Dreams

Hopefully the winning streak continues tonight LFG Halos!

Hopefully we get to see Rendon and Moniak get their first hits of the season tonight. 

Looking forward to seeing some Angels-A's games in West Sacramento over the next 3-4 years.  I've been to the stadium there, saw the Bees play.  The smaller stadium reminds me of Tempe and other spring training stadiums.  Only 5 miles from my house too.  Stoked!

Looking forward to seeing some Angels-A's games in West Sacramento over the next 3-4 years.  I've been to the stadium there, saw the Bees play.  The smaller stadium reminds me of Tempe and other spring training stadiums.  Only 5 miles from my house too.  Stoked!

Looking forward to seeing some Angels-A's games in West Sacramento over the next 3-4 years.  I've been to the stadium there, saw the Bees play.  The smaller stadium reminds me of Tempe and other spring training stadiums.  Only 5 miles from my house too.  Stoked!

Looking forward to seeing some Angels-A's games in West Sacramento over the next 3-4 years.  I've been to the stadium there, saw the Bees play.  The smaller stadium reminds me of Tempe and other spring training stadiums.  Only 5 miles from my house too.  Stoked!

Sutter Health Field in Sacramento to host the A's the next 3 years.  Being able to catch the Halos in that intimate field will be amazing.  I can't wait!

Mine, that is.
35.5 years in IT
Freedom!

Excerpts:
"The Angels front office and ownership have consistently believed they’re close to making the playoffs, that the failures have been a result of some misfortune.
“We don’t feel like we’re that far away — we don’t,” Angels GM Perry Minasian said after his club’s 73-89 finish last season. “I think we’re closer than what our record might show to competing.”
The Angels enter the final weekend of this season with a record of 71-88. Injuries have hurt. But they’re still no closer to competing than a season ago.
The Athletic spoke with 17 current and former employees and players with the organization, in an effort to better understand why the Angels have not been able to build better teams around their superstars. The consensus was that under owner Arte Moreno, the organization has not spent at the levels of its competitors in critical areas throughout the franchise, beyond just player payroll. And that this frugality is at the heart of the team’s failures.
“The margins are so small between failure and success in baseball,” said former Angels pitcher C.J. Wilson, speaking broadly about the Angels’ lack of spending. “It could be a 10- or 15-game swing in the standings from just taking care of those ancillary situations.”
...
"At a time when other large-market teams had already moved aggressively to aid technological training and evaluation aids to their organization, the Angels were lagging behind. In 2019, the team brought in advanced pitching and hitting equipment such as Edgertronic cameras, Rapsodo machines and K-Vests, multiple former coaches said.
“Before 2019, we didn’t have anything at all,” said a longtime former coach in the Angels system. “No technology. Bullpens were thrown without any technology. … We were very outdated as an organization. We were years behind other organizations.”
Roughly half of MLB’s 30 teams have established dedicated pitching or hitting labs, according to published reports, and these kinds of advanced facilities are even spreading throughout the collegiate level. One of the better pitching labs in the country is at Wake Forest University. It cost the school about $12 million to create, and allows players and staff alike to hone in on granular areas for improvement — be it a release point, a grip on a certain pitch, or many other details that might lead to improvement.
“Why wouldn’t you get all hooked up to see what fits best for you?” Braves All-Star third-baseman Austin Riley told The Athletic in spring about the Braves’ hitting lab. “I feel like the best hitters are always trying to find that little bit of an edge.”
The Angels have neither hitting nor pitching labs."
...
"Moreno was one of four owners who voted against raising the luxury tax during the lockout in 2022. Historically, Moreno has effectively treated the lowest tier of the tax as a cap for his own spending, and the team’s moves over the last month have underscored that approach.
Matt Thaiss, for example, was activated off the injured list when he was still unable to catch due to his shoulder injury. He hasn’t appeared in a game since Sept. 13. But having Thaiss on the IL and a minor-league player called up in his place would have added marginally to payroll. They didn’t take that approach every time, but people within the organization say the front office remains cognizant of where it stands in relation to the luxury tax. And though it appears they’re actively working to be below it at season’s end, there’s a very real chance they do not finish below the threshold.
Some in the organization now worry that this aggressive push to shed salary will impact the team’s ability to sign free agents moving forward.
This most recent push to save money, however, seemingly fits within a pattern of frugality that can be seen throughout the organization.
The Angels’ only World Series championship came in 2002. Last June, the organization invited players from that team to return to Angel Stadium for a ceremony. The Angels hyped up the event, which included a shirt giveaway. On a Wednesday night against the Royals, and with Ohtani scheduled to pitch, the Angels sold nearly 35,000 tickets, which was 15,000 more than the night before.
But the Angels did not pay for travel for those former players to attend the event, sources said, requiring them to foot the expense themselves if they wanted to be there."
 
