Dave Saltzer

Here are some of my thoughts on the Don Baylor signing as the new hitting coach: *Don Baylor brings a presence to the Angels that has been missing, especially with loss of Torii Hunter. The 2013 team lacked a real identity, and as a result, never really gelled until that late run in August/September. In the press conference with Mike Scioscia and Don Baylor, Mike Scioscia talked about the presence that Baylor would bring, and how much respect people in the game have for him. For that reason alone, I like the signing. * When asked about areas that the Angels need to improve, Baylor talked about getting the team out of the gate better. He has talked with Mike Scioscia about that and what changes need to happen in Spring Training in order for this to occur. Over the past 4 years, the Angels have not been well above .500 on June 1st. They need to change that. As fans, we know that games early in the season count as much as games late in the season in the standings, and I'm hoping to see an end to that streak. *Don Baylor is not going to be the manager. In the press conference, he made that clear, saying "I am a coach, not a manager on his [Mike Scioscia's] club". All those of you who think he's gunning for a managerial job or anything else are misreading the tea leaves. *Don Baylor is excited and happy to be back home, with the Angels. Several times in the press conference he talked about wanting to be back in Anaheim (he lives locally), the fond memories he has with the team, the relationships he has with some people (which includes Mike Scioscia through their work together raising money for cystic fibrosis). I always want a player/coach/manager who wants to be here. He said he jumped at the opportunity to be here. He said he could have waited to see what managerial jobs would have opened up after the World Series, but wanted this one and took it. It wasn't an issue of years as to why he left AZ (he has a 2-year deal here, which was the same as in AZ). *Don Baylor's hitting philosophy is about putting the ball in play, hitting up the middle, and making things happen. He does not like strikeouts, and specifically talked about guys thinking it's okay to strike out "100. 110, 120, 130 times". He wants to put the ball in play, get runners on the move, and making things happen. He said that most pitchers today "pitch away" but that our hitters will "get their opportunities to turn on an inside pitch." *Regarding Mike Trout, Baylor remembers him from the Futures Game, when Trout was the youngest player on the team. He said "I've got to get him in there." He took notes on Trout and thinks that any club that has him is lucky. *Regarding Josh Hamilton, Baylor believes that he is a key to the offense and will be working with him. He knows and has seen what Hamilton can do when he gets his swing going, and he will be working with him. *Baylor's coaching style seems flexible to the player. He will try things for a while, but won't keep pounding the same things over and over if it's not working. *Baylor will be contacting the players in the offseason to introduce himself and go over some things and will be reviewing tape of when things were going well for players in order to get ready for Spring Training. *Baylor and Scioscia have a good relationship that they've built both on and off the field. Baylor will be a sounding board for Scioscia, which I think will help Scioscia be more successful. *Baylor is very respectful. When talking about how excited he was to be back, he talked about how it was as exciting as when he was brought over with Grich and others by "Mr. Autry". I really appreciate a man, even at his age, still being appropriate like that. Far too many people forget that, and it shows the type of man, character, and respect that Baylor has. *The funniest thing was when Baylor was talking about negotiating with his former closer who is now the GM of the team. That must have been an interesting conversation. However, Baylor was Dipoto's pick in both Arizona and now with the Angels. I think this shows that Dipoto's influence on the team is growing and will be more apparent this year. All-in-all, I'm very excited about this signing. I really like that Baylor wants to be here and the presence that he will bring. He's connected to the community and is highly regarded by players throughout the game. I'm eager to see what he can do to straighten the offense out so that we do get out of the gate better and that turn it around in 2014. This team does not need a major overhaul, and with some tweaking should contend next year.

I voted for him, Morin, and the Epic game against Lancaster. I stayed up way too late listening to it, and loved EVERY minute of it.

With fans like this . . . http://kearth101.cbslocal.com/2013/09/27/woman-snatches-foul-ball-from-little-girl/ Ouch!

That was without a doubt, one of the best games I ever listened to, outside of the 2002 World Series run. Amazing game! Those guys fought as hard as any team that I can recall. They should all be proud of themselves and what they accomplished. Sam Farber did a GREAT job calling it. By the end, you could hear it taking a toll on his voice, but when they won it, the passion was amazing!

Food and non alcoholic beverages will be provided. That's nibbling. I hope that we can bring a good turnout to support this. There's no game to go to, so what a great way to spend a Thursday night.

Calhoun has been one of those guys that have made the end to this season interesting for me. Having watched him develop in the Minor Leagues, it is particularly fun to see him showoff his skills at the Major League level. He should be a starter next year or a very regular bench player. I am glad w were able to have him come out for our Spring Training Fanfest and so many fans got to meet him.

Yes it is! And if you head out there tomorrow, try and grab a shot of our logo on the scoreboard!

I just posted the video of the entire segment. Again, thanks Juan, congrats, and good job!

Just so everyone knows, AngelsWin.com will be sponsoring the IE66ers on their radio broadcasts during all of their playoff games. We will be providing a segment in each game updating all the affiliate's playoff games. And, on tomorrow (Thursday) night's game at home, we will be on the scoreboard. In behalf of everyone at AngelsWin.com we want to congratulate all of the affiliates who made the playoffs, are still hopeful for the Orem Owlz to make it, and congratulate all he players on another year of baseball.

Got it recorded on my DVR. I will be filming on my camera and posting it later tonight. Great job Juan representing AngelsWin.com!

