katrinab

We heard it over and over again. Shohei Ohtani wants to win.  No kidding.  Every player wants to win.  Mike Trout wants to win. The difference between Trout and Ohtani is that Trout wants to win as an Angel. Ohtani just wants to win, period.
There’s a difference.
Trout wants to be a part of building a winner.  Ohtani wants to join one.
We also heard over and over again that Ohtani isn’t necessarily about the money.  Well, I see about 700 million reasons to think that isn’t necessarily true.  I’m not judging Ohtani for taking the biggest contract in the history of professional sports.  Heck, no.  More power to him. 
But… in the words of Jered Weaver, “how much do you really need?”
Loyalty. 
Weaver will always be beloved for it.
When Tim Salmon approached free agency for the first time, he told his agent to take the first offer from the Angels.  Salmon was rewarded for his loyalty with a 2002 World Series championship and became the most beloved player in franchise history.
Trout showed his loyalty when he also resigned with the Angels. He could have left.  Most around baseball thought he would.  He didn’t. 
Loyalty.
Salmon, Weaver and Trout’s loyalty isn’t lost on me.  I don’t think it’s lost on most fans.  There’s something special about players who come up through the organization and stay with the organization throughout most, if not all of their career.
Ohtani leaving, makes me appreciate Trout’s loyalty more than ever. 
I have enjoyed every moment of Ohtani’s time with the Angels. I believe he will go down in history as the greatest player of all time.  Losing him is disappointing.
I can now understand what Cardinal fans must have felt like when Albert Pujols left to sign with the Angels.  I understand how disappointed Twins fans must have been to see Torii Hunter leave as well. 
Then again – at least those two guys didn’t leave for a division or cross-time rival.
That’s the thing.  It isn’t so much that Ohtani left the Angels. It’s that he left the Angels for the Dodgers.  The stinking Dodgers.  It’s kind of a slap in the face to Angel fans. The same fans that loved and supported him through his first six years in major league baseball.  The same fans who have lived in the shadow of Dodger fans for years.
It also stings to know he asked not to be traded during this past season because he wanted to try and win with the Angels, only to turn around and head up the 5 freeway to Chavez Ravine when it didn’t work out. 
No loyalty there.
That's also not lost on me. 
Again, the main take away for me isn't so much about Ohtani.  It's about an increased appreciation for Mike Trout and his loyalty to the Angels and their fans.  It's a rare thing this day and age, especially in professional sports.

I think the samurai helmet is a shameless attempt to appeal to him.
Then again I also sent a drunken email to the front office telling them to redo the rocks in center to look like Mt Fuji.
I added "but don't make it obvious" to the letter.

Team Wins and Losses: 90 - 72
Team Runs Scored: 785
Playoff Berth (Yes or No): Yes
Team MVP:  Trout
Most HR:  Trout
Most RBI:  Rendon
Most SB:  Ward
Highest Batting Average:  Trout
Lowest ERA (starting pitcher): Detmers
Most W's (starting pitcher):  Ohtani
Most Saves:  Esteves
Most Impressive Rookie:  O'Hoppe

I don’t know how well this copies across but probably the last bit I’ll do from my trip. Wrote an article, somewhat personal about the impact of baseball and community which hopefully some of you may resonate with 
https://t.co/kOUyZ6CMz8
 
SOMETIMES, BASEBALL IS MUCH MORE THAN JUST A GAME

As I sit writing this, staring at the gloomy London skyline, worlds apart from the Newport Beach bench I was watching the world go by on last week, I am struck by the magnitude of what my Anaheim trip meant to me.
I’m sure by now, people are quite aware of the historic events I witnessed during my six-day stretch in Anaheim:
A Reid Detmers no-hitter Mike Trout breaking Tim Salmon’s Angel Stadium home run record Shohei Ohtani’s first-ever professional grand slam Anthony Rendon hitting it over the fence left-handed Two series wins And just a memorable week of Angels baseball. Angels rookie Reid Detmers embraced after throwing a no hitter This was one of the most glorious weeks of baseball for the Angels since the 2002 World Series win, and it was a privilege to have been able to watch it unfold in person. For me, there is nothing quite like the authentic ballpark experience. What got me hooked on the sport as a 10-year-old keeps me coming back two decades later. 
But, as incredible as it was, I want to move away from that slightly. I want to talk about the impact of baseball and sport on mental health – the ability of baseball to give back far more than just the on-field product. 
To do this, I want to briefly share my situation.
I’ve struggled with anxiety and depression on and off for a number of years, panic attacks come and go, and as with so many people over the past few years, I’ve really struggled to find my place or feel my worth in the world. I know I am not alone in that battle, and I try to open up when I feel comfortable doing so, but it can be difficult, even now. 
But it was something my Mum said to me that had me reflecting on where I was at that moment. I am sure she won’t mind me sharing, but I received a text out of the blue from her towards the end of my trip. It read, “it’s great to see you looking so relaxed and happy.”
I didn’t think too much of it at first, but as I began to process, you know what, she was right. I was happy, perhaps for the first time in a long time. I wasn’t thinking about life in the UK or the challenges and struggles awaiting me on return. I was just in a place where I felt comfortable, surrounded by people from all walks of life, united by that common love of our favourite baseball team. It was a community. I just felt at home. 
The reaction to my visit was surreal. Positive tweets, DM’s, people wanting to write and listen to my story (including national US media), fans wanting to buy me beers and merchandise, stop me to take a photo with me, or just to chat. It was completely overwhelming.
I am just a guy like anyone else there that loves the Angels and just wanted to watch his team play in person, but I was treated so exceptionally well. Of course, this was aided by the historic stretch the team was going through on the field, but everything I am doing over here and my journey to watch the team was almost universally appreciated. I received so much support and positivity, including from the Angels themselves, whom I cannot thank enough for their hospitality and recognition. All those sleepless nights felt fully justified.
I had the opportunity to finally meet in person so many of the people I’d connected with on social media for many years. People that have allowed me to feel far closer to the team than I could ever imagine. Living and breathing each game with them as if I was at Angel Stadium every night. I was embraced as one of their own. Something I think could be unique to baseball.
I thought about the reverse situation, Americans coming over to see their favourite Premier League football team. Would they have got the same reaction? I highly doubt it. We’ve all seen the same old complaints about tourists and glory hunters. Yet I am sure at baseball stadiums around the US, global fans are welcomed with open arms, with people just so happy to see their small part of America represented overseas. 
For those six days, I was doing something I loved, surrounded by people who went out of their way to help make my trip special, whether that be recommendations of things to do or eat or simply by welcoming me to the area. I love baseball for this. It’s a sport that sees generations of individual families attending games together, all knowingly or unknowingly forming a wider family and a special community. From my first trip to Angel Stadium 20 years ago to now, nothing has changed in this regard. That atmosphere still remains.
Back in the UK now, it’s tough not to have crashed back down to Earth. The feelings I had then and the moments I was experiencing were, of course, unsustainable, but it just proved to me how powerful a tool sport can be.
Following a team brings you the full range of emotions that make us human, the highs and the lows that come with your investment in their success. But beyond that, it showed how powerful baseball can be in bringing people together. That is why our movement in the UK is so important too. Through MLB UK Community, through Bat Flips and Nerds, through the fantastic team accounts, the little fan clubs that continue to grow and advocate strongly for baseball in the UK, and everyone that continues to be part of the active baseball world here, that is how we can bring a little bit of a joy to a world that quite frankly really needs it.
I have met some wonderful people on this journey so far and made some great friends – but I don’t want it to stop there. We need to continue supporting each other to allow other people to experience what we already know about this game.
It’s America’s pastime – but maybe it should be all of ours.

