Tony and Doug Inside MLB

March 21, 2007

Angels: Follow me

There is a new address for the Angels blog and it's about time. It finally does not have to share a spot with Dodgers news. It can be found at www.insidesocal.com/angels. The first entry is up as the starting rotation was made official today.

Keep checking back all season for all the updated Angels news. Or should we say, updated as fast as we can get to it.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 01:47 PM | Comments (3)

March 19, 2007

Angels: Weaver pitches in simulated game

It's the off day, which never really means it's a day off, especially during the spring. At least I got to sleep in before I made my way to the Angels' complex to watch Jered Weaver pitch in a simulated game. He did some long toss in the outfield, had an extend warmup session where he threw some breaking balls and then threw 45 pitches (fastballs and changeups only) against live batters. He looked sharp uptil the end when minor-leaguer Mike Collins hit a home run on the second to last pitch. Afterward, Weaver said he is pain free from the biceps tendinitis that bothered him when camp started. He is on track for another simulated game later in the week. It still looks doubtful he will start during the first week of the season, though. He certainly should be ready by April 10 or 11.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 12:05 PM | Comments (3)

March 18, 2007

Angels: Old what's his name

Perhaps one day Cubs manager Lou Piniella will learn John Lackey's name, but for now, Lackey will have to settle for being "That Guy." After Lackey gave up just two hits over six innings agianst the Cubs, Piniella was impressed.

“That guy who pitches for the Angels had the best stuff I've seen in the Cactus League so far,” Piniella said.

The Angels beat the Cubs 4-0 in a split-squad game, but lost 6-5 across town to the Oakland A's when Chris Bootcheck allowed three runs in the bottom of the ninth. Mike Napoli and Robb Quinlan hit home runs against the A's. Howie Kendrick had three hits against the Cubs and now is batting .439 this spring.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 04:20 PM | Comments (3)

Angels: Learning curve continues

Gary Matthews Jr. and Garret Anderson closed in on a fly ball to left-center and it nearly dropped untouched. Matthews looked to be giving way to Anderson then hurried over to the ball at the last second to make the catch. Matthews said earlier this spring that he plans on being aggressive on most balls but it didn't look that way this time. Just goes to show you that it takes time to learn the habits of new teammates.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 01:27 PM | Comments (0)

Angels: Like riding a bike

Bartolo Colon faced batters for the first time since last July and said the experience felt like the first time he pitched in a youth league game at age 12. (Seems kind of late for a future Cy Young winner to start playing baseball). Anyway, Colon said it didn't take long to get comfortable with it and catcher Jose Molina said the session was impressive. Nobody wanted to say how much effort Colon was putting it but it was obvious he was not giving it his all. Another BP session could lead to a simulated game by next weekend or early next week.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 11:59 AM | Comments (0)

Angels: Colon to take mound

Bartolo Colon is expected to throw a live batting practice session within the hour. The right-hander, who had rotator cuff problems last year, is expected to pitch for about eight minutes or throw 30 pitches. More to come.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 10:17 AM | Comments (0)

March 17, 2007

Angels: Weaver throws b.p.

Jered Weaver faced live batters for the first time Saturday, using fastballs and changeups in a 30-pitch batting-practice session. The session was considered a success and he is on schedule to throw again in a few days.

Manager Mike Scioscia said he will decide within the week if Weaver will have done enough work to make his April 6 start. If he is pushed back to April 11 or 12, Weaver would likely start the season on the disabled list.

To start the season on the 15-day DL a player has to miss at least the first six days of the season. To fill out the 15 days, he would also not be able to pitch in a game during the nine days priot to the start of the season.

Weaver would be allowed to pitch in a minor-league game during the last week in camp if he is on the DL, just not in a game where fans pay admission.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 07:12 PM | Comments (0)

March 16, 2007

Angels: Giving a run away

Minor leaguer Adam Pavkovich didn't help his cause, costing the Angels a game-tying run in the eighth inning. Pavkovich came on to pinch run just before Chone Figgins hit a triple down the right-field line. Pavkovich scored easily, or so it was thought, to tie the game 3-3. The Brewers made an appeal at third and Pavkovich was called out for missing third base. Figgins was then thrown at home on a grounder and the Angels never scored.

When Pavkovich entered the game in the top of the ninth, the following press box p.a. announcement was made: "Pavkovich remains in the game at third base ... the base he missed."

Posted by Doug Padilla at 03:31 PM | Comments (0)

Angels: You are not the father

Just before the Brewers' Ozzie Chavez flew out to right field it was wondered aloud if the player was the love child of two of Venezuela's most famous sons, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen and president Hugo Chavez. Alas, further research was done and Chavez is a native of the Dominican Republic.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 02:57 PM | Comments (2)

Angels: Saunders is a scratch

Joe Saunders was scratched from Friday's start because of a sore muscle on the inside of his left forearm. Manager Mike Scioscia said the discomfort is nothing serious and said Saunders would have started if it was the regular season. Dustin Moseley, who appears to have a bullpen spot locked up, got the start instead and just completed a scoreless first inning against the Brewers, although he allowed a hit.

Saunders is expected to throw a bullpen session Saturday and then start against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday with a plan of throwing 75 pitches.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 01:11 PM | Comments (0)

Angels: Bad blood Brewing?

Word has it that Brewers manager Ned Yost is not thrilled with the Angels these days. It seems that Yost was upset the Angels only sent one regular (Howie Kendrick) to Thursday's game at the Brewers' home park. Never mind that Ervin Santana started and Francisco Rodriguez and Darren Oliver came on in relief in Thursday's game. After that game, Yost was overheard telling his starters they wouldn't be going to Tempe today. So here is the Brewers lineup for today's game: Hernan Iribarren 2B, Ozzie Chavez SS, Ryan Braun 3B, Mike Rivera C, Gabe Gross DH, Brady Clark RF, Vinny Rottino 1B, Tony Gwynn Jr. CF and Drew Anderson LF.

Not sure the Angels really care about the Brewers watered-down lineup. (Is that redundant?) And hey Ned, thanks for sending over Tony Gwynn's kid. It'll be nice to see how he compares to his pops at this stage of his development.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 12:22 PM | Comments (0)

Angels: Frankie protects trade secret

Here's some advice if you ever get a chance to meet Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez. Do not ask him to tell you how he holds his curveball and slider. Just take my word for it. Rodriguez was handed a ball by Robb Quinlan this morning. Quinlan wanted it signed by his teammate but a reporter standing nearby (OK, it was me) asked him to show the particular grips on his pitches. "No way," was Rodriguez's response. He explained that while his arm speed and arm angle on the two pitches are similar, his grip is obviously different and he didn't want anybody to know about it.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 11:31 AM | Comments (0)

Angels: Weaver has eye on Long Beach St.

Jered Weaver, a Long Beach State alum, admits he hasn't been keeping close tabls on the 49er basketball team but is well aware they are about to play Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament. Weaver says he knows the team can score with the best of them and he also knows that most national prognosticators don't give Long Beach State much of a chance to move on.

"I want to see them at least win the first one," he said.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 10:00 AM | Comments (0)

March 14, 2007

Angels: Hello out there

After some much-needed downtime it's time to once agian offer some tidbits from Angels camp, like this little item in the fourth inning on Wednesday

An inning after the Giants' Bengie Molina was unable to deliver on a hit-and run, brother Jose Molina turned the trick for the Angels by sending Howie Kendrick to third on a single up the middle. Then came the ultimate insult. Jose stole second base off Bengie and as the throw bounced away, Kendrick raced home with a steal of home. The odds seem good that one will be mentioned by Jose at dinner sometime soon.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 02:35 PM | Comments (0)

March 05, 2007

Angels: A's 8, Angels 7

The Angels' good fortune had to end some time A's rallied from a 7-1 deficit for the victory. It was the Angels' first defeat of the spring, leaving them 4-1 heading into Tuesday's contest against the Giants at Scottsdale. The Angels' bullpen was horrible as Greg Jones and Matt Hensley combined to give up six runs over a span of three innings. While not signaling out anybody in particular, manager Mike Scioscia lamented the inability of some young pitchers to throw first-pitch strikes.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 03:31 PM | Comments (3)

Angels: Seeing red

Just talked to Angels owner Arte Moreno on the advertising blitz that has painted the town red. Unless you've been on house arrest you've probably seen the simple red billboards with the Angels logo. The logo is on 1,000 billboards, bus stops and other advertising outlets throughout Southern California. Moreno said the intention is to get the team color out there with the start of the season less than a month away.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 03:12 PM | Comments (0)

Angels: Could Colon be back in April?

Manager Mike Scioscia said today that Bartolo Colon has a chance to pitch for the Angels in late April if he keeps progressing in rehab for rotator cuff damage. Scioscia even admitted he is surprised at the progress Colon makes on a daily basis. Colon threw on flat ground from 180 feet Sunday.

While May and even June seems more realistic for Colon's return, it is now obvious that the right-hander is getting stronger. The real question that remains is what kind of pitcher will Colon be upon his return? Odds of him being a high-90mph guy aren't good. Scioscia admitted that Colon is actually teaching himself how to throw again so even if he comes back early the jury still is out on what kind of success he might have.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 01:44 PM | Comments (0)

Angels: Murphy's law

Tommy Murphy just cracked an RBI double off the top of the right-field wall against A's pitcher Kaz Tadano and while it still is early in the spring, Murphy looks like the leader for the backup outfielder spot. Reggie Willits might be a better situational hitter, something Mike Scioscia likes, but Murphy has power potential and a rocket arm. On Saturday, Murphy crushed a home run against the Rockies at Tucson so he looks to be in a groove at this early stage of camp.

Murphy's hit gave the Angels a 7-1 lead in the fifth inning and so far they are on their way to their fifth victory in five tries this spring.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 01:33 PM | Comments (0)

March 04, 2007

Angels: Angels 5, Brewers 4

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

HIGHLIGHT REEL: Reggie Willits gave the Angels their second walk-off victory of the young spring with a ninth-inning RBI single up the middle to give the Angels a 5-4 victory. The Angels won their Cactus League opener on a game-ending fly ball from Hainley Statia. The team is now 4-0 this spring.

DUGOUT DIRT: Jeff Mathis continues to show solid defense, something that eluded him when he opened the season in the big leagues last season. Mathis easily threw out the Brewers' Laynce Nix on a stolen base attempt in the ninth inning.

QUOTE, UNQUOTE: “I think it was definitely beneficial for me to be playing up until January. All it can do is help.” Casey Kotchman, who had a home run among his two hits, on playing winter ball after missing most of last season with mononucleosis.

ON DECK: The Angels' Ervin Santana will face off against the Oakland Athletics' Brad Halsey, 12:05 p.m., 710-AM

Posted by Doug Padilla at 03:03 PM | Comments (0)

Angels: Erstad talks health, Angels fans and A.J.

I visited Darin Erstad on Saturday, going to White Sox camp in Tucson before watching the Angels play the Rockies later in the day across town. I wrote an entire story about it but with a busy high-school sports day I'm not sure it saw the light of day in any newspaper. So here it is in all its glory. Just click below.

By Doug Padilla
Staff Writer

TUCSON, Ariz. – Darin Erstad is doing just fine in Chicago White Sox spring camp, playing well and feeling healthy for the first time in over two years.
He is even ... GULP ... getting along swimmingly with A.J. Pierzynski, who has a nearby locker.
When two reporters who cover the Angels showed up in White Sox camp Saturday morning, Pierzynski figured more attention was heading his way. Well sorry A.J., this year there is a different White Sox tie to the Angels.
Erstad, who had surgery on his right ankle this off-season, is getting a chance to earn a starting spot in either center or left field. On Saturday he played in his third consecutive spring game and reported no discomfort.
“I'm very happy with how I feel and just getting back into the flow of playing again,” Erstad said. “I missed a lot of time and I'm just trying to get used to being on the field.”
For the past two years Erstad tried to grit his teeth and play through various injuries. It had an obvious impact on his game.
“You have to find a way to make due with what you have and I did as best as I could and it wasn't good enough,” Erstad said. “I'll move on and go from there.”
Erstad has heard about the small stir caused by a comment he made earlier this spring. While trying to let it be known that he is fully committed to the White Sox, he said the Angels were just another team and expressed his desire is to kick the stuffing – so to speak – out of them.
“The Angels were a huge part of my career and I'll have great memories but when you step on the field it's time to win baseball games,” Erstad said, patiently taking the time for those who conveniently forgot about his competitive nature. “That's how I feel against every team. It's not just my personal vendetta against the Angels. It's how I feel playing against anybody.”
The White Sox and Angels will square off for the first time this spring April 17 in Tucson and again April 27 at Tempe. But the matchups Erstad is anticipating take place April 27-29 at Chicago and May 4-6 when the White Sox visit Angel Stadium.
“Oh I might have a general idea of when the games are,” Erstad said with a smile when asked if has marked the dates on his calendar.
Unlike Tim Salmon last year, Erstad was shut down at the end of the season, depriving him of one farewell appearance or at-bat to receive acknowledgment from the home fans.
“I don't need that for personal stuff,” he said. “Obviously I have a very close relationship with the fans and the respect is mutual. It's going to be tough being there but when you strap it on you can throw all that out the window.”
The Angels are still discussing how to properly celebrate a fan favorite who now is in the opposing dugout. A video tribute is likely, at the very least. The hard-nosed Erstad isn't sure what to expect when he comes back to Orange County.
“I'm not expecting anything and I don't know what will happen,” Erstad said. “Like I said, I have a lot of things to worry about before we get to that point.”
As for Pierzynski, Erstad was asked a tongue-in-cheek question about how he is getting along with his new teammate, who was sitting at his locker a few feet away. Pierzynski, of course, took the bait, chiming in from a distance about reporters causing trouble.
Erstad said there has been no reason to talk about the 2005 American League Championship, joking or otherwise. Pierzynski, of course, advanced to first base in Game 2 on a perceived dropped third strike, opening the door for a White Sox victory.
“Hey, you guys know me, once the year is over and down with you can close the book,” said Erstad, who only objected to Pierzynski's University of Florida T-shirt. “That chapter is over. Things change and you just roll with it, just like I've said year after year. My focus was what was going on in that Angels locker room and now my focus is what's going on here. Find a way to make the team win. I have one-track mind with these guys.”

doug.padilla@sgvn.com
(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2731

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Posted by Doug Padilla at 07:28 AM | Comments (1)

Angels: 2 notebooks to choose from

I submitted two notebooks Saturday, one with Vladimir Guerrero as the lead item and another with a late update on Gary Matthews Jr.'s situation. Here are the links to both:

GUERRERO FEELING AS GOOD AS EVER
click here

Click below for a different lead item on Gary Matthews Jr. hiring a new lawyer

TUSCON, Ariz. -- Gary Matthews Jr. has ramped up his defense against allegations that he was a customer of a internet pharmacy accused of selling human growth hormone. Matthews has hired lawyer Robert Shapiro, who made a statement in defense of his new client.
“Gary wishes to cooperate with Major League Baseball, the Los Angeles Angels and any other investigative agency that may look into this matter,” Shapiro told the Associated Press on Saturday. “He is eager to tell his side of the story and looks forward to providing a statement once all investigations into the matter have been completed.
“However, it is my long-standing policy not to allow clients to comment while an investigation is ongoing. To do so would be inappropriate and I believe irresponsible.”
Angels owner Arte Moreno released a statement of his own Saturday on the unfolding Matthews situation.
“Both the Angels and I have strongly encouraged Gary to cooperate with any authority investigating this matter,” Moreno said. “Specifically, the Angels have asked (Matthews) to come forward and fully answer all questions surrounding the recent allegations against him. The organization continues to expect that this matter will come to a quick conclusion.”
Matthews, 32, has not commented on the matter since addressing the media briefly Wednesday.
“I just wanted to just express that I will come out and talk to you guys about it when the appropriate time comes,” Matthews said last week. “I want you guys to respect my position and I don’t want to become a distraction for my team and my teammates.”

Vladimir Guerrero said that with a doctor's advice, he declined to have arthroscopic knee surgery this off-season. The tactic worked as the two sore knees Guerrero played with in the second half last season feel better than ever.
Guerrero also said a thumb injury suffered in winter ball two years ago is much improved and he expects to make more accurate throws this season.
“With the help of (coach) Ron (Roenicke) and working in the outfield to get on top of the ball more, my throwing has improved a lot the past couple weeks,” Guerrero said through Angels broadcaster Jose Mota, who was serving as interpreter.

