselves. Garland was disappointed saying "She's beautiful without all that stuff." Garland said Jung's mom was disappointed in the photo as well.

For those who have the swimsuit edition and want to see what a runaway airbrush "artist" is capable of doing, here is Jung's bio and photo with USA Softball. There are also some game action shots here.

The USA Softball team, meanwhile is preparing for the Olympics with its "Bound 4 Beijing Tour." The team plays in Florida tonight against Florida International University. They will be in Fullerton March 19-21 to play Cal State Fullerton, Louisiana Lafayette and New Mexico. They also will be at UCLA on April 22 and in Irvine July 26 to face Cal State Fullerton again. The July 26 game is their last before hearding to Beijing. For USA Softball's complete spring and summer schedule, click here.

If Torii Hunter looks this good once the regular season begin, his five-year, $90 million contract will be a steal. Hunter had an early RBI triple and also delivered a double as the Angels upended the division rival A's by a 6-1 score. Joe Saunders threw two scoreless innings in his first spring start. In other news, John Lackey (sore elbow) threw from a mound and should be able get in his five starts in spring training. The projected Opening Day starter is expected to start the season on time.

The Angels have worked out the kinks, at least for today, and their live radio broadcast is now available at angelsbaseball.com. The Angels started offering their live broadcast on the internet starting Saturday. But on Sunday, the link didn't work and listeners were asked to pay $15 for a year of MLB radio. The free offer was extended because games can't be broadcast live on the team's new flagship station due to contract agreements with existing shows on 830-AM. Games are airing on 830-AM in the evening on a tape-delayed basis.

Linking to the broadcast is fairly easy. On the home page of angelsbaseball.com, one of the windows on the main page has a headline that says "Listen LIVE." Just click on that headline, or on the tagline at the end of the message that says "Listen live." On the next screen, click on the button that says "Current subscribers click here." On the next screen, find the Angels game, which is listed third from the bottom. On that row, go to the column that reads "Gameday Audio H," since the Angels are the home team. In that column and at the row that says "Oak vs. LAA," click on the button that reads MLB.com. That should open an audioplayer which will start the broadcast. Happy listening.

Newcomer Jon Garland pitched well over two innings but the Angels were defeated 4-2 by the Milwaukee Brewers for their first loss of the spring. The Angels are now 2-1-1 in Cactus League play.

The Angels are supposed to be giving fans free access to their live radio game broadcasts via the internet, but on Day 2 of the arrangement, there is a problem. An Angels representative admitted there was an unidentified issue with accessing the broadcast for free. Instead, listeners are being asked to subscribe to Gameday Audio for $14.95 or to MLB TV. The Angels say they are looking into the problem with MLB but it looks things might not be free again until Monday's game at the earliest. The only thing the team is saying is to keep trying to link to the broadcast.

The Angels are supposed offering free radio broadcasts on their website (angelsbaseball.com) because existing contracts at their new flagship station (830-AM) are preventing the team from airing spring games live over the airwaves. When the regular season starts, Angels games are supposed to have priority over existing programing.

The Angels agreed to contract terms with five more players for the 2008 season, and at the same time they renewed the contract of Ervin Santana. The five players who came to terms: Erick Aybar, Jeff Mathis, Mike Napoli, Joe Saunders and Reggie Willits

The Angels remained unbeaten on the spring with a 6-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Jered Weaver pitched two scoreless innings and Torii Hunter hit his first home run in an Angels uniform.