 

Isn’t it unusual for a team to not announce the fracture news when found out?
Something does not jive here.

They can't disclose a players medicals without consent. Recently Rendon no hablamos inglés. 

There's lots to be bummed about, but these three guys have made their mark this year. Clearly Neto and O'Hoppe will be fixtures in the lineup for the next 5+ years, but let's talk about Nolan Schanuel. 
Yes, it is small sample size. But think about what he's done. He was drafted two months ago, played in only 21 minor league games, and is now in the major leagues. With only 6 games and 26 PA, not much should be read into his triple-slash (.368/.538/.368) but consider these two numbers: 26.9% and 7.7%. Those are his BB and SO rates, which come from 7 walks and 2 strikeouts in his first 6 games. 21 years old with 21 minor league games and he's showing uncanny plate discipline in his first week of major league baseball.
To get a better sense of what he might become, look at his 16-game AA line: .339/.480/.475, with a 21.3 BB% and 12.0 K%. Meaning, those rates that he's showing in the majors--while clearly due to small sample size--are actually indicative of the type of hitter he is. Now the "downside" is not much power: in those 16 AA games, he had only 3 2B, 1 3B, and 1 HR. But again, 16 walks and only 9 Ks. And there's no reason to think that line-drive power should come.
In another thread, I compared him to Nick Johnson, who was a highly regarded Yankees prospect who stat nerds loved. He struggled with injury throughout his career, but hit .268/.399/.441 in 2001-12 (with a 15.7 BB%, 30th best all-time among players with 3000+ PA), with a career best year in 2006, hitting .290/.428/.520 with 23 HR, 110 walks and 99 Ks. 
Mark Grace is another comp. Grace hit .303/.383/.442 with a 120 wRC+, but his walk and strikeout rates were lower than we should expect from Schanuel (11.6% and 6.9%).
What sort of player will Schanuel become? Obviously we cannot know for certain, but regardless of how good he becomes, his skill set is very rare: you just don't see guys with high walk rates like that who barely strike out, at least not that often. 
I see a guy who should be able to hit at least .290, maybe .300+; I also see 100+ walks, a fair amount of doubles and maybe eventually average home run power (15-20 HR). So if things go well, he could hit .300/.420/.500 with 40 2B, 20 HR, and 100+ walks in a peak year. But even if he hits more like 10-15 HR and a slightly lower BA, he could put up interesting lines like .290/.420/.460, which would be a very potent hitter.

It’s a super duper bruise. Biggest bruise ever

When and where is the 2023 MLB Draft?
The 2023 MLB Draft starts Sunday night with Rounds 1 and 2 in Seattle. Round 1 starts at 7 p.m. ET. The draft is being held at Lumen Field (home of the NFL's Seattle Seahawks), next door to the Mariners' T-Mobile Park. Rounds 3-10 will be held on Monday, July 10. The draft concludes Tuesday, July 11 with Rounds 11-20. Draft action on Monday and Tuesday is set to begin at 2 p.m. ET.
How can I watch the 2023 MLB Draft?
Here are the TV channel and live streaming options for the draft.
Sunday (Rounds 1 and 2) -- TV channels: ESPN, MLB Network | Live stream: fubo (try for free)
Monday (Rounds 3-10) -- Live stream: MLB.com
Tuesday (Rounds 11-20) -- Live stream: MLB.com