One day after saying he was told he might not break camp with the team, Jered Weaver backed off that statement. On Friday, Weaver was quoted as saying he might stay back for extended spring and miss possibly one or two starts to open the season.
On Saturday, he said he still is focused on making his April 6 start at home against the Oakland Athletics.
“Everything’s on schedule,” said Weaver, who has been dealing with a sore biceps since before camp began. “I should get off a mound in a week. (There's) no discomfort anymore.”
Manager Mike Scioscia said that Weaver has somewhere between a week and 10 days to throw from a mound. If he can't make that schedule, his opening start of the season will be delayed.

After missing the last three days in camp because of bronchitis, John Lackey made an appearance saying he was feeling much better. He is expected to have a bullpen session Monday and then pitch in his first Cactus League game Thursday with a 45-pitch limit. He was supposed to start Saturday.

The Angels turned an unorthodox triple play in the third inning Saturday on a Steve Finley line drive that Casey Kotchman caught at first base just above the dirt. With runners moving from first and second on the play, Kotchman flipped the ball to Dustin Moseley to catch the runner off first base. Moseley then threw to Erick Aybar to catch the runner off second base.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 07:13 AM | Comments (0)

March 03, 2007

Angels: Matthews hires lawyer

On the same day Gary Matthews Jr. hired attorney Robert Shapiro to handle his defense of accusations he allegedly purchased human growth hormone over the internet, Angels owner Arte Moreno released a statement of his own on the matter.

Click below to read the full text of Moreno's statement.

A STATEMENT FROM ARTE MORENO
The Angels and I have long been committed to eliminating the use of performance
enhancing substances from the game of baseball. We have fully supported the
adoption and implementation of Major League Baseball and the Major League
Baseball Player's Association's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
We have routinely educated our players about the dangers of performance
enhancing substances and strongly encouraged players to avoid their use.
Recently, our organization has supported the investigation initiated by
Commissioner Bud Selig and conducted by Senator George Mitchell into the use of
performance enhancing substances in baseball, has cooperated with that
investigation, and will continue to cooperate with that investigation.
This week, the Angels and I were disappointed to learn that the name of one of
our players, Gary Matthews Jr., has been allegedly associated with an
investigation into the sale of performance enhancing substances by an internet
pharmacy in Florida.
Both the Angels and I have strongly encouraged Gary to cooperate with any
authority investigating this matter. Specifically, the Angels have asked him to
come forward and fully answer all questions surrounding the recent allegations
against him. The organization continues to expect that this matter will come to
a quick conclusion.
These recent revelations continue to highlight that baseball and all other
sports must continue to directly address the issue of performance enhancing
substances. There is no place in baseball for such substances, and we have and
will continue to do what we can to eliminate them from the game.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 09:12 PM | Comments (0)

Angels: Unusual triple play

The Angels just turned an odd triple play to get out of a mess in the third inning. With runners on first and second, Casey Kotchman caught a line drive. Dustin Moseley was over to cover first base and caught the runner off the bag for the second out. Moseley then threw to Erick Aybar to get the runner off the bag at second base. It wasn't the prettiest triple play of all time but three outs on one play can't be argued with.

And if all that didn't make any sense, the game will be shown tonight on Fox Sports Net West beginning at 7 p.m.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 01:02 PM | Comments (0)

Angels: In the flight path

One interesting thing about Tucson's Hi Corbett Field, where the Angels are currently playing the Colorado Rockies, is the close proximity to a nearby Air Force base. Fighter jets fly by most of the afternoon with one that just buzzed the crowd, earning one of the biggest cheers of the day so far.

"Garret's here," was the joke in the press box after the roar had died down.

Since Garret Anderson hasn't had to travel for a game in Tucson in about four years (a member of the Angels media department just called him to confirm that) maybe he found a quicker way to make the 100-mile journey south.

By the way, it's 1-0 Angels in the third inning on an RBI single by Reggie Willits.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 12:41 PM | Comments (0)

March 02, 2007

Angels: late updates

There was no internet access at the Cubs' ballpark in Mesa today so thus, no blogging. OK, there was internet, it just wasn't working with my computer. I'm sure there was a way to fix it but nobody who saw my frustrations knew how to help

Here are the day's behind-the-sceens highlights:

Mike Scioscia objected to the way a story was written. OK, it was my story. The way Scioscia read it, it looked like he felt Gary Matthews Jr.'s silence was making him look guilty. Scioscia said he was talking about looking guilty in the court of public opinion, not in his eyes. Just clearing the air for you here, Mike. (I asked if he wanted a correction of some type in print but he declined. We're doing it here anyway.) Goes to show how sensitive this subject has become and will be for the Angels.

Scioscia also talked today about the new baseball policy where he can't talk about a player's off-the-field injuries or illnesses unless the player signs a waiver for it. He can talk about baseball-related injuries without a signature. All in the name of personal privacy, I guess. The subject came up in regard to John Lackey's bronchitis that won't allow him to pitch on Saturday. Scioscia couldn't tell the media what was ailing his ace. Good thing there are other (private) ways to obtain information.

Going to the Cubs' ballpark in Mesa is always interesting. The first ticket scalper was spotted at least a mile from the ballpark near a freeway offramp.

The Cubs really need to get to know their American League counterparts, especially the Angels. Not only was Joe Saunders listed on a lineup as "Jose" Saunders, there was a banner behind the press box that read "California Angels." Talk about being behind the times.

That's it for now. We'll work on the internet issue in Tucson on Saturday when the Angels face the Rockies. Hector Carrasco will start for Lackey and he could make a case to be a starter the opening week of the season if Jered Weaver can't recover from his biceps tendinitis in time.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 04:44 PM | Comments (0)

March 01, 2007

Angels: Rally for win in lid lifter

If you weren't listening to today's game on the radio - and we will assume you weren't - the Angels rallied for the victory in the Cactus League opener. With the Angels trailing 6-4 in the bottom of the ninth, Sean Rodriguez started it off with a double. Nick Gornealut singled and went to second on the throw home, putting runners on second and third. Rodriguez scored when Terry Evans' ground ball to shortstop was mishandled, putting the Angels down 6-5 with runners on the corners. Gorneault scored on a game-tying single by Mike Eylward. After a sacrifice bunt by Erick Aybar, Robb Quinlan was intentionally walked to load the bases. Hainley Statia, who played at Double-A last season, won the game with a sacrifice fly to right.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 03:27 PM | Comments (1)

Angels: Matthews to play on

As more news continues to surface in Gary Matthews Jr.'s alleged involvement with an internet-based pharmacy accused of distributing human growth hormone illegally, the new Angels outfielder insists on playing in order to be ready for the regular season.

On Tuesday, when news of the Matthews link to a New York grand jury investigation first surfaced, Matthews insisted on playing in an intrasquad game and got a hit in two at-bats. He started in Thursday's Cactus League opener and went 0-for-2 against the Kansas City Royals. He fouled out to the catcher in the first inning and popped out to shallow center in the third. It does not seem as though Matthews will need time off.

"I don't see that as a course of action unless it became apparent he needed it to sort things out," manager Mike Scioscia said Thursday morning. "He wants to play."

Posted by Doug Padilla at 02:29 PM | Comments (0)

Angels: Santana sliding into shape

Ervin Santana withstood some control problems and did not allow a run in his two innings of work against the Kansas City Royals in the spring opener. He did walk two batters with two strikeouts. Santana said the walks were due to simple rust since he hasn't pitched in a game since October.

Santana, who has been working on tightening his slider, threw three against the Royals. Both of his strikeouts were on sliders while the other slider was for a strike.

The right-hander said after the outing that he is ahead of where he usualy is at this time of the spring and credits that to experience. His figures his slider will help him achieve his goals, which he is keeping to himself. He would only say that by reaching his goals he would have to improve on his numbers last season (16-8 with a 4.28 ERA).

Posted by Doug Padilla at 01:54 PM | Comments (0)

February 28, 2007

Angels: Matthews speaks

Gary Matthews Jr. addressed the media this morning about being implicated in an investigation into internet pharmacies that are accused of distributing human growth hormone (HGH).

Matthews: I just want to tell you guys that I’m not really in a position to answer any specific questions on yesterday’s story. I do want to say that I do expect it to resolve itself here in the near future, pretty soon. I’ve got my representative looking for more information on it and to find out stuff and until we find out more stuff, I just can’t comment on it. I ask that you guys respect my position on it. I don’t want to be a distraction to my team and there’s things that they’re trying to do on the field to be ready for the coming season. I do want to tell you guys that at the appropriate time I will address the matter.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 10:39 AM | Comments (1)

Angels: Kids will be kids

Down on Field 2 this morning, Hector Carrasco and Kelvim Escobar were clowining around. While standing in foul territory halfway up the right-field line Carrasco reached back and threw a ball toward center field. The ball rattled off the aluminum batter's eye that towers over the center field fence. The feat earned a chuckle from Escobar.

Realizing somebody just aired their arm out so early in the morning - and so early in camp for that matter - Scioscia yelled in the direction of the players assembled along the right-field line to stop. He didn't realize it was Carrasco but the right-hander had the guiltiest look on his face.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 10:32 AM | Comments (1)

February 27, 2007

Angels: Naopli delivers

The Angels' intrasquad game is winding down with the offensive highlight a two-run home run to straightaway center field by Mike Napoli. The drive, which came on Napoli's first at-bat of the game, came off Dustin Moseley, who had a miserable half-inning of work.

Newcomer Phil Seibel made quick work of his first half inning in an Angels uniform.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 12:02 PM | Comments (0)

Angels: Escobar looks good

Kelvim Escobar got out of the bottom of the first in the intrasquad game allowing just a walk to Orlando Cabrera. It was a respectable inning considering Escobar faced Gary Matthews Jr. (broken-bat grounder to second), Cabrera, and Chone Figgins (grounder to third). Cabrera's pinch runner, Hainley Statia, was picked off first by catcher Jose Molina.

Hector Carrasco now pitching for John Lackey.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 11:37 AM | Comments (0)

Angels: Lackey slightly lacking

The opening half inning of the intrasquad game did not go so well for projected Opening Day starter John Lackey. To his credit, he did not get help from Chone Figgins at third base on the opening batter of the game. Maicer Izturis hit a shot that Figgins was unable to field cleanly to his left. The vote in the press box was split with some thinking it was an error and some thinking it was a hit.

Later in the half inning, Robb Quinlan doubled and Casey Kotchman followed with a two-run single to right.

Kelvim Escobar on the mound now in the bottom of the first.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 11:25 AM | Comments (0)

Angels: Intrasquad game lineups

Today's intrasquad game is expected to start around 12:15 p.m. on the stadium field, and by the looks of it the gates will be open to the public, with admission free of charge. If you're in the area (and since we're in Arizona you're probably not) stop on by, although there is no guarantee the gates will be left open. Anyway, after all that uncertainty, here are the starting lineups:

Gary Matthews CF, Orlando Cabrera SS, Chone Figgins 3B, Shea Hillenbrand 1B, Mike Napoli C, Howie Kendrick 2B, Curtis Pride LF, Tommy Murphy RF, Bobby Wilson DH. John Lackey is the starting pitcher.

vs.

Maicer Izturis 2B, Erick Aybar SS, Robb Quinlan 3B, Casey Kotchman 3B, Jose Molina C, Jeff Mathis DH, Reggie Willits CF, Nick Gorneault RF, Nathan Haynes LF. Kelvim Escobar is the starting pitcher.

If the first team does not win in the six-inning game, something is amiss. Game details to come this afternoon.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 10:04 AM | Comments (0)

February 26, 2007

Angels: Rivera update

Juan Rivera's initial fears that his career had ended have been subdued and now he optimistically targets June for a return to action. Rivera, who made his first appearance in camp Monday, broke his left tibia running out a ground ball to first base in a Dec. 22 winter ball game in Venezuela. He said he hit a ground ball to first base and tried to beat the pitcher to the bag. Instead of touching the inside if the first-base bag, the pitcher stepped on the outside of the bag and Rivera stepped on his leg. Rivera's leg snapped at the calf, leaving his foot dangling and pointing in the wrong direction.

“I'm 35, 40 percent,” said Rivera, who will spend the next five weeks doing rehabilitation in Arizona. “I was in Miami and I talked to the doctor and he told me I was (healing) fast.”

Posted by Doug Padilla at 01:53 PM | Comments (0)

Angels: Seibel the beer guy

Angels pitcher Phil Seibel was in charge of the morning presentation today, telling the team the details of brewing home beer. Seibel picked up the hobby from a Jon Switzer, a pitcher in the Tampa Bay Devil Rays organization, whom Seibel works out with in the offseason.

With a $200 home brew kit, Seibel said he was off and running. Among the kind of beers he has brewed at home are ales, wheat beers, IPAs and stouts. He offered manager Mike Scioscia a sample after the workout but it won't mature for another week so it was a bit flat.

The morning presentation had a number of interesting tidbits including the fact that the law allows for 100 gallons of beer to be produced at home each year for all adults over 21. That means a married couple can be swimming in 200 gallons of beer each year. Remember, these are facts from Seibel's research so don't call me when it's time to see the judge.

More facts: Alabama does not allow the home brewing of beer. Seibel also explained that in the brewing process malts add the flavor while hops add bitterness.

Asked if he ever considered making some moonshine, Seibel laughed and said it had been considered but at this point he hasn't tried it.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 01:14 PM | Comments (0)

Angels: Rivera arrives in camp

Juan Rivera, who still is on crutches for a broken tibia, made his first appearance in camp Monday morning. Rivera was recently examined in Florida and will be getting an examination by Angels doctors here soon. There is no new timetable on his return, but one could be coming shortly. Rivera declined an interview request this morning but a member of the Angels' PR staff said an interview could happen this afternoon. More updates on Rivera to come.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 09:34 AM | Comments (0)

Angels: Santana puts away crystal ball

Ervin Santana said he will not partake in the prediction game this season. Asked if he has specific goals for the 2007 season, Santana said he did but didn't care for them to be known. Pressed on the subject, all Santana would say is that he plans on improving on his past numbers.

Since his victory total went from 12 to 16 last season, it is likely he has a 20-win season on the brain. His ERA also has inched lower in his first two seasons and something in the high 3.00 range could be a target.

Those numbers would be impressive stuff for a guy in just his third season and who turned just 24 in December. Santana believes that slider he has been working on, the one where he he stays with it all the way to the finish, will be a factor this season since he went away from throwing it for long stretches last season.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 07:00 AM | Comments (0)

February 25, 2007

Angels: Peek into starting rotation

John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar each will pitch Tuesday when the Angels conduct an intrasquad game. Hector Carrasco and Dustin Moseley are also among 12 pitchers who will throw in the intrasquad game.

Ervin Santana is in line to start the Cactus League opener Thursday against the Kansas City Royals.

The schedule gives an inside peek at the regular-season rotation, something Scioscia has refused to disclose. If Lackey starts on Opening Day, as expected, it appears as if he will be followed by Escobar and then Santana.

Joe Saunders and Jered Weaver would assume the final two spots of the rotation. With Weaver behind schedule because of biceps tendinitis, it is likely he would take the No. 5 spot in the rotation to give him more recovery time.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 01:13 PM | Comments (0)

Angels: Bengie severs Angels tie

It's official, Bengie Molina has turned his back on his Angels roots. Actually, that's not quite fair. Molina, who is now with the San Francisco Giants, has elected to not discuss the Angels' 2002 World Series victory since it came at the expense of his new team. Makes perfect sense.

"It's not something that should be brought up," Molina told the San Francisco Chronicle in a story about the new World Series champions now in the Bay Area.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 11:23 AM | Comments (0)

February 24, 2007

Angels: Disco Howie Kendrick

Manager Mike Scioscia has done his best over the last couple of years to slap a nickname on Howie Kendrick. He continues to call Kendrick "Truck," which is a nod to Motown. Eddie Kendricks, a former member of the Temptations, broke off for a solo career and his first No. 1 hit was called "Keep on Truckin." According to the Wikipedia website, "Keep on Truckin" is often considered the first song of the disco era.

