AngelsWin.com

By Robert Cunningham, Angelswin.com Senior Writer
Author’s Note: The author does not have full access to complete team financial data so the numbers contained in this series represent either actual, published contractual details or best estimates. Great effort was made to provide factual evidence and details using reliable sources such as BaseballProspectus.com, Baseball-Reference.com, MLBTraderumors.com, BaseballSavant.com, MLB.com, FanGraphs.com, RosterResource.com, Brooksbaseball.net, StatCorner.com, LATimes.com, OCRegister.com (specifically Jeff Fletcher), and Spotrac.com among others.
History tends to repeat itself and unfortunately, despite the organizations best efforts to put a contending team on the field in 2018, the Angels fell short of their goal to enter the post-season once again.
If this is a familiar refrain or you think you are having a case of deja vous, you are not alone. We, at Angelswin.com, have been making the same opening statement to this annual series for the last few seasons with nearly similar results.
Insanity I tell you! Insanity!
But here we are, again, entering the 2018-2019 off-season with the hope that Arte Moreno and Billy Eppler can apply team resources to create a contender now and beyond.
This Primer Series will once again attempt to give Angelswin.com readers insight and knowledge into what is to come by examining and understanding the Angels goals, restrictions, and short and long term needs, based on actual production in recent seasons and what the free agent and trade markets have to offer in the present.
First of all the primary goal, as it is each and every year, is to put the highest-caliber team on the field of play to secure and bring home a World Series Championship. This key objective is the “parent” of every other goal, restriction, and need that Billy Eppler must address in preparation for Opening Day 2019.
As we discussed last year, one all-encompassing goal, restriction, and need is superstar Mike Trout.
You want to win while you have him on your roster which means you need to compete over his current, remaining two years of contractual control (2019-2020) irrespective of Mike potentially signing a career-long extension contract.
It is also a serious restriction because it drives a large portion of front office decision making into a well-defined window. This does not mean that Eppler and the front office do not have a long-term outlook or plan, it is just acknowledging the fact that the Angels best opportunity to win games and get to the playoffs likely resides in the next two seasons.
Finally it is a need in the sense that Trout is a driving factor for Billy to acquire competent players to surround him with over that period of time which has the dual purpose of giving him a reason to sign an extension and stay with the only team he has known to-date. This extension topic will be discussed further in the Center Field section of the Primer Series.
Beyond the goals of winning a World Series Championship and building the team around Mike Trout, the Angels must manage team payroll, follow the rules of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), build and manage the front office and coaching staff, continue to construct a top-tier Minor League farm system, and fill several positional needs around the diamond.
This is made all the more difficult by the retirement of long-time Angels Manager Mike Scioscia. In many ways this was not an unexpected outcome. Mike has been at the helm for nearly 19 years and it was only a matter of time before he hung up his secondary spikes. However, if Scioscia gets his way, he may find a way to stay in the dugout.
Despite what you may or may not think of Mike, he was a competent manager and on-field tactician with a very thorough understanding of the MLB rule book. Above all else Scioscia was always the safe port in the storm with about as even a keel, personality-wise, as you can find in baseball.
Brad Ausmus, Eppler’s choice for the next Angels manager, will be challenged to lead this team now and beyond while navigating the daily waters as deftly as Scioscia did. It is not impossible to replace Mike but Ausmus does have a large pair of shoes to fill. The good news is that he has the support of the General Manager and they have proven they can work together over the last year as Billy reconstructs a roster that has lost some key pieces to free agency this season.
The Angels have parted ways with their short-time, free agent, players like Martin Maldonado and Ian Kinsler, freeing up nearly $15M in payroll while bringing in two potential bullpen pieces for 2019 (Buttrey and Jerez) and a potential starter for 2020 and beyond (Sandoval).  Additionally, Garrett Richards $7.3M salary comes off the books as well as Blake Wood and Chris Young, liberating another $10M or so.
As we mentioned last season, Arte Moreno may choose to strike, monetarily, in the 2019-2020 window. Free agency is fertile this off-season and the trade market may have some interesting targets for the Angels to acquire.
Really at this point we at Angelswin.com will be surprised if Moreno and Eppler do not get aggressive in some form or fashion soon. Clearly a Mike Trout extension is a real possibility, likely closer to the beginning of the 2019 season, which will be huge if it happens. However, it will take more roster building than that to be successful now and beyond.
This year the Competitive Balance Tax (CBT, also known as the Luxury Tax threshold) line is $206M. Next year in 2020 it will rise slightly to $208M. The following season it will be $210M.
As discussed in last year’s Primer Series, two-time offenders (meaning teams that exceed the Luxury Tax threshold two years in a row) that do not exceed the CBT threshold by more than $40M, pay a milder outlay of cash in comparison to teams that exceed $40M or go three or more years over the CBT line (third-time offenders).
For reference here is the relevant excerpt of the 2017-2021 CBA, Article XXIII, B., (4), b., ii., that shows specific surcharge gates at $20M and $40M:

It seems logical that Moreno would not become a third-time offender nor exceed the CBT threshold by more than $40M, due to the significantly higher tax rates. If he did either of those he may, quite literally, not be able to buy the proverbial yacht fuel Angels fans joke about so much.
Thus the two-year window of Mike Trout (barring a career-long extension) and the potential, two-time CBT violator window could align beginning this year. Let us not forget that Arte is not getting any younger (sorry Mr. Moreno if it is any consolation none of us are getting any younger) and winning a World Series Championship is almost certainly high on his to-do list (as it has been since he purchased the team).
So if there was ever a time to push all the chips in, it would be this two-year window. This in turn may mean that Moreno will authorize Eppler to exceed the Luxury Tax in the off-season or by the trade deadline at the end of July 2019 to give Billy maximum flexibility to build and improve the roster.
The proof, of course, will be in the pudding. If it does happen they could go big and hand out a large mega-signing for someone like Manny Machado or Bryce Harper with opt-outs after 2019 and 2020 (essentially a one or two year high-paid rental) or trade for another superstar like Nolan Arenado or Jacob deGrom now or at the Trade Deadline.
Alternatively, in the overspend scenario, the Angels could spread the money out to multiple players and possibly use significant performance bonuses or short-term, high salary deals as contractual instruments to bring in blue-chip talent if Moreno puts his blessing on it.
No matter what decision is made regarding how much payroll the Halos will add, prior to the start of 2019, one thing seems quite certain: the Angels will be improved, yet again, on Opening Day. Billy Eppler, despite his limited, yet developing supply of prospects, will have marketable assets and a considerable amount of payroll space to apply in trade(s) and free agency.
For the purposes of this series, though, we will assume that Arte Moreno does not allow his GM to exceed the Luxury Tax to start the year. This means we will operate under the presumption that team payroll, in terms of AAV, will not go over the 2019 CBT threshold of $206M. The result is that the Angels will likely spend no more than $190M-$195M, give or take, in actual payroll to start the season. Essentially this means the Angels have approximately $30M to spend.
The reason for that is the team needs to maintain payroll margin in order to make potential trades in-season or before the July 31st deadline to reinforce or upgrade their roster. Keeping a few million in reserve maintains payroll and roster flexibility and is a common business practice that Billy Eppler may, or may not, follow based on acquisition opportunities, team performance, and/or firm instructions and concurrence from Moreno regarding payroll expenditures and permission to exceed the CBT threshold.
Beyond payroll, another very important goal is the continuing growth and development of the Angels Minor League farm system.
The Angels had an average draft in 2015, an above average one in 2016, followed by a top-heavy draft in 2017, and another solid one in 2018. Names like Jo Adell, Brandon Marsh, Griffin Canning, Jahmai Jones, Jose Suarez, Taylor Ward, Jordyn Adams, Jeremiah Jackson, Matt Thaiss, and Chris Rodriguez are just some of the names Halos fans should keep an eye on in the coming years. Some of them will form the core of the next great Angels team in 2020 and beyond!
Part of this more recent success has to do not only with better overall draft picks but the strong efforts of Billy Eppler, scouting director Matt Swanson, and the tireless work of the Angels cross-checkers and scouts around the country. The organization has focused on finding and molding raw, athletic players and it has started to pay off.
Additionally, the Halos continue to dip into the international market. This year they signed 16-year old Dominican outfield prospect Alexander Ramirez for a cool $1M signing bonus. Also, recently, per Angels reporter Taylor Blake Ward, they inked Dominican RHP Danifan Diaz too. It feels like the front office has turned a real corner and fans should expect to hear of other, albeit less notable, international signings heading into the off-season.
In addition to the farm system improvements, Eppler has expertly acquired multiple players via trades and use of the waiver wire. Names like Ty Buttrey, Luis Rengifo, Kevin Maitan, Noe Ramirez, Taylor Cole, Felix Pena, Williams Jerez, Hansel Robles, and Patrick Sandoval are some of the names that did not start in our farm system but were targeted by scouts and the analytics department for their potential and they are now beginning to shine on the field in the Majors and the Angels Minor League affiliates. Some may pan out and others may falter but the organization certainly has an eye for raw talent that cannot be denied.
Yet another goal Billy must address are the positional holes to fill around the diamond, including a primary and backup C, potentially a platoon 1B, a 2B or 3B, based on what they do with Zack Cozart, and possibly a DH. The team also needs to improve offensive production against left-handed pitching and develop or acquire a real lead-off hitter. Also the rotation is unsettled, especially at the top with Ohtani out for next season on the mound, so finding a quality, reliable starter is critical. The bullpen was a bit of a mess in 2018 so adding one or more relievers, particularly with options, to the mix would produce more viable options for next season.
As he tried to do in 2018, Billy will also need to build sufficient depth behind the 25-man roster, particularly in position player and rotation depth. It would not be surprising to see Eppler expertly work the waiver wire, again, to supplement next years squad. In particular, the Rule 5 Draft, this off-season, is potentially fruitful and may have a target or two Eppler might snag to supplement the bench or more likely the bullpen.
Without a doubt there are many challenges here for Billy and the front office to handle. Eppler will have to use his talented scouting system to identify the targets they need and want to acquire and either spend the cash and/or the farm system assets needed to obtain them. Along with that, the Angels farm system took some large strides forward in 2018 and once Eppler is done with the off-season, the team should be truly competitive with greater depth than in previous seasons.
The future success of the franchise is being set no matter whether the Angels retain Mike Trout or he departs during or after the 2020 season. These incremental steps laid by Billy Eppler yesterday, today, and tomorrow should put this organization back on the path to regular, yearly contention over the next several years.
In the next Section we will discuss the teams Finances heading into the off-season.
View the full article