I've never started a new topic here as I am a "luker" multiple times daily, but tend to not weigh-in much.  With that out of the way, I want to simply point out that Perry just "seems different" than what we've had in the role of a GM in past.
I admittedly was appreciative of the job Eppler did and have always felt he inherited an extremely difficult hand.  The state of the farm, the noose/limitations he was under, lack of depth, etc.
With that being said, I'd like to express how pleased I have been with Perry's job to-date.  Given the circumstance and current situation (i.e. win now), the foresight and judgement he has displayed is so clearly evident in most every area of the roster.  It's almost as if his plan from the day he began is now being played out in front of our eyes....and he has rarely missed on many of the players he identified early on.
No one truly knew what he had when with Bachman, Joyce, Neto, Moniak or others.  In many cases, we still don't.  But to have the foresight to "lower our floor" with inexpensive backfilling the way he has AND to have the cajones to promote and trust his instincts has been remarkable.  I remember when he signed Anderson to such a low-market deal wondering what the "catch" was.  Now, we are seeing a quality 3-4 starter evolve we will have for another year at a reasonable cost.  I was a big Marsh fan, but would make the trade for O'Hoppe over and over again.  Neto blows my mind for a rook and I have no idea how he possibly projected that and laid off the FA's when his job was on the line.  The Renfroe signing was SO solid.  
The BP was always a huge question mark and that wasn't lost on Perry.  I was critical of the offseason approach (i.e. low-cost spending, practically ignoring the white elephant), but his response has been to rely on his initial moves to address it (Silseth, Bachman, Davidson....and more to come).  
Undoubtedly, when our season comes to an end without a championship we will be able to "Monday Morning Quarterback" what he should have done differently.  But I have to say, I won't be in that crowd.  What he has done this year and the results through 30+% of our games have demonstrated to me this is a man with a plan.
Hell, he has me so excited to be an Angels fan again that I am actually at piece with Shohei leaving (Note: fan since Nolan signed my ball in '77).  In fact, I find myself at times wondering if it might be best for the organization to trust in him to identify the right combination of young talent in a deadline trade to truly put us over the top going into '24!!!  Nuts?  I know.  But man, this guy seems to know talent.  I am so jacked about having a young, core group of O'Hoppe, Neto, Moniak, Adelll, Sandy, Detmers, Bachman, Joyce, Paris, and whatever else he might acquire from a Ohtani trade that I am beginning to think the worse thing we can do is let him walk for nothing with this guy in charge.
I honestly think if the vets can perform like they can, this team is capable of making a very serious run.  I don't envy Perry's position in having to determine it's fate by early July (the trade deadline being so early is a point of contention with me, but that's a whole other topic).  But just imagine if Rendon returned and the power came with it, Walsh found his grove, and Mike returned to being "Mike."  With our starters coming around and the BP taking shape, we have a roster that can compete in ways we haven't seen in quite awhile.  I'm not suggesting we'd win it all, but it "could" make for a really fun ride.
My point is, props to Perry.  Well done, sir.  And thank you for offering this fan something to be excited about for the next handful of years.

ST. LOUIS — Two games into his Angels career, Chris Devenski is basking in the joy of feeling like his old self while wearing the uniform of his childhood heroes.
“This is definitely a dream,” the right-handed reliever said on Wednesday. “I’m very thankful. My focus right now is just executing one pitch at a time. Do whatever I can to help the team.”
Devenski, 32, grew up as an Angels fan. He lived five minutes from Angel Stadium, in Santa Ana. He attended Gahr High in Cerritos and Cal State Fullerton. After dealing with injuries for the last three years, he signed a minor league deal with the Angels over the winter.
As more time has passed since his 2021 Tommy John surgery, Devenski said he’s finally feeling more like the pitcher he was before all the injuries. He had been an All-Star with the Houston Astros in 2017.
He pitched just 14-2/3 innings with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Philadelphia Phillies last season, but he feels like a new pitcher now.
Recalled on Saturday after José Quijada went on the injured list, Devenski has retired all eight batters he’s faced so far, including a double play. His fastball has averaged 93.8 mph, and his bread-and-butter changeup has also been effective.
“I could tell one thing different was definitely the fastball command, and I can trust my fastball and feel like I’m spinning it pretty good right now,” Devenski said. “It was like night and day.”
Manager Phil Nevin first used Devenski to hold a three-run lead against the Milwaukee Brewers, and on Tuesday he used him for two innings.
“No moment too big,” Nevin said. “He stepped right back into a big role like that, that he held for a long time a few years back, and I think he’s got the confidence back because he’s healthy. You can see how he uses his pitch mix to keep hitters off balance, then he can go back to the fastball. Really excited with what we have down there and another piece of our bullpen that can help us late in a game.”
Devenski speaks as if he’s enjoying a second chance after a couple of surgeries derailed his career. He had surgery to remove bone chips after the 2020 season, and Tommy John surgery the next year.
“It’s been hard,” Devenski said. “I’m not gonna lie, but there’s a big word that I lean on in my life and my career: perseverance. Anyone who can persevere through tough times and obstacles in life, there’s always going to be a brighter day. You’ve got to believe that. You can’t quit. That’s basically been the story of my life and my career. Not quitting. I love this game and I want to play as long as I can. If injuries happen, that’s part of it. Just keep going. That’s all you can do.”
SURGERY FOR QUIJADA
To no one’s surprise, the second opinion on Quijada’s damaged elbow was not encouraging, so the reliever will have Tommy John surgery.
Nevin said all that’s left is scheduling the surgery, which has a rehab time of 12 to 18 months.
“Of course he’s crushed,” Nevin said. “He’s disappointed as anyone would be right now. But understanding what’s ahead of him. Nobody is going to feel sorry for you. A lot of guys have been through this. He’s not the first one. He understands the work he’s got ahead of him to be back and hopefully get a good chunk of next season in.”
PROGRESS FOR WALSH
First baseman Jared Walsh, who has missed the season so far with headaches and insomnia, is inching closer to a return.
Walsh has been working out in Anaheim, and Nevin said on Wednesday they are currently talking about what the next step will be. He could face some live pitching in workouts at Angel Stadium and then head out on a rehab assignment, or he could go directly to the rehab assignment.
UP NEXT
Angels (RHP Griffin Canning, 1-0, 4.11) vs. Cardinals (RHP Jack Flaherty, 2-3, 3.94), Thursday, 10:15 a.m., Bally Sports West, 830 AM
View the full article

