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June 30, 2006
Doug Padilla: Oh brother
While the Weaver brothers had an awkward day after Jered was recalled to replace Jeff, it was another set of siblings that had a completely positive experience.
The Angels' Maicer Izturis and the Dodgers' Cesar Izturis not only were on opposite sides Friday, they each were in the starting lineup. The oddest thing of all is that the natural shortstops both were playing third base. The only negative was that somebody had to lose.
When Maicer Izturis laced a line drive toward third base in the fifth inning, you had to wonder if Cesar wanted to catch that one more than any other, or if he was more inclined to let it go so he could help out his brother. In the end, a leaping Cesar couldn't reach the liner and Maicer was aboard with a hit.
If only Bengie Molina was around so he and brother Jose could look on fondly.
Posted by Doug Padilla at 08:40 PM | Comments (2)
June 28, 2006
Doug Padilla: Kid stuff
One of the Angels' coaches Wednesday (we elect to withold his name) found it tough to dance around a question posed by one of an estimated 400 kids at a baseball camp at the ballpark. One of the campers wanted to know about Howie Kendrick coming back to the major leagues.
The coach intimated what already has been known, that Adam Kennedy's days with the team are drawing to a close. The coach said that it was best to keep Kendrick at Triple-A where he can play every day. He concluded by saying that one day down the line somebody will push Kendrick out of his job too.
Kennedy said earlier this season that his agent had not talked about a contract extension with the Angels. That conversation isn't expected to take place.
There never was a doubt that Kendrick would be the future at second base for the Angels. The real question is whether he will take over on Opening Day 2007 or get a start on his new job before this season ends.
Posted by Doug Padilla at 08:45 PM | Comments (0)
June 24, 2006
tony jackson -- another tough interleague trip
The Dodgers begin a six-game trip to Minnesota and the Angels after Sunday's series finale with Pittsburgh. Considering the Dodgers haven't won a road interleague game since July 2004, when they won the final two games of a three-game series at Angel Stadium, one would figure the law of averages is in their favor now. But ...
Just as Oakland did a week ago, the Twins are heating up just in time for the Dodgers' arrival. They have won 12 of 14. And while rookie sensation Chad Billingsley gets to square off against a less-than-vintage Carlos Silva in Monday's opener, the Dodgers absolutely, positively have to win that game. The next two nights, they will face Francisco Liriano (7-1, 2.17) and Johan Santana (8-4, 2.75, 115 strikeouts in 111 1/3 innings).
The victory drought includes three-game sweeps last season at Kansas City, the Chicago White Sox and the Angels and this year at Oakland.
After the Twins will come the Angels, who are still having their problems but entered Saturday 16-13 since being swept by the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium last month.
Posted by Tony Jackson at 08:01 PM | Comments (1)
Doug Padilla: No way, no How
Hot-hitting Howie Kendrick remains stuck at Triple-A Salt Lake and the Angels' poor defense is to blame. Twice in two days the Angels put a player on the disabled list (Darin Erstad and Dallas McPherson) and instead of recalling Kendrick, they brought up Tommy Murphy and Erick Aybar.
With Murphy, the Angels get a solid defensive center fielder, while Aybar can give them time at third base, shortstop and second. Kendrick is primarily a second baseman. Kendrick has dabbled some at third and first base, but since the Angels have allowed a major-league leading 53 unearned runs, they didn't care to have an inexperienced player at those positions.
So Kendrick will have to be satisfied with putting up monster numbers at Salt Lake. Through Friday's games, Kendrick was batting .389 with 10 home runs and 49 RBI.
If there is one positive to it all, at least Kendrick still is eligible to participate in the Futures Game in Pittsburgh on July 9. Kendrick was named to the U.S. team on Wednesday. If a player from either roster gets called to the major leagues he is ineligible to play in the Futures Game.