By Robert Cunningham, Angelswin.com Senior Writer
Author’s Note: The author does not have full access to complete team financial data so the numbers contained in this series represent either actual, published contractual details or best estimates. Great effort was made to provide factual evidence and details using reliable sources such as BaseballProspectus.com, Baseball-Reference.com, MLBTraderumors.com, BaseballSavant.com, MLB.com, FanGraphs.com, RosterResource.com, Brooksbaseball.net, StatCorner.com, LATimes.com, OCRegister.com (specifically Jeff Fletcher), and Spotrac.com among others.
History tends to repeat itself and unfortunately, despite the organizations best efforts to put a contending team on the field in 2018, the Angels fell short of their goal to enter the post-season once again.
If this is a familiar refrain or you think you are having a case of deja vous, you are not alone. We, at Angelswin.com, have been making the same opening statement to this annual series for the last few seasons with nearly similar results.
Insanity I tell you! Insanity!
But here we are, again, entering the 2018-2019 off-season with the hope that Arte Moreno and Billy Eppler can apply team resources to create a contender now and beyond.
This Primer Series will once again attempt to give Angelswin.com readers insight and knowledge into what is to come by examining and understanding the Angels goals, restrictions, and short and long term needs, based on actual production in recent seasons and what the free agent and trade markets have to offer in the present.
First of all the primary goal, as it is each and every year, is to put the highest-caliber team on the field of play to secure and bring home a World Series Championship. This key objective is the “parent” of every other goal, restriction, and need that Billy Eppler must address in preparation for Opening Day 2019.
As we discussed last year, one all-encompassing goal, restriction, and need is superstar Mike Trout.
You want to win while you have him on your roster which means you need to compete over his current, remaining two years of contractual control (2019-2020) irrespective of Mike potentially signing a career-long extension contract.
It is also a serious restriction because it drives a large portion of front office decision making into a well-defined window. This does not mean that Eppler and the front office do not have a long-term outlook or plan, it is just acknowledging the fact that the Angels best opportunity to win games and get to the playoffs likely resides in the next two seasons.
Finally it is a need in the sense that Trout is a driving factor for Billy to acquire competent players to surround him with over that period of time which has the dual purpose of giving him a reason to sign an extension and stay with the only team he has known to-date. This extension topic will be discussed further in the Center Field section of the Primer Series.
Beyond the goals of winning a World Series Championship and building the team around Mike Trout, the Angels must manage team payroll, follow the rules of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), build and manage the front office and coaching staff, continue to construct a top-tier Minor League farm system, and fill several positional needs around the diamond.
This is made all the more difficult by the retirement of long-time Angels Manager Mike Scioscia. In many ways this was not an unexpected outcome. Mike has been at the helm for nearly 19 years and it was only a matter of time before he hung up his secondary spikes. However, if Scioscia gets his way, he may find a way to stay in the dugout.
Despite what you may or may not think of Mike, he was a competent manager and on-field tactician with a very thorough understanding of the MLB rule book. Above all else Scioscia was always the safe port in the storm with about as even a keel, personality-wise, as you can find in baseball.
Brad Ausmus, Eppler’s choice for the next Angels manager, will be challenged to lead this team now and beyond while navigating the daily waters as deftly as Scioscia did. It is not impossible to replace Mike but Ausmus does have a large pair of shoes to fill. The good news is that he has the support of the General Manager and they have proven they can work together over the last year as Billy reconstructs a roster that has lost some key pieces to free agency this season.
The Angels have parted ways with their short-time, free agent, players like Martin Maldonado and Ian Kinsler, freeing up nearly $15M in payroll while bringing in two potential bullpen pieces for 2019 (Buttrey and Jerez) and a potential starter for 2020 and beyond (Sandoval).  Additionally, Garrett Richards $7.3M salary comes off the books as well as Blake Wood and Chris Young, liberating another $10M or so.
As we mentioned last season, Arte Moreno may choose to strike, monetarily, in the 2019-2020 window. Free agency is fertile this off-season and the trade market may have some interesting targets for the Angels to acquire.
Really at this point we at Angelswin.com will be surprised if Moreno and Eppler do not get aggressive in some form or fashion soon. Clearly a Mike Trout extension is a real possibility, likely closer to the beginning of the 2019 season, which will be huge if it happens. However, it will take more roster building than that to be successful now and beyond.
This year the Competitive Balance Tax (CBT, also known as the Luxury Tax threshold) line is $206M. Next year in 2020 it will rise slightly to $208M. The following season it will be $210M.
As discussed in last year’s Primer Series, two-time offenders (meaning teams that exceed the Luxury Tax threshold two years in a row) that do not exceed the CBT threshold by more than $40M, pay a milder outlay of cash in comparison to teams that exceed $40M or go three or more years over the CBT line (third-time offenders).
For reference here is the relevant excerpt of the 2017-2021 CBA, Article XXIII, B., (4), b., ii., that shows specific surcharge gates at $20M and $40M:

It seems logical that Moreno would not become a third-time offender nor exceed the CBT threshold by more than $40M, due to the significantly higher tax rates. If he did either of those he may, quite literally, not be able to buy the proverbial yacht fuel Angels fans joke about so much.
Thus the two-year window of Mike Trout (barring a career-long extension) and the potential, two-time CBT violator window could align beginning this year. Let us not forget that Arte is not getting any younger (sorry Mr. Moreno if it is any consolation none of us are getting any younger) and winning a World Series Championship is almost certainly high on his to-do list (as it has been since he purchased the team).
So if there was ever a time to push all the chips in, it would be this two-year window. This in turn may mean that Moreno will authorize Eppler to exceed the Luxury Tax in the off-season or by the trade deadline at the end of July 2019 to give Billy maximum flexibility to build and improve the roster.
The proof, of course, will be in the pudding. If it does happen they could go big and hand out a large mega-signing for someone like Manny Machado or Bryce Harper with opt-outs after 2019 and 2020 (essentially a one or two year high-paid rental) or trade for another superstar like Nolan Arenado or Jacob deGrom now or at the Trade Deadline.
Alternatively, in the overspend scenario, the Angels could spread the money out to multiple players and possibly use significant performance bonuses or short-term, high salary deals as contractual instruments to bring in blue-chip talent if Moreno puts his blessing on it.
No matter what decision is made regarding how much payroll the Halos will add, prior to the start of 2019, one thing seems quite certain: the Angels will be improved, yet again, on Opening Day. Billy Eppler, despite his limited, yet developing supply of prospects, will have marketable assets and a considerable amount of payroll space to apply in trade(s) and free agency.
For the purposes of this series, though, we will assume that Arte Moreno does not allow his GM to exceed the Luxury Tax to start the year. This means we will operate under the presumption that team payroll, in terms of AAV, will not go over the 2019 CBT threshold of $206M. The result is that the Angels will likely spend no more than $190M-$195M, give or take, in actual payroll to start the season. Essentially this means the Angels have approximately $30M to spend.
The reason for that is the team needs to maintain payroll margin in order to make potential trades in-season or before the July 31st deadline to reinforce or upgrade their roster. Keeping a few million in reserve maintains payroll and roster flexibility and is a common business practice that Billy Eppler may, or may not, follow based on acquisition opportunities, team performance, and/or firm instructions and concurrence from Moreno regarding payroll expenditures and permission to exceed the CBT threshold.
Beyond payroll, another very important goal is the continuing growth and development of the Angels Minor League farm system.
The Angels had an average draft in 2015, an above average one in 2016, followed by a top-heavy draft in 2017, and another solid one in 2018. Names like Jo Adell, Brandon Marsh, Griffin Canning, Jahmai Jones, Jose Suarez, Taylor Ward, Jordyn Adams, Jeremiah Jackson, Matt Thaiss, and Chris Rodriguez are just some of the names Halos fans should keep an eye on in the coming years. Some of them will form the core of the next great Angels team in 2020 and beyond!
Part of this more recent success has to do not only with better overall draft picks but the strong efforts of Billy Eppler, scouting director Matt Swanson, and the tireless work of the Angels cross-checkers and scouts around the country. The organization has focused on finding and molding raw, athletic players and it has started to pay off.
Additionally, the Halos continue to dip into the international market. This year they signed 16-year old Dominican outfield prospect Alexander Ramirez for a cool $1M signing bonus. Also, recently, per Angels reporter Taylor Blake Ward, they inked Dominican RHP Danifan Diaz too. It feels like the front office has turned a real corner and fans should expect to hear of other, albeit less notable, international signings heading into the off-season.
In addition to the farm system improvements, Eppler has expertly acquired multiple players via trades and use of the waiver wire. Names like Ty Buttrey, Luis Rengifo, Kevin Maitan, Noe Ramirez, Taylor Cole, Felix Pena, Williams Jerez, Hansel Robles, and Patrick Sandoval are some of the names that did not start in our farm system but were targeted by scouts and the analytics department for their potential and they are now beginning to shine on the field in the Majors and the Angels Minor League affiliates. Some may pan out and others may falter but the organization certainly has an eye for raw talent that cannot be denied.
Yet another goal Billy must address are the positional holes to fill around the diamond, including a primary and backup C, potentially a platoon 1B, a 2B or 3B, based on what they do with Zack Cozart, and possibly a DH. The team also needs to improve offensive production against left-handed pitching and develop or acquire a real lead-off hitter. Also the rotation is unsettled, especially at the top with Ohtani out for next season on the mound, so finding a quality, reliable starter is critical. The bullpen was a bit of a mess in 2018 so adding one or more relievers, particularly with options, to the mix would produce more viable options for next season.
As he tried to do in 2018, Billy will also need to build sufficient depth behind the 25-man roster, particularly in position player and rotation depth. It would not be surprising to see Eppler expertly work the waiver wire, again, to supplement next years squad. In particular, the Rule 5 Draft, this off-season, is potentially fruitful and may have a target or two Eppler might snag to supplement the bench or more likely the bullpen.
Without a doubt there are many challenges here for Billy and the front office to handle. Eppler will have to use his talented scouting system to identify the targets they need and want to acquire and either spend the cash and/or the farm system assets needed to obtain them. Along with that, the Angels farm system took some large strides forward in 2018 and once Eppler is done with the off-season, the team should be truly competitive with greater depth than in previous seasons.
The future success of the franchise is being set no matter whether the Angels retain Mike Trout or he departs during or after the 2020 season. These incremental steps laid by Billy Eppler yesterday, today, and tomorrow should put this organization back on the path to regular, yearly contention over the next several years.
In the next Section we will discuss the teams Finances heading into the off-season.
View the full article