Eddie Kendricks' original name was Edward James Kendrick, but there is no relation to the Angels' rising young star. And the Angels' Kendrick has no plans to add an "s" to the end of his name.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 09:48 AM | Comments (0)

Angels: Disco Howie Kendrick

Manager Mike Scioscia has done his best over the last couple of years to slap a nickname on Howie Kendrick. He continues to call Kendrick "Truck," which is a nod to Motown. Eddie Kendricks, a former member of the Temptations, broke off for a solo career and his first No. 1 hit was called "Keep on Truckin." According to the Wikipedia website, "Keep on Truckin" is often considered the first song of the disco era.

Eddie Kendricks' original name was Edward James Kendrick, but there is no relation to the Angels' rising young star. And the Angels' Kendrick has no plans to add an "s" to the end of his name.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 09:48 AM | Comments (0)

February 23, 2007

Angels: Wood parts the heavens

Brandon Wood is taking ground balls at third base on the stadium infield and after making a tough grab to his left and turning a double play, the clouds parted and the sun came out for the first time today. Not to be dramatic or anything, but that really happened. Not sure it means anything more than the storm has passed, but the timing was uncanny. It seems Wood already is well versed in the difference between shortstop and third as he is getting his hands well out in front of his body while fielding balls as a third baseman.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 10:34 AM | Comments (0)

Angels: Rain chases team onto field

The Angels got an early start this morning, at least by a half hour, in an attempt to beat an approaching rain storm that was pounding the Mariners and Padres camps in Chandler, Ariz., about 20 minutes to the northwest. By the time the line of rain had reached Tempe, though, the storm clouds had relented, leaving the Angels as dry as those sandwiches they are given for lunch.

Not sure if workouts will end a half early today or they will use the time to subject the catchers to extra foul-popup, or plate-blocking drills. The Angels really push their catchers, which is no surprise since their manager was one.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 09:04 AM | Comments (0)

February 22, 2007

Angels: Figgins to go even bigger

After complying with the Angels' request to try a larger glove, Chone Figgins said the team has requested he try an even bigger size. Figgins said he was using an 11½-inch glove last season and changed to an 11¾-inch glove this off-season. He is now awaiting for a shipment of gloves over 12 inches in length.

“They said just try it and you never know,” Figgins said.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 07:43 PM | Comments (0)

Angels: So far so good for Wood

Brandon Wood took about 45 ground balls at third base and doesn't think it will be that tough to adapt after playing shortstop for nearly all of his baseball career.

“The main thing for me is to make sure my timing is on,'' Wood said. “I won't be able to track the ball all the way into the hitter. At shortstop you get an idea of the location and you can kind of break to the area you think it might go. At third you have to take your eye off the pitcher, pick a zone and let it come to you.”

Wood gathered plenty of advice, saying he has received tips in recent days from Chone Figgins, Dallas McPherson, infield coach Alfredo Griffin, Double-A coach Keith Johnson, minor-league field coordinator Bruce Hines, Cedar Rapids manager Bobby Magallanes.

Wood will work with Robb Quinlan on Friday to glean the proper technique for fielding bunts.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 05:11 PM | Comments (0)

February 21, 2007

Angels: Lackey ahead of schedule

John Lackey threw his first live batting-practice session of the spring and manager Mike Scioscia was impressed.

“Last year at this time he wasn't as far along as he is now,” said Scioscia, who still declined to name Lackey as his Opening Day starter. “He really feels good and had a great workout.”

Posted by Doug Padilla at 01:33 PM | Comments (0)

Angels: Arte makes a signature change

After a week of walking aorund the spring-training complex in Tempe, there have been very little changes, save for one. There is a new highway billboard stationed just off Interstate 10 in the parking lot behind the right-field fence. The way the billboard was installed there won't even be a loss of one parking space.

But seeing its presence automatically makes you wonder about owner Arte Moreno's involvement. Sure enough, Moreno admitted that the billboard is his. While he sold his outdoor advertising company for the fortune that allowed him to purchase the Angels, Moreno said he still has some billboards here and there that he uses to make a quick buck.

Maybe the added revenue stream will help the Angels get the exact guy they're looking for on the free-agent market next offseason.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 11:05 AM | Comments (0)

Angels: Wood to third base

The Angels confirmed that Brandon Wood will indeed get time at third base this spring, which is what just about everybody predicted would happen with the slugging high-level prospect. The experiment will begin in two days when the Angels start to work on fielding fundamentals. Manager Mike Scioscia did say that Wood's days at shortstop have not ended just that they are making Wood more versatile to give him an additional path to the major leagues. Scioscia also claimed the move was not done because Erick Aybar also projects as a Triple-A shortstop this season.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 09:17 AM | Comments (0)

February 20, 2007

Angels: McPherson in camp

Dallas McPherson, a Phoenix-area resident, was on hand in the morning as the Angels gathered as a full team for the first time this spring. Four weeks removed from back surgery to fuse two lower vertebra, McPherson said he is walking two miles a day and about to increase that to three miles.

He still is eight weeks away from any strenuous rehab but remains encouraged for a full recovery. He is following the recovery plans of Dallas Cowboys tight end Anthony Fasano, among others, but still does not know if he will be able to get into any games this season.

“If it happens to (cost) this whole season, so be it; I don’t have any options,” McPherson said. “I’ll try to get back as soon as I can. Luckily in this day and age, there’s a lot of ball after the season. There’s instructional league, there’s fall ball, there’s winter ball, there’s a lot of things I can do to get ready for spring training and try to get my timing back and make it a little better progression.”

Posted by Doug Padilla at 02:30 PM | Comments (0)

Angels: Gang's all here

Everybody looked to be present in the locker room early this morning in preparation for the first full-squad workout. Manager Mike Scioscia later confirmed that indeed, everybody is here. The morning team meeting lasted a little longer than usual as the players were no doubt inspired. The media is not allowed in the locker room during the meeting so we can only speculate that the main thing said was to simply forget about last season and the poor start.

Owner Arte Moreno was in the meeting and I can see him now walking on the main stadium field. The new outfield of Garret Anderson, Gary Matthews Jr. and Vladimir Guerrero were just together in left field running a drill where they have to track down a ball at the wall.

Spring training is definitely in full swing.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 10:35 AM | Comments (0)

Angels: First spring injury

Projected Triple-A catcher Brent Del Chiaro suffered the first injury of the spring, breaking the bone at the tip of his right middle finger. The injury happened Monday during plate-blocking drills when a ball took a awkward hop and hit the tip of his bare hand. Del Chiaro is expected to miss at least eight weeks.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 10:14 AM | Comments (0)

February 19, 2007

Angels: Mota gets an extension

The Angels gave a contract extension to Jose Mota that keeps him through 2010 as the team's Spanish language color commentator. Click below to see the Angels' news release.

JOSE MOTA SIGNS MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION
TO CONTINUE AS ANGELS SPANISH RADIO COLOR ANALYST

ANAHEIM, CA - The Angels Monday agreed to terms on a multi-year contract
extension through 2010 with Jose Mota to remain as the club's Spanish radio
color analyst. The announcement was made by Club President Dennis Kuhl.

"Jose has been a valued asset to our broadcast team and organization for several
seasons," said Kuhl. "We are pleased to keep him with the Angels' family for
years to come."

Mota enters his sixth season as the Angels' Spanish radio color analyst on AM
830 and will also handle play-by-play duties on Fox Sports Net West/KCOP with
Mark Gubicza. He will continue to participate in his role on pre and post-game
shows on FSN West. Mota served as the third broadcaster during Angels telecasts
on KCAL 9 for two seasons (2004-05) and last season, he joined FSN West as a
member of the pre and post-game shows.

Mota also handles the color analyst duties for selected national broadcasts
during Saturday's Game of the Week on FOX, and was part of Fox's ALCS broadcast
team in 2006. Mota has co-hosted World Series specials for ESPN Radio in
addition to the Angels' hot stove program "Angels Clubhouse" during the
off-season.

A former Major League baseball player with the San Diego Padres (1991) and
Kansas City Royals (1995), Mota was originally drafted by the Chicago White Sox
in 1985. He was a two-time Collegiate All-American second baseman at Cal State
Fullerton. He was the starting second baseman for the 1984 National Champion
Titans.

A native of Santo Domingo, DR Mota is the son of longtime Dodger Manny Mota. He
and his family make their home in Glendora, CA.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 05:24 PM | Comments (0)

Angels: Kotchman in the swing

Casey Kotchman has been looking strong in early batting practice sessions. He continues to hit impressive home runs and put on a show while taking batting practice with the catchers as a light rain fell Monday. Kotchman is allowed to take part in drills because he is coming off an injury (actually an illness) last season. Otherwise, only pithcers and catchers can take part in active drills. The rest of the club will get into action Tuesday morning in the first full-squad workout.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 12:56 PM | Comments (0)

Angels: Bits and pieces from Day 5 of camp

Players will take the field at 10 a.m. Tuesday for the first full-squad workout of the spring. All healthy players are expected to be in attendance. ... Francisco Rodriguez (sore right hamstring) had a flat-ground throwing session Monday and went through PFP (pitchers' fielding practice) drills. He is a few days away from his first bullpen session of the spring. ... Jim Abbott arrived in camp Monday and will be a guest instructor. ... Tim Salmon will report to camp Tuesday to begin a two-week stint as guest instructor. He will work for one week in major-league camp and another on the minor-league side. ... Former longtime Mt. San Antonio College baseball coach Art Mazmanian also will be in camp Tuesday as a guest instructor. Mazmanian, father of Angels director of communications Nancy Mazmanian, retired seven years ago after 35 years at Mt. SAC.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 12:49 PM | Comments (0)

Angels: rain is falling

A light rain is falling in Tempe right now (the first of the spring) but it isn't enough to suspend drills. Pitchers are still taking part in PFP (pitchers' fielding practice) on two practice fields. Tommy Murphy is the latest position player to report and is playing catch in the outfield at Tempe Diablo Stadium.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 09:31 AM | Comments (0)

Angels: Colon, Rivera update

Not all of the items submitted for today's Angels notebook made it into print (online or in the newspaper). The stray item is an update on injuries to Bartolo Colon and Juan Rivera:

Scioscia does not think the injuries to Colon and Juan Rivera will wind up costing them the season. Colon is rehabbing rotator cuff problems, while Rivera broke his tibia in winter ball.

With Colon, the real question revolves around what type of pitcher he will be when he returns.

“Bart's injury is one that historically heals itself; it will heal,” Scioscia said. “The timeframe of it, I don't know, and how much stuff a pitcher retains after an injury like this will vary. But Bart will be back pitching at some point.”

The Angels still are awaiting an examination on Rivera to get an idea of when he might return. That examination might happen in two weeks. As of now, the likely timetable is to have him back around the All-Star break.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 09:06 AM | Comments (0)

Angels: Behind closed doors

Locker room access is limited this morning as the Angels have their first Major League Baseball-mandated meeting of the spring.

Former umpire Steve Palermo is in camp today as the Angels are kept abreast with rules changes, the first in baseball since 1996.

Among the changes, a position player now will be suspended 10 days for intentionally scuffing a baseball. Games delayed by rain that are tied after five innings no longer will be replayed but will be resumed from the point they are stopped. Players are not allowed to step into a dugout to catch a foul popup but still can reach into a dugout.

In another change that likely has its roots in the 2005 American League Championship Series involving the Angels, a batter can advance to first base after a dropped third strike only if he hasn't left the dirt area around home plate in any direction other than up the first-base line.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 07:17 AM | Comments (0)

February 18, 2007

Angels: Defense in the spotlight

It comes as no surprise that the Angels will make defense a priority this spring, much in the same way the Detroit Tigers will focus on their PFP (pitchers' fielding practice) drills after their World Series blunders.

The Angels were the worst fielding team in the American League last season, committing 124 errors for a .979 fielding percentage. The fielding miscues led to 80 unearned runs after the Angels led the league in that category in 2005 with just 45 unearned runs.

The most notable change will be the larger glove used by Chone Figgins as he tries to overcome fielding issues at third base. Figgins had 16 errors last season, 10 of which came in 34 games (280 1/3 innings) at third.

“I'm very comfortable with the system and with what (fielding coach Alfredo Griffin) does with the infielders,'' manager Mike Scioscia said. “We've got some work to do because we're going to have different chemistry on the infield with rookie (Howie) Kendrick at second, Figgy at third and (Casey Kotchman), Kendry (Morales), (Robb) Quinlan or (Shea) Hillenbrand at first.”

Even though defense will be a priority, there are no plans to add additional drills.

“There's nothing more we can to pound these guys with it,” Scioscia said. “Obviously we need to do things better on the defensive side. The solution comes in different forms and hopefully this year it will be with the addition of (Gary) Matthews (Jr.), with Figgy getting comfortable at third base and stability at first base.”

A return to the type of defense the Angels played in 2005 just might be the difference in advancing to the postseason.

“Defense certainly had an impact,” Scioscia said. “The number of unearned runs we gave up was off the charts. But if we had played erratic defense (and) hit anywhere near where we should have the first month and a half, it could have been a different outcome.”

Posted by Doug Padilla at 01:32 PM | Comments (0)

February 17, 2007

Angels: Molina not angry

Jose Molina insists he holds no grudges for missing out on a $25,000 bonus when he was benched for most of the final week last season. Molina needed just a handful of plate appearances to reach 250 and activate the bonus. He did not play in the final five games.
“I don't even think about that anymore,” he said. “That's already in the past. It doesn't matter if I get the bonus or anything like that. I will come to spring training ready to go and ready to do my job. That's in the past. I don't care anymore and don't even bring it up any more.”
Molina still earned a $100,000 games-played bonus from last season that will be paid this year. His $1.35 million salary was raised to $1.45 million.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 09:24 PM | Comments (0)

February 16, 2007

Angels: Lackey waits for official word

Even though he looks like the Angels' obvious Opening Day starter, manager Mike Scioscia refused to grant John Lackey that honor after just two days of workouts.

“John's certainly has made strides in the last three or four years of being a lead dog guy in a rotation,” Scioscia said. “You're excited about all five but to start to label guys one, two, three doesn't do anything for what we're looking for.
“You need five good guys and if one guy is going to take the lead and be the guy that has the consistency and goes out there and stops losing streaks or carries winning streaks forward, that's beautiful. John has that in him and he's done it at time.”
Along with being the staff ace, Lackey figures to find himself in a leadership role.
“We lost some definite leaders in the clubhouse this off-season,” said Lackey, who has some experience in the role as his high school quarterback and football captain. “Guys will definitely have to step up and it might be my turn to be one of those guys.”

Posted by Doug Padilla at 08:26 PM | Comments (0)

Angels: Weaver injury update

Jered Weaver downplayed any serious problems Friday, but the facts certainly look alarming.
Not only did Weaver say he will not throw from a mound for another two weeks, but he admitted to having an MRI in the days before spring training. The MRI on his right biceps came back negative for any serious problems. Weaver also said the biceps tendonitis that affected him last season is something he likely will deal with the rest of his career.

Despite it all, Weaver tried to be reassuring.
“No, it's not as huge as you guys think,” he said.
Weaver's pitching mechanics are blamed for the tendonitis, but those mechanics are also what has led to the 24-year old's success throughout his pitching career.
“(They are) a little different mechanics – long,” said Weaver, who played long toss from 120 feet Friday. “And it's a little different arm slot than everybody else. I kind of fly open and it’s a little bit more stress on my shoulder. It just comes along with the mechanics and the deception, I guess.”
When the tendonitis bothers him, Weaver said he feels soreness in the front of his right arm along the muscle where it attaches to the shoulder.
“The way I throw, it’s obviously going to be issues,” Weaver said. “Ive had issues with it ever since high school, ever since I was little. Its just something that I’ve got to deal with and work it out. The MRI came back negative so it’s just a matter of working it out.”
Manager Mike Scioscia was not about to commit to Weaver's two-week timetable.
“I don’t think it’s anything that’s going to be extended to where he’s going to miss any appreciable time of the season,” Scioscia said. “I think we’re going to see where it is when he gets on the mound and it should happen shortly. If it takes two weeks, it takes two weeks, but I don’t think it’s going to be that long yet.”