Posted by Doug Padilla at 07:48 PM | Comments (3053)
June 23, 2006
Doug Padilla: Sign of the times
Blame it on the day and age we live in, as a bomb-sniffing dog went through the Angels clubhouse before Friday's game at Arizona.
While one police officer pulled back every chair from in front of every locker, a second officer led the dog through the clubhouse. The dog sniffed in each locker and around boxes the team uses to ship equipment.
An Arizona Diamondbacks representative said there was no known threat. Instead, the Diamondbacks have made the safety procedure a regular part of daily security. Darin Erstad said he could only recall such a thorough check being done in Yankee Stadium.
Posted by Doug Padilla at 08:35 PM | Comments (0)
June 22, 2006
Doug Padilla: Kendrick honor in limbo
Howie Kendrick's chances of playing in this year's Futures Game are in jeopardy, but not because of injury or anything he is doing at Triple-A Salt Lake. Kendrick could be recalled to the Angels soon, making him ineligible to participate in the prospect game during All-Star festivities next month at Pittsburgh.
Kendrick was named to the U.S. team this week along with the club's Single-A pitcher Nick Adenhart. The Angels had no players named to the world team.
Kendrick is batting .398 with 10 home runs and 49 RBI at Salt Lake this season, even though he spent 22 days on the major-league roster earlier this season. Adenhart is 9-2 with a 2.08 ERA in 14 starts at Cedar Rapids.
The Futures Game will take place July 9 at 1 p.m. and will be televised live on ESPN2.
Posted by Doug Padilla at 12:07 PM | Comments (0)
June 21, 2006
Doug Padilla: Catcher pitches in
Jose Molina is not catching as much as he would like these days and he certainly isn't hitting as he expected, but he was able to showed his value Tuesday. Immediately after the Angels grabbed a 3-2 lead from the San Francisco Giants in the sixth inning, the Giants put their leadoff batter aboard and had Mark Sweeney at the plate. But on a run an hit, Jeff Weaver struck out Sweeney and Molina threw out Randy Winn trying steal second to complete a double play. Weaver, who had darted off the mound to give Molina a clear throwing lane to second, pumped his fists multiple times.
After a walk, Weaver got Steve Finley on a ground out to end the inning and his outing. The Giants would tie the game but the Angels won it on Maicer Izturis' bases-clearing double in the eighth. Molina's play loomed large in the victory.
“That was big because after we came back to take the lead, the leadoff guy gets on – especially Winn, who you know has speed and can make things happen out there,� Weaver said. “I was able to keep him at bay through the count and I got Sweeney to chase a 3-2 fastball up. Molina made a great throw and that was huge. It was a big part of the game for us.�
Posted by Doug Padilla at 09:23 PM | Comments (1)
June 20, 2006
Doug Padilla: Outs vs. runs
Manager Mike Scioscia was presented with a vexing problem in the sixth inning Tuesday with the Angels trailing 2-1 to the San Francisco Giants and the tying run at second base with two outs. John Lackey was pitching well but the Angels pitcher was due up to bat. Tim Salmon originally had been on deck but Scioscia called him back when Adam Kennedy hit a double to bring the Angels within a run.
Scioscia ultimately decided to let Lackey come to the plate when most National League managers would have taken a gamble on a pinch hitter to drive in the tying run.
"We needed a couple of things," Scioscia said. "We needed a couple of more innings from John to pitch deeper into that game. But we had to balance that with the fact that we're not scoring a lot of runs. If it was 2-0 and there were two guys on with two outs, then Tim would have certainly hit. But (there was) the need to get more than five innings from John. He was throwing the ball well. Hopefully we would line up to get things going later which we did. Unfortunately it wasn't enough."
Said a terse Lackey on the decision: "Saving runs is just as important as scoring runs."
