TroutBaseball

Jeff, next time you're talking to the clubhouse attendants and asking them who gave the order to NOT make a nametag for Hamilton's locker, can you ask them how they ended up giving Trout the same number as Vlad? Jeff Fletcher: Did you order the Code Red? Col. Jessup: What do you want? Jeff Fletcher: I want the TRUTH! Col. Jessup: You can't handle the truth! The truth is you WANT Hamilton off that locker, you NEED Hamilton off that locker. WE tell the players where and when they can put their jock straps on and until Josh can hit the outside curve HE'S ON THE OUTSIDE CURB! And until you can accept that I'd prefer you just said "thank you" and go about your day.

The Union will tell Hamilton to settle for $83 million and the right to play for any team he wants. Unconditional release is the only way out of this contract.

http://www.trout.la/mark-gubicza-explains-the-angels-hand-sign/ No site of it yet but his year.

I guess we should start with 20 questions to figure out who you are. #1 When will you leave Houston and start doing your rehab work with the team?

In honor of Opening Day I'm proposing a new tradition. Let's put white Christmas lights up on our houses for the first week. Return and report with pictures.

A lot of baseball pundits have been picking the Mariners to win the AL West. This is usually justified with the explanation that Nelson Cruz will hit 40 HR for them just like he did the Orioles. I find that a dubious prospect so I don't think they'll take the division based on that. But there's something else . . . The Effectively Wild podcast preview of the Mariners was really low on them winning the division. The reason, last year's bullpen was a huge reason for their success and there's no reason to think that all their relievers will have career years at the same time again. Not to mention Rodney falling apart with age. In addition, they have few positional back up plans in the event of injury (particularly centerfield) http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=25862

Got to move away from blog talk radio and their terrible call-in sound quality too. I'm actually a podcaster in another life and might be interested, if you'll have me.

I should add that my favorite is ESPN Fantasy Focus. Fantasy player or not they provide a great update on individual players. I really enjoy hearing Karabell talk about baseball. He used to host Baseball Today but got bumped by Buster Olney.

I gave up on listening to sports radio on a regular basis years ago. I got sick of hearing about the Lakers in August and any mention of hockey, Nascar and horse racing. I found I could get a better fix of what I wanted through podcasts. Here are the baseball podcasts I listen to. Have you found any others? Baseball Tonight: http://sports.espn.go.com/espnradio/podcast/archive?id=2386164 ESPN Fantasy Focus Baseball: http://sports.espn.go.com/espnradio/podcast/archive?id=2544461 Effectively Wild (but mostly just in the offseason, especially their season previews): http://www.baseballprospectus.com/blog/daily_podcast/ Olbermann (always looks for an excuse to talk baseball): http://sports.espn.go.com/espnradio/podcast/archive?id=9594536 Just a Bit Outside: https://soundcloud.com/jabopodcast Jonah Keri: http://espn.go.com/espnradio/podcast/archive?id=9545078 Will Leitch Experience: http://www.sportsonearth.com/podcast/leitch_experience/107595476 Productive Outs: http://productiveouts.libsyn.com/ MLB.com Angels http://losangeles.angels.mlb.com/fan_forum/podcasts/index.jsp?c_id=ana AngelsWin (the two times a year something is posted): http://www.blogtalkradio.com/angelswin

great work

He could retire without telling anyone about the relapse. No one can make him play baseball. Seeking forgiveness and accepting consequences is part of the 12 steps. Meeting with MLB seems to be in line with that processes.

I think that's exactly what I was saying (perhaps poorly). When he relapsed, cocaine was a way out of baseball.

I'm the pop psychologist in this thread, not Hamilton or his recovery specialist.

I've got my guesses what kind of things drew Hamilton to relapse and what might be taking place behind the scenes. It's going to be "a couple of weeks" before we find out what kind of discipline will be handed down. We also know that the league conditions on Hamilton playing are undisclosed. Which means that the union contract is probably the bare minimum when it comes to Hamilton and this latest relapse. The consequences are probably much more complicated than we can imagine. My guess is that he might have already been told he's on his last straw. Let's back up to his first relapse in Arizona that Deadspin publicized. In their story the bartender said that Hamilton on his way out asked where the nearest strip club was. In Hamilton's biography he stated that strip clubs were a place he always knew he could score cocaine. Whether or not he made it to a strip club or found himself some cocaine is unknown. We've been told that it was only an alcohol relapse, but he's shown himself to be a VERY determined addict so I'm speculating this is not the first time in the last ten years he's used coke. Fast forward to this offseason. Two very mediocre years. A lot of pain. A home crowd that doesn't love him. A manager that doesn't hold him close with Biblical encouragement on a daily basis. An area of the country that he doesn't plan on living in unless baseball is being played. All these things culminate at the end of last season with an arthritic shoulder that he willingly pumps a ton of cortisone into on multiple occasions just so he can hold a bat up. After all that effort and pain he gets booed in his final at bats by his home team. Josh lashes back that he only cares about his teammates and he doesn't really care about the fans (probably an immature reaction to a lot of frustrations). So he goes into the offseason still in pain and with the threat of surgery hanging over him. The last couple of weeks of December roll around and the Angels pick up Matt Joyce to play LF/DH. "Hey wait, those are my positions, what are they doing?" questions Hamilton; not to mention all the speculation surrounding a potential trade. He knows he is on his last chance with the league. He knows that if he's caught with cocaine he's done. No more. Addiction is almost always about finding an escape. Cocaine isn't just a good feeling, suddenly this seems like a way out. "And I've worked hard, I deserve it, I can handle just a little," says the inner voice inside every addict. Finding someone who can admit to that sort of self-sabotage is very rare. We're at the end of December or beginning of January and somehow he finds the cash and the means to find cocaine. . . . But being loved and surrounded by people holding him accountable, this isn't the end. He repents. He starts working the steps again. He renews his commitment to his God, his family, his sobriety and to baseball. Playing baseball means getting the surgery. Being sober means making amends, so he contacts the Angels and MLB to let them know that he's failed them and needs forgiveness. He is "rehabbing" at a "friend's ranch" outside of Houston. But it's for drug addiction as much as it is for surgery. Those pain medications are being closely monitored by professionals. Hamilton has done his part. Whatever is going to happen with baseball is no longer in his hands. The story is now about Rob Manfred. A new commissioner with his first real disciplinary challenge and a dictate that if Hamilton fails another drug test he has already accepted a lifetime ban. But this isn't typical behavior from an addict. This is someone confessing and accepting the consequences that follow. This looks more like a medical issue than bawdy behavior. Not to mention all of Hamilton's relapses have happened during the off-season. He needs baseball. This isn't just about keeping drugs out of baseball, this is about keeping drugs out of a really good man with a serious problem. . . and baseball might be the one thing that can really help him.