Posted by Doug Padilla at 02:18 PM | Comments (0)

February 15, 2007

Angels: Weaver held back on Day 1

Although not expected to be serious, the first red alert of Angels camp has gone out.

Jered Weaver did not throw from a mound on the first day of workouts for pitchers and catchers Thursday and the day of his first bullpen session remains in question.

Weaver, who dealt with a bout of biceps tendonitis last season that delayed his first start of the second half, came into camp behind schedule. After throwing a combined 200 innings between the minor and major leagues last season, Weaver notified the Angels in the winter that his shoulder needed a break.

Weaver didn't begin throwing until recently, leaving him unable to extend himself in the early days of camp.

“He's feeling good and getting there but there is no need for him to be on the mound right now,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “We'll see where he is and hopefully get him on the mound shortly.”

It could be that Weaver's holdout year of 2004 has finally caught up with him. He pitched just 76 competitive innings at two minor-league levels in 2005. Then came 77 innings at Triple-A Salt Lake last year and 123 with the Angels.

Weaver isn't too concerned about the setback and isn't lacking for confidence heading into his first full season in the major leagues.

“My confidence is definitely a little higher coming into spring training knowing what to expect and knowing the guys in here,” Weaver said Thursday. “I think it's good for me knowing that. But at the same time, there is always somebody trying to take your job too.

“I know I'm still (young) and things like that so I'm still going to battle my ass of this spring training and do whatever I did last spring training and take it into this one.”

Posted by Doug Padilla at 01:55 PM | Comments (0)

Angels: Taskmaster Percival

If his work with a Riverside County Little League team is any indication, new Angels roving pitching instructor Troy Percival is going to be demanding. Percival is in camp to provide instruction for the first week but will return home to tend to the Little League team he manages before returning to Angels camp later in the month.

John Lackey and former Angel Adam Kennedy went to see Percival's Little League team play recently and Lackey said his former teammate had no problem barking orders. Lackey also said it was a finely-tuned group of kids that routed thier opponent when he was in attendance.

It will be interesting to see if Percival uses the same tactics when dealing with Angels minor-league pitchers.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 11:35 AM | Comments (0)

February 14, 2007

Angels: Jeter sighting at Tempe Diablo

Yes, that was Derek Jeter at Tempe Diablo Stadium two days this week and he wasn't alone. Jeter spent some quality time with Angels John Lackey, Garret Anderson and Shea Hillenbrand, to name a few, even staying until the early-morning hours on Monday into Tuesday.

While that might be plenty to get the rumor mill flying out of control, Jeter was actually in the Angels' spring ballpark on Monday and Tuesday to film a Gatorade commercial. All that is known is that while Jeter was the subject of the commercial, the Angels were the opponent. Some of the Angels players were on hand, in uniform, to add realism. Look for the commercial to air soon.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 08:45 PM | Comments (0)

Angels: Figgins looking at OF time

Juan Rivera's broken leg in winter ball means Chone Figgins will continue to be on call for a number of positions, even though he is being aimed at the starting third base job.

Manager Mike Scioscia said Wednesday that Figgins is being looked at as the probable fourth outfielder to go along with his third-base duties. Tommy Murphy and Reggie Willits also are vying for the backup outfielder job.

If Figgins is needed to give an outfielder a day off or for more permanent outfield duty in case of an injury, Robb Quinlan, Maicer Izturis and even Shea Hillenbrand will get a chance to play third base.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 04:09 PM | Comments (0)

February 10, 2007

Angels: Matthews makes Angels No. 1

The Chicago Tribune's Phil Rogers, a good friend of this blog, submitted a piece for ESPN.com ranking the Angels' outfield as the best in the business. While most comments about Matthews' signing have focused on the thought that the Angels might have overpayed for his services (five years, $50 million), Rogers supplies a different view.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 11:09 AM | Comments (0)

February 08, 2007

Angels: Players in town this weekend

Angels FanFest this weekend will draw a large number of Angels players to the event in the Angel Stadium parking lot. Those scheduled to appear:

Phil Seibel, Darren Oliver, John Lackey, Scot Shields, Justin Speier, Howie Kendrick, Robb Quinlan, Reggie Willits, Mike Napoli, Hector Carrasco, Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders, Jered Weaver, Gary Matthews Jr., Garret Anderson, Chone Figgins, Shea Hillenbrand, Casey Kotchman and Kendry Morales.

Remember, attendance is just $5 (6 and under are free) but autograph sessions will cost an additional $5. Parking is free. The event takes place Saturday and Sunday.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 11:31 AM | Comments (0)

February 07, 2007

Angels: Tickets to go on sale

The Angels ticket office has been saying it for some time now but the team made it official today, sending out a news release to say that individual game tickets will go on sale Saturday, March 3 at 9 a.m.

Tickets will be available at the Angel Stadium main ticket office, all TicketMaster outlets, by phone at (714) 663-9000 or on-line at www.angelsbaseball.com.

Listed below are the single game price breakdowns for those locations with tickets still available (all tickets are subject to availability on a per game basis):

2007 Seat Category 2007 Single Game Price
Dugout MVP $60.00 - Sold Out
Field Hall of Fame $55.00 - Sold Out
Field MVP $50.00 - Sold Out
Field All-Star $35.00 - Sold Out
Field Box $29.00
Terrace MVP $45.00 - Sold Out
Terrace MVP Wheelchair $45.00
Terrace All-Star $31.00 - Sold Out
Terrace All-Star Wheelchair $31.00
Terrace Box $26.00
Terrace Box Wheelchair/Semi-Ambulatory $16.00
Lower View MVP $26.00 - Sold Out
Lower View All-Star $18.00 - Sold Out
Lower View Box $15.00
View MVP $16.00
View $12.00
Right Field Pavilion MVP $15.00 - Sold Out
Right Field Pavilion $12.00
Right Field Pavilion Wheelchair $12.00
Left Field Pavilion, Adult $9.00
Left Field Wheelchair/Semi-Ambulatory $9.00
Left Field Pavilion, Child $5.00
Premium Seating
Diamond MVP $125.00 - Sold Out
Diamond Hall of Fame $110.00 - Sold Out
Diamond Club $110.00 - Sold Out
Diamond Club Wheelchair $110.00 - Limited Availability
Club MVP $60.00 - Sold Out
Club All-Star $50.00 - Sold Out
Club Loge $34.00 - Limited Availability

Posted by Doug Padilla at 04:25 PM | Comments (0)

Angels: Weaver on-line chat

Now is the time to get in your questions for an espn.com on-line chat with Jered Weaver. Do not submit the questions here, of course, but go to the area of espn.com that is set up for the chat, which will take place today (Wednesday 2/7) at 12:30 p.m. Pacific time.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 09:38 AM | Comments (0)

February 06, 2007

Angels: No way on JuanGon

No shock that the Angels have denied interest in former two-time MVP Juan Gonzalez .

Here is a rule of thumb to go by when the Angels are rumored to be interested in a player on the downside of a once productive career. General manager Bill Stoneman continually says he is not interested in reviving the club's habit from the 1970s and 80s of signing a big name that no longer is producing like he once was. (The Angels' 1982 acquisition of Reggie Jackson is the prime example.)

Stoneman's strategy is the reason why the team did not pursue Mike Piazza, Frank Thomas or Jim Thome last offseason. Turns out that any of those guys could have helped.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 01:17 PM | Comments (0)

February 03, 2007

Angels: Matthews praise slights Angels

Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman ranked the personalities who benefited the most this winter and at No. 7 was the Angels new center fielder Gary Matthews Jr.

It's not new to say the Angels might have overpayed for Matthews at five years and $50 million. It makes you wonder how Matthews will react in the upcoming season. Will he be able to forget about the money and continue to improve like he did last season or will he press in an attempt to prove himself?

It all makes Matthews the story of the season. Not exactly the way to reduce pressure. And to say Matthews' agent Scott Leventhal "took advantage" of Matthews' 2006 season, like Heyman did, isn't so flattering to the Angels since it is implied they were taken advantage of. But again, Heyman isn't the only one to have floated that premise.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 10:19 PM | Comments (0)

February 01, 2007

Angels: Changes are coming

There. A title like that should do the trick to get some attention around here.

By changes, we don't mean with the Angels roster. That should be obvious. What we're talking about here are changes to this blog, for lack of a better term. Plans are in the works to change this from an Angels/Dodgers area to just having Angels news exclusively. Dodgers news will get its own area. This should happen soon.

As for the content, there are changes in the works there too. The major idea floating around is that some of the items from the notebook that appear in the morning paper will be presented here. That means that some Angels news items will be available the day they happen instead of the following morning.

This is where you, the reader, come into play. Judging by the lack of comments in this area it seems as if nobody is reading. But internal research says otherwise and people are stopping by to take a look without announcing themselves.

This is a plea for people to make some suggestions. Anybody have an idea for a name to the Angels blog? Will the plan to release notebook items early be appreciated by anybody? Are there other ideas that those thirsting for Angels news would like to see? With spring training just two weeks away the plan is to use some of these suggestions very soon.

Short of releasing the phone numbers for Angels players, no suggestion is too foolish. We'd like to hear from you. Please make your comments below.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 04:48 PM | Comments (8)

January 31, 2007

Angels: Jered Weaver looks back, ahead

Better late than never in bringing attention to this item from the Long Beach Press Telegram's Bob Keisser, who caught up with Jered Weaver at a Long Beach State alumni game this weekend.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 07:14 PM | Comments (1001)

January 30, 2007

Angels: report dates

The Angels made it official this morning what already had been reported here weeks ago.

Pitchers and catchers will report to spring training in Tempe, Ariz., on Feb. 14. The first workout for pitchers and catchers is Feb. 15. Position players are scheduled to report Feb. 19. The first full-squad workout is scheduled for Feb. 20.

That means the pitching staff will be getting to work in just 16 days.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 10:19 AM | Comments (1)

January 27, 2007

Angels: More Erstad

As a final farewell to Darin Erstad - well, until the White Sox meet the Angels in spring training and then again in the regular season - Chicago newspapers weighed in on his introduction to White Sox fans Friday at the team's annual fan convention.

Most of the information was covered here but the Chicago Tribune's Dave van Dyck was able to get Erstad's Super Bowl prediction. It's not hard to guess who he picked.

The Daily Herald of Arlington Hights, Ill., also had this entry on Erstad's introduction from good friend and beat writer Scot Gregor.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 09:38 AM | Comments (0)

January 26, 2007

Angels: Erstad meets White Sox fans

The transition is complete as Darin Erstad was greeted by Chicago White Sox fans Friday on the first day of the team’s fan convention.
Erstad officially became a former Angel on Thursday once he passed his physical and completed his one-year, $1 million contract with the White Sox. He gets a base salary of $750,000 in 2007 with a $250,000 buyout.
The team option in 2008 would be worth $3.5 million if activated.

For Erstad, though, the money was secondary. He chose the White Sox over the Florida Marlins because the 2005 World Series champions have a better chance of winning now. The two teams were the only ones offering Erstad the chance to play center field.
“It came down to opportunity,�? Erstad said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, when asked why he signed with the White Sox. “I didn’t want any promises made. I just wanted to go where I would have the best opportunity to win games and help a team.�?
Unsure of how Erstad’s ankle would heal from arthroscopic surgery at the conclusion of the season, the Angels were not willing to offer their veteran a guaranteed contract. Instead, they signed free agent Gary Matthews to a five-year, $50 million deal.
As of now, though, Erstad’s ankle is just fine.
“I got clearance last week to run at full speed and I’m not limited to do anything,�? he said.
There is no guarantee, though, that Erstad would remain healthy in the upcoming season and he certainly isn’t going to play cautious at this point of his career.
“I’m sure I would have remained healthier throughout my career if I played a different way, but that’s the way I play,�? he said. “That’s all I know.’’
The Angels would have made Erstad a non-roster invitee to spring training, but even if he won a spot on the roster there was no certainty he would play on a regular basis. And he certainly would not play in center over Matthews.
“I’m not (with the White Sox) to sit on the bench and not play,�? Erstad said. “With that said, however, I’m ready to play anywhere and any time. It will come down to how (White Sox manager) Ozzie (Guillen) wants to use me. The bottom line is I’m here to win baseball games.’’

Posted by Doug Padilla at 06:46 PM | Comments (0)

January 25, 2007

Lidle memorial and fund raiser all in one

The late Cory Lidle, who died this fall in a private plane crash in New York, will have a poker tournament that bears his name. The Cory Lidle Poker Tournament will take place Sunday at Hollywood Park's casino. The tournament is a benefit for the Make A Wish Foundation, which was a charity Lidle supported.

Bary Zito is supposed to be in attendance as are new Dodgers Mike Lieberthal and Randy Wolf. All three were former teammates of Lidle.

The buy-in is $300 but a discount is available for early entries. For more information go to www.corylidle.org.

More information will also be available on the San Gabriel Valley Tribune's website on Friday and in Friday's sports editions of the Whittier Daily News, Pasadena Star News and San Gabriel Valley Tribune. The story was written by Brian Baiotto.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 10:48 PM | Comments (0)

January 24, 2007

Impersonating a sports reporter? Are you kidding?

This little news nugget out of New York is simply startling. Somebody would actually risk 7 1/2 years in prison just to experience a couple of moments as a sports reporter? Where to begin with this one?

If somebody would get that much time for impersonating a sports reporter for one day, what would my sentence be for doing it for 15 years?

To give Ryan Leli some credit, being a reporter was just the end to his means. He wanted to get a moment with Mike Piazza and in that sense it was mission accomplished. But to go about it by being a reporter is laughable. Let us count the ways that Leli already is over qualified to report sports for a newspaper.

At 18, Leli already has the know how to forge an official document that got him past a number of security checkpoints. Dude, find a graphics design job. Create movie posters. Design album covers. Wait, are there still album covers?

Leli showed composure beyond his years to have the confidence to pull off his stunt. Getting past stadium security isn't like getting into Fort Knox but many of those security guys have been doing their job for a long time so at least one of them had to do a double take on a new face.

The entire incident reminded me of a story from school. Somebody spent hours upon hours making cheat sheets, designing devices with test answers and putting fine print on inconspicuous places just to pass a final exam. When somebody asked why he didn't just spend the time studying, he said his way was just more exciting.

Leli probably could have met Piazza at a autograph signing but that certainly wasn't exciting as the route he took. The $1,000 probably was a small price to pay for the stories he can tell now. And to have to stay away from Mets games for a year? It seems like the Oakland Athletics are the ones who should have a policy about Leli attending games, since Piazza will play in the Bay Area this season.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 06:24 PM | Comments (0)

January 23, 2007

Angels: Erstad signs with White Sox

A source has confirmed that Darin Erstad is headed to the South Side of Chicago after the veteran agreed to a one-year deal with the White Sox.

The White Sox have a history of taking gambles on players either coming off injuries, had an inability to meet expectations or who have a checkered past. Erstad, of course, only fits the injury category. The White Sox won a World Series two seasons ago with guys like Jermaine Dye, Jose Contreras, Carl Everett, A.J. Pierzynski and Bobby Jenks.

Erstad's Angels career ends with a .286 career average, 114 home runs and 625 RBI.

Although nothing is officially planned now, the Angels are sure to recognize Erstad when the White Sox come into town for a three-game series May 4-6.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 03:53 PM | Comments (0)

January 22, 2007

Angels: New medical exam update

The results of Kendry Morales knee exam Monday have been announced.

Morales' left knee discomfort that appeared before a winter league game earlier this month was deemed to have been from some old scar tissue from a previous injury. Team orthopedist Lewis Yocum, who performed a contrast MRI, decided that no surgery will be required and Morales will report to Arizona next week to begin a rehabilitation program in advance of spring training.

Pitchers and catchers report to Tempe, Ariz., on Feb. 14, with the first full-squad workout to take place Feb. 20.

There was no news Monday on Dallas McPherson's back exam, which took place in Dallas. Results of McPherson's exam are expected to be announced Tuesday.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 05:22 PM | Comments (0)

Angels: medical exam update

As of 4 p.m. Monday, the Angels still had no official word on the medical examinations of Kendry Morales and Dallas McPherson. Morales' left knee was being examined in Los Angeles. McPherson's back was being examined in Dallas. An update on at least one of the players is due shortly. The second update is due tomorrow (Tuesday). Stay tuned.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 03:59 PM | Comments (0)

January 20, 2007

Angels: Kendrick's added focus

Howie Kendrick now has more reason to be focused for the upcoming season after an event that took place earlier this month.