Posted by Doug Padilla at 11:07 PM | Comments (0)
June 19, 2006
Doug Padilla: Angels' close call
It wasn't as if Monday's effort from the San Francisco Giants' Matt Cain was completely out of the blue. The 21-year old took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Angels before Chone Figgins broke up the bid with a two-out single. On April 24 against the New York Mets, Kaz Matsui broke up Cain's bid for a perfect game with a single. While disappointed in a defeat, there was a sense of relief from the Angels on Monday that for now a no-hitter is not a part of their awful 2006 offensive resume.
"Of course you never want to get no-hit and Figgy came up big,'' said Dallas McPherson, who went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.
Maybe it's something about facing Bay Area pitchers. Cain became the first pitcher to record 10 strikeouts agianst the Angels since Oakland's Joe Blanton had 10 on Aug. 31 of last season.
Posted by Doug Padilla at 10:24 PM | Comments (0)
June 17, 2006
AL/NL differences
Watching Rafael Furcal fly to right and ground to short on the first pitch of each of his first two at-bats tonight -- running his slump to 3 for 33 to that point -- the point was driven home again about another major difference in the two leagues.
In the American League, working the count is simply part of the culture. It accomplishes two things.
First, it increases the odds that a hitter is eventually going to get a pitch he can drive, because the odds naturally turn more in his favor the more pitches he makes the pitcher throw.
Second, it makes the opposing pitcher work, and if an entire team can routinely work the count, there is a good chance that opposing starter will be out of a game by the middle innings, especially with the reluctance of most major-league managers these days to allow their starters to go much over 100 pitches.
That means more at-bats against the other team's middle relievers. And middle relievers usually are the least dominating, most hittable members of any team's staff.
For whatever reason, most National League teams don't stress working the count. Tim Wallach, the former Dodgers hitting coach under Jim Tracy, tried for two seasons to make it a key part of the club's approach, but it never seemed to catch on except for that aberrational stretch early last season when the club started 12-2 before collapsing.
I also believe it is a key reason why the N.L. can't seem to win a World Series anymore. That, and the tendency of N.L. managers to give up too many outs by sacrificing. But N.L. pitchers get to the World Series and are totally unaccustomed to having to work so hard for each out, to routinely throw six to eight pitchers to each batter, and it can have a devastating effect over the course of a short series.
Remember the Angels in 2002? Remember that key, Series-turning at-bat by Scott Spiezio in Game 6? Case in point.
BTW, Furcal did work the count in his next two at-bats and drew what might prove to be a critical, two-out walk in the seventh. He stole second and scored on Kenny Lofton's hit, giving the Dodgers a 2-1 lead. But he still is 3 for his past 34.
Posted by Tony Jackson at 07:37 PM | Comments (2)
June 15, 2006
Doug Padilla: A laughing matter
Angels manager Mike Scioscia has been using humor to fend off countless questions regarding his rotation and who will have to step aside when Bartolo Colon returns this weekend. On Wednesday, Scioscia said he asked everybody, including his dog, for an opinion. On Thursday, he was simply asked his his thoughts on the topic of the day.
"I worked out this morning and I'm going to more high protein, low carbs to drop the weight this time," he said. "We'll see if it can work. That's the topic you're talking about aren't you?"
In other words, as of the early evening Thursday, the Angels were not ready to announce a decision.
Posted by Doug Padilla at 08:16 PM | Comments (0)
June 14, 2006
Doug Padilla: Weavermania
So let's just say that Jered Weaver does stay in the Angels rotation (a decision not yet made at this posting) and he goes on to win his first eight starts. Would Weaver generate anything close to the buzz Fernando Valenzuela created when he started 8-0 in his rookie season with the Dodgers? The consensus is that he probably would not.
Part of the Valenzuela mystique was that his squishy physique made it seem like he was the common man shutting down the baseball establishment. He was your cousin, your neighbor, the guy who works at the bank. That was just one of the elements that added to Valenzuela's charm.
