Something for you kids to chew on

[Brandon]

I normally don't post stuff like this and keep the stuff told to me on the down low. However, he has been a topic recently and it may debunk an article involving his trade that was made about Arte.

1) Always take this with a grain of salt. I'm just a messenger and not going to play detective and find out more or facts.

2) I still don't know how to write it out but am going to change some parts around of people involved. I don't think the person reads the site, but if some involved do or have family members that do I'd be singled out quickly and crushed.

So....

I'm out last night and supposed to meet one of our Angels radio voices like I do regularly. Some people at a place I frequent know and ask about the team, said person, and are just fans in general.

An older friend of mine wanted to meet said radio personality and we are talking about the team, etc. when a new face that has come in for the evening has joined us and jumps into the conversation.

Part of the reason I'm posting this is because she didn't come across like a sports fan, thus she wouldn't really care who or how team functions are done....just merely a fly on the wall. But, this lady has ties to a players mother involved and is best friends with someone on the team staffs wife.

Said lady was out with staff member, staff member wife, and Sosh. Now, like I said, she isn't too big into sports but likes the team and even texts with this staff member and asks questions involving trades or player personnel. This staff member is professional and gives the normal answer while saying it wasn't his decision. However, with this particular trade he seemed upset or at least said it wasn't his choice...lady made it seem like different wording making it seem staff member wanted to keep this player.

This texting was just in normal chat and before this get together, so now lets jump back, where they are altogether. Long story short, this lady with some liquid courage in her over dinner decides to ask for herself, "Mike, why did you trade Napoli?" to which his response was simply, "He couldn't keep up." Now, staff manager at the table jumped in, "She's good friends with his mother!" to which Sosh shrugged if off saying it didn't matter and then started to talk about his or why he moved him before the staff member shut the conversation down.

Now, I mentioned how I've met Sosh a few times and he's a gregarious guy and that would be the normal tongue in cheek response he would playfully give. This lady agreed and said how great he is to be around but jumped back to his trade and said it came from the horses mouth....obviously this is years ago and she doesn't remember verbatim what Sosh said, but remembered enough to strongly say Mike may have facilitated the trade for Wells which an article recently says Arte facilitated the deal and threatened Reagins job if it wasn't completed.

Take it with a grain of salt. I nor the lady I spent time with last night have a reason to make it up. I guess I'm just surprised because I always thought people joked about Mike's power with the club but this would even add fuel to that fire. It also kind of puts into light the Naps/Sosh dynamic that people like to talk about.

Sorry this is written poorly. I'm trying to share and cover my tracks.

Edited October 26, 2013 by Brandon

[tdawg87]

Dammit I don't have any popcorn

[Vegas Halo Fan]

None of this would surprise me. Most of us have suspected that Scioscia was de facto GM while Reagins was in place. This would fall in line with that if true.

[Lifetime]

I don't think there's any question that Mike was on board with trading Napoli and it was probably at his request when they had their year end trade season planning meetings. I don't think this indicates he facilitated the Wells trade however. It does confirm what most assumed about Mike and Mike 's relationship and Scioscia's opinion of Naps though. 

[Blarg]

What intrigues me is this story completely ignores what was for dinner.

[DMVol]

Not sure what "he couldn't keep up" means exactly...??...that could be construed in different ways...

[Blarg]

Not sure what "he couldn't keep up" means exactly...??...that could be construed in different ways...

 

The sack race in Spring training. With that bum hip he lagged behind Jeffy.

[Bruce Nye]

IR = injured reserve? 

 

Was Napoli on the DL before he was traded?

[Brandon]

I don't think there's any question that Mike was on board with trading Napoli and it was probably at his request when they had their year end trade season planning meetings. I don't think this indicates he facilitated the Wells trade however. It does confirm what most assumed about Mike and Mike 's relationship and Scioscia's opinion of Naps though.

Yeah, I misused "facilitating the Wells deal"....she didn't insinuate that as much as she said Mike traded Napoli, like it was his decision or his stamp of approval.

On a side note, I don't think this can come back to me or at a bear minimum I get an unfriendly text. But for the curious, I'll drop a hint and won't confirm or deny it. The staff member is someone talked about here quite a bit and is not liked for the job they do.

[Brandon]

IR = injured reserve?

Was Napoli on the DL before he was traded?

Dumb phone autocorrect errors. I thought I cleaned them up in time with the edit.

[Angel Oracle]

Red Buttons is glad they all got a dinner.

Seriously though, thanks for the info Brandon.

Edited October 26, 2013 by Angel Oracle

[Blarg]

Yeah, I misused "facilitating the Wells deal"....she didn't insinuate that as much as she said Mike traded Napoli, like it was his decision or his stamp of approval.

On a side note, I don't think this can come back to me or at a bear minimum I get an unfriendly text. But for the curious, I'll drop a hint and won't confirm or deny it. The staff member is someone talked about here quite a bit and is not liked for the job they do.

 

Hey, hey, hey, that's no way to talk about Patty.

[Blarg]

Red Buttons is glad they all got a dinner.

 

Congrats, this is probably your most obtuse reference to the 60's you've dropped on this forum.

 

WTF does it mean?

[Brandon]

lol.

The awesome thing is I don't get 90% of the nicknames AO uses, but laugh every time.

[m0nkey]

Name your sources!

[Brent Maguire]

This doesn't surprise me one bit but it's still very interesting. I don't remember ever hearing anything that happened between Scioscia and Napoli as far as a confrontation goes. Clearly, Napoli thought he deserved to play more and Scioscia didn't agree but I'd like to know if they ever got into it. 

[Brandon]

I actually divulged too much, but figured this isn't really new info or unexpected, just a supplement to those interested or still talk about Naps/Sosh.

[tdawg87]

Red Buttons is glad they all got a dinner.

 

This is literally the greatest thing ever.

[Angel Oracle]

Friars Roast reference, Red Buttons was at a roast normally, and would say that even so and so, who achieved such and such, never got a dinner in their honor.

[Troll Daddy]

Napoli was a salary dump ... nothing more. I believe Wells was a group decision with Arte was pulling the strings.

[tdawg87]

That doesn't make any sense. If they wanted to dump salary they wouldn't have taken on Vernon Wells and his entire contract.

[Bruce Nye]

Napoli was a salary dump ... nothing more. I believe Wells was a group decision with Arte was pulling the strings.

 

 

Agree.  Arte promised a big splash and when the Beltre signing didn't pan out, he wanted to save face.  Although, I believe there was an issue between MS and Naps.

[ten ocho recon scout]

That doesn't make any sense. If they wanted to dump salary they wouldn't have taken on Vernon Wells and his entire contract.

Wells' contract was a dump alright, but not a salary one. Unless were talking about toronto.

Good post by brandon. Like he said, grain of salt. Unless its from someone directly involved, it should be noted that people hear rumors at work and go with them, whether or not they are confirmed. Nothing different thanour own jobs.

That said, there's been plenty of rumors through the grapevine that sosh wasn't a big naps fan. I would tend to believe this rumor just based on other things we've all heard before.

[FabulousFabregas]

I'm starting to rethink when I said that Bobby Valentine is worse than Scioscia.  I'd rather have Valentine managing the Angels than this fat blowhard.

[Homebrewer]

But, this lady has ties to a players mother involved and is best friends with someone on the team staffs wife.

 

Huh???