From a marketing perspective. California Angels has a lot of appeal, especially with a lot of demographics Arte should be capturing. How many teenagers and Hispanics (two demographics that Arte has said to want to expand) have you seen some variation of a "California" shirt? I see tons of them and saw plenty of them up in Utah a few weeks ago. As for Anaheim Angels, it has one big advantage:it would always be listed first in any alphabetical listing of teams. Many businesses covet being first, hence all the A-1 locksmiths of AAA Gold exchange. I get the whole desire to expand marketing, but there are valid arguments for names other than LAA. Frankly, I won't be upset with what he calls the team as long as he keeps the team where it is, continues to spend lavishly on the team, and isn't something like not Anaheim.

Howdy, I can't make the games on Wednesday (9/4) or Thursday (9/5). I have parking for both games. Face on them is $150 each. I'll do each game for $150. I can meet you to deliver the tickets. These a prime seats, section 118 and on the aisle. Please send me a message or reply in here. Thanks!

Exactly. Even after a bad season like this one, I will still go through baseball withdrawals and will go into that mini depression that will only be somewhat broken with the winter meetings and things. It will last exactly until pitchers and catchers report next February. So yes, let's enjoy it.

Thanks for finding ding this. I think Fox should do the honorable thing and let me do the 1st interview with Jeremy for the network with them filming since they got my article. Let's make that happen!

Another interesting Angels 3B prospect is at Orem right now--California Tower (pronounced two-ee). He is leading the league in walks and has some nice power and strong arm. I have an interview with him that will be coming up in our series on Orem. One thing that this shows, for supposedly one of the worst farms in the Majors, we do have plenty of bright spots. They may be at the lower levels, but they will rise up.

Bumping for the morning crowd.

I hear you about wanting to see the Bees win. And, for his development, being part of a playoff bound team will be better for him. As Chuck said, hopefully they will win in short order, so that he can get up here quickly. The Angels need a different look in their pen, and I believe that Berg has earned his shot. With almost all the righties in the bullpen throwing the same stuff, it doesn't change what the opposition sees. And, when they all lose control of their sliders, all the opponents know to sit on their fastballs. At least Berg would be throwing something way different out there, and could be a real asset to the team.

Snyder is a good guy. Liked interviewing him a lot both last year at Orem and this year in IE. I wish he could have stuck at 3B, as his value would be that much higher. The guy has some very impressive power, and is a bit underrated. His path to the bigs in this organization is heavily blocked right now (as is anyone at 1B). so I could see a trade for him in the future.

I think Zach will do well with Bill Richardson as a manager. I got a very good impression of him overall.

Okay, the interview with Bill Richardson is up in the main forum. Check it out.

Thanks Chuck. I wouldn't focus too much on their differences. Both are great managers. Bill is a little bit more mellow than Tom, but both are preaching and teaching the same things. In fact, that's one of the things that I found interesting was to see how many similarities there were between the two (although Tom was well known for his practical jokes whereas I haven't heard of any to the same level under Bill). Both are molding young players into professional athletes. Both worked on the fundamentals. There is an Angels way of doing things in the Minor Leagues. Here is a good article on Bill as a manager that talks about managing in the Angels organization rather than the Rangers: http://www.baseballsacramento.com/Spotlight-BillRichardson.html If you had to push me on one big difference between the two, it comes down to something specific about the bus trips that the team takes throughout the season. Gone are the days of videos of "The Rock". Everyone who played under Kotchman always talked about his love for that star (and how often they watched those videos) whereas under Bill, there has been a wider selection on the road trips!

As many of you know, last week I was in Orem conducting interviews with the players and coaches to try and get to know many of the most recent additions to our organization. I had a great time, and there is a LOT of talent on that team! Angels fans, if you haven't started following them, you should--many of these guys will make names for themselves as they move up the organizational ladder. I won't be surprised if several of them even get a jump over Burlington next year and go straight to Inland Empire. While there aren't many games left on their season, I would highly suggest tuning into to their radio broadcasts at www.oremowlz.com and even joining the live chat (which can be found under the Fan Zone tab off the top menu) during their games. Trevor Amicone does a great job calling the game and follows along during the chat to make it a much more interactive experience. With the Owlz in the playoff hunt, it is especially exciting to listen to their games. Over the next few weeks, I will be posting the interviews that I got during my time in Orem. Starting today with the manager Bill Richardson, I will post one player's interview per day during the week (Mon-Fri) to give each person his time to shine. These guys are good guys who are working hard to make their dream of making the Major Leagues, and our dreams of winning another World Series come true. So relax and enjoy over the next few weeks as you get to know the newest players in our system.

I am just putting the finishing touches on my interview with Bill Richardson that I did last week. He's a good guy, and I think our prospects will be in good hands for the AFL.

Being invited is a very good sign that the organization is very high on you as a prospect. Typically each organization only sends 6 players to the AFL, so the fact that we have 8 is a good sign. Since there are limited numbers allowed, there will always be some who didn't get the invite. One such person whom I thought would get a spot was Grichuk. But, there are always reasons why some guys don't go, such as injuries, life issues, or other winter ball opportunities. Hope that helps.

Scott, I really have to disagree with you. Grichuk has a great mental attitude and work ethic. It shows how he has been making adjustments each year at each level. I think he can hit 250-260 in the Majors with 20+ HRs for several years, with quality defense and maybe more for peak seasons. That's a good Of makeup there.