You know what happens next week? Real baseball will actually be played. On real baseball fields. By real players. Really.
- Did Bobby bother to ask which team he'd be getting those 400 plate appearances with? Angels' Bobby Abreu OK with plan to receive about 400 plate appearances - angels.com. "I'm fine. I'm OK," Abreu said while addressing a slew of reporters at Tempe Diablo Stadium. "We had a nice conversation this morning, and it was very good. We talked about what we needed to talk about, how many at-bats. We're talking about 400. Like I said, it can be more than that; you don't know what's going to happen. But right now, Spring Training, I'm just getting ready to play, getting myself ready for the season." Let's see...400 PA / 26 weeks = 15 PA per week, $9M / 26 weeks = $346,154 per week. So...$346,154 / 15 PA = $23,076 per PA.
- There's a FanShot about this, but in case you missed it: Callaspo, Trumbo, and the Third Base Profile - FanGraphs Baseball. "What struck me was the idea that Callaspo does not "profile" as a third baseman, apparently (judging from the context) because of his offense. The scout is probably thinking of power. Callaspo had a .086 ISO last season (.108 career), while Trumbo had a .223 ISO and 29 home runs while playing first base for the Angels and coming in second in the American League Rookie of the Year voting."
- You know who's a freakin' genius? Mickey Hatcher, that's who: Coach gives Mark Trumbo the Figgins treatment - ESPN Los Angeles. "Hatcher is working with Trumbo to tighten up his swing boundaries, laying off anything off-speed and anything too far outside." Professor Hatcher is telling Trumbo to swing at strikes. Brilliant!
- I've said it before and I'll say it again; This Pujols guy is pretty good at baseball: Pujols impacting Angels on, off field - Yahoo! Sports. ""Unbelievable," right fielder Torii Hunter said in the clubhouse after witnessing Pujols’ session. "His bat was explosive. He said he hadn’t hit outside in a while, but he’s hitting the ball like he’s been hitting it forever. It’s amazing. He’s awesome."
- What do you call a woman who has one leg shorter than the other? Eileen. Segura hopes insoles fix hamstring issues - angels.com. "During a season in which the young, developing shortstop was limited to just 52 Minor League games because of a torn hamstring, doctors realized one of his legs is actually longer than the other, by mere millimeters. So now, Segura has a special insole on one of his cleats that will help balance it all out."
- 'El Hombre' billboards likely to be phased out - angels.com. "Angels owner Arte Moreno told The Jim Rome Show on Monday that the billboards depicting Albert Pujols as "El Hombre" are "probably not going to be part of the [marketing] campaign" moving forward." Ya think?
- A number is a terrible thing to waste: Reliever exchanges number for college fund - CBSSports.com. "Instead of some trinket, McCutchen asked for Burnett to set up a CollegeAmerica 529 plan for the 29-year-old reliever's unborn daughter. And now Burnett wears No. 34 and McCutchen wears No. 25." Your mom goes to college.
- Maybe McCutchen should have held out for this: Babe Ruth jersey to be auctioned for 1 million or more - FOX Sports. He would've been able to send his whole family to college. "This Ruth jersey, the oldest known existing uniform worn by the Bambino, could challenge the auction record for one piece of baseball memorabilia, set by the Honus Wagner trading card that went for $2.8 million in 2007."
- Ladyboy's professional debut: Darvish to make March 7 Cactus League start - NBC Sports. "The Rangers said Darvish will get the start against the San Diego Padres in Peoria, Ariz. He would likely pitch two innings."
- Networking! How to Land a Job in Baseball - Step One: Cultivating Sources - Beyond the Box Score
- How The Doping Case Against Ryan Braun Fell Apart: One Theory - Deadspin. "I spoke with someone familiar with the arbitration process in general. He had another theory: Ryan Braun didn't get off because of the merits of his case; he got off because the arbitrator who cast the decisive vote in Braun's favor—the vote with which baseball "vehemently disagrees"—was thinking about his own future."
- This is crazy: Armageddon At Daytona As Juan Pablo Montoya Hits Jet Engine-Powered Track Dryer And Boom, Explosion - Deadspin. "Miraculously, there were no injuries after a bizarre incident on the 160th lap of the much-delayed Daytona 500".