Easy baked acorn squash recipe, perfect for the fall. Squash is cut in half, insides scooped out, then baked with a little butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup. Continue reading "Baked Acorn Squash with Butter and Brown Sugar" »
View the full article

The Angels have promoted Jeremy Reed to hitting coach, replacing Eric Hinske and making him the second confirmed new member of the staff under new manager Brad Ausmus.
Reed had been the Angels minor league hitting coordinator for the past two seasons. He was specifically mentioned by Kole Calhoun and Francisco Arcia as being instrumental to helping them last season.
Reed, 37, had previously worked for three seasons as a hitting coach in the Milwaukee Brewers system.
A product of Long Beach State, Reed spent parts of eight years as a major league outfielder, with the Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays and Brewers.
Reed will be joined by pitching coach Doug White among the new members of Ausmus staff. The Angels are planning to announce the entire staff once it’s complete, within the next week or two.
View the full article

(This is the latest in a series of quick profiles on players who fit for the Angels to add over the winter. They are purely “informed speculation,” based on what we know about the Angels’ roster needs along with General Manager Billy Eppler’s preferences and history. We’ll have a new one every weekday, until the GM Meetings, which are the unofficial start of the hot stove season.)
KYLE GIBSON, RHP, Minnesota Twins
The basics: Gibson has been one of the mainstays of the Twins rotations in recent years, bouncing between pitching like a No. 2 or 3 to a No. 5. He has been durable, though. He’ll be 31 next season.
2018 season: Gibson had his best season, posting a 3.62 ERA in 32 starts, over 196-2/3 innings.
Contract status: Gibson has one more year of arbitration before free agency. He is due to earn about $8 million in 2019.
Why he makes sense: Although Gibson has been somewhat inconsistent throughout his career, he’s taken the ball. Over his five full seasons, he’s averaged 30 starts and 175 innings. He’s now been surpassed by José Berrios as the leader of the Twins rotation, and the Twins are down to his final year, so they might choose to sell high on him and get something before risking losing him to free agency. Because he’s got just one year left and has a spotty history, he wouldn’t cost as much in prospect capital as one of the premium pitchers on the trade market. Gibson is also a pitch-to-contact guy, so maybe he does even better with the Angels’ exceptional defense behind him. If he fares in his walk year as well as he did in 2018, the Angels would have a solid right-handed starter to go alongside Tyler Skaggs and Andrew Heaney, and in front of Jaime Barría, Matt Shoemaker, Felix Peña, etc. And even if he’s more of a mid-rotation inning-eater, that’s still worth his relatively modest salary.
Why he doesn’t: Sonny Gray and Lance Lynn were examples of pitchers on whom the Angels could buy low, hoping for bounce-back seasons. Gibson is the opposite. He had back-to-back seasons with an ERA over 5.00 in 2016 and 2017. His career ERA is 4.47. Although the innings seem like a relatively safe bet, if he reverts to the form of 2017, the Angels would be paying a lot for a fifth starter, and giving up a prospect to do it.
Previous players: C J.T. Realmuto, RHP Nate Eovaldi, RHP Sonny Gray, LHP Patrick Corbin, LHP CC Sabathia, UT Daniel Descalso, RHP Julio Teheran, LHP Gio Gonzalez, UT Marwin Gonzalez, LHP J.A. Happ, LHP Will Smith, 3B Mike Moustakas, OF Jon Jay, RHP Lance Lynn.
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The Angels have promoted Jeremy Reed to hitting coach, replacing Eric Hinske and making him the second confirmed new member of the staff under new manager Brad Ausmus.
Reed had been the Angels minor league hitting coordinator for the past two seasons. He was specifically mentioned by Kole Calhoun and Francisco Arcia as being instrumental to helping them last season.
Reed, 37, had previously worked for three seasons as a hitting coach in the Milwaukee Brewers system.
A product of Long Beach State, Reed spent parts of eight years as a major league outfielder, with the Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays and Brewers.
Reed will be joined by pitching coach Doug White among the new members of Ausmus staff. The Angels are planning to announce the entire staff once it’s complete, within the next week or two.
View the full article

By Rob MacDonald, AngelsWin.com Contributor
We learned that Doug White, the Astros bullpen coach in 2018, will replace Charles Nagy as pitching coach on Brad Ausmus staff.   I had mixed emotions about the news.  I liked Nagy’s knack for rehabilitating pitchers that other teams gave up on and I really liked the fact that a visit to the mound wasn’t going to pour gas on the fire like in the Butcher era.  Besides the note from Jeff Fletcher that Doug White may be a surf bro’ of Ausmus, a possible reason given for his selection was to find a way to keep the staff healthy.
LA Times’ Maria Torres tweeted about White’s expertise in Z-Health.   Per bengreenfitness.com, Z-Health is a training method that strengthens the nervous system through efficient movement patterns which in turn maximizes the body’s efficiency.   My optimism on White’s selection was the fact that he was coming from the Astros organization.
For the past four years, I was an assistant coach at Catalina High School (Tucson, AZ), where my son played.   Our program made arm health a priority using a mix of the Driveline’s weighted baseball and Jaeger Sports J band and long toss programs to protect our players’ arms.
In 2017, Ben Fife joined the Catalina coaching staff and gave our program something invaluable, access to a major league resource from the Astros organization.  Catalina baseball benefited from the insights and approaches taken by the Astros and it was an education for all the coaches.   (For the record, Ben did not have time to ask permission and out of respect for that friendship, I am not including the name of his friend in the Astros organization.)
The Astros resource is someone well versed in their pitching philosophy.  Based on the tips shared with Ben over the past two years, I think I can provide some insights on what Doug White may bring to the Angels in 2019.    First there will likely be an increased focus on mechanics.  The Z-Health method will likely be used to help pitchers maintain control of their body throughout their delivery. I expect a renewed focus on core strength and flexibility in support of that goal.  Another clue this may happen comes from Brandon Sneed’s article “How Kate Upton Saved Justin Verlander’s Career.” Beside the relationship between Verlander and Upton, the article covers how Justin Verlander regained his flexibility to use his whole body correctly.  The adjustments he made reduced the strain on his shoulder allowing Verlander to regain his form – damn it.  We were advised to use short, twenty pitch bullpens that focus just on mechanics.   Points of emphasis we received were hand separation, alignment, and using full arm rotation in the delivery.   Separate bullpen sessions focused on pitch control and spin rate.   The Astros are big on maximizing spin rate to add movement to pitches.  Good movement on pitches reduces the need to go maximum effort on every pitch while still getting swings and misses.   Fewer max effort pitches will likely prolong the life span of the UCL.  Our use of the Driveline program was encouraged and Ben was told to track pitch movement and speed in the bullpens to ensure the program was effective.
The tips received from our source, helped Catalina to a 24-6 record.  We made a run in the state championship tournament losing to the eventual champion.  Most important, all of our players made it through the season without arm issues.  With any luck, Doug White will be able to keep the Angels staff healthy and all the noise about Mike Trout not being the playoffs will go away.
View the full article

By Rob MacDonald, AngelsWin.com Contributor
We learned that Doug White, the Astros bullpen coach in 2018, will replace Charles Nagy as pitching coach on Brad Ausmus staff.   I had mixed emotions about the news.  I liked Nagy’s knack for rehabilitating pitchers that other teams gave up on and I really liked the fact that a visit to the mound wasn’t going to pour gas on the fire like in the Butcher era.  Besides the note from Jeff Fletcher that Doug White may be a surf bro’ of Ausmus, a possible reason given for his selection was to find a way to keep the staff healthy.
LA Times’ Maria Torres tweeted about White’s expertise in Z-Health.   Per bengreenfitness.com, Z-Health is a training method that strengthens the nervous system through efficient movement patterns which in turn maximizes the body’s efficiency.   My optimism on White’s selection was the fact that he was coming from the Astros organization.
For the past four years, I was an assistant coach at Catalina High School (Tucson, AZ), where my son played.   Our program made arm health a priority using a mix of the Driveline’s weighted baseball and Jaeger Sports J band and long toss programs to protect our players’ arms.
In 2017, Ben Fife joined the Catalina coaching staff and gave our program something invaluable, access to a major league resource from the Astros organization.  Catalina baseball benefited from the insights and approaches taken by the Astros and it was an education for all the coaches.   (For the record, Ben did not have time to ask permission and out of respect for that friendship, I am not including the name of his friend in the Astros organization.)
The Astros resource is someone well versed in their pitching philosophy.  Based on the tips shared with Ben over the past two years, I think I can provide some insights on what Doug White may bring to the Angels in 2019.    First there will likely be an increased focus on mechanics.  The Z-Health method will likely be used to help pitchers maintain control of their body throughout their delivery. I expect a renewed focus on core strength and flexibility in support of that goal.  Another clue this may happen comes from Brandon Sneed’s article “How Kate Upton Saved Justin Verlander’s Career.” Beside the relationship between Verlander and Upton, the article covers how Justin Verlander regained his flexibility to use his whole body correctly.  The adjustments he made reduced the strain on his shoulder allowing Verlander to regain his form – damn it.  We were advised to use short, twenty pitch bullpens that focus just on mechanics.   Points of emphasis we received were hand separation, alignment, and using full arm rotation in the delivery.   Separate bullpen sessions focused on pitch control and spin rate.   The Astros are big on maximizing spin rate to add movement to pitches.  Good movement on pitches reduces the need to go maximum effort on every pitch while still getting swings and misses.   Fewer max effort pitches will likely prolong the life span of the UCL.  Our use of the Driveline program was encouraged and Ben was told to track pitch movement and speed in the bullpens to ensure the program was effective.
The tips received from our source, helped Catalina to a 24-6 record.  We made a run in the state championship tournament losing to the eventual champion.  Most important, all of our players made it through the season without arm issues.  With any luck, Doug White will be able to keep the Angels staff healthy and all the noise about Mike Trout not being the playoffs will go away.
View the full article