Kendrick was married on Jan. 6. While the union won't directly affect Kendrick on the field, being the provider for somebody else sometimes sparks an even deeper focus and desire for success.

It isn't like Kendrick looked like a guy who needed an additional spark. During his stint with the Angels last year, he seemed mature and focused beyond his years. The most promising aspect of Kendrick's off-field demeanor last season was the fact that he didn't pout, become depressed or start to press when he faced adversity.

Marriage might be an additional positive as it adds to his maturity level.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 01:26 PM | Comments (0)

January 19, 2007

Angels: Medical exams coming

The Angels announced today that Kendry Morales and Dallas McPherson each will be examined by doctors on Monday (Jan. 22).

Morales injured his right knee toward the end of the winter league season in the Dominican Republic. The Angels seem reassured because Morales deemed himself fit enough to play two days later but he was still held out of the lineup. Morales batted .263 with 11 home runs in 46 games this winter.

Morales will be examined in Los Angeles by team orthopedist Dr. Lewis Yocum.

McPherson had another bout of back trouble last season, going on the disabled list June 24. He will be seen by orthopedic spine surgeon Dr. Andrew Dossett at the Carrell Memorial Clinic in Dallas, Texas.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 01:14 PM | Comments (0)

Angels: We're No. 4

The Angels wasted little time patting themselves on the back today, getting out a press release before noon to announce that Baseball America likes their minor-league system ... again.

For the fifth consecutive year, the publication has ranked the Angels' minor-league talent in the top five. The Angels are No. 4 this year after coming in at No. 4 last year, No. 1 in 2005, No. 3 in 2004 and No. 5 in 2003.

"It's really a testament to the hard work of our scouts and player development people," Angels scouting director Eddie Bane said in the release. "We appreciated the recognition from Baseball America and their commitment to the minor leagues."

According to the Angels, Baseball America's comment was: "For the better part of the new millennium, the Angels have accrued talent as effectively as any organization in baseball."

Not only have they done the job of accruing that talent, but they have developed a pattern of refusing to trade it away, which certainly has been a factor in keeping their top-five status.

As was listed previously, the Angels' top 10 Baseball America prospects for 2007 are as follows:

1. Brandon Wood, ss
2. Nick Adenhart, rhp
3. Erick Aybar, ss
4. Young-Il Jung, rhp
5. Stephen Marek, rhp
6. Hank Conger, c
7. Jeff Mathis, c
8. Sean Rodriguez, ss/2b
9. Sean O'Sullivan, rhp
10. Tommy Mendoza, rhp

Posted by Doug Padilla at 11:32 AM | Comments (0)

January 18, 2007

Angels: Spring is coming

Spring training is less than a month away as pitchers and catchers will report to Tempe, Ariz., on Feb. 14, with the first workout to take place the following day.

The first full-squad workout is expected to take place Feb. 20. The Angels’ first Cactus League game takes place March 1 at Tempe against the Kansas City Royals.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 11:42 AM | Comments (0)

January 16, 2007

Angels' All-Star Game bid

With the 2008 All-Star Game reportedly to be played at Yankee Stadium, and the 2009 game just announced for St. Louis, the Angels will focus their energies toward landing the 2010 contest.

Angels spokesman Tim Mead said the Angels have told the league in each of the past two seasons that they are interested in hosting the game. Mead said they will continue to do so until the announcement of the 2010 site is made.

The announcement of the 2009 site was recently made so the Angels could be looking at another year before they know if they will get the 2010 game.

The Angels had been in the running for the 2008 game, but since the current Yankee Stadium will be in its final season, the game was awarded to the Yankees. No official announcement has been made. The Cardinals got the 2009 game as the contest typically rotates from one league to the other on a yearly basis.

The San Francisco Giants will play host to this year’s All-Star Game on July 10.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 04:29 PM | Comments (0)

December 26, 2006

Angels: Rivera scramble

Juan Rivera's broken leg is making the rumor mill churn, as expected. A rumor on Sports Illustrated's website has the Angels interested in first baseman/designated hitter Shea Hilenbrand, who is a free agent. Somebody more adept at playing outfield would be a better fit but a run producer definitely is needed.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 09:42 AM | Comments (0)

December 21, 2006

Angels: Top 10 prospects

Not sure how last week's acquisition of Phil Seibel would have changed things but Baseball America released its American League West top 10 prostects list before the deal went down with the Boston Red Sox. The list, along with comments and 2006 stats for each player, is available in the publication's current issue. (The information only is available online to subscribers)

Here is the list:

10. Tommy Mendoza, left-handed pitcher
9. Sean O'Sullivan, right-handed pitcher
8. Sean Rodriguez, shortstop/second base
7. Jeff Mathis, catcher
6. Hank Conger, catcher
5. Stephen Marek, right-handed pitcher
4. Young-Il Jung, right-handed pitcher
3. Erick Aybar, shortstop
2. Nick Adenhart, right-handed pitcher
1. Brandon Wood, shortstop

Remember, the list isn't broken down by who are the most major-league ready players, but instead those who have the highest potential ceiling in the big leagues. Therefore, Wood has not necessarily passed Aybar on the depth chart just yet. Expect the two to have an interesting battle in spring training where one could make the major-league roster as a reserve and the other should gain the starting spot at Triple-A Salt Lake. That, of course, assumes Aybar isn't part of a trade before camp opens in Tempe.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 11:18 AM | Comments (1)

December 15, 2006

Angels: Donnelly traded to Red Sox

Reliever Brendan Donnelly was traded Friday to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for left-hander Phil Seibel, a 27-year-old Orange County native.

Donnelly, 35, was 6-0 last season with a 3.94 ERA. He is 23-8 lifetime with a 2.87 ERA in five major-league seasons.

Seibel had Tommy John surgery on his left elbow following the 2004 season. He had a combined 6-3 record with a 1.25 ERA at Single-A Greenville, Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket last season. He appeared in two games as a reliever for the Red Sox in 2004, giving up no runs in 3 2/3 innings.

Seibel is a graduate of Cypress High School and appeared in the 2000 College World Series with Texas.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 12:22 PM | Comments (0)

Angels: Fans still waiting

By now, it would seem that owner Arte Moreno must be regretting his bold September promise when he guaranteed an impact offseason acquisition. Looking at their offseason transaction list, that move obviously has yet to be made.

Forgetting about the money for a second and Gary Matthews Jr. does offer an upgrade in center field. But is Matthews that impact move? Not for the majority of Angels fans.

Pitchers and catchers don't report for exactly two months so we'll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that impact roster move still is to come. Signing Barry Zito would lead to a pitching surplus that could be sued to land an impact offensive piece. Remember, along with the promise of the major offseason move, Moreno stated money was no object.

If no other move is made, though, Moreno might have some explaining to do. He would have gotten the Angels community all excited for nothing. We would blame him for stretching the truth in order to sell tickets but Angels tickets already move at an impressive rate. The more likely scenario is that he misjudged the market this offseason and was not prepared to spend the obscene amounts that have been offered.

As for the future, you can just hear the collective yawn coming the next time Moreno promises something big to happen.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 09:46 AM | Comments (0)

December 13, 2006

LaRoche to the Angels?

Here is a rumor that refuses to die, which gives it more credence than other Angels scenarios tossed around. A colleague from Atlanta has e-mailed to say that he still is hearing grumblings that Braves first baseman Adam LaRoche could be headed to Anaheim soon.

Hey, LaRoche was born in Orange County so it would be a little bit of a homecoming. His birth site really has more to do with his father Dave pitching for the Angels at the time. Adam went to high school in Kansas.

The Angels would have to part with Casey Kotchman and Chone Figgins to make it happen. That scenario would have to please the Angels. No pitching is involved and Figgins is sort of expendable with Gary Matthews Jr. taking over the leadoff spot. Kotchman wouldn't be needed (even if he was healthy) because LaRoche would play first.

The Angels certainly could have used LaRoche's 32 home runs and 90 RBI last season. Figgins would be the leadoff hitter the Braves are searching for.

All that leaves is the question of what the Angels will do with third base. Can Dallas McPherson stay healthy enough to provide the answer? Is Maicer Izturis a legitimate Opening Day third baseman?

This deal would only mean the Angels still had some work to do.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 05:57 PM | Comments (0)

December 08, 2006

Angels: Guerrero's tough year continues

A trying 2006 became even more difficult for the Angels' Vladimir Guerrero as good friend and former major leaguer Jose Uribe was killed in a car crash. Guerrero led a procession in Uribe's honor Friday. In spring training earlier this year, Guerrero mourned the death of three cousins, also in a car crash. Because he was not in the proper frame of mind, Guerrero backed out of the innagural World Baseball Classic. Both deadly crashes occurred in the Dominican Republic.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 05:22 PM | Comments (0)

December 07, 2006

Angels: Lots of talk, no action

The winter meetings have pretty much come to a close in Orlando and the Angels were involved in plenty of rumors. Whether all/some/one of those rumors comes to fruition remains to be seen. The free-agent pool has all but dried up and there is no reason to rehash the Angels' reluctance to make trades. That would seem to mean that the Angels are pretty much set for the 07 season, but as they say, stranger things have happened.

Here is a summary of the published rumors involving the Angels:

A recent Braves trade with the Mariners could revive talks between the Angels and Braves regarding Adam LaRoche.

A report on yahoo.com says that Todd Helton was being considered by the Angels. The potential deal fell through. The Denver Post talks about it too, as does the Rocky Mountain News.

yahoo.com also says that Brendan Donnelly and Jose Molina could be used to obtain a left-handed reliever, although recently-acquired right-hander Justin Speier is adept at retiring lefties.

If you're an ESPN.com insider subscriber, a Peter Gammons blog doesn't have flattering things to say about the Angels' offseason. Who has been kind, really? If you don't subscribe, questions were raised as to what the Angels have been thinking. Not a shock.

In another ESPN.com insider report, the Angels are said to have interest in Shea Hillenbrand, Vernon Wells and Barry Zito. Just guessing their interest is not in that order.

Any chance the Angels might still land Manny Ramirez? ESPN.com says to forget about it.

Owner Arte Moreno is quoted by the Chicago Tribune as being shocked Alfonso Soriano was able to sign for so much.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 05:00 PM | Comments (0)

November 27, 2006

Angels: Crede is a long shot

It seems like every day now a whisper pops up about the Chicago White Sox's Joe Crede being traded to the Angels. While the third baseman certainly would fit an Angels need and the White Sox have a former first-round pick, Josh Fields, nearly ready to inherit their 3B job, this isn't a deal that is likely to happen

A White Sox source has indicated the team has every intention of signing the arbitration-eligible Crede to a one-year deal. They have no problem with letting Fields have another year of seasoning at Triple-A.

But White Sox general manager Ken Williams admits that he can be talked into anything. If pitching is included to get Crede, he really will listen. So any deal involving Crede would likely have to start with the Angels giving up Ervin Santana and Scot Shields. The White Sox might want even more, though, and that's where this potential deal would die.

One things to watch for: Williams and Crede's agent, Scott Boras, have a dicey relationship. It might not take much for Williams to grow frustrated over this negotiation.

At the very least, GM Bill Stoneman should spend some time with Williams at next week's winter meetings to let him know he is interested. Williams is known for putting in some late nights at the meetings so Stoneman might want to bring his own coffee.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 05:28 PM | Comments (0)

November 22, 2006

Kennedy close to a new home

You can't believe everything an agent says, but Adam Kennedy's representation says his client is close to signing with one of two teams that have shown interest. But putting faith in everything an agent says can be like trusting your 2 1/2-year-old daughter when she says, with a guilty look, that she didn't do anything while standing next to the crib of her crying 6-week-old brother.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 05:46 PM | Comments (3)

November 18, 2006

Angels in new trade rumors

The offseason always is full of trade and signing rumors and an interesting one regarding the Angels surfaced in Chciago. It doesn't make complete sense, though, unless the Angels will be getting some offense in this exchange as well.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 09:02 AM | Comments (0)

September 29, 2006

Dr. Scioscia

Manager Mike Scioscia was being pressed for details regarding the surgery that Darin Erstad will undergo once this season ends. Erstad has dealt with bone spurs in his ankle this season that led to tendon irritation and a deterioration of his ankle joint. It was clear Scioscia didn't know everything about what Erstad is about to undergo so he hit the smart-aleck button.

"I think they were talking about a proximal shift of the intervenous joint," Scioscia said. "But I don't know if that's going to get it done. They'regoing to have to go in there and see if that's the direction they want to go."

It almost sounded legit.

"I don't know," Scioscia finally said. "They do have to shave a spur down. That as been defined as the burr in the saddle right now. From there we'll see."

Posted by Doug Padilla at 08:35 PM | Comments (0)

September 28, 2006

No apologies necessary for Lackey

John Lackey struck out a career-high 11 batters Thursday against the Oakland A's and afterward he was asked if the watered-down lineup he faced somewhat diminished the accomplshment. The A's started Hiram Bocachica in center, Adam Melhuse at catcher, D'Angelo Jimenez at shortstop and Antonio Perez at third base.

Perez was the only one of the irregulars that didn't have a strikeout. There was also the low strike zone by home plate umpire CB Bucknor. The A's disputed the zone a number of times and Milton Bradley was even kicked out for making a fuss when he wasn't even at the plate. Bradley was ejected after Bobby Kielty was upset over a called third strike.

Lackey will take it no matter the circumstances. As he proudly noted, he had 10 strikeouts against the A's on July 7 when they offered up their regular lineup, and in a game at Oakland no less. That outing was on July 7 when he pitched a one-hitter.

Three times this season Lackey struck out 10 batters in a game all all three outings came in succession: July 2 against the Dodgers, July 7 against the A's and July 14 against the Devil Rays.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 10:16 PM | Comments (0)

September 27, 2006

Salmon giddy about No. 299

Tim Salmon hit the 299th home run of his career Wednesday with just four games remaining in his career and afterward admitted he was at a loss for words. The home run off the Texas Rangers’ Adam Eaton came on a 1-0 pitch in the first inning with no outs and runners on first and third base.

Salmon crushed the ball to right-center in amazement to his manager Mike Scioscia, who said he hasn’t seen Salmon hit a ball like that to the opposite field in years. Salmon is scheduled to get one start in right field during the series against the A’s, which starts tonight, but Scioscia won’t say what game that will be.

After the game, Salmon talked briefly to about a half dozen reporters, sounding as giddy as if it was his first day in the big leagues.

Q: Was that fun?
A: Yeah, that was a lot of fun which is the understatement of the year. I’m kind of at a loss for words. My head is spinning a lot right now with just a lot going on. It’s like a did-that-really happen kind of thing. It’s one of those times right now when you try to make the most of your opportunities and try to enjoy it along the way … get all those emotions out of the way. It was exciting today.

Q: What have all the ovations this week meant to you?
A: It’s great. This whole year, from spring training on, the fans have really gone way beyond what anybody could imagine to show their appreciation. And I’ve noticed it all year and recognized it and appreciated it, especially this last week. I guess hitting a home run like that, that’s one way to kind of give it back to them. But I do notice it.

Q: They would really like one more.
A: Yeah, there are a lot of us who would like that. It was funny, the guys before the game were kind of giving me a hard time. They were like, `Don’t go up there and walk or go for singles and all those things you would normally do. You go up there and swing for that home run. In the first at-bat I go up there and I do it and I miss. I’m like `You know what, come on. You have a runner out there and less than two (outs). Just a nice easy swing here.’ Boom, home run. To guys who haven’t hit a whole lot of them it’s kind of weird to understand but for me at least home runs tend to surprise me more than anything else. (They come) when I’m not trying to do too much with the ball.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 10:49 PM | Comments (0)

September 19, 2006

Saunders a new Rogers

Angels rookie left-hander Joe Saunders got an impressive compliment Tuesday from a Kansas City veteran. Saunders rebounded well from a poor start last week to give up just one run with a career-high eight strikeouts. Afterward, the Royals' Mike Sweeney had some nice things to say.

