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It's Cyber Monday, when we techno-lemmings clog the Intertubes with our desire to restock our inventory of fresh and exciting gizmos and gadgets from the comfort fo our own laptops. So if your trip through Halos Heaven seems slower than normal, blame Amazon. Or ThinkGeek.
But if you can, enjoy these links:
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Angels Baseball
It's All Relative: When you are a part of the absolute worst farm system in all of baseball, and you watch what little cream your farm system even had get shipped away for a shortstop, it's easy to become a prime Big league candidate yourself. Take the case of Chad Hinshaw, who is rated 13th in line to break into MLB via Anaheim, and who just went through the Arizona Fall League batting .349 after hooking up with his old hitting coach. Exciting times............
Trout Porn(let): We have seen this before, but it is worth remembering:
0.79% -- the percentage of players in baseball history who have both more HR & SB than #Angels 24-year old Mike Trout. I repeat, 0.79%.
— Ace of MLB Stats (@theaceofspaeder) November 30, 2015
A Helping Heaney: Last Friday we gave props to Hector Santiago for his work with youth back in his hometown in New Jersey. So it is only fitting that we also give props to Andrew Heaney for his work with kids in Honduras: "With his offseason, he didn’t crave a luxurious resort getaway. He sought a rewarding experience that comes from sharing what he knows he’s lucky to have. So, for the second year, Heaney returned to the Central American country of Honduras, and the Gulf of Fonseca, on the Pacific Ocean between El Salvador and Nicaragua.".................
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Elsewhere In Baseball
Youth Movement: Here comes another young lady challenging - and succeeding against - the boys in co-ed baseball competition. Her name is Nelia Peralta, and she is not just competing successfully as a pitcher, but as a hitter too............
Life Imitates Art: Mike Hessman has officially retired as a pro ballplayer. A modern day Crash Davis, Hessman owns the career home run record for Minor League Baseball..........
Late Comers: And here I thought the Angels had some organisational catching up to do. The Toronto Blue Jays and fast approaching the Winter Meetings without even a GM, narrowing down their candidates to Tony LaCava and Ross Atkins. LaCava is acting GM (interim) and Atkins is currently an employee of the Indians. But at this late point, the Blue Jays are all about interim decision-making............
Oscars: Quick, what was the last baseball movie to WIN an Academy Award? Any Award? Lots have had nominations, but the last one to win anything was The Stratton Story (1949). It was based on the true story of Monty Stratton, an excellent MLB pitcher for the White Sox (seriously, take a look for yourself) who lost a leg in a hunting accident and made an inspired comeback...........
Cord-Cutting: ESPN has announced that it has lost 7 million subscribers since their peak in 2014. They are blaming cord-cutting. I might suggest a mirror. Their product has long been a shit-show, lately going all-in. And, of course, it helps very little when they ditch any pretense of integrity and representative affiliation with their viewers when they go into bed with the very enterprise that they report upon. So, to hell with them...........
Merch Madness: Just in time for Christmas season, the D'Backs are changing their uniforms for 2016 and will announce them this upcoming Saturday. This will, of course, prompt all kinds of need throughout Arizona for updated jerseys and caps, with MLB hoping they find their way under trees state-wide this year. This makes it convenient that the public can get their first glimpse at a major shopping mall nearby..........
Cuba: Minor League executive Lou Schwechheimer is leading a team trying to return American pro ball, minor league version at least, to Cuba...........
Just for Fun: You are an HH reader most probably because your love for baseball could not overcome you ability to hit a curveball. Fear not. You are in excellent company. See all the pro players who DID make it to the Big Leagues, only to fall prey to Clayton Kershaw's curveball in 2015.........
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Hot Stove Season
Happ-Less: J.A. Happ signed with the Blue Jays on Black Friday for 3 years/$36 million. This kicks off the FA signing of serious players, but Happ was far from top-tier. Still, that's a decent deal for the Blue Jays right there. But if you are of the mind that this is an overpay, and you would not be alone, just please try to keep in mind that you may be using last year's market rates - all of which are totally meaningless in today's world..........
Zimm-ply Stunning: Jordan Zimmerman, the best pitcher on the Washington Nationals staff who recently became a Free Agent, has signed with the Tigers and set a pretty high baseline for the likes of David Price and Zack Greinke. Zimmerman signed for 5 years/$110 million. If a Zimmerman can get $22 million per year over 5 from a Detroit, imagine what the agents for Price & Greinke are going to open up with. Price & Greinke should send Zimmerman a very nice thank you gift this Holiday season. And you have to know that the Players Association is going to be making a note of this in their planning for a new CBA............
Cue Up Cueto: Prior to the Tigers signing of Zimmerman, the Diamondbacks had made an offer to Johnny Cueto which was rejected by Cueto's agent. As top-tier pitchers are taken from the shelves, those remaining can hope that their asking price only goes up. And Zimm's contract most certainly sets a line for Cueto that might make the D'Back's earlier offer now look even lighter..............
Hanley to the NO: When Dave Dombrowski took over as President of the Boston Red Sox, the guy was lucky enough to inherit the human train wreck that is Hanley Ramirez. Ramirez has just finished the first of 4 years in an $88 million contract and his yield in Year One was a NEGATIVE 1.3 bWAR. Dombrowski has charged his new GM Mike Hazen with dealing away Ramirez to whatever team is desperate and foolish enough to be hornswoggled into assuming some chunk of the $66 million still owed to Ramirez, as a reward for calling Hanley the train wreck of their very own. Of all other 31 29 MLB teams, your very own LA Angels are considered the most likely to be that stupid.............
Heyward Bound: While the Halo Front Office voices stay mum on the subject (something they do a lot of concerning things like this so take that for what it's worth), they have been propelled by league logic into the front of the pack of the Jason Heyward horse race, right behind the Cardinals and right in front of the Yankees............
Winter Meetings; Just a reminder that the MLB Winter Meetings will take place next week in Nashville, starting next Sunday 12/6 and running through Thursday 12/10. So we should expect some decent trade/signing activity this week trying to position properly leading into The Big Shebang............
Sober on Zobrist: Ben Zobrist, what with no loss of draft pick and still productive as an infielder, might not make it through the next two weeks un-attached. The Mets are drooling over him more than most. It's looking like he is going to cost somebody at least 4 years..........
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