Honestly, I don't know if it's because I'm a homer, or don't know enough about the sport I follow, but I truly thought Drew Rucinski was going to pitch a great game. But then, giving it a little deeper thought, I had no good reason to think that...and he proved me right: Rucinski, Angels have tough night in Texas - angels.com, "Rucinski lasted just 2 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits and four walks, and was sent to Triple-A Salt Lake after the game." Can you picture that...get taken out of the game, and walk into the club house. There stands Jerry Dipoto with his arms crossed, "Don't even bother changing your clothes young man. Pack your shit and get out of here."
This play is common. Happens all the time. Those little leaguers are always getting in each other's way: Trout, Joyce learning each other's style in outfield - angels.com, "I thought I could get there," Joyce said. "I called it." Mike Trout called it, too, with every bit of the same confidence. "I thought I had a bead on it," the Angels' center fielder said. "I thought I was going to catch it." Neither did, though. The ball grazed Trout's glove, landed on the warning track and ricocheted off the left-center-field fence at Globe Life Park, giving the Rangers an early three-run lead, making life difficult on rookie Drew Rucinski and sending the Angels to an 8-2 loss."
I'm not sure what to make of this article. I think I understand what the author is trying to get at, but yet I don't think I agree with it. It seems many are giving Hamilton a pass on his behavior, while at the same time making the Angels out a s bad guys. While I agree the Angels had, and still are, handling this situation wrong by going public with their comments, they're looking out for the best interest of the franchise. Who among us hasn't had buyer's remorse and wished there was a way to get out of the purchase...and would if we had the chance. Obviously, Hamilton isn't a "something" that can just be returned to Walmart, but the front office has a responsibility to maintain the ball club. Josh Hamilton falls victim to the weird sociopathy of the Business Decision - The Guardian, "In the first instance, the New York Yankees did not succeed in getting Alex Rodriguez banned from baseball for life, but they did secure salary relief for one season – despite this only being Rodriguez’s first punishable transgression under the JDA. Now the Angels are trying to use Hamilton’s disease – and his entirely proper handling of a relapse – in order to escape a financial commitment they now regret. The message is clear: players should suffer for their mistakes, but teams shouldn’t suffer for their own. This, along with the recent disputes over the service-time gaming of top prospects, figures to be something that comes up early and often when the league and the union sit down to discuss the next version of the CBA in 2016. Until then, hopefully Moreno won’t get his way. We’ll have to wait and see. But the Angels have made one thing clear: they’ll keep us in the loop. As loudly and angrily as they possibly can." One of the comments to this orginal post was interesting to me: "There seems to me there is way too much sympathy for Hamilton, who by the way, is a millionaire. He has been a bust as a ball player for the club. I wonder how many of us who have worked hard in the past or are working now, failed similarly with drugs, alcohol problems and poor production would have been treated so kindly in our job."
And I'm sure he has the support of his current teamamtes as well: Hamilton has support of former teammates in Texas - MLB.com, "In the time he was here, baseball was one of the things that helped him get better and gave him a purpose in life," Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus said. "Baseball was his escape from that dark past he had, to focus on good things, positive things. For him, that's really important. Hopefully they can forgive him for that mistake he made and get him back on the field. That's what he loves to do."
This is an amazing catch by Colorado's Nolan Arenado, but during the slo-mo replay, one of the announcers described the catch as "almost Jeter-esque". As in Derek Jeter. You know, the world's greatest ballplayer in the history of history.
I think it'd be fun to incorporate the word "Jeteresque" into my vocabulary...for a day. Like, tell my daughter she did a great job with her homework, "Sweetie, that math work was Jeteresque." She'll look at me like the Alzheimer's finally kicked in full bore. Or, "Hey Bill, that's huge, Jeteresque dump your dog left on my lawn". Wait, I don't have a lawn. Or a neighbor named Bill. My neighbor is a hoarder named Dave. Dave doesn't bathe, so I suppose his odor is quite Jeteresque. Anyway, when I die, God will ask about my life and I'll say, "God, it was Jeteresque...except without the gift baskets."
Here's a GIF:
Howie's still doing his part in helping the Angels in the standings: Dodgers stun Mariners on Kendrick's walk-off single - MLB.com, "Howie Kendrick's two-run broken-bat single with one out in the ninth inning rallied the Dodgers to their second walk-off win in as many nights, 6-5, over the Mariners on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium. "I got a sinker running in, pretty firm," Kendrick said of the pitch from Mariners closer Fernando Rodney, his Angels teammate in 2010-11." This had the added bonus of it being a blown save for Fernando Rodney.
This is an interesting post from former MLB pitcher C.J. Nitkowski on how it's possible that some players don't know they're taking a PED. I can see how it could happen, but yet the player, or anyone for that matter, shouldn't be putting anything into their body without knowing and understanding what it is: Ignorance plausible for Mejia - FOX Sports, "Personal trainers are everywhere. Players will hire them and the reliance to provide injectable legal drugs falls on them. The problem and concern is the experience level of these guys. They get their B-12, maybe something like the black liquid-filled glass ball versions, and no one is exactly sure what’s in them. A player trusts his trainer, which ultimately could be his downfall."
Nope, the interviewer didn't ask the former ninja if he still holds meetings at Del Taco: Q&A with MLB senior VP of youth programs Reagins - MLB.com, "Reagins, under new Commissioner Rob Manfred, will be in charge of consolidating the league's relationships with youth, high school and college baseball organizations around the country."
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