I can't stand the current US baseball team logo, so I worked up my own version for fun. The left side is the real logo, the right is my version. What do you think? (sorry not exactly Angels related)

Weaver is SO excited about this. He can't wait.

Forget your height. How do you get around with that white box on your face?

Oh, one more thing. His favorite baseball movie is "The Natural". In college he would regularly fall asleep with the movie on. I'm trying to figure out if every General Manager should say "Moneyball" is their favorite movie because it's the only movie with a GM as the hero instead of the villain or if they should all hate it because it's about some other guy. If I could have ask open questions I would have asked him 1) if the organization had encouraged Hamilton to get surgery earlier than February and 2) if he could explain what the heck Billy Beane was doing this offseason.

I'm surprised no one else has started this topic so I'll oblige and kick it off. Today the Angels had an "Open House" as they opened their single game ticket sales. This included a structured Q&A with Jerry Dipoto as he answered pre-selected questions. This was largely a value-add for season ticket holders. I would guess 95% of the people there were season ticket holders. Everyone in attendance got a free Baby Rally Monkey Bobblehead on their way out. Here are the things that stood out to me from DiPoto: 1) Young pitchers are the "keys to the kingdom" and he feels like the organization finally has them. A team can make almost any trade necessary with young pitching and if not, then you can always use it yourself. Skaggs, Heaney, Tropeano, RIchards, Santiago and Newcomb project well for 2016, 2017 and 2018. 2) He couldn't be more excited after watching Newcomb's bullpen session two days ago. Touches 98mph and just needs to work on a change up. Looks and pitches a lot like Jon Lester. 3) He is not interested in giving up first round draft picks for free agents anymore. (unless it's absolutely the right move). I think this is something you can just put in your back pocket and assume is the case during every off-season from here on out (unless they change the draft pick compensation rule). 4) Baldoquin is projected to be a SS, but IMMEDIATELY volunteered to move to 2B the minute Kendrick was traded. He hasn't played competitive baseball in 18 months. . . so that's not going to happen. If a player can play SS they can play any other position (except perhaps Catcher, which he followed up with a funny story about blowing a save against the Angels with Neifi Perez filling in as catcher for the Rockies). 5) He gets at least 50 letters a month suggesting trades that will get the team where it needs to be. He also gets stopped in the grocery store on a regular basis. Keep up the good working everyone. 6) OPS+ and ERA+ are the two most reliable stats for evaluating talent but he holds analytics on the scales of justice with heart/grit/makeup. He loves the blood and guts exhibited by Calhoun and Cowgill. 7) He feels "lucky" to have signed Matt Joyce now that Hamilton's return is uncertain. He had already envisioned Joyce splitting time between LF and DH with most of his time in the field. (ergo, Hamilton was going to spend most of his time as DH) 8) Farm system has FINALLY climbed out of the cellar from 30th place to 27th by analysts. But he notes that 70% of the guys highly ranked never do anything in the majors. He really respects the New England Patriot's ability to find unknowns who do their job. He wants Edelman, Amendola and if possible an overlooked QB who might end up being the best in NFL history. Shoemaker and Calhoun are the prototype for this kind of player. 9) It's hard to be a Catcher with Sosh as manager. Iannetta and Sosh have gotten closer every year and Iannetta has improved year over year. 10) He still thinks all of our Rondons for Street was the right price.

There's a situation that will forever more be known as the "Dirty Fuentes". That's some serious historical recognition.

It should be noted that Schoenfield is an unapologetic Mariner's fan.

I've been saying the Royals wouldn't make the playoffs but I wouldn't have put them this low. And for sure wouldn't have ranked the Orioles this low.

Yost literally cost his team the Division Championship. The Royals are winning despite him. He's a liability to his team and all the writers and managers know that.

Just a follow up: I experienced the same kick in the gut all of you did, gave myself two days to mourn, and then jumped on the KC bandwagon.. . BIG TIME. Just bought a ticket for game 2 of the World Frickin Series and feel I'm living a dream come true. After the Orioles got swept it made the Angels loss a lot easier to swallow.