Angels a Model Franchise, Baseball Loses "The Boss". Halolinks

Model franchise: Owner takes Angels to heavenly heights - USATODAY.com
The big picture: In 2002, the World Series championship year and the last year of the Disney regime, the team drew 2.3 million fans, sold about 14,000 season tickets, generated about $100 million in revenue and, according to Moreno, lost about $20 million. Small-market numbers, essentially. In 2009, the Angels drew 3.24 million fans, attracting more than 3 million customers for the seventh consecutive season, sold about 26,000 season tickets, generated about $230 million in revenue and, according to Moreno, made a profit for the fifth consecutive season. Also, the team won the AL West for the fifth time in six years. Major-market numbers.

Yeah, but what have you done for me lately? Just kidding, the Angels are one of, if not the best organization in all of professional sports. What's going to be interesting is what will the organization do if this season is the end of their A.L. dominance. How will they respond to not winning? And just as importantly, how will the fans respond? There a Angels fans who have never rooted for a losing team. How will they react if the Angels are not able to catch the Rangers?

All-Star game in Southland is the ultimate home game for all of baseball - latimes.com
"This place just goes on and on, don't it?" says Gerald Pickens, a local coaching icon sitting in the dank dugout of Jackie Robinson Stadium at Gonzales Park in Compton. "Baseball is what this town breathes." Pickens, who has helped send more than 35 players to the major leagues, was discussing baseball's midsummer celebration, the game returning to its Southland Mecca for tonight's All-Star game at Angel Stadium. "Oh yeah, that reminds me, I've got to call my man Dennis," he says. Standing amid piles of old caps and rusted equipment, Pickens punches speed dial and begins talking and laughing with the most unlikely of soul mates. His man Dennis, it turns out, is Dennis Kuhl, chairman of the Angels.

Good L.A. Times feature about baseball in the Los Angeles area.

George Steinbrenner, New York Yankees owner, dies at age 80 - ESPN New York
Longtime New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner died Tuesday morning, his family confirmed in a statement. "It is with profound sadness that the family of George M. Steinbrenner III announces his passing. He passed away this morning in Tampa, Fla., at age 80, the family said in a statement.

Sad news for all of sports.


MORE LINKS AFTER THE BREAK...

Despite renovations, Angel Stadium divine for All-Star players - USATODAY.com
The fourth oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball, it will become the seventh to hold the All-Star Game three times. And the 44-year-old stadium, built on 140 acres of farmland, has a distinction all its own that explains its longevity: It's the first to host three All-Star Games in three different configurations.

The fourth oldest ballpark. Amazing.

Vermin Should be Gone for All Star Game - Food Safety News
Angel Stadium came in for some bad publicity three years when it encountered a "vermin infestation." Therefore it is not surprising that Orange County's food inspectors are on the lookout for vermin--and they found some just last Tuesday (June 29) in a couple of View Level (428 and 429V) concession areas. But those critters were taken out, and the over all inspection record for the 45-year-old Angel Stadium is not really that bad.

The fourth oldest ballpark. Gross.

Yesterday and Futures - The Baseball Analysts
While Hank Conger (Angels, Salt Lake, Triple-A), a first-round draft pick out of Huntington Beach High School (Orange County, CA) in 2006 who Joe referred to as a switch-hitting Mike Napoli, slugged a three-run home run in the fifth inning to earn Most Valuable Player honors, future teammate Mike Trout stole the show in the eyes of the scouts yesterday afternoon. Trout, who won't turn 19 until next month, was not only the youngest player on the field but the most impressive.

Another Trout rainbow story (see what I did there? Yeah I know, not good)

Negotiator in Rangers' bankruptcy case being threatened - Dallas Morning News
Frustrated fans have apparently decided to target the negotiator appointed to work out a deal to lift the Rangers out of Chapter 11. William K. Snyder, 51, has suggested that the bidding be reopened at a new auction. Security at the courthouse was stepped up after Snyder received threatening phone calls, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michael Lynn said Monday.

Seriously? Why are Ranger fans pissed off at this guy? Oh wait, I forgot...Ranger fans. I get it now. Stay classy Texas.

Phillies Assassin: License To Tase - TAUNTR.COM
Nothing can tame the savage Philly fan quite like a good shock of electricity from a taser. Play TAUNTR.com's newest game now and send paralizing volts of electricity to try and stop some of Phillys most "awesome" fans.

The next version of this game will feature 51 year-old judges running from gun-welding yokels.

July 13 - BR Bullpen
Events, births and deaths that occurred on July 13.
1922 - The smallest crowd in Fenway Park history - just 68 fans - see the Browns' Herman Pillette shut out the Red Sox, 2 - 0. Alex Ferguson takes the loss.
1971 - In a game which features six home runs, including Reggie Jackson's crushing a Dock Ellis fourth inning pitch off the power generator located on the Tiger Stadium right-field roof 520 feet from home plate, the American League beats the National League, 6 - 4 in All-Star action. All the players who homer - Johnny Bench, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Frank Robinson, Harmon Killebrew as well as Reggie - will become members of the Hall of Fame. It is the only AL All-Star victory between 1962 and 1983.
1979 - California's Nolan Ryan and Boston's Steve Renko (with one-out help from Bill Campbell) each lose no-hitters in the 9th inning, and each settle for one-hit victories: 6 - 1 over New York, and 2 - 0 over Oakland, respectively. Rickey Henderson has the one-out hit off Renko.
1985 - The Angels get three pinch hits in the bottom of the 9th to beat the Blue Jays, 4 - 3. Darrell Miller, Mike Brown and Bob Boone all deliver singles to give Mike Witt the complete game win.
2000 - The Dodgers edge the Angels, 4 - 3, in 10 innings but not before California executes an unusual play. After the Dodgers' Adrian Beltre triples off the newly-renovated RF fence in the bottom of the 10th, the Angels move LF Darin Erstad to the infield to prevent the run scoring. Erstad, playing at about 2B, throws out Kevin Elster for an OF assist. Jim Leyritz then singles in the run.
R.I.P.:
1994 - Jimmie Reese, infielder (b. 1901)