"He pitched like a young Kenny Rogers only with a little more on his fastball," Sweeney said. "He threw fastballs in changeup counts and changeups in fastball counts. He was tough."

Posted by Doug Padilla at 08:59 PM | Comments (0)

September 15, 2006

A's fan not convinced

Spoke to an old friend on the phone a few minutes ago, who happens to be a longtime Oakland A’s fan, and the feeling around the Bay Area seems to be one of skepticism. Even though the end of the season is just two weeks away and the A’s have a five-game lead on the Angels, this guy, anyway, is not about to buy supplies for a division-clinching party just yet.

So it isn’t just the hardcore devoted Angels fan who thinks this division is winnable. The biggest factor for my buddy – a former baseball writer, by the way – was the A’s collapse of two years ago. Plus, he tends to be a pessimist by nature. Not a knock, dude, just an observation.

The Angels won five out of the last six games against the A’s last year and it could have been six of seven had they won an 11-inning game on Aug. 30. This year, it’s probably going to take winning six of those last seven that take place over the final 10 days to get the job done (not to mention victories in just about every other game that doesn’t involve the A’s).

So if anybody needs a reason to hope, let the worry of at least one A’s fan make you feel better about things.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 01:46 PM | Comments (3)

September 14, 2006

Brotherly comparison

Curious stat of the moment: Brothers Jeff and Jered Weaver each have made 16 starts with the Angels. The oddest part is that it seemed like Jeff barely was in an Angels uniform while Jered's stint seems to have gone on much longer.

The raw numbers on the two are that Jered is 11-2 with a 2.30 ERA. Jeff was 3-10 with the Angels with a 6.29 ERA. Jered has 87 strikeouts with 27 walks, while Jeff had 62 strikeouts and 21 walks.

Morphing the Weaver brothers into one pitcher, they have a combined 32 starts with a 14-12 record and a 4.15 ERA. If those numbers came just from Jeff, the Angels would have taken it. Then again, it might have taken his little brother longer to crack into the rotation if Jeff wasn't sent packing when he was.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 07:15 PM | Comments (0)

September 12, 2006

Getting them talking

Angels and White Sox fans had plenty to say about a notebook item here that speculated on a trade involving the Angels' Chone Figgins and the White Sox's Joe Crede. Angels fans seemed in favor of it while many White Sox were extremely skeptical.

White Sox general manager Ken Williams was amused to hear of the trade speculation. A big fan of pitching, Williams might bite on the deal if a good arm was packaged with Figgins to get Crede. The White Sox, though, are almost certain to sign Crede to at least a one-year deal at the end of the season. They have a highly-touted third-base prospect in Josh Fields nearly ready to to become an everyday major leaguer but he looks to be at least another year away. Perhaps this deal is another year away.

On a fan forum at the Angels' website, the move was discussed.

White Sox fans discussed the move at www.whitesoxinteractive.com.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 08:34 PM | Comments (0)

September 11, 2006

Brother mentality

Like many baseball clubhouses at this time of the year the Angels are engrosed in their fantasy football league. Jered Weaver is as into it as anybody and his selection of a quarterback made perfect sense.

Weaver went with one half of the NFL's brother act by selecting the New York Giants' Eli Manning, brother of Peyton Manning. Weaver knows about a sibling athletes since he and his brother Jeff pitched together for a short time on the Angels. He eventually replaced his brother on the roster.

Shortly after Weaver pitched the Angels to a victory Sunday, he was taking stock of his fantasy team. He needed big performances by Manning and Peyton's main target, Marvin Harrison.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 10:09 PM | Comments (0)

September 08, 2006

Silver Slugger time

Who is the best offensive performer at each position? Managers and coaches were recently sent ballots to decide those players, in an official award not decided by baseball writers. The Angels have one clear-cut candidate for the award and another long shot.

Vladimir Guerrero has won two consecutive Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Awards and is likely to make it three in a row. The Boston Red Sox's Manny Ramirez has won seven of his eight in succession, while Gary Sheffield has won three consecutive, with that streak expected to end.

Orlando Cabrera is in the midst of his best offensive season but he will find it hard to take the shortstop Silver Slugger from Miguel Tejada, who has won the past two.

Winners will be announced during the postseason.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 03:36 PM | Comments (0)

September 05, 2006

Scioscia: Don't go there Rex

Mike Scioscia vs. Rex Hudler. The stoic manager battles the high-strung TV commentator. It would have made for an interesting battle if there really was a dispute there but all that happened Tuesday is that Scioscia refused to answer one of Hudler's pregame questions.

Bad blood? Hardly. The topic was Robb Quinlan and what kind of playing time he would get. Scioscia said Quinlan would play against left-handers and some right-handers when the matchup was to his advantage. Hudler wanted to know if Quinlan was at an advantage against hard- or soft-throwing righties.

"I don’t want to give you our analysis to put out there," Scioscia said. "He certainly matches up with some guys a little better than others, but against lefties he’s as good as there is in the league. It’s a good question, I just don’t want to give our scouting reports to other guys out there."

"My bad," Hudler said.

An advance scout worth a darn would likely know Quinlan's strengths and weaknesses, but Scioscia typically plays it as safe as possible.

A short time later, the energetic Hudler was bouncing around the press box dining room and clearing the reporters' dirty plates. Yes, Hudler was playing busboy for the print media. Talk about a guy with his batteries charged.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 08:35 PM | Comments (1)

September 03, 2006

The power of ESPN

Not only does ESPN control the time of some games and make teams like the Angels travel home over night as has happened multiple times this year, it now controls where people sit in the dugout.

Maicer Izturis perched himself along a railing on the right-field side of the team's first-base dugout. To get some balance, he placed his feet on a trash can below him and settled in for the early innings. The problem was that he blocked a camera from getting shots of right-handed batters. It didn't take long for an ESPN representative to call and Angels representative in the press box to ask if Izturis could move.

Angels traveling secretary Tom Taylor went downstairs, through the clubhouse and to the entrance of the dugout where he got the attention of trainer Rick Smith. It was Smith who went to Izturis with the request and by the second inning he had found a new spot to watch the game.

Can it be long before television positions players on the field? Is it ethical to move the subjects in order to document the event, even if it's only a guy in the dugout? This is only sports, after all, but it's something to consider.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 05:27 PM | Comments (1078)

August 30, 2006

Donnelly's down time

The four-game suspension on appeal by Brendan Donnelly is now guaranteed to happen after rosters expand on Friday. That means the Angels will be able to cover his spot with guys like Chris Bootcheck and/or Greg Jones whenever he has to miss time.

Donnelly was suspended by the commissioner's office when he hit a Texas Rangers batter after warnings were given to each bench. Adam Kennedy, Kevin Gregg, Mike Scioscia and Ron Roenicke all have served their suspensions from the Aug. 16 incidents at Texas.

Nobody knows when the MLB offices will decide Donnelly's fate. The right-hander, though, is not expected to miss any of the late-season games against the Oakland A's if the Angels are still in the hunt for the division title. If the MLB office still has not decided on his suspension in a few weeks, expect Donnelly to withdraw his suspension and maybe miss two games of the Sept. 14-17 series at Texas and the two-game series at Kansas City (Sept. 19-20).

Posted by Doug Padilla at 09:02 PM | Comments (1)

August 28, 2006

Little League inspiration

Chone Figgins was claiming the Little League World Series champion team from Georgia as his own after it defeated a squad from Japan on Monday to grab the title. Figgins was raised in Florida but was born in Georgia about an hour and a half south of Columbus, Ga., where the winning team calls home.

The tournament brought back some Little League memories for Figgins, who said that when he played, his team lost to a squad from South Carolina in a regional final. The South Carolina team went on to Williamsport, Pa., for the Little League World Series.

To Figgins, the fact that this year's champion hailed from Georgia felt somewhat like redemption. And he wasn't about to apologize for considering them his hometown team.

"I can claim it over all these clowns in here," Figgins said.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 10:10 PM | Comments (0)

August 26, 2006

ARod looking poor

What if the highest paid person at your job had to stay and work a little overtime for no extra pay? Unless that person was you, not too many people would mind. Alex Rodriguez, baseball's highest paid player, put in a little work after Saturday's game against the Angels.

The Angels have made Rodriguez look foolish all series. He struck out four times on Friday and three more times Saturday. He is 0-for-10 with seven runners left on base in the two games.

While Yankees games at Angel Stadium are known for having plenty of crowd support for the team from New York, it doesn't seem to be the case when Rodriguez comes to the plate. Both Angels and Yankees fans seem to jeer Rodriguez. It's been like that for him at home all season.

Because of his struggles, Rodriguez took some extra swings in the indoor batting cage after the game. Rodriguez has been lunging at pitches when he strikes out.

"I just wanted to get the feel back," Rodriguez said. "I was ahead of myself a little bit."

Posted by Doug Padilla at 06:56 PM | Comments (0)

August 25, 2006

Figgins' long road back

Chone Figgins is roaring back to life with 23 hits in his last 71 at-bats (.324) before Friday after going 3-for-28. Figgins had a second-inning single Friday and scored a run.

It had to be nice for Figgins to see the Yankees come to town. Figgins entered with a .375 batting average in his career against the Yankees, one of the reasons he had three New York reporters around his locker before the game.

"He's been snakebit as much as a player can be for a lot of the season," manager Mike Scioscia said. "He has certainly swung the bat better than what the numbers have shown, especially from the left side. I think it's just one of those things that happen. He just has to keep his head going and moving and just going forward. Hopefully he'll get more to start falling.''

In regard to Thursday's post about the three-man Angels television broadcast booth, Jose Mota was quick to point out before Friday's game that it will be used again for the current series against the Yankees. It is tentatively scheduled to be used again in the final series of the season against the Oakland A's.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 08:27 PM | Comments (0)

August 24, 2006

Full house in Angels booth

Jose Mota was in the Angels' broadcast booth during the series with the Red Sox, adding an extra color commentator to go along with Rex Hudler. The crowded booth is being done to give the broadcast a big-game feel and might be repeated at least one more time this season.

The three-man booth is tentatively scheduled to be used again Sept. 28-Oct. 1, which is the season-ending four-game series at home against the A’s. Along with the Red Sox’s series, it was also used in a series with the White Sox earlier this season.

Mota’s addition to the group proved valuable when the Red Sox’s Wily Mo Pena took a wide turn at first base after a single and Vladimir Guerrero threw behind him to first base. Pena then proceeded unchallenged to second. Mota knew that Pena had been a longtime admirer of Guerrero and in studying Guerrero’s game he knew he could take advantage of his hero.

While a third voice can sometimes be too much in a broadcast booth, Mota adds just enough without being overwhelming.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 08:15 PM | Comments (2)

August 20, 2006

Big Daddy approaching 100

Vladimir Guerrero drove in a run in the sixth inning Sunday against the Seattle Mariners to give him 98 RBI this season. When Guerrero reaches the 100 mark it will be the eighth time in the last nine seasons he has done so. He had just 79 RBI with the Montreal Expos in 2003, when he missed significant time with a herniated disc.

Guerrero is batting .320 this season and looks to be a lock to continue a streak of .300 seasons. Guerrero has hit over .300 in each of the last nine seasons, the longest current stretch in the majors with a minimum of 3,000 plate appearances.

Guerrero's subpar June is a distant memory. He batted just .257 in June with three home runs. That was similar to his poor July last season when he batted .208. The real key will be for Guerrero to remain a presence if the Angels make the playoffs, unlike last season's ALCS when he had just one hit in 20 at-bats.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 05:15 PM | Comments (0)

August 17, 2006

Angels-Rangers fight aftermath

The Dallas-area newspapers made for some good reading on the flight back to Southern California this morning. Both major papers had huge five-column photos of last night's brawl, if you can call it that. The prize for best photo goes to the Dallas Morning News. The photo was in better focus than the one from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (at least in the editions I had) but there was a little more to the Morning News' photo.

In the top right corner of the photo, John Lackey is about two feet from getting his hands on the throat of a Rangers player who looks to be pitcher Scott Feldman. It was Feldman who hit Adam Kennedy with a pitch in the ninth inning that started the fight. Lackey was later restrained by a number of Rangers players as he tried to get to Feldman.

The following links might require users to sign up for a password.

The Morning News' Tim Cowlishaw wrote a column saying the Rangers embarrassed themselves:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/columnists/tcowlishaw/stories/081706dnspocowlishaw.3350355.html

The Star-Telegram's Jim Reeves said Vicente Padilla was to blame for everything and endangered the Rangers' playoff chances:
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/sports/columnists/jim_reeves/15294183.htm

An Angels player might have charged the mound, but even in Texas the consensus is that the Rangers had it coming.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 03:27 PM | Comments (1)

August 16, 2006

Angels' Molina perseveres

Bench him, pound on him, take money out of his pocket, Jose Molina just keeps coming back for more. In what was expected to be his season to finally become a No. 1 catcher, Molina is meeting those expectations now. It wasn't going so hot earlier this season.

After collecting two hits in three at-bats to start the season, Molina was barely heard from until a few weeks ago. He went 0-for-16 immediately after Opening Day as both he and Jeff Mathis struggled. Mike Napoli arrived at the start of May and immediately took over a bulk of the catching duty.

But Molina hung in there, even though a lack of playing time was affecting a games-played bonus that will kick in next season. Molina is getting his chance now that Napoli is struggling. Three times Molina has caught on back-to-back days this month. He had no back-to-backs in June or July.

All that early rest seems to be paying off. Molina has a hit in the last 12 games he has played, a career high. He is batting .263 now, up from .227 on July 19. Another sign that he is fresh came when he went unaffected after taking a beating behind the plate in New York. In the four game series, Molina twice was staggered by direct blows to the mask from foul balls and had another bounce off his right knee and head toward the backstop.

“When you're a catcher you always look to get hit,�? Molina said. “That's the way it is and has always been. It doesn't have to do with being lucky or not. It doesn't matter. That's one of those things that you don't worry about. If you get hit just get back up.�?

Getting back up has been the theme to his season.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 10:40 AM | Comments (0)

August 13, 2006

It's New York; watch your wallet

Eric Kay, a member of the Angels' media relations department, was the first crime victim in the team's traveling party since it arrived in New York late Thursday night. Kay was at the Broadway show "Jersey Boys" with his wife after Saturday's day game when he left his wallet on a counter.

Kay walked into the theater when he realized he was without his wallet and turned around to retrieve it. The wallet was out of his sight for about a minute but when he got it back it was minus the $80 he arrived with.

Leave it to the kind members of the media to put together a collection and worth $45 for the absent-minded Angels employee. Here's to hoping he gives this cash to his wife for safe keeping.

Kay had been asking media members when he might make somebody's blog. Hey Eric, be careful of what you wish for.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 01:10 PM | Comments (0)

August 12, 2006

Napoli fans in N.Y.

Either it was a crudely-made advertisement for a local Italian restaurant/pizza joint, or Mike Napoli had some supporters in Yankee Stadium on Saturday as a man and a woman carried a sign that said "NAPOLI." The sign was on a white sheet and spray painted in red and was carried from the left-field line all the way to behind home plate along a walkway behind the box seats.

Napoli was seen talking to some acquaintances in the stands behind the Angels dugout before Friday's series opener. The Florida native was making his first trip to Yankee Stadium and said the first thing he did was check out various areas of the ballpark. He did not check out monument park, though, as a tour group had a run of the area.

Napoli was not in the starting lineup Saturday but had a fortuitous moment in Friday's game when he hit a double. Napoli actually took a cracked bat to the plate for the at-bat but was fortunate enough to hit a ball into the gap. It was his first extra-base hit since July 15. Time will tell if that was the hit that got him out of a dreadful slump.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 11:05 AM | Comments (2)

August 11, 2006

Keeping score on the scorekeeper

Sometimes it isn't easy being the official scorekeeper, as the Yankees' Bill Shannon experienced some tough early innings Friday. Shannon, the longtime scorekeeper for the Yankees, ended up changing two calls. One of those plays brought a call to the press box from both dugouts.

In the fourth inning, Jason Giambi delivered an RBI single to score Alex Rodriguez. Vladimir Guerrero's throw home was up the line and got past catcher Mike Napoli. Shannon ruled that Giambi went to second on the throw but an inning later changed it to an error on Guerrero that allowed the runner to advance.