By Rob MacDonald, AngelsWin.com Contributor
We learned that Doug White, the Astros bullpen coach in 2018, will replace Charles Nagy as pitching coach on Brad Ausmus staff.   I had mixed emotions about the news.  I liked Nagy’s knack for rehabilitating pitchers that other teams gave up on and I really liked the fact that a visit to the mound wasn’t going to pour gas on the fire like in the Butcher era.  Besides the note from Jeff Fletcher that Doug White may be a surf bro’ of Ausmus, a possible reason given for his selection was to find a way to keep the staff healthy.
LA Times’ Maria Torres tweeted about White’s expertise in Z-Health.   Per bengreenfitness.com, Z-Health is a training method that strengthens the nervous system through efficient movement patterns which in turn maximizes the body’s efficiency.   My optimism on White’s selection was the fact that he was coming from the Astros organization.
For the past four years, I was an assistant coach at Catalina High School (Tucson, AZ), where my son played.   Our program made arm health a priority using a mix of the Driveline’s weighted baseball and Jaeger Sports J band and long toss programs to protect our players’ arms.
In 2017, Ben Fife joined the Catalina coaching staff and gave our program something invaluable, access to a major league resource from the Astros organization.  Catalina baseball benefited from the insights and approaches taken by the Astros and it was an education for all the coaches.   (For the record, Ben did not have time to ask permission and out of respect for that friendship, I am not including the name of his friend in the Astros organization.)
The Astros resource is someone well versed in their pitching philosophy.  Based on the tips shared with Ben over the past two years, I think I can provide some insights on what Doug White may bring to the Angels in 2019.    First there will likely be an increased focus on mechanics.  The Z-Health method will likely be used to help pitchers maintain control of their body throughout their delivery. I expect a renewed focus on core strength and flexibility in support of that goal.  Another clue this may happen comes from Brandon Sneed’s article “How Kate Upton Saved Justin Verlander’s Career.” Beside the relationship between Verlander and Upton, the article covers how Justin Verlander regained his flexibility to use his whole body correctly.  The adjustments he made reduced the strain on his shoulder allowing Verlander to regain his form – damn it.  We were advised to use short, twenty pitch bullpens that focus just on mechanics.   Points of emphasis we received were hand separation, alignment, and using full arm rotation in the delivery.   Separate bullpen sessions focused on pitch control and spin rate.   The Astros are big on maximizing spin rate to add movement to pitches.  Good movement on pitches reduces the need to go maximum effort on every pitch while still getting swings and misses.   Fewer max effort pitches will likely prolong the life span of the UCL.  Our use of the Driveline program was encouraged and Ben was told to track pitch movement and speed in the bullpens to ensure the program was effective.
The tips received from our source, helped Catalina to a 24-6 record.  We made a run in the state championship tournament losing to the eventual champion.  Most important, all of our players made it through the season without arm issues.  With any luck, Doug White will be able to keep the Angels staff healthy and all the noise about Mike Trout not being the playoffs will go away.
View the full article

By Rob MacDonald, AngelsWin.com Contributor
We learned that Doug White, the Astros bullpen coach in 2018, will replace Charles Nagy as pitching coach on Brad Ausmus staff.   I had mixed emotions about the news.  I liked Nagy’s knack for rehabilitating pitchers that other teams gave up on and I really liked the fact that a visit to the mound wasn’t going to pour gas on the fire like in the Butcher era.  Besides the note from Jeff Fletcher that Doug White may be a surf bro’ of Ausmus, a possible reason given for his selection was to find a way to keep the staff healthy.
LA Times’ Maria Torres tweeted about White’s expertise in Z-Health.   Per bengreenfitness.com, Z-Health is a training method that strengthens the nervous system through efficient movement patterns which in turn maximizes the body’s efficiency.   My optimism on White’s selection was the fact that he was coming from the Astros organization.
For the past four years, I was an assistant coach at Catalina High School (Tucson, AZ), where my son played.   Our program made arm health a priority using a mix of the Driveline’s weighted baseball and Jaeger Sports J band and long toss programs to protect our players’ arms.
In 2017, Ben Fife joined the Catalina coaching staff and gave our program something invaluable, access to a major league resource from the Astros organization.  Catalina baseball benefited from the insights and approaches taken by the Astros and it was an education for all the coaches.   (For the record, Ben did not have time to ask permission and out of respect for that friendship, I am not including the name of his friend in the Astros organization.)
The Astros resource is someone well versed in their pitching philosophy.  Based on the tips shared with Ben over the past two years, I think I can provide some insights on what Doug White may bring to the Angels in 2019.    First there will likely be an increased focus on mechanics.  The Z-Health method will likely be used to help pitchers maintain control of their body throughout their delivery. I expect a renewed focus on core strength and flexibility in support of that goal.  Another clue this may happen comes from Brandon Sneed’s article “How Kate Upton Saved Justin Verlander’s Career.” Beside the relationship between Verlander and Upton, the article covers how Justin Verlander regained his flexibility to use his whole body correctly.  The adjustments he made reduced the strain on his shoulder allowing Verlander to regain his form – damn it.  We were advised to use short, twenty pitch bullpens that focus just on mechanics.   Points of emphasis we received were hand separation, alignment, and using full arm rotation in the delivery.   Separate bullpen sessions focused on pitch control and spin rate.   The Astros are big on maximizing spin rate to add movement to pitches.  Good movement on pitches reduces the need to go maximum effort on every pitch while still getting swings and misses.   Fewer max effort pitches will likely prolong the life span of the UCL.  Our use of the Driveline program was encouraged and Ben was told to track pitch movement and speed in the bullpens to ensure the program was effective.
The tips received from our source, helped Catalina to a 24-6 record.  We made a run in the state championship tournament losing to the eventual champion.  Most important, all of our players made it through the season without arm issues.  With any luck, Doug White will be able to keep the Angels staff healthy and all the noise about Mike Trout not being the playoffs will go away.
View the full article

(This is the latest in a series of quick profiles on players who fit for the Angels to add over the winter. They are purely “informed speculation,” based on what we know about the Angels’ roster needs along with General Manager Billy Eppler’s preferences and history. We’ll have a new one every weekday, until the GM Meetings, which are the unofficial start of the hot stove season.)
LANCE LYNN, RHP, New York Yankees
The basics: Although Lynn missed the 2016 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, he’s still been one of the more durable pitchers in baseball. In the six full seasons he’s pitched, he’s averaged 31 starts, with a 3.57 ERA. He will be 32 next season.
2018 season: Lynn was one of the players caught up in the industry’s collective unwillingness to commit to free agents over 30 last year, and he ended up signing with the Minnesota Twins halfway through spring training. He had a 4.77 ERA with the Twins and Yankees, who acquired him in July.
Contract status: Lynn is a free agent, after making $12 million in 2018.
Why he makes sense: The Angels need durability, and Lynn offers that. He’s pitched 175 innings five times. His troubles last season might have stemmed from missing half of spring training, which he’s not likely to do again. Also, his peripherals weren’t as bad as some of his other numbers would indicate. Lynn struck out a career-best 9.2 per nine innings last season. Statcast numbers also suggest that that the quality of contact he allowed should have led to better results. His ERA went from 5.22 in the first half to 4.13 in the second half, much of which he pitched in Yankee Stadium and the hitter-friendly American League East. His fielding independent pitching (FIP) was 3.84. Those numbers all suggest he could be a good bounce-back candidate, especially if the Angels can buy low on him and get him for a one-year deal for something around $9 million or $10 million.
Why he doesn’t: Lynn is still going to be 32 and coming off his worst season, so there’s a chance he’s not going to bounce back and he’s instead going to be the pitcher he was. The Angels might choose to go for one big-ticket pitcher, instead of settling for multiple lesser ones.
Previous players: C J.T. Realmuto, RHP Nate Eovaldi, RHP Sonny Gray, LHP Patrick Corbin, LHP CC Sabathia, UT Daniel Descalso, RHP Julio Teheran, LHP Gio Gonzalez, UT Marwin Gonzalez, LHP J.A. Happ, LHP Will Smith, 3B Mike Moustakas, OF Jon Jay.
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Angels Offseason Options: Jon Jay Angels hire Astros bullpen coach Doug White to be pitching coach Whicker: Your 2018 ‘most valuable’ MLB awards Seven Dodgers, six Angels become free agents as MLB offseason begins Angels Offseason Options: Mike Moustakas View the full article

