Wednesday Halolinks: Mike Trout brings home the Jeter

I went to my fist Angels' game in 1970, so for most of the 40-some years that I've been an Angels' fan, the team was treated as mostly an afterthought when talking about southern California baseball.  The Dodgers had the headlines, while the Angels had the "oh yeah, and the Angels lost again".  Even recently when the Halos were winning division titles, there was always the feeling we were sitting at the kids' table.  I'm not even going to get into the East bias crap, the baseball world never seemed to take the Angels seriously.  Mike Trout is going to change that...and last night's All-Star MVP win is the first step to many, while we've known it for a couple of years.  In the meantime, here's some Halolinks:

• "Say my name." Mike Trout cements status among elite with All-Star MVP - angels.com.  "All you had to do was watch the 85th All-Star Game on Tuesday night at Target Field, and the high points of the American League's 5-3 victory over the Senior Circuit were argument enough. Because while this night was clearly a celebration of Derek Jeter in his All-Star adieu, it doubled as a showcase for the 22-year-old kid who has quickly established himself as the game's top all-around talent."
• Did you here, Derek Jeter is retiring.  Yeah, shocker.  Mike Trout is All-Star MVP after leading AL to 5-3 victory - LA Times.  "The all-Jeter-all-the-time All-Star game started the way it was supposed to Tuesday night when Derek Jeter dived to his left for a shot off Andrew McCutchen's bat and rifled a throw to first base. The fact McCutchen legged out an infield hit made no difference. The uniform of the retiring New York Yankees shortstop was dirty and the Target Field lovefest officially had begun."
• "I'll take the vet"  I'm not sure if the video will work, so here's a link.
  
• Who?  All 100 Times Jeter's Name Was Mentioned On Fox—And All Zero Of Gwynn's.  "Lest you forget, Fox was sure to make you aware that this is Derek Jeter's final season in the majors. The Captain's name was spoken no fewer than 100 times on tonight's All-Star Game broadcast, but at what cost? That of remembering people like Tony Gwynn, Don Zimmer, or Bob Welch—none of whom were mentioned during the broadcast."
• Stirrups is fighting the good fight in bringing attention to the organization's unwillingness to acknowledge the passing of Jim Fregosi.  It seems like this is a theme throughout baseball, with the exception of San Diego, to ignore their lost stars: MLB declines to honor Tony Gwynn at All-Star Game - HardballTalk.  "Among players to debut since 1970, only Cal Ripken Jr. went to more All-Star Games than Tony Gwynn’s 15. Yet MLB chose not to honor the departed Hall of Famer during Tuesday’s contest at Target Field. Instead, what we got during FOX’s All-Star Game broadcast was all of the Derek Jeter we could handle, a performance of Forever Young from Idina Menzel, and a Ken Rosenthal interview with commissioner Bud Selig that delayed the start of an inning."
• Jeter gets another retirement gift, except this one is during the game: About the groove thing, Wainwright said he misspoke, 'messed up' - CBSSports.com.  "Looking at what he said, it's easy to see how it was taken that way. But he could've meant that he was trying to throw strikes. And somehow, that he lamented Jeter getting a double got lost in the translation. What he actually said was this, "I gave him a couple pipe shots. He deserved it. I didn't know he was going to hit a double."
• Is he saying all the right things, or what?  Huston Street thinks he'd look good in Angels uniform - LA Times.  "In the hours before the All-Star game, Huston Street dressed in the uniform of the San Diego Padres. The Angels are trying to put a halo on him, soon, and Street would be thrilled to join them. "I would love it," he said. Street cited the chance to "play with guys like Albert Pujols and Mike Trout" as well as to play for Manager Mike Scioscia. Street broke into the major leagues with the Oakland Athletics from 2005-08, when the Angels won the American League West three times in four years. "I was probably too young to realize how good he was at the time," Street said of Scioscia. "That's one of the best managers, maybe, of all time. If I went there, I'd have a real chance to win."
• I think they should build a bowling alley: Angel Stadium demolition study won't be released - The Orange County Register.  "The land around the ballpark is valued at $225 million if Arte Moreno’s team stays in town and the land is leased long term to a developer for housing and offices, according to the earlier appraisal. That value jumps to $325 million if the Angels leave Anaheim, the stadium is torn down and the entire city-owned 154.6-acre property is sold to a developer – a scenario that city leaders have said they want to avoid."
• Is baseball successful because of Bud Selig or in spite of him?  The Problems Baseball’s Next Commissioner Will Face – The Hardball Times.  "Many fans have a negative view of Selig, but there can be no doubt that he has left the game in far better shape financially than he found it. Thanks to lucrative local television deals and the remarkable success of MLB Advanced Media, baseball is overflowing with money."