A fifth-inning call was the one that had everybody reaching for the phone. Maicer Izturis hit a hard comebacker that pitcher Sidney Ponson was unable to field. Shannon called it an error before ultimately changing it to a hit. Bench coach Ron Roenicke was the one who placed the call to the press box from the Angels' dugout.

Even Angels broadcaster Rex Hudler was using hand signals from the broadcast booth to question both calls.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 06:54 PM | Comments (1)

August 09, 2006

Doug Padilla; Howie goes Hollywood

Access Hollywood, that television bastion of all things celebrity, will come to the Angels clubhouse Thursday. Howie Kendrick will be the show's subject, but it has nothing to do with the rookie's impressive play of late. It does have everything to do with actor Ben Affleck, however.

It was July 30 at Boston when Kendrick went to the railing near the Red Sox dugout to snag a fly ball away from a not-so-aggressive fan. That fan was loyal Red Sox follower Affleck, who was with his wife Jennifer Garner in the owner's seats.

Said Kendrick, days after the play: "I didn't even know it was Ben over there, to tell you the truth. I didn't even feel him hit me. I got caught up in trying to catch the ball.''

To put closure on the incident, Kendrick is expected to sign a baseball for Affleck and leave the actor a note on the ball, something along the lines of, "Was this what you were looking for?" Take that Affleck.

By the way, Affleck was booed by Red Sox fans for not getting in the way of the play.

No word on when the segment might air. Stay tuned.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 04:14 PM | Comments (0)

Doug Padilla: Running wild

The Cleveland Indians knew the Angels running game would surface at some point, and in Tuesday's series opener they couldn't do anything about it. Even though Vladimir Guerrero and Garret Anderson aren't the fastest members of the squad, their late double steal was the key to victory.

Indians manager Eric Wedge was afraid of something like that from the American League leaders in stolen bases.

"I wasn't surprised they tried the double steal," Wedge said. "Not the way those guys run."

Wedge wasn't just impressed with the running game. The Indians rallied against Angels starter Jered Weaver in Tuesday's contest, but Wedge likes the rookie right-hander.

"The way Weaver was throwing, I was very pleased we were able to put together a four-run inning against (him)." Wedge said.

After Ozzie Guillen said Monday that the Angels will make the playoffs and Wedge's views on Tuesday's game, the Angels are making believers out of opposing managers. Up next this weekend will be an opportunity to make a believer out of Joe Torre when the Angels head to Yankee Stadium for a key four-game series that will wrap up on Monday night.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 12:28 PM | Comments (0)

August 07, 2006

Doug Padilla: Brotherly love

Excuse half brothers Cesar Izturis and Maicer Izturis if they kind of lost track of each other ever since Cesar was traded from the Dodgers to the Chicago Cubs last month. The two reunited briefly Monday morning but it took a chance meeting in downtown Chicago for it to happen.

It seems Cesar was out shopping when he bumped into Angels first-base coach Alfredo Griffin. (The Cubs had an off day and weren't scheduled to travel to Milwaukee until Monday night.) Cesar had no idea the Angels were in town for their make-up game against the White Sox.

Sometimes reunions take place in the darnedest places. It's safe to say the next one won't be in the World Series. The Cubs have been playing better of late but were 13 1/2 games out of first place before play Monday.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 04:30 PM | Comments (0)

Doug Padilla: Brotherly love

Excuse half brothers Cesar Izturis and Maicer Izturis if they kind of lost track of each other ever since Cesar was traded from the Dodgers to the Chicago Cubs last month. The two reunited briefly Monday morning but it took a chance meeting in downtown Chicago for it to happen.

It seems Cesar was out shopping when he bumped into Angels first-base coach Alfredo Griffin. (The Cubs had an off day and weren't scheduled to travel to Milwaukee until Monday night.) Cesar had no idea the Angels were in town for their make-up game against the White Sox.

Sometimes reunions take place in the darnedest places. It's safe to say the next one won't be in the World Series. The Cubs have been playing better of late but were 13 1/2 games out of first place before play Monday.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 04:30 PM | Comments (0)

August 04, 2006

Doug Padilla: Weaver's fire

I was sitting with a colleague the other day when he started to recall the days he covered Jered Weaver in high school. Weaver was putting up impressive numbers at Simi Valley High School using pretty much the same form he has now, including a temper that would find its way into games.

The memories came about because Weaver was wearing his heart on his sleeve during his start Thursday against the Texas Rangers. When Weaver gave up a run-scoring triple to Mark DeRosa, he was visibly angry. When he gave up an RBI single to Ian Kinsler, he stared defiantly into center field as Chone Figgins picked up the ball.

Weaver won't apologize for his behavior saying that fire is what helps to make him the pitcher he has become. He does say that his expressions of anger aren't meant to show up any opponents, they're just a sign that is isn't pleased with his performance at that moment.

“I feel like in high school I was way more like that than I am now,'' Weaver said. “I'm able to compose myself a little better now. But sometimes you slip, or whatever you want to call it. It's not like I'm pissed off at anybody but myself. I felt like I should have gotten out of there with minimal damage and I didn't.

“I think it's good to vent. People can take it in different ways but just being competitive and wanting to get the job done, sometimes you have to let out your emotions.''

Posted by Doug Padilla at 11:10 PM | Comments (0)

August 03, 2006

Doug Padilla: Colon's problems

Bartolo Colon still hasn't thrown a ball since hurting himself on the last road trip and a betting person would have to lay odds that the right-hander doesn't make his start next Friday at Yankee Stadium.

In a segment taped today for Saturday's radio pregame show, the reporters were asked if Colon or Joe Saunders would have a bigger impact down the stretch. To give away my answer, my gut tells me that Colon might not have many starts in him this season.

It's easy to get on Colon for his weight problems whenever he runs into health issues, but let's face it, this all started with a bad back last season and all those pounds aren't very kind on a weak back.

Mike Scioscia already talked about Colon possibly reinventing himself as a pitcher next season if his velocity never returns. What he needs to do is reinvent his physique. His longevity might depend on it. Then again, maybe a longevity isn't a goal of his. Who are we to make him aspire to be somebody he doesn't care to be? Do our sporting passions require him to be the best athlete he can be? Maybe at these ticket prices they do.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 08:45 PM | Comments (0)

August 01, 2006

Doug Padilla: Kendrick starring role

Howie Kendrick's brush with fame Sunday – namely his bump with actor Ben Affleck while chasing down a foul ball – has become more than just a interesting tale to tell. The play showed that Kendrick is more than capable of playing a position that was completely foreign to him before this season.

Although he looked awkward, Kendrick made another nice play in foul territory as the first baseman Tuesday night when he chased a ball up the right-field line. His play at Boston on Sunday showed that he has a feel for playing despite the distractions that come from chasing foul balls along the rail. It's something that rarely happened while playing at second.

Against the Red Sox, Kendrick approached the edge of the box seats where Affleck was sitting with wife Jennifer Garner. Kendrick and Affleck both reached up for the ball and after bumping arms, Kendrick made the play to end the second inning. Fans in the area booed the actor for not being more of a distraction and the Red Sox's Kevin Youkilis could be seen talking to Affleck after the play. Perhaps the Red Sox first baseman was telling Affleck that he should have gotten in the way of the play since the ball appeared to be over the railing.

Kendrick had no idea about his brush with the actor until he made it back to the dugout.

``The more I play over there, it becomes all about reacting,'' Kendrick said. ``I just reacted to the ball. It was a pop fly and I was just trying to find the wall and trying to keep my eye on the ball at the same time. I didn't even know it was Ben over there, to tell you the truth.

“I didn't even feel him hit me. I got caught up in trying to catch the ball.''

Posted by Doug Padilla at 10:32 PM | Comments (0)

July 30, 2006

Doug Padilla: Getting stronger

Here's a sign of a team doing all the right things on offense. The Angels took advantage of all of Curt Schilling's mistakes Sunday during a season in which the right-hander has made few mistakes. Schilling entered the game 8-0 at home this season with a 2.71 ERA.

“I couldn't get the ball in to (Vladimir Guerrero) for the first run,�? Schilling said. “Second inning, same thing. A couple of pitches I left out over the plate. In the third inning, one-out fastball in the middle of the plate (Orlando Cabrera's home run), hanging split (Guerrero's home run).

“Then the ball that (Juan) Rivera hit was a ball that I wanted in. I didn't think it was a bad pitch but he got to it. He got his hands in and got to it. I didn't feel like I made a lot of great pitches tonight but every mistake I made, they hit.�?

As the trade market looks to be drying up, an offensive approach like the team had Sunday might be enough to give the pitchers the run support they need.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 09:48 PM | Comments (4)

July 28, 2006

Doug Padilla: Monster setting

Fenway Park's Green Monster is among the more notable architectural ballpark features in the entire major leagues. What the paying public can't see about the left-field wall is the history that is accumulated inside.

During batting practice, I went inside the scoreboard of the Green Monster with a pair of colleagues. Usually cramped, dark and poorly ventilated areas are undesirable sites to visit. Not this one. Much of the ballpark's history is right there on the walls, mostly in the signatures of visitors. Many of the names on the concrete walls are from players, while many are unrecognizable. Maybe they are the names of former scoreboard operators and their friends.

Brian Cashman, Mike Timlin, Rod Beck, the list goes on. In blue paint at the entrance it reads, ``1986 World Series.'' One entry begs for a dream 2004 World Series matchup of the Red Sox and Cubs. The Cubs couldn't do their part to make it happen. Baseball players aren't the only known figures to sign as actress Rene Russo signed the concrete ceiling. The young scoreboard operator said she was a visitor earlier this year.

Reggie Willits, who was making his first visit to the park, had already signed the wall before batting practice. And just to the left of Willits are three new entries, from three Southern California baseball writers.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 03:03 PM | Comments (0)

July 25, 2006

Doug Padilla: Erstad's ankle

A reader recently inquired about Darin Erstad's injured right ankle. Specifically, he wanted to know if Erstad's time as a punter at Nebraska could have contributed to the ankle joint irritation that has him on the disabled list. So the question was posed to the Angels' medical staff.

The answer from head trainer Ned Bergert was that indeed Erstad's career as a punter (he also kicked off) could have contributed. The extended answer is that all of the athletic endeavors Erstad pursued in his younger years are the likely reason he is suffering now.

In addition to baseball and football, Erstad played youth hockey growing up in North Dakota and also participated in track and field. As Bergert put it, you only have so many miles on the tires.

There is your answer Edward Larkin. Thanks for reading.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 03:48 PM | Comments (1)

July 23, 2006

Doug Padilla: Brown out

The Kansas City Royals' Emil Brown probably will see Orlando Cabrera in his sleep. Twice in the four-game series at Kansas City, Cabrera has taken advantage of Brown's aggressive baserunning.

On Sunday, Cabrera fielded a bouncing ball from Angel Berroa as Brown ran from second to third. Thinking Cabrera would throw to first base with two outs, Brown touched third and ran home. With a close play at first base developing, Cabrera instead faked a throw there and threw to catcher Mike Napoli who easily tagged out Brown.

Cabrera's decision to throw home instead of first gave Berroa a hit. Nobody was complaining, though, because if Berroa is safe at first, Brown scores with ease in a game where runs were at a premium.

On Thursday, Cabrera faked a throw to first and threw out Brown trying to go from second to third.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 01:22 PM | Comments (954)

July 22, 2006

Doug Padilla: Football in July

Usually the Angels' clubhouse television is tuned to a sports highlight show or afternoon baseball. On Saturday, about half of the team was watching the high-school football movie "Friday Night Lights" and John Lackey had a front-and-center seat. Being a former high-school football standout in Texas, Lackey had a reason to feel a connection.

After the movie, Lackey confirmed that the final high school game of his career at Abilene High School was against Permian, the school the movie revolves around. Lackey was the Abilene quarterback and he had a vivid recollection of the game.

Talk about memories dying hard. Lackey said the final score was something like 13-9 in a game to see who would qualify for the state playoffs. He said his team was going to get one last crack at victory but a 90-yard Permian punt pinned down Abilene deep in their own territory. Lackey also recalled he had just over a minute to operate and a scoring drive never materialized.

Lackey said Drew Brees' team beat Dominic Rhodes' team for the state title. "We had some pretty good football going on down there," Lackey said. Pretty good indeed.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 03:29 PM | Comments (1)

July 20, 2006

Doug Padilla: mirror images

Before the game Thursday, Tommy Murphy and Reggie Willits were talking about how they are confused for one another on a daily basis. Afterward, the Angels helped relieve some of the confusion by sending Murphy back to Triple-A Last Vegas.

Willits said the most recent confusion happened during Wednesday's day game at home when people were calling him “Tommy�? and asking for his autograph. Bullpen catcher Steve Soliz struggled with their identities all spring.

The players, who both shave their heads, played on the same level the past two seasons and had a short stint with each other at the big-league level. The biggest difference on the field between the two is that Murphy takes an aggressive approach to the plate while Willits tends to work a count.

Willits now will get some chances to show what he can do on the big-league level. Murphy was sent back, in part, so that he can get some regular playing time after playing sparingly with the Angels of late.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 09:53 PM | Comments (0)

July 18, 2006

Doug Padilla: Angels near miss

The Oakland Athletics' Mark Kotsay might have won the American League Player of the Week Award for the week ending July 16, but the fact that two Angels received honorable mention might be more impressive.

Vladimir Guerrero and John Lackey each received consideration for the award in a week shortened by the All-Star break. It is proof that the Angels are coming together as a team with a little under a half season still remaining.

Kotsay, a Cal State Fullerton product, certainly was worthy of the award for batting .556 with a .772 slugging percentage in a four-game series at Fenway Park in Boston. He had three doubles, five RBI and 13 total bases. It was the first time Kotsay had received the award in his career.

Guerrero was 7-for-11 with two home runs and six RBI last week as he emerged from a June funk to find his top form.

Lackey might have been a lock for the award had he pitched more in the week. As it were, Lackey still received mention off of just one start. He pitched a shutout Friday against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays with 10 strikeouts. It was not only Lackey's second consecutive shutout, but he has struck out 10 batters in three consecutive games. He makes his next start Wednesday afternoon against the Cleveland Indians in the finale of the Angels' current homestand.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 03:36 PM | Comments (0)

July 17, 2006

Doug Padilla: Bat men

Formerly one of the worst offensive clubs in baseball, the Angels are on the kind of run that the addition of a bat might disrupt. For over a year, the cry has been for the Angels to add a significant bat to their mix. Now the team seems to hit at will.

In winning 12 of their last 13 games, the Angels have scored 86 runs. That is an average of 6.6 per game. So while the starting pitching has been getting most of the credit, the offense has redeemed itself for now.

Mike Napoli and Maicer Izturis have emerged of late but the biggest help might be coming from Juan Rivera.

``If you look at the bottom third of our lineup right now with Rivera, (Kendry) Morales and (Adam) Kennedy, that's a pretty strong grouping,'' manager Mike Scioscia said. ``Kendry is still learning but he has thunder in his bat. Juan gives us a guy that probably can be hitting higher up in some lineups you look at, but with him hitting seventh just points to the depth we have now.''

Posted by Doug Padilla at 11:03 PM | Comments (0)

July 16, 2006

Doug Padilla: History lesson

When the Angels returned from the All-Star break, they found a new addition to the runway leading from the clubhouse to the field. An "Angels Wall of Fame" was affixed to the wall that faces the players as they exit the clubhouse.

The wall of fame is an exact replica of one that is fastened to a wall near the Angels memorabilia store behind home plate. Every player that has received a postseason award or All-Star honor is listed. The idea is to seemingly provide inspiration to the current crop of players, many of whom already have earned their spots on the wall.

One Angels official jokingly said the wall might become similar to the sign in the Notre Dame football locker room that every player touches before taking the field. As of now, Angels players don't seem to be as similarly moved.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 05:41 PM | Comments (1)

July 15, 2006

Doug Padilla: Words of wisdom

Mike Scioscia was recalling the day he left home as a 17-year old to join the Dodgers organization. It was on that day that the Angels manager heard the words he still recalls, although it makes much more sense to him now than it did then.

"If you want to be a leader, the first person you have to lead is yourself.''

