April 8 ChiSox at Rangers
April 15 Angels at Yankees
April 22 Yankees at Red Sox
April 29 Rays at Rangers
May 6 Phillies at Nationals
May 13 Angels at Rangers
May 20 Cardinals at Dodgers
May 27 Nationals at Braves
June 3-July 1 TBD
July 8 Yankees at Red Sox
July 15 Cardinals at Reds
July 22-Sept. 23 TBD
Well, that didn't take long: Albert Pujols' bobblehead is among the 2012 club promotions - angels.com. "The Angels announced their promotion schedule on Wednesday, one that will include the giveaway of a bobblehead doll in the likeness of their new $250 million first baseman. The other bobblehead is for center fielder Peter Bourjos and will be handed out May 16, in a game against the White Sox." There's also a CJ Wilson backpack give-away planned, but I'm interested in what the Angel Hula Girl promotion is all about.
Interesting question: Would You Rather Have: Yu Darvish or C.J. Wilson - CBSSports.com. "We now know that the Rangers have signed Yu Darvish to a 6-year, $60 million contract, which is more than they were reportedly willing to pay C.J. Wilson. Plus, the Rangers now owe the NPB's Fighters a $51.7 posting fee on top of the contract. So they were willing to shell out $111.7 million for Darvish, but not half of that for Wilson." Basically, the conclusion came down to would you rather have an older, proven pitcher or a younger pitcher with a potentially higher ceiling.
Thank Cod!: Rangers GM says signing Prince Fielder is "very unlikely" - HardballTalk. "Jon Daniels, off camera, on the Rangers chances of pursuing Fielder: "I’m intimately aware of our budget and it’s very unlikely." Had the Rangers (or if they do) signed Fielder, I would've been bummed, mainly because a batting order including Fielder, Hamilton, Napoli and Cruz would out slug one of Pujols, Someone, Hunter and Wells. The only hope would be if "Someone" were 2009 Kendrys Morales.
Welcome to the fringes of the Dark Side: Rangers remain interested in Prince Fielder, but only in "creative" deal - The Dallas Morning News. This article talks about what terms Texas would like to sign Fielder to, "The Rangers have expressed interest in a shorter-term deal, perhaps along the lines of a six-year contract that would allow Fielder to "opt out" after three or four years." But along with that, it mentions the Rangers' payroll, "The Rangers payroll, which was $65 million two years ago and $92 million last year, will figure to jump to more than $120 million."
Posts and quotes like Hamels' make me appreciate Jered Weaver all the more: Agent expects 'elite' contract for Hamels - Phillies Talk. ""I don’t think it’s a parallel," Boggs said of Weaver’s deal. "That contract is great for Jered. I understand it. But he took a different path and left a lot of money on the table. He came up through the Angels system and grew up in their backyard. He’s pitching where he grew up. That situation appeals to him. It’s a similar situation to when I had Tony Gwynn. "Without getting into specifics of what we’re looking for, the Weaver situation is unique to Weaver.""
My favorite former-Angel: Joe Saunders, Mistakes & Hometown Discounts - FanGraphs Baseball. "Saunders grew up in Virginia but now makes his home out west, so he took what amounts to a hometown discount to remain in Arizona. "This is where his home is, where wants to be," said the GM."
Overusing starting pitchers: Derek Holland, other playoff pitchers at risk of Year-After Effect - Tom Verducci - SI.com. "Despite industry awareness of workloads for young pitchers, the 2012 Red Flag List is one of the longest since I began tracking the Year After Effect. I found 14 pitchers at risk because of how they were pushed last season."
Somewhat entertaining look at Angel uniforms throughout the years: Ranking the best/worst Angels uniforms - The Orange County Register. "The first 40 years of the franchise's history featured more than a few different looks – from halos on the hats to the inevitable double-knits of the 1970s to the lost periwinkle years." My favorite is #11.
Orlando Cabrera To Retire From Baseball - Baseball Nation. "Orlando Cabrera is retiring. He played a lot of years. He hit a lot of hits. One time Mark Kotsay elbowed him in the junk. Orlando Cabrera had a full career." Jeff Sullivan is a poet.
I glad there's getting to be a shortage of "Dicks": The Bob Famine: Athletes Aren't Named 'Bob' Anymore And There's Nothing We Can Do About It - SBNation.com. "Bob Feller. Bob Gibson. Bob Lemon. Bob Cousy. Bob Griese. Bob McAdoo. Plenty of Bobs achieved greatness and then shuffled away, and superior models there will never be."