For me personally, I have to get over my contention that they should have done more and could have done more to make the team better and it would have had a positive impact.  
They are who they are and I have to accept that and enjoy it.  
But probably one of my main reasons as to why I'm getting less enjoyment than usual is Maddon.  There's no manager I agree with every time.  But I find myself disagreeing with Maddon's moves a lot.  Every game.  Lineups.  Pen moves.  General strategy.  Defensive positioning.   He just bugs me.  

Thanks for taking the time to do the GDTs @jsnpritchett, also @beatlesrule and @Chuckster70 (and others?).   You helped a lazy dude like myself to not have to look up lineup and start time info every single game. 

I will never be vaccinated 
eat my ass Biden 

Yeah it’s too bad his career took a complete nose dive. Here’s a nice video from a couple years ago
 

Finished up Season 7 of Bosch.
Excellent as always.
Looking forward to the spinoff.
 

Just power watched S7 of Bosch
What an ending to the finale 
Great show
Wish they were more seasons

Still the best Angel manager and it isn’t even close.

Unlike many here. I don’t hate AP. I am disappointed in the lack of production from him over his contract, but I don’t hate the guy at all.

Watched Hamilton the other night. Freaking fantastic IMO. Crazy good performances throughout. Super impressed by the performers bringing it that hard for that long. Btw, the guy that played George III is the dude from Mindhunter.

Hamilton 
11/10
They did a great job of capturing the show. 
It's so damned good.

My sister and brother-in-law took the family to Chic-Fil-A the other day. Brother-in-law is San Diego swat. Chic-Fil-A saw his badge and cut their bill from $30 to $15. 
My sister has been struggling mentally with the public vilification of police officers (while her husband has been working 16+ hour days for several weeks in a row now due to the rioters). So acts like Chic-Fil-A’s send an important message beyond merely dollars. 

Yeah dude. 
This is going to be interesting how this plays out. I really hope that both sides agree on something so we can get ST games back and then some semblance of a regular season finally underway. 
I really don't care if I can't go to another game this season. I just want live meaningful sports back on my tv again. 

If you report non-violent “offenders“ to the government you’re a pos

some good news in all of this.
Carnival Cruise line told Trump, “We can match those big Navy hospital ships with some fully staffed cruise ships.”
GM & Ford said, “Hold our cars and watch this. We can make ventilators by next week where we were making cars.” James Dyson said. "We can do that, too."
Construction companies said, “Here are some of our masks, for the medical staff & doctors.”
Restaurants & schools said, “We’ve got kitchens and staff, We can feed the kids.”
NHL & NBA players are writing checks to pay the arena staff during postponed seasons.
Churches are holding online services and still taking care of their members and their communities.
Women and children are making homemade masks and handing out snacks to truckers.
Breweries are making sanitizer out of the left-over ingredients.
We thought we couldn’t live without baseball, hockey, & NASCAR, or going to beaches, restaurants, or a bar. Instead, we’re ordering take-out to help keep businesses alive.
What they didn’t count on was America saying, “Hold my beer and watch this.”
Admiral Yamamoto may have said it best, in 1941: “I think we have awakened a sleeping giant.”
Give us a little more time and we will be doing much better! Stop listening to the hysterical media.
We are one nation. We just need to change the way we think!
 

For me its kinda simple, i would rather have that, than no baseball.

Everyone here would watch every single game. 

Watched an old classic last night, Fiddler on the Roof. Still holds up well and the music is excellent.

thank you for your service and for this awesome information
going to share it with everyone i know

I’m not an overly religious person and if you’re not, then please disregard this, but I feel like in my neighborhood there is a lot of truth to this.  I saw more people walking on trails today, and riding bikes with their kids more today than I have in the last 6 months.  There may be a small silver lining to all this shit.

i agree, love the show, hate her character. she is supposed to be an FBI agent but man is she stupid