The words did not come from a Dodgers official, an old coach or a friendly passenger on a bus ride to the bushes. Scioscia said the words came from his mother. As Scioscia recalled it, he could tell his mother wanted to say something profound and the words came tumbling out from the heart and not from anything memorized.

Words to live by, indeed.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 10:42 PM | Comments (703)

July 14, 2006

Doug Padilla: Peek inside

Early batting practice is underway beneath the scorching afternoon sun and many Angels players seem anxious to get to work in the second half.

Juan Rivera, who looked to be rounding into form when the second half ended, just crushed a number of pitches into the bullpens in left field. Darin Erstad, who has battled ankle problems all season and currently is on the disabled list, is getting in his hacks and seems content to spray the ball to all fields.

Former Angels bench coach Joe Maddon is the only member of the Devil Rays' traveling party on the field and is saying hello to anybody and everybody he sees. As early as two months ago, Maddon was praising the schedulemaker because he would be able to relax at his Brea home for the four-day break and then start the second half just up the freeway against the Angels.

Howie Kendrick, who was recalled today as Kelvim Escobar went on the disabled list with elbow irritation, is part of the group taking early swings. Kendrick also is spraying to all fields. Whether he gets a chance to do it on a regular basis in the Angels' lineup remains to be seen.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 03:19 PM | Comments (1)

July 09, 2006

Doug Padilla: Going somewhere?

Sunday's home-plate upmire, Eric Cooper, certainly seemed like he was anxious to start his All-Star break. The biggest strike zone of the season had nearly everybody on edge.

It might be a problem when both benches voice displeasure over how the game is being called. The zone was not only high, like on a Nick Swicher strikeout in the fifth, it was very low too as Maicer Izturis found out int he seventh inning.

It got so bad that A's hitting coach Gerald Perry had seen enough. His protests, after Jason Kendall struck out looking in the seventh inning, were enough to get him ejected.

The 2-hour, 19-minute game was the third under 2:20 for the road trip. The Angels played in 2:01 on Friday and 2:03 on Wednesday at Seattle. Those were much more friendly game times than the White Sox and Red Sox experienced in their marathon extra-inning game Sunday.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 05:24 PM | Comments (0)

July 08, 2006

Doug Padilla: Napoli joins name game

One of the topics in the Angels' dugout well before Saturday's game was nicknames in baseball. Angels broadcaster Rex Hudler was talking about the Cleveland Indians' Travis Hafner and how his nickname “Pronk�? came from two previous nicknames that the slugger didn't care for, “Project�? and “Donkey.�?

Hudler said he had a role in Tim Salmon's altered nickname of “King Fish�? and David Eckstein's moniker of “X-Factor.�? Hudler was asked what he would name rookie Mike Napoli, but nothing came to mind.

Napoli was asked if he had any nicknames while growing up and he admitted to one that was starting to take root in the Angels clubhouse. It seems as if Napoli is being referred to by Adam Kennedy as “Snacks�? because of Napoli's habit of getting something to eat every time a flight attendant brings the cart down the aisle on the team's charter flights.

“Snacks�? might not be the most flattering of nicknames but it sure beats a yawner like “Nap.�?

Posted by Doug Padilla at 07:55 PM | Comments (663)

July 07, 2006

Doug Padilla: Different perspectives

It shouldn't be too surprising that Chone Figgins (a base stealer) and Jose Molina (a catcher) had a difference of opinion on a stolen-base attempt during a game the players were watching on television Tuesday.

The players were watching when the Baltimore Orioles' Jeff Conine was trying to steal second base against the Cleveland Indians. Conine was caught stealing on a close play but Figgins and Molina had differing opinions.

Figgins was certain Conine slid under the tag, but of course he did. He makes a living trying to slip in under the tags of opponents. Molina was certain Conine was nowhere near safe. He saw a catcher making a perfect throw and the infielder completing a caught stealing with a perfect tag.

An inning later Conine went back on a ball to the left-field wall, tripped over his own player when retreiving the ball and fired a horrible throw to the infield that went for an error. Nobody was taking Conine's side that time.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 06:06 PM | Comments (1)

July 06, 2006

Doug Padilla: Extended break shortened

The Angels knew their All-Star break schedule was too good to be true and this week it was confirmed as such. The Angels were set to receive a rare four-day All-Star break next week because their first series of the second half was scheduled to start Friday after the All-Star Game and not Thursday as is typical.

The Angels have learned that there now will be a team workout on Thursday in preparation for the start of the second half next Friday at home against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The workout is not open to the public.

The workout is expected to be nothing more than a typical pregame batting-practice session with hitters taking swings in small groups, pitchers shagging fly balls and infielders working on their defense. It likely will not last much more than an hour. That is the same kind of workout teams have on off days during playoff series.

The workout could end up costing players a day on some already planned All-Star break trips. Orlando Cabrera, for one, has already said he has plane tickets to return to his native Colombia over the break.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 10:48 PM | Comments (0)

July 05, 2006

Doug Padilla: Trading ideas

Angels general manager Bill Stoneman made a trade Wednesday, just not the impact deal many Angels fans have been anticipating since last season. The Angels sent pitcher Jeff Weaver to the St. Louis Cardinals for minor-league outfielder Terry Evans. Dealing Weaver for the a desired impact bat never was an option.

Stoneman was chatting with reporters a mere hour before Wednesday's trade with the Cardinals when a fan noticed the GM standing on the bottom step of the dugout. So the fan yelled out for a trade, something shouted in Stoneman's direction often over the past year. A reporter acknowledged the fan by asking his trade preferences.

``Ever hear of a guy named Pujols?'' the fan yelled, in reference to Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols.

Pulling the trigger on any trade of significance hasn't been Stoneman's strong suit. A trade for Pujols? Please.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 11:02 PM | Comments (0)

Doug Padilla: Trading ideas

Angels general manager Bill Stoneman made a trade Wednesday, just not the impact deal many Angels fans have been anticipating since last season. The Angels sent pitcher Jeff Weaver to the St. Louis Cardinals for minor-league outfielder Terry Evans. Dealing Weaver for the a desired impact bat never was an option.

Stoneman was chatting with reporters a mere hour before Wednesday's trade with the Cardinals when a fan noticed the GM standing on the bottom step of the dugout. So the fan yelled out for a trade, something shouted in Stoneman's direction often over the past year. A reporter acknowledged the fan by asking his trade preferences.

``Ever hear of a guy named Pujols?'' the fan yelled, in reference to Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols.

Pulling the trigger on any trade of significance hasn't been Stoneman's strong suit. A trade for Pujols? Please.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 11:02 PM | Comments (0)

July 04, 2006

Doug Padilla: The lighter side

A baseball clubhouse can be a funny place so on the Fourth of July we observed the top five lighthearted moments of the day.

No. 5: Angels announcer Rex Hudler entertained a group of reporters by recalling the day he spent as a player in Japan when he ate a worm. He did it for Japanese equivalent of $1,000 U.S. In seven Japanese newspapers the next day Hudler was presented as the crazy American who ate a worm.

No. 4: Mike Scioscia doesn't care to be called “skipper,�? yet that's what a TV cameraman did when he was getting sound bites. He not only prefaced a question by calling Scioscia “Skip,�? but he called him “Skip�? again when leaving his office.

No. 3: Vladimir Guerrero must be feeling good about himself. He's been wearing a Superman T-shirt lately in the clubhouse. Or perhaps it's just a tie-in to the recently-released Superman movie.

No. 2: Ervin Santana felt obligated to help the same cameraman who called Scioscia “Skip.�? The cameraman was trying to hold his camera and a microphone to record Santana's statements. So Santana grabbed the microphone and looked like a reporter presenting an on-air piece.

No. 1: Leave it to players to watch their own lives unfold on television. Many Angels players were stationed in front of the television for an ESPN piece that gave a behind-the-scenes look at what the Houston Astros go through on a road trip. Makes you wonder what the Angels players found so interesting.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 05:17 PM | Comments (0)

July 03, 2006

Doug Padilla: M's on the rise

After all the talk before the season that the Angels, A's or Rangers would control the division, the Seattle Mariners went into Monday's game playing the best baseball in the American League West. The Mariners went 14-4 in interleague play and have won 11 of their last 15 games. Angels manager Mike Scioscia has been impressed.

Ichiro Suzuki is doing his typical job of being a pest at the top of the order but guys like Yuniesky Betancourt and Jose Lopez have given the team a lift. Adrian Beltre has improved isnce moving into the No. 2 spot in the lineup three weeks ago.

"The two guys Betancourt and Lopez are probably the most improved guys on their team from what we saw last year," Scioscia said. "You could see the talent was there but I think their inexperience last year showed up at times. That time they spent up here last year they put to good use because it made them more comfortable this year and they're playing great baseball."

Posted by Doug Padilla at 08:47 PM | Comments (0)

July 01, 2006

Doug Padilla: Radar not enforced

A media member who typically covers the Dodgers waited until the middle of Friday night's Freeway Series opener before asking if the Angels put pitchers' radar-gun readings on the scoreboard. On Friday, those readings were curiously missing.

The theory is that with Bartolo Colon on the mound and not yet back his typical hard-throwing self, the Angels decided that a night without a radar gun would be a good idea. Even general manager Bill Stoneman admitted before the game that Colon was not throwing as hard as he had in the past but is now healthy and that's what is important.

With Kelvim Escobar on the mound Saturday and throwing as hard as he ever has, the Angels had the radar gun up and running on the outfield scoreboards. Makes you wonder if the CHP has days when it elects to not use its radar.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 03:05 PM | Comments (441)

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

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 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)

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)

May 05, 2006

Doug Padilla: Finally seeing double

It took 115 at-bats this season for Vladimir Guerrero to finally connect on his first double of the season, a rather curious statistical anomaly. Guerrero had an RBI double to right field off Blue Jays starter Gustavo Chacin in the sixth inning Friday. It isn't like Guerrero has suffered from a lack of power. He has a team-leading eight home runs, including a ball he absolutely crushed over the wall Thursday at Detroit. After the Detroit home run, manager Mike Scioscia was asked about Guerrero's double drought. "He could have chopped that home run into four doubles," Scioscia said.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 06:56 PM | Comments (1)

April 27, 2006

Doug Padilla: Angels fans part of equation

The White Sox are coming to town and their players seem convinced Angels fans will be a factor this weekend. There is plenty on the line after the White Sox beat the Angels in last season's ALCS, but some interesting subplots exist. There is the player everybody loves to hate, A.J. Pierzynski, and the controversial Strike 3 last season that saw the catcher reach first base. And there is the Paul Konerko factor, as the White Sox first baseman could have signed with the Angels but took less money to return to Chicago.

“It’s still so early in the season, but that won’t stop us from going out there and giving it everything we have, just like they will," White Sox reliever Bobby Jenks said. "It will be an interesting series, especially if they do hold any type of grudges, you know with A.J. We’ll have to see when we get there.’’

Konerko figures the White Sox to get a hated reception, but not as bad as Doug Eddings would get. Eddings was the umpire in Game 2 of the ALCS when Pierzynski reached first base after it was ruled his third strike was in the dirt. The reception for Konerko is also expected to be unkind, but it could be worse.

"Put it this way, it probably won’t be half as bad as the reception I would get if I was coming back to U.S. Cellular Field and playing with the Angels," Konerko said this week.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 10:18 PM | Comments (0)

April 22, 2006

Doug Padilla: Erstad eyes better vision

Darin Erstad has been straight out of a horror flick in the last two outdoor day games he has played. Erstad has taken to wearing tinted contact lenses that are designed for athletes to promote better vision in the daytime. The lenses, which put a demonic red ring around Erstad's pupils, have only helped him to one hit in nine at-bats. He went 1-for-5 with a double last weekend at Baltimore and 0-for-4 on Saturday at Oakland. They haven't been all bad, though. Erstad made a spectacular leaping catch near the wall to rob Milton Bradley of a base hit Saturday.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 07:23 PM | Comments (1)

April 17, 2006

Doug Padilla: Orioles' Stooge-like play

There was no escaping the Baltimore Orioles' blunder from Sunday as multiple sports shows replayed it over and over again on a television in the Angels' clubhouse Monday. Javy Lopez hit a home run over the outstretched arm of the Angels' Darin Erstad but then passed Miguel Tejada on the basepaths and was only awarded a single. Erstad said he was fine after the play, although he could have sustained multiple injuries from crashing into the wall and nearly turning his left ankle when he fell on the warning track. Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo said both Lopez and Tejada were to blame for being careless. Angels manager Mike Scioscia refrained from finding fault. "That was just a victim of circumstances like the (Three) Stooges would say," Scioscia said. "I didn't see what transpired." All he had to do was look at a television.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 07:55 PM | Comments (0)

April 16, 2006

Doug Padilla: Lackey's tall order

John Lackey found himself in the No. 3 spot of the Angels lineup late in Sunday's game against the Baltimore Orioles because of some defensive maneuvers. Juan Rivera originally entered Sunday's game as the designated hitter in place of an injured Tim Salmon. Rivera was then asked to play right field for Vladimir Guerrero in the eighth inning. Since the DH was removed, the pitcher had to take a spot in the order and Lackey inherited Guerrero's slot. Lackey never had to hit, though, and was ultimately replaced on the mound by Francisco Rodriguez in the ninth inning.
"It's been since JuCo that I hit third," Lackey said with a laugh, recalling his days at Grayson County College in Denison, Texas in 1999. That team won the Junior College World Series.
Lackey certainly was a legitimate No. 3 hitter. He batted .428 that year with 15 home runs and 81 RBI. He even had eight hits in the World Series with two home runs and seven RBI.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 03:46 PM | Comments (0)

April 11, 2006

Doug Padilla: Angels e-mail address

Talk about the ultimate in being a fan. It has come to our attention the website www.MyMLB.com has launched a new service that allows users to get an e-mail address showing off their favorite team. Thus the e-mail address of YourName@losangeles-angels.net can be yours for the low, low price of free. Other pay options are available. The service operates much like Hotmail but the user's home page is filled with news from his or her favorite team. Every major-league team is available. Not only can comments be posted here but I can now be reached at either Doug.Padilla@sgvn.com or at DougPadilla@losangeles-angels.net. Look forward to hearing from you.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 08:03 AM | Comments (16)

April 10, 2006

Doug Padilla: The error of their ways

The Angels seem content to let time tell the final story when it comes to their fielding woes. The defense entered Monday with nine errors in their first six games, a total of 1.5 per game. They averaged one error every two games last season when they led the AL in fielding. Nobody has been immune either as six different players have made errors.
Said manager Mike Scioscia: "All parts of your game, you're trying to get your feet on the ground and trying to get in a rhythm. I think on the defensive side we're going to play good baseball. Right now we've struggled a little bit in some areas. You can see the double plays, we needed turned we turned, the plays we needs to make we made at the times we needed them and had some terrific plays mixed in."

Posted by Doug Padilla at 08:37 PM | Comments (16)

April 07, 2006

Doug Padilla: Go fish on Salmon inquiry

While reporters often speculate, manager Mike Scioscia usually doesn't play along. Before Friday's game aginst the Yankees, Scioscia was asked if Juan Rivera might be playing in center field Saturday. It was a logical assumption because the right-handed hitting Rivera would spell the left-handed hitting Darin Erstad with the lefty Randy Johnson on the mound for the Yankees. That would give Tim Salmon a chance to make his first start at home as the designated hitter. Or maybe Rivera will replace Garret Anderson in left. Anderson is batting just .167 (3-for-18) against Johnson, while Erstad is hitting .250 (5-for-20) against the big lefty. Or maybe Salmon waits until Sunday since he is batting just .176 (9-for-51) against Johnson.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 08:31 PM | Comments (5)

April 04, 2006

Doug Padilla: Lackey plays it cool

One member of the Angels was not going to let John Lackey get away with being nonchalant about his new $17.01 million contract. When Lackey told reporters it was "nice" that the Angels were showing their confidence in the right-hander, Chone Figgins happened by the interview session. "Nice?" Figgins remarked, shaking his head as he walked away. Figgins wasn't alone in thinking that over $5 million per season was a little more than nice. Lackey could only laugh at the realization of his understatement. Figgins' three-year deal, signed during the offseason, was worth $10.5 million.

Posted by Doug Padilla at 11:12 AM | Comments (1)