By Rob MacDonald, AngelsWin.com Contributor
We learned that Doug White, the Astros bullpen coach in 2018, will replace Charles Nagy as pitching coach on Brad Ausmus staff.   I had mixed emotions about the news.  I liked Nagy’s knack for rehabilitating pitchers that other teams gave up on and I really liked the fact that a visit to the mound wasn’t going to pour gas on the fire like in the Butcher era.  Besides the note from Jeff Fletcher that Doug White may be a surf bro’ of Ausmus, a possible reason given for his selection was to find a way to keep the staff healthy.
LA Times’ Maria Torres tweeted about White’s expertise in Z-Health.   Per bengreenfitness.com, Z-Health is a training method that strengthens the nervous system through efficient movement patterns which in turn maximizes the body’s efficiency.   My optimism on White’s selection was the fact that he was coming from the Astros organization.
For the past four years, I was an assistant coach at Catalina High School (Tucson, AZ), where my son played.   Our program made arm health a priority using a mix of the Driveline’s weighted baseball and Jaeger Sports J band and long toss programs to protect our players’ arms.
In 2017, Ben Fife joined the Catalina coaching staff and gave our program something invaluable, access to a major league resource from the Astros organization.  Catalina baseball benefited from the insights and approaches taken by the Astros and it was an education for all the coaches.   (For the record, Ben did not have time to ask permission and out of respect for that friendship, I am not including the name of his friend in the Astros organization.)
The Astros resource is someone well versed in their pitching philosophy.  Based on the tips shared with Ben over the past two years, I think I can provide some insights on what Doug White may bring to the Angels in 2019.    First there will likely be an increased focus on mechanics.  The Z-Health method will likely be used to help pitchers maintain control of their body throughout their delivery. I expect a renewed focus on core strength and flexibility in support of that goal.  Another clue this may happen comes from Brandon Sneed’s article “How Kate Upton Saved Justin Verlander’s Career.” Beside the relationship between Verlander and Upton, the article covers how Justin Verlander regained his flexibility to use his whole body correctly.  The adjustments he made reduced the strain on his shoulder allowing Verlander to regain his form – damn it.  We were advised to use short, twenty pitch bullpens that focus just on mechanics.   Points of emphasis we received were hand separation, alignment, and using full arm rotation in the delivery.   Separate bullpen sessions focused on pitch control and spin rate.   The Astros are big on maximizing spin rate to add movement to pitches.  Good movement on pitches reduces the need to go maximum effort on every pitch while still getting swings and misses.   Fewer max effort pitches will likely prolong the life span of the UCL.  Our use of the Driveline program was encouraged and Ben was told to track pitch movement and speed in the bullpens to ensure the program was effective.
The tips received from our source, helped Catalina to a 24-6 record.  We made a run in the state championship tournament losing to the eventual champion.  Most important, all of our players made it through the season without arm issues.  With any luck, Doug White will be able to keep the Angels staff healthy and all the noise about Mike Trout not being the playoffs will go away.
View the full article

By Rob MacDonald, AngelsWin.com Contributor
We learned that Doug White, the Astros bullpen coach in 2018, will replace Charles Nagy as pitching coach on Brad Ausmus staff.   I had mixed emotions about the news.  I liked Nagy’s knack for rehabilitating pitchers that other teams gave up on and I really liked the fact that a visit to the mound wasn’t going to pour gas on the fire like in the Butcher era.  Besides the note from Jeff Fletcher that Doug White may be a surf bro’ of Ausmus, a possible reason given for his selection was to find a way to keep the staff healthy.
LA Times’ Maria Torres tweeted about White’s expertise in Z-Health.   Per bengreenfitness.com, Z-Health is a training method that strengthens the nervous system through efficient movement patterns which in turn maximizes the body’s efficiency.   My optimism on White’s selection was the fact that he was coming from the Astros organization.
For the past four years, I was an assistant coach at Catalina High School (Tucson, AZ), where my son played.   Our program made arm health a priority using a mix of the Driveline’s weighted baseball and Jaeger Sports J band and long toss programs to protect our players’ arms.
In 2017, Ben Fife joined the Catalina coaching staff and gave our program something invaluable, access to a major league resource from the Astros organization.  Catalina baseball benefited from the insights and approaches taken by the Astros and it was an education for all the coaches.   (For the record, Ben did not have time to ask permission and out of respect for that friendship, I am not including the name of his friend in the Astros organization.)
The Astros resource is someone well versed in their pitching philosophy.  Based on the tips shared with Ben over the past two years, I think I can provide some insights on what Doug White may bring to the Angels in 2019.    First there will likely be an increased focus on mechanics.  The Z-Health method will likely be used to help pitchers maintain control of their body throughout their delivery. I expect a renewed focus on core strength and flexibility in support of that goal.  Another clue this may happen comes from Brandon Sneed’s article “How Kate Upton Saved Justin Verlander’s Career.” Beside the relationship between Verlander and Upton, the article covers how Justin Verlander regained his flexibility to use his whole body correctly.  The adjustments he made reduced the strain on his shoulder allowing Verlander to regain his form – damn it.  We were advised to use short, twenty pitch bullpens that focus just on mechanics.   Points of emphasis we received were hand separation, alignment, and using full arm rotation in the delivery.   Separate bullpen sessions focused on pitch control and spin rate.   The Astros are big on maximizing spin rate to add movement to pitches.  Good movement on pitches reduces the need to go maximum effort on every pitch while still getting swings and misses.   Fewer max effort pitches will likely prolong the life span of the UCL.  Our use of the Driveline program was encouraged and Ben was told to track pitch movement and speed in the bullpens to ensure the program was effective.
The tips received from our source, helped Catalina to a 24-6 record.  We made a run in the state championship tournament losing to the eventual champion.  Most important, all of our players made it through the season without arm issues.  With any luck, Doug White will be able to keep the Angels staff healthy and all the noise about Mike Trout not being the playoffs will go away.
View the full article

By Rob MacDonald, AngelsWin.com Contributor
We learned that Doug White, the Astros bullpen coach in 2018, will replace Charles Nagy as pitching coach on Brad Ausmus staff.   I had mixed emotions about the news.  I liked Nagy’s knack for rehabilitating pitchers that other teams gave up on and I really liked the fact that a visit to the mound wasn’t going to pour gas on the fire like in the Butcher era.  Besides the note from Jeff Fletcher that Doug White may be a surf bro’ of Ausmus, a possible reason given for his selection was to find a way to keep the staff healthy.
LA Times’ Maria Torres tweeted about White’s expertise in Z-Health.   Per bengreenfitness.com, Z-Health is a training method that strengthens the nervous system through efficient movement patterns which in turn maximizes the body’s efficiency.   My optimism on White’s selection was the fact that he was coming from the Astros organization.
For the past four years, I was an assistant coach at Catalina High School (Tucson, AZ), where my son played.   Our program made arm health a priority using a mix of the Driveline’s weighted baseball and Jaeger Sports J band and long toss programs to protect our players’ arms.
In 2017, Ben Fife joined the Catalina coaching staff and gave our program something invaluable, access to a major league resource from the Astros organization.  Catalina baseball benefited from the insights and approaches taken by the Astros and it was an education for all the coaches.   (For the record, Ben did not have time to ask permission and out of respect for that friendship, I am not including the name of his friend in the Astros organization.)
The Astros resource is someone well versed in their pitching philosophy.  Based on the tips shared with Ben over the past two years, I think I can provide some insights on what Doug White may bring to the Angels in 2019.    First there will likely be an increased focus on mechanics.  The Z-Health method will likely be used to help pitchers maintain control of their body throughout their delivery. I expect a renewed focus on core strength and flexibility in support of that goal.  Another clue this may happen comes from Brandon Sneed’s article “How Kate Upton Saved Justin Verlander’s Career.” Beside the relationship between Verlander and Upton, the article covers how Justin Verlander regained his flexibility to use his whole body correctly.  The adjustments he made reduced the strain on his shoulder allowing Verlander to regain his form – damn it.  We were advised to use short, twenty pitch bullpens that focus just on mechanics.   Points of emphasis we received were hand separation, alignment, and using full arm rotation in the delivery.   Separate bullpen sessions focused on pitch control and spin rate.   The Astros are big on maximizing spin rate to add movement to pitches.  Good movement on pitches reduces the need to go maximum effort on every pitch while still getting swings and misses.   Fewer max effort pitches will likely prolong the life span of the UCL.  Our use of the Driveline program was encouraged and Ben was told to track pitch movement and speed in the bullpens to ensure the program was effective.
The tips received from our source, helped Catalina to a 24-6 record.  We made a run in the state championship tournament losing to the eventual champion.  Most important, all of our players made it through the season without arm issues.  With any luck, Doug White will be able to keep the Angels staff healthy and all the noise about Mike Trout not being the playoffs will go away.
View the full article

By Rob MacDonald, AngelsWin.com Contributor
We learned that Doug White, the Astros bullpen coach in 2018, will replace Charles Nagy as pitching coach on Brad Ausmus staff.   I had mixed emotions about the news.  I liked Nagy’s knack for rehabilitating pitchers that other teams gave up on and I really liked the fact that a visit to the mound wasn’t going to pour gas on the fire like in the Butcher era.  Besides the note from Jeff Fletcher that Doug White may be a surf bro’ of Ausmus, a possible reason given for his selection was to find a way to keep the staff healthy.
LA Times’ Maria Torres tweeted about White’s expertise in Z-Health.   Per bengreenfitness.com, Z-Health is a training method that strengthens the nervous system through efficient movement patterns which in turn maximizes the body’s efficiency.   My optimism on White’s selection was the fact that he was coming from the Astros organization.
For the past four years, I was an assistant coach at Catalina High School (Tucson, AZ), where my son played.   Our program made arm health a priority using a mix of the Driveline’s weighted baseball and Jaeger Sports J band and long toss programs to protect our players’ arms.
In 2017, Ben Fife joined the Catalina coaching staff and gave our program something invaluable, access to a major league resource from the Astros organization.  Catalina baseball benefited from the insights and approaches taken by the Astros and it was an education for all the coaches.   (For the record, Ben did not have time to ask permission and out of respect for that friendship, I am not including the name of his friend in the Astros organization.)
The Astros resource is someone well versed in their pitching philosophy.  Based on the tips shared with Ben over the past two years, I think I can provide some insights on what Doug White may bring to the Angels in 2019.    First there will likely be an increased focus on mechanics.  The Z-Health method will likely be used to help pitchers maintain control of their body throughout their delivery. I expect a renewed focus on core strength and flexibility in support of that goal.  Another clue this may happen comes from Brandon Sneed’s article “How Kate Upton Saved Justin Verlander’s Career.” Beside the relationship between Verlander and Upton, the article covers how Justin Verlander regained his flexibility to use his whole body correctly.  The adjustments he made reduced the strain on his shoulder allowing Verlander to regain his form – damn it.  We were advised to use short, twenty pitch bullpens that focus just on mechanics.   Points of emphasis we received were hand separation, alignment, and using full arm rotation in the delivery.   Separate bullpen sessions focused on pitch control and spin rate.   The Astros are big on maximizing spin rate to add movement to pitches.  Good movement on pitches reduces the need to go maximum effort on every pitch while still getting swings and misses.   Fewer max effort pitches will likely prolong the life span of the UCL.  Our use of the Driveline program was encouraged and Ben was told to track pitch movement and speed in the bullpens to ensure the program was effective.
The tips received from our source, helped Catalina to a 24-6 record.  We made a run in the state championship tournament losing to the eventual champion.  Most important, all of our players made it through the season without arm issues.  With any luck, Doug White will be able to keep the Angels staff healthy and all the noise about Mike Trout not being the playoffs will go away.
View the full article