https://www.desertsun.com/story/sports/baseball/pete-donovan/2023/05/02/could-shohei-ohtani-be-traded-by-los-angeles-angels-to-pittsburgh-pirates/70176126007/?fbclid=IwAR0Fp353lwhYC-zEhJdkhCZbpGUhGKiUG7myQQiy5Bgu8Qnr_ILJzQqEPlQ
PETE DONOVAN Fact or fiction: Could Shohei Ohtani be traded to Pittsburgh Pirates?
Pete Donovan Special to The Desert Sun           0:00 0:34     Fact or fiction?  Or maybe fable?
    Let's begin with the facts: Shohei Ohtani is the most valuable player in baseball.  Nobody can do what he does.  He's an elite power hitter and one of the five best pitchers in the game.  He is a Gold mine in cleats. 
    He currently is working for the Angels on a one-year $30 million contract  That contract -- and the Angels control -- expires at the end of the season, making Ohtani the most-coveted free agent in history. 
    Another fact: Ohtani has expressed his desire to play for a winning organization, which the Angels sadly are not.
      So, do they trade him by mid-summer for a handful (boatful) of prospects or wait until he flees in the fall?
    Now, few teams can afford the kind of money Ohtani and his agents will require, somewhere around $500 million or more for likely 10 years (he's 28 this year).  Only baseball's behemoths like the Yankees, Mets and Dodgers can write a check that big --  although the Mariners, Padres and Cubs would like to be dealt a hand in that bidding war. 
    However, ALL teams can afford $15 million, the cost to rent Ohtani for the rest of the summer, should the Angels move him and restock their roster with prospects. 
      The talk has long been that the Dodgers will try to sign him as a free agent or trade for him in July.  Forget the trade talk, Angel owner Arte Moreno will not ship him up the Freeway.
    What about a team that is having a good, and surprising season?  Why not go there for three months and push that team into the playoffs and re-energize the entire franchise and city?  How about the Pittsburgh Pirates? 
      The once-proud Pirates have been dismal recently with two 100-loss seasons in 2021 and 2022.  Attendance is embarrassing for the franchise of the great Roberto Clemente, Honus Wagner, Ralph Kiner and the Willie Stargell "We Are Family" teams.  They average 15,000 fans per game -- they would sell out every game Ohtani pitches and maybe some more when he is just clobbering home runs and stealing bases. The Pirates have four prospects listed in the Top 54 of all of baseball. Couldn't they, shouldn't they, wouldn't they ship two or three of them to the West Coast for a shot at the championship for the first time since 1979, a mere 44 years ago.
Hey, the Pirates were 20-8 after the weekend, the second-best record in baseball, but attendance continued to lag, placing them in last place among National League teams.  What a shot at the turnstile Ohtani would be!
Fact or Fiction?  Or Fable?  Pittsburgh Pirates, 2023 World Champions.
Pete Donovan is a Palm Desert resident and former Los Angeles Times sports reporter. He can be reached at pwdonovan22@yahoo.com
 

He'll be in Anaheim by June

Seriously. It needs to happen sooner if Rengifo continues to play like shit and Drury is whatever. 

Phil Nevin, Colonel Potter wants a word with you.
Stop taking Moore out after allowing one baserunner and getting 2 outs!   It cost you one game and nearly another.
Got it????
GOOD!!!!!

Anyone else here?