In two days we'll have reports of actual pitchers and catchers showing up for Spring Training. It's about frickin' time.
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Angels are counting on having the right mix in the clubhouse - latimes.com. "You don't play on a spreadsheet," said Dipoto, a former reliever who is one of only three current GMs who played in the big leagues. "Throwing and hitting a baseball are skills. The quality of a person never changes. That's what winning teams thrive on, having those types of players and people in the clubhouse." This quote just doesn't make sense to me. Those spreadsheets measure those skills Dipoto talks about here; how well a player throws and hits. Winning teams thrive on how well a player plays, not by how nice of a guy he is in the clubhouse.
"This... is a simple game. You throw the ball. You hit the ball. You catch the ball." - In other words, the Angels are no longer the off-season champions. For first time in years, Halos open camp hype-free - angels.com. "Four consecutive playoff absences, back-to-back underachieving seasons and a much better division around them -- with the Rangers having added Prince Fielder and Shin-Soo Choo, the Mariners breaking the bank for Robinson Cano and the two-time defending American League West-champion A's still a threat -- have a way of tempering expectations." And in other, other words, they might actually have a good chance of playing meaningful games in October.
- They hugged it out: Albert Pujols drops lawsuit after Jack Clark retracts allegations - angels.com. ""I would like to address Albert Pujols' pending defamation lawsuit and re-confirm that I have no knowledge whatsoever that Mr. Pujols has ever used illegal or banned PEDs," Clark said in a statement, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "I publicly retract my statements that Albert Pujols used such substances. During a heated discussion on air, I misspoke and for that I sincerely apologize." Pujols responded by saying through a statement: "I have accepted Jack Clark's retraction and apology to resolve my lawsuit against him and clear my name."
- At least they signed a pitcher instead of an another over 30 utility infielder: Angels To Sign Brandon Lyon - MLBTradeRumors.com. "Though Lyon had a tough 2013, he's one year removed from an excellent 2012 campaign in which he posted a 3.10 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 61 innings for the Astros and Blue Jays. ERA estimators such as FIP (3.23), xFIP (3.94) and SIERA (3.20) all back up his dominance from that season. While he's young enough to hope for a rebound, it's certainly troubling that his average fastball velocity dropped from 90.7 mph in 2012 all the way to 87.8 mph in 2013."
- Do you have a strange, unexplainable fascination with a player? You know, a guy who for unknown reasons has become the focus of your fan-hood? I'm not talking about any restraining order type stalking thing, just a weird following. Well, Emilio Bonifacio is mine, and I don't know why. Royals request unconditional release waivers on Emilio Bonifacio - MLB Daily Dish. "If Bonifacio clears release waivers in two days, he will become a free agent who is able to sign with any team. He seemed to draw strong trade interest, but sources indicate that the Royals had a high asking price for him in trade talks, causing them ultimately to be unable to deal him by today's 2 PM deadline."