Weaver will get his accolades. No offense to the 23-year old, though, it's just that a first-round draft picks, who command millions of dollars when they sign, just don't pump up the masses like the guy who looks like a school teacher, a bus driver – heck, even a journalist – by day and can pitch a major-league team to victory by night. Clark Kent anybody?
"Being of Mexican heritage and pitching in a city like L.A., with such a rich Hispanic fan base, there were so many things that were special in there (for Valenzuela)," said Scioscia, who was catching for the Dodgers during Fernandomania. "I think within the baseball world, what Fernando did then, is what Jered is doing now and what (Orel) Hershiser did when he came up in '84 and put together his string of shutouts when he got into the rotation."
Posted by Doug Padilla at 08:30 PM | Comments (0)
don't hold your breath on Gagne
Eric Gagne probably will return to the Dodgers at some point this season. But the question is, how good will he be?
The best guess here is that he NEVER will approach the level of invincibility he had for all of 2003 and all but two games in 2004, that he will never dominate with such regularity. And realistically, who can really expect him to? That's a once-in-a-lifetime, one-shot deal that probably can't withstand two elbow operations.
The Dodgers are trying to do right by Gagne, insisting that when he returns, the closer role will be there for him. But if Takashi Saito continues to do that job he has done so far, how can they justify taking the role away from him? Granted, he is 36, and as Grady Little pointed out earlier this week, that presents a whole host of negative possibilities. But I think a lot of assumptions are being made about Gagne, not just among the fans but indeed among certain club officials, that he eventually will be the Gagne of old.
For my part, I'm not so sure.
Posted by Tony Jackson at 08:03 PM | Comments (0)
June 12, 2006
Doug Padilla: Erstad returns
The grumbling has gone on for some time now. Angels manager Mike Scioscia often is accused of showing extreme loyalty to Darin Erstad and will play the veteran through his struggles. Scoiscia likes the grinder style Erstad brings and often mentions "intangibles" when asked about him. But it's obvious Erstad no longer is the kind of guy who can put up 240 hits in a season like he did in 2000. He's not even close to being that guy. With Erstad returning from foot and ankle injuries he will be used sparingly at first. After he is healthy, Scioscia promises to go with the hot hand. Does Scioscia show too much loyalty to Erstad or has Erstad earned that amount of respect from his manager?
Posted by Doug Padilla at 05:44 PM | Comments (3)
June 07, 2006
Doug Padilla: Making the call on Weaver
The Angels certainly have a tough call on their hands deciding what to do with rookie Jered Weaver once Bartolo Colon comes back from the disabled list. Assuming Colon comes back in the upcoming week, Weaver likely will be sent down. He could be asked to take the rotation spot of brother Jeff Weaver, but since the older Weaver is making over $8 million and has limited bullpen experience, that move isn't likely. What should the Angels do with their rotation logjam?
Posted by Doug Padilla at 05:38 PM | Comments (3)
June 06, 2006
a new philosophy
The Dodgers clearly learned a harsh lesson last summer in drafting -- and failing to sign -- Luke Hochevar. That lesson manifested itself on the first day of this year's draft, when the Dodgers had three of the first 31 picks.
Scouting director Logan White, with the blessing of general manager Ned Colletti, made signability a priority in deciding whom to take. As a result, the club should be able to get deals done quickly with all three of those picks, pitcher Clayton Kershaw, pitcher Bryan Morris and infielder Preston Mattingly. The three figure to cost the Dodgers a grand total of about $4.5 million, which is only about half a million more than Hochevar was seeking last summer.
Meanwhile, Hochevar was the first overall pick in this year's draft, and it appears he'll get his $4 million bonus from Kansas City, an organization dying to change its image. New general manager Dayton Moore stayed in Atlanta to help run the Braves' draft, but one of his conditions in accepting the Royals job was that owner David Glass had to give him autonomy. Moore won't want to begin his regime by losing a No. 1 draft pick.
Posted by Tony Jackson at 08:35 PM | Comments (3081)