By Rob MacDonald, AngelsWin.com Contributor
We learned that Doug White, the Astros bullpen coach in 2018, will replace Charles Nagy as pitching coach on Brad Ausmus staff.   I had mixed emotions about the news.  I liked Nagy’s knack for rehabilitating pitchers that other teams gave up on and I really liked the fact that a visit to the mound wasn’t going to pour gas on the fire like in the Butcher era.  Besides the note from Jeff Fletcher that Doug White may be a surf bro’ of Ausmus, a possible reason given for his selection was to find a way to keep the staff healthy.
LA Times’ Maria Torres tweeted about White’s expertise in Z-Health.   Per bengreenfitness.com, Z-Health is a training method that strengthens the nervous system through efficient movement patterns which in turn maximizes the body’s efficiency.   My optimism on White’s selection was the fact that he was coming from the Astros organization.
For the past four years, I was an assistant coach at Catalina High School (Tucson, AZ), where my son played.   Our program made arm health a priority using a mix of the Driveline’s weighted baseball and Jaeger Sports J band and long toss programs to protect our players’ arms.
In 2017, Ben Fife joined the Catalina coaching staff and gave our program something invaluable, access to a major league resource from the Astros organization.  Catalina baseball benefited from the insights and approaches taken by the Astros and it was an education for all the coaches.   (For the record, Ben did not have time to ask permission and out of respect for that friendship, I am not including the name of his friend in the Astros organization.)
The Astros resource is someone well versed in their pitching philosophy.  Based on the tips shared with Ben over the past two years, I think I can provide some insights on what Doug White may bring to the Angels in 2019.    First there will likely be an increased focus on mechanics.  The Z-Health method will likely be used to help pitchers maintain control of their body throughout their delivery. I expect a renewed focus on core strength and flexibility in support of that goal.  Another clue this may happen comes from Brandon Sneed’s article “How Kate Upton Saved Justin Verlander’s Career.” Beside the relationship between Verlander and Upton, the article covers how Justin Verlander regained his flexibility to use his whole body correctly.  The adjustments he made reduced the strain on his shoulder allowing Verlander to regain his form – damn it.  We were advised to use short, twenty pitch bullpens that focus just on mechanics.   Points of emphasis we received were hand separation, alignment, and using full arm rotation in the delivery.   Separate bullpen sessions focused on pitch control and spin rate.   The Astros are big on maximizing spin rate to add movement to pitches.  Good movement on pitches reduces the need to go maximum effort on every pitch while still getting swings and misses.   Fewer max effort pitches will likely prolong the life span of the UCL.  Our use of the Driveline program was encouraged and Ben was told to track pitch movement and speed in the bullpens to ensure the program was effective.
The tips received from our source, helped Catalina to a 24-6 record.  We made a run in the state championship tournament losing to the eventual champion.  Most important, all of our players made it through the season without arm issues.  With any luck, Doug White will be able to keep the Angels staff healthy and all the noise about Mike Trout not being the playoffs will go away.
View the full article

Well, it appears Tina Fey and Amy Poulter are still caught in traffic, so let’s give out the baseball awards right now.
Note: The “Valuable” in Most Valuable Player does not pertain to your fantasy team..
MVP: Christian Yelich, the pride of Westlake Village, was the best September player in several years. His efforts won the NL Central for Milwaukee. The Red Sox had everything but power and J.D. Martinez brought it. But Martinez was largely a DH, and MVPs should play both halves of innings. Teammate Mookie Betts hit .346 and slugged .640 and showed you could do that without striking out 100 times.
BEST PLAYER: Mike Trout was Gold Glove-caliber in center field, was on base 46 percent of the time, and hit 39 home runs while being intentionally walked 25 times. Yelich nearly became the first NL Triple Crown winner in 81 years (Joe Medwick).
CY YOUNG: Tampa Bay’s Blake Snell topped the AL with 21 wins and took the an ERA title by an entire run. He also was 9-0 with an 1.17 ERA after the All-Star break.  The Mets’ Jacob deGrom lost nine quality starts and still went 10-9 with the only league ERA under 2.00. But, no, the “W” isn’t dead. The next four NL pitchers in the ERA  rankings went a combined 70-21.
MANAGER: Despite all the handiwork by Alex Cora in Boston, Oakland’s Bob Melvin should be unanimous or close to it. More people thought the A’s would be 65-97 than 97-65. With Brian Snitker bringing the kinds of minor league battle scars that today’s instant managers never absorb, Atlanta reversed its 72-90 record from last year and won the NL East.
ROOKIE: The Yankees’ Miguel Andujar was second in AL doubles, was in the Top 10 in four other major categories, and wore a third-base glove as his team won 100 games. He probably deserves this award, but Shohei Ohtani’s novelty act was too impressive to deny. Most of the thoroughbreds were in the NL, where Atlanta’s Ronald Acuna Jr. barely edges Washington’s Juan Soto. The two dynamic outfielders were virtually identical. “Make it a ‘co,’’’ Braves coach Ron Washington said.
EXECUTIVE: Boston’s Dave Dombrowski runs a team that won 108 games and a prospect-laden franchise, and he risked his neck by firing John Farrell so he could hire Cora. Milwaukee’s David Stearns, 33, had a spectacular season, acquiring Yelich and Lorenzo Cain. The Brewers needed every phone call Stearns made to overtake the Cubs in the NL East.
COMEBACK PLAYER: Andrew Heaney, the Angels’ lefty, pitched 180 innings and had a 1.200 WHIP in a solid comeback season. Matt Kemp, the prodigal Dodger, made the All-Star team after coming west in what appeared to be a salary dump.
Sign up for Home Turf and get exclusive stories every SoCal sports fan must read, sent daily. Subscribe here. BREAKOUT PLAYER: Miles Mikolas hadn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2014 but returned from Japan to go 18-4, with a 2.83 ERA, for the Cardinals. Blake Treinen saved 38 for the Athletics in his first sustained chance to own the ninth.
COMEDOWN PLAYER: Adam Duvall was sputtering in Cincinnati, got traded to Atlanta, hit .132 and wasn’t on the postseason roster. He hit 31 homers in 2017. Michael Fulmer was the AL Rookie of the Year two years ago, faded to 3-12 this year.
MIS-MANAGER OF THE YEAR: The Orioles were bad but not 47-115 bad, and Buck Showalter was fired for it. Dave Martinez might not have been the reason Washington fled the NL East race, but he certainly was no Dusty Baker.
WIND FARM AWARD: The Phillies’ Cesar Hernandez fanned 155 times yet produced only 15 homers and a .718 OPS. In Baltimore, the sad decline of Chris Davis continues apace. He struck out 192 times, walked 41 times and had a .539 OPS with 16 homers.
BEST FREE AGENT: Martinez’s 43 homers and 130 RBIs fulfilled Boston’s monster investment. Cain, after he signed with Milwaukee, showed again why he’s one of baseball’s most underrated.
WORST FREE AGENT: The Cubs’ Tyler Chatwood signed for three years, $38 million and had a hideous season, with 95 walks in 103.2 innings and a 1.840 WHIP. Alex Cobb signed a four year, $57 million pact with Baltimore and started it by going 5-15 with a 4.90 ERA season.
STRONGEST TREND: The strikeout. There were more of them than there were hits (8.48 per game to 8.44, according to Baseball Reference). That’s an all-time high in strikeouts, but baseball has set a K record in each of the past 11 seasons. An intervention, with hours of Tony Gwynn videos, is needed.
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Butternut squash, bacon, and browned butter are made for each other. Pasta brings it all together, and the sage adds an earthy element. Make this for dinner tonight—or for when company comes! Continue reading "Pasta with Butternut Squash, Bacon, and Brown Butter" »
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Photos from World Series Game 3, as the Los Angeles Dodgers host the Boston Red Sox, who lead the best-of-seven series 2-0, Friday, Oct. 26, 2018.
Live updates | Scouting Report | Box score

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Joc Pederson hits a solo home run in the third inning of game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Joc Pederson hits a solo home run in the third inning of game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner is unable to make an out at first in the third inning of game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

With his face paint and wig, Fernando Llamas of Norwalk gets fired up for game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A Dodgers fan finds her seat before game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Fans gather under the right field bleachers during game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Alex Rodriguez arrives for game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler pitches in the first inning of game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler pitches in the first inning of game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Magic Johnson, Tommy Lasorda and Steve Garvey take part in pregame festivities before game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Magic Johnson hugs Justin Turner before game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Dodgers stand along the 3rd base line for introductions before game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Pregame ceremonies before the start of game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday, Oct. 26, 2018. (Photo by Scott Varley, Daily Breeze/SCNG)

Red Sox manager Alex Cora sits in the dugout in the first inning of game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

Brad Paisley sings the National Anthem before game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Yasiel Puig warms up before game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

Tommy Lasorda is driven to the pitchers mound to throw out the first pitch before game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Rick Porcello in the first inning of game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler throws in the first inning of game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler gets set to throw in the first inning of game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Manny Machado and Clayton Kershaw watch on from the dugout in game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Rick Porcello forces out Los Angeles Dodgers’ Max Muncy at second base in the first inning of game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Military jets fly over the pregame ceremonies before the start of game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday, Oct. 26, 2018. (Photo by Scott Varley, Daily Breeze/SCNG)

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Yasmani Grandal strikes out in the second inning of game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Fans cheer as Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler takes the moon in game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Manny Machado tags out Boston Red Sox’s Jackie Bradley Jr. on an attempted steal in the third inning of game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

Dodgers fans celebrate a defensive play in the third inning of game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Boston Red Sox’s Christian Vazquez singles as Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Joc Pederson can’t make the catch in the third inning of game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Boston Red Sox’s Christian Vazquez singles as Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Joc Pederson can’t make the catch in the third inning of game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

Boston Red Sox’s Christian Vazquez singles as Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Joc Pederson can’t make the catch in the third inning of game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Joc Pederson hits a solo home run in the third inning of game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Joc Pederson hits a solo home run in the third inning of game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Justin Turner slides into second base safely on a third inning double in game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Rick Porcello stands on the mound after Los Angeles Dodgers’ Joc Pederson hit a solo home run in the third inning of game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Joc Pederson hits a solo home run in the third inning of game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Joc Pederson hits a solo home run in the third inning of game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Joc Pederson hits a solo home run in the third inning of game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Joc Pederson celebrate his solo home run in the third inning with Max Muncy, right, in game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Joc Pederson celebrate his solo home run in the third inning with Max Muncy, right, in game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler reacts after striking out a batter to end the fourth inning of game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler reacts after striking out a batter to end the fourth inning of game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Need an easy grab-and-go breakfast? Make these Oatmeal Almond Butter Breakfast Cookies! They are PACKED with nourishing ingredients to fuel you through your day. Continue reading "Oatmeal Almond Butter Breakfast Cookies" »
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This time around, he feels he still has that attribute, but with a significant addition.
Now he’s managed before.
“I was a new wave manager without experience who could relate to the players, but the truth of the matter is, experience helps you everywhere,” Ausmus said as he was introduced as the Angels’ 17th manager on Monday. “If you can still relate to players, and have experience as a manager, I don’t understand how that can’t be an asset.”
Ausmus, 49, was hired as the Angels manager because General Manager Billy Eppler saw in him the perfect mix of all the attributes they wanted. Boiled down, they wanted someone who could communicate with players, but who also could understand the analytical direction the game has gone.
Essentially, they wanted someone who could blend the worlds of the players in the clubhouse and the analysts crunching the numbers upstairs.
Ausmus, a Dartmouth graduate who said he was using analytics during his 18-year career as a big league catcher before they were even called analytics, believes he’s got the right mix.
“I can take the numbers and use my playing experience to wrap my brain around them and say ‘How does this apply on the dirt and grass?’” he said. “That’s a unique perspective. That’s what managers have to do nowadays, take those numbers and understand them – they don’t have to write the algorithm – but they need to understand and apply them to the players on the field.”
When Ausmus managed the Tigers, he inherited a talented team that won the division in his first season. After that, the front office allowed the roster to age, and Ausmus bore the brunt of it with a record that ended up at 314-332.
Although he didn’t have a winning record, he feels the experience can help him the second time around.
“Whether you experience something in the clubhouse, or experience something tactically on the field, rather than having to reconsider it, it becomes reflexive,” Ausmus said. “You can react to it. You have an understanding of what the result will be if you don’t act quickly or don’t act properly.”
In addition to that dugout experience in Detroit, Ausmus now has a new perspective on the game, having spent the past year working as a special assistant to Eppler.
Ausmus was on the field in spring training, and during the season he dipped his toes into all areas of the baseball operation, from player development to scouting to analytics.
“Now he’s got an elevated view of the whole operation,” Eppler said.
During that year, Eppler and Ausmus clearly grew together, from a baseball perspective and personally. They both have San Diego roots – Eppler grew up there and Ausmus has lived there for 25 years. They are both surfers, who might even take a surfing trip together, Eppler said.
Despite spending much of the year sitting with Eppler, Ausmus still had to go through the interview process once the Angels officially had an opening, following Mike Scioscia’s departure.
Ausmus was one of 10 candidates put through a nine-hour interview, which included a two-hour written portion.
“We’re still grading them,” Eppler joked. “It will be four to six weeks and they’ll get the results in the mail.”
Eppler said the point of the written exercise was to give the candidates time to formulate their answers to analytically-based situations. The Angels weren’t so concerned with the answers, as with the process.
Eppler also said there were no questions about specific Angels players or situations relating to the current roster.
“There’s plenty of time to learn those things,” Eppler said. “We needed to kind of get a sense of how they think and how they problem-solve.”
Ausmus, however, did face one of the key player questions on Monday. How will he handle Albert Pujols, who is coming back from knee surgery and clearly in decline with three years left on his contract.
 
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In the immediate future, he and Eppler have to fill out their coaching staff, which is expected to take two to three weeks.
Ausmus didn’t give many other specifics about how the Angels might be run, on the field, differently than they were under Scioscia. He did seem to fall in line with the current analytical thinking of shorter leashes for starters and a reluctance to bunt, to name a couple aspects.
His goal, however, is no different from Scioscia’s or any other manager.
“I spent 18 years as a player and four years as a manager and I don’t have a World Series ring,” he said. “I want a World Series ring. That’s our goal. I don’t care what the pundits say.”
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(This is the latest in a series of quick profiles on players who fit for the Angels to add over the winter. They are purely “informed speculation,” based on what we know about the Angels’ roster needs along with General Manager Billy Eppler’s preferences and history. We’ll have a new one every weekday, until the GM Meetings, which are the unofficial start of the hot stove season.)
PATRICK CORBIN, LHP, Arizona Diamondbacks
The basics: Corbin is coming off his best season at age 28. The Angels originally drafted Corbin, but traded him – along with Tyler Skaggs – to Arizona for Dan Haren in 2010.
2018 season: Corbin posted a 3.15 ERA and pitched exactly 200 innings, earning an All-Star berth. He struck out 246 and walked 48.
Contract stats: Corbin is a free agent, and he’s likely to be given a qualifying offer, meaning the Angels would have to surrender their second-round pick if they signed him. He made $7.5 million last year and could triple that this winter. Assuming that Clayton Kershaw doesn’t use his opt-out, Corbin and Dallas Keuchel would be the clear top starting pitchers on the market. Although Keuchel has a better track record, Corbin was better this year and is 18 months younger.
Why he makes sense: The Angels need pitching, and Corbin is probably the dream acquisition for many fans. Durability is one of the most important qualities the Angels are looking for, and over the last two years, only three pitchers have made more starts than’s Corbin’s 65. He had Tommy John surgery a few years ago, so his arm ought to be sound. Eppler likes strikeouts, and Corbin struck out 11.1 hitters per nine innings this season. He allowed just 15 homers, which is exceptional considering he pitched in a relatively tough pitchers’ park in Arizona.
Why he doesn’t: As perhaps the most attractive starting pitcher on the market, Corbin is going to demand a significant contract. It seems unlikely he could be had for anything less than five years and perhaps $100 million. Aside from the long-term risk of that type of contract, there is the short-term issue of allocating so much of the limited room they have in the 2019 payroll to one player. Also, Corbin grew up in New York and has reportedly always dreamed of pitching for the Yankees. The Yankees are going to have some holes in their rotation, so they figure to be involved in the bidding.
Previous players: C J.T. Realmuto, RHP Nate Eovaldi, RHP Sonny Gray.
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Angels Offseason Options: Sonny Gray Cubs bench coach Brandon Hyde on Angels’ managerial list Angels Offseason Options: RHP Nathan Eovaldi Angels casting wide net in search for new manager Angels Offseason Options: J.T. Realmuto View the full article

Point/Counterpoint – Handicapping the Next Angels’ Manager

By Nate Trop and Glen McKee, Unprofessional Gamblers
 
For the first time since before I (Glen) started shaving my head, the Angels are looking for a new manager.  That’s a long time. Think about it: when Scioscia became manager of the Angels, Bill Clinton was still in office. Y2K was still a thing.  Pamela and Tommy divorced. “South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut” was released. You get the picture. Now, the Angels have to find a new manager, and next season I’ll finally get my wish of having somebody else to be angry at after the Angels lose.  As I mentioned somewhere on the board earlier, it will probably be somebody I’ll have to google as soon as he is announced because I’ll have no idea who he is. However, that won’t stop Nate and Me from handicapping the odds of who will be at the helm as we head into the second-to-last season of the Pujols decade.  
 
Eric Chavez: (+250 trips to the DL) Billy Eppler made him a favorite (not the favorite, a favorite) by giving him a big promotion near the end of this season, shortly after it was hinted that Scioscia would be stepping down (aka not getting a contract offer after his current contract expired).  His history with the DL should give him an edge with the Angels, who have more time on the DL than, well, somebody who really likes to keep things on the DL.
 
Dino Ebel (+200 windmills)  Dino is not a favorite as Eppler has indicated he is looking outside the organization, but we wanted to take a moment to appreciate Ebel’s years of fluid arm movements, as it appears he will not be back.  Godspeed, and take care of that rotator cuff.
 
Josh Paul (+FU Eddings)  There would be some slight irony if Josh was to take the reins.  
 
Brad Ausmus (-100 mehs)  Possibly the safest choice.  There isn’t much exciting about him, and he’s named “Brad.”  He prefers to go by “B-Rad” because “Brad” is his slave name.  
 
Mickey Hatcher (+500 false walks)  Don’t sleep on the chances of the Joe Biden of Scioscia’s coaching teams to take the helm.  Ah, go ahead and sleep. We could all use some more sleep and the jokester supreme won’t take over.
 
“Sike Mcioscia” (+??)  We only have one picture of this mysterious candidate:

Albert Pujols (+374 GIDPs)  Some people have posited the idea, hopefully jokingly, of Pujols being a player/manager with the overwhelming emphasis on “manager.”  To quote George Carlin: “Some people are really Facking stupid.” We like Pujols as a person. As a player, well…you know.
 
Juan Rivera (+50 bat sniffs)  Hey, he needs a job. (Glen) I don’t know about you guys, but I sorta miss him.  Maybe we could make him co-manager along with Yunel Escobar. That would be a dugout worth watching.
 
Erick Aybar (-25 IQ points) His on-the-field career is over, and he would be even better in the dugout that the Rivera/Escobar tandem.  Hide your hotdog buns, we have a manager that will keep things loose and fun!
 
Joe Espada (+1000 reality) Joe has emerged as the current favorite, which means absolutely nothing.  However, he checks a lot of boxes (which sounds like a crude job description of a gynecologist) (sorry, to the handful of women two women random woman that reads this): outside the organization, comes from a winning team, brown, has a lot of vowels in his name…dude has it all.  
 
Terry Collins (+100 NOOOOO!) He is available, has Angels connections, and almost certainly would be a trainwreck, which is exactly why he will get the job.
 
Old Hoss Radbourn (+1 great nicknames) This guy has a great nickname, and whoever runs his Twitter account is brilliant.  He is also dead, but you can’t get any worse than Scioscia.
 
Joe Girardi (+more lasagna) He is italian, a former catcher, and an old school type of manager.  Where have I heard that before? This would probably be my worst nightmare.
 
Angelswin.com (+162 sick lineups) What could possibly go wrong with the board managing the team?  Man, imagine the fights every single day.
 
Danny Glover (+1 Tony Danza)  Only mentioned because of the movie I won’t name, but imagine him after every loss doing the facepalm and saying “I’m getting too old for this shit.”  That would make the losses at least a bit more tolerable.
 
I’m sure there are more on Eppler’s list that we haven’t covered, but really…
 
View the full article

Point/Counterpoint – Handicapping the Next Angels’ Manager

By Nate Trop and Glen McKee, Unprofessional Gamblers
 
For the first time since before I (Glen) started shaving my head, the Angels are looking for a new manager.  That’s a long time. Think about it: when Scioscia became manager of the Angels, Bill Clinton was still in office. Y2K was still a thing.  Pamela and Tommy divorced. “South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut” was released. You get the picture. Now, the Angels have to find a new manager, and next season I’ll finally get my wish of having somebody else to be angry at after the Angels lose.  As I mentioned somewhere on the board earlier, it will probably be somebody I’ll have to google as soon as he is announced because I’ll have no idea who he is. However, that won’t stop Nate and Me from handicapping the odds of who will be at the helm as we head into the second-to-last season of the Pujols decade.  
 
Eric Chavez: (+250 trips to the DL) Billy Eppler made him a favorite (not the favorite, a favorite) by giving him a big promotion near the end of this season, shortly after it was hinted that Scioscia would be stepping down (aka not getting a contract offer after his current contract expired).  His history with the DL should give him an edge with the Angels, who have more time on the DL than, well, somebody who really likes to keep things on the DL.
 
Dino Ebel (+200 windmills)  Dino is not a favorite as Eppler has indicated he is looking outside the organization, but we wanted to take a moment to appreciate Ebel’s years of fluid arm movements, as it appears he will not be back.  Godspeed, and take care of that rotator cuff.
 
Josh Paul (+FU Eddings)  There would be some slight irony if Josh was to take the reins.  
 
Brad Ausmus (-100 mehs)  Possibly the safest choice.  There isn’t much exciting about him, and he’s named “Brad.”  He prefers to go by “B-Rad” because “Brad” is his slave name.  
 
Mickey Hatcher (+500 false walks)  Don’t sleep on the chances of the Joe Biden of Scioscia’s coaching teams to take the helm.  Ah, go ahead and sleep. We could all use some more sleep and the jokester supreme won’t take over.
 
“Sike Mcioscia” (+??)  We only have one picture of this mysterious candidate:

Albert Pujols (+374 GIDPs)  Some people have posited the idea, hopefully jokingly, of Pujols being a player/manager with the overwhelming emphasis on “manager.”  To quote George Carlin: “Some people are really Facking stupid.” We like Pujols as a person. As a player, well…you know.
 
Juan Rivera (+50 bat sniffs)  Hey, he needs a job. (Glen) I don’t know about you guys, but I sorta miss him.  Maybe we could make him co-manager along with Yunel Escobar. That would be a dugout worth watching.
 
Erick Aybar (-25 IQ points) His on-the-field career is over, and he would be even better in the dugout that the Rivera/Escobar tandem.  Hide your hotdog buns, we have a manager that will keep things loose and fun!
 
Joe Espada (+1000 reality) Joe has emerged as the current favorite, which means absolutely nothing.  However, he checks a lot of boxes (which sounds like a crude job description of a gynecologist) (sorry, to the handful of women two women random woman that reads this): outside the organization, comes from a winning team, brown, has a lot of vowels in his name…dude has it all.  
 
Terry Collins (+100 NOOOOO!) He is available, has Angels connections, and almost certainly would be a trainwreck, which is exactly why he will get the job.
 
Old Hoss Radbourn (+1 great nicknames) This guy has a great nickname, and whoever runs his Twitter account is brilliant.  He is also dead, but you can’t get any worse than Scioscia.
 
Joe Girardi (+more lasagna) He is italian, a former catcher, and an old school type of manager.  Where have I heard that before? This would probably be my worst nightmare.
 
Angelswin.com (+162 sick lineups) What could possibly go wrong with the board managing the team?  Man, imagine the fights every single day.
 
Danny Glover (+1 Tony Danza)  Only mentioned because of the movie I won’t name, but imagine him after every loss doing the facepalm and saying “I’m getting too old for this shit.”  That would make the losses at least a bit more tolerable.
 
I’m sure there are more on Eppler’s list that we haven’t covered, but really…
 
View the full article

Point/Counterpoint – Handicapping the Next Angels’ Manager

By Nate Trop and Glen McKee, Unprofessional Gamblers
 
For the first time since before I (Glen) started shaving my head, the Angels are looking for a new manager.  That’s a long time. Think about it: when Scioscia became manager of the Angels, Bill Clinton was still in office. Y2K was still a thing.  Pamela and Tommy divorced. “South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut” was released. You get the picture. Now, the Angels have to find a new manager, and next season I’ll finally get my wish of having somebody else to be angry at after the Angels lose.  As I mentioned somewhere on the board earlier, it will probably be somebody I’ll have to google as soon as he is announced because I’ll have no idea who he is. However, that won’t stop Nate and Me from handicapping the odds of who will be at the helm as we head into the second-to-last season of the Pujols decade.  
 
Eric Chavez: (+250 trips to the DL) Billy Eppler made him a favorite (not the favorite, a favorite) by giving him a big promotion near the end of this season, shortly after it was hinted that Scioscia would be stepping down (aka not getting a contract offer after his current contract expired).  His history with the DL should give him an edge with the Angels, who have more time on the DL than, well, somebody who really likes to keep things on the DL.
 
Dino Ebel (+200 windmills)  Dino is not a favorite as Eppler has indicated he is looking outside the organization, but we wanted to take a moment to appreciate Ebel’s years of fluid arm movements, as it appears he will not be back.  Godspeed, and take care of that rotator cuff.
 
Josh Paul (+FU Eddings)  There would be some slight irony if Josh was to take the reins.  
 
Brad Ausmus (-100 mehs)  Possibly the safest choice.  There isn’t much exciting about him, and he’s named “Brad.”  He prefers to go by “B-Rad” because “Brad” is his slave name.  
 
Mickey Hatcher (+500 false walks)  Don’t sleep on the chances of the Joe Biden of Scioscia’s coaching teams to take the helm.  Ah, go ahead and sleep. We could all use some more sleep and the jokester supreme won’t take over.
 
“Sike Mcioscia” (+??)  We only have one picture of this mysterious candidate:

Albert Pujols (+374 GIDPs)  Some people have posited the idea, hopefully jokingly, of Pujols being a player/manager with the overwhelming emphasis on “manager.”  To quote George Carlin: “Some people are really Facking stupid.” We like Pujols as a person. As a player, well…you know.
 
Juan Rivera (+50 bat sniffs)  Hey, he needs a job. (Glen) I don’t know about you guys, but I sorta miss him.  Maybe we could make him co-manager along with Yunel Escobar. That would be a dugout worth watching.
 
Erick Aybar (-25 IQ points) His on-the-field career is over, and he would be even better in the dugout that the Rivera/Escobar tandem.  Hide your hotdog buns, we have a manager that will keep things loose and fun!
 
Joe Espada (+1000 reality) Joe has emerged as the current favorite, which means absolutely nothing.  However, he checks a lot of boxes (which sounds like a crude job description of a gynecologist) (sorry, to the handful of women two women random woman that reads this): outside the organization, comes from a winning team, brown, has a lot of vowels in his name…dude has it all.  
 
Terry Collins (+100 NOOOOO!) He is available, has Angels connections, and almost certainly would be a trainwreck, which is exactly why he will get the job.
 
Old Hoss Radbourn (+1 great nicknames) This guy has a great nickname, and whoever runs his Twitter account is brilliant.  He is also dead, but you can’t get any worse than Scioscia.
 
Joe Girardi (+more lasagna) He is italian, a former catcher, and an old school type of manager.  Where have I heard that before? This would probably be my worst nightmare.
 
Angelswin.com (+162 sick lineups) What could possibly go wrong with the board managing the team?  Man, imagine the fights every single day.
 
Danny Glover (+1 Tony Danza)  Only mentioned because of the movie I won’t name, but imagine him after every loss doing the facepalm and saying “I’m getting too old for this shit.”  That would make the losses at least a bit more tolerable.
 
I’m sure there are more on Eppler’s list that we haven’t covered